Clay Demo 2 Textured Symbol Plaques
Wheaton
High School
Wheaton,
Minnesota
Introduction to Clay. 7th Grade Clay Design is popular because of the physical connection of the hands to the clay. The personality of clay makes it a "direct medium." This means that any action of the hand or tool makes a lasting mark. In the direct medium concept, each movement or gesture of the hands is frozen in time, sort of like a dinosaur's footprint. Because of this directness of clay, it shows skill to use a minimum of handling to produce the desired design. Overworked clay is a negative. Skills in clay design: 1.) Preparing the clay: Adding or removing moisture so that it is uniformly soft and pliable enough but not too wet and sticky. Moistening too dry clay is done by adding drops of water between clay slices and then rolling and folding (wedging). Drying clay that is too wet, in a similar way can be rolled and folded until it is no longer tacky and sticky. Pressing the clay onto a fabric surface. Canvas or thick fabric is good for absorbing moisture; Paper or cardboard are very absorbant also. 2.) Hand building with slabs or pieces of clay. Clay building is a versatile and 'artistic' method of producing ceramic designs (pottery). With slab building one can make sculpture, containers and a variety of other interesting and easy ceramic designs. The slabs must not be too thin or too thick. About a half inch is good. Rolling pins or roller tools can be used to produce slabs. Make sure they are of uniform thickness. Slab pieces can be assembled many ways. You will be shown some options. 3.) Decorating slabs of clay. The slabs are decorated before they are joined or assembled. A variety of beautiful surface treatments make slabs beautiful. Here are some: Scraping; Scratching or drawing; Stamping a pattern using simple stamps; Tearing clay slabs into pieces and applying these to make design (appliqué') and extruding liquefied clay to make lines or designs (like draw with a Ketchup bottle.) 4.) Good Clay design: The weakest part of any typical school clay projects is that little or no attention is given to the treatment of clay surfaces. There are many, many effects which are possible, suggested by the list of treatments described in no. 3 above, it is just a matter of giving some thought to not just the structure but the detail upon the structure. Remember the concept of primary and secondary breakup?! Once you begin to handle clay it is best to know exactly what you want to do with it. Not to have a plan is to merely handle and manipulate the clay without purpose and it becomes "overworked" and poorly controlled. Some
Don'ts or "No-No's" Please Pay Close Attention:
Clay "Warm up" & Demo:
Be
sure to repeat a series of each texture effect.
2. The slab should be a simple but interesting shape. Make the shape 'Symmetrical.' Meaning that opposite sides mirror each other. Size: Not too large (Up to 8 inches wide.) 3. The slab should be 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and even in thickness. 4. The design idea will come from personal information -- icons or letter forms which desribe your life or interests. In other words, you can combine symbols and words as long as they describe you in some way. 5.
Method of making relief forms. 6. Building up shapes by small clay pieces pressed into the background. Small bits of clay of different sizes can be pinched off clay supply and then pressed onto background. 7.
The desired effect is to have many interesting shapes and textures
spread about on the slab. Try to have at least 3 icons. And
possible some words also. Project 2: Pocket Wall Placque (Grade 7) This is an easy to do clay project. This project features 'slab building' and textured design made by stamping, appliqué', and incising line textures. This project is made of two slabs of clay. One for the shape and one for the pocket. It can be made very quickly, a half hour or less and is quite attractive. The more attention given to pattern on the surface the better your design will be. Here
are the steps to complete the project:
Slab construction is a fast and very "Artsy" approach to clay design. Hand built pottery is crafted with a minimum amount of effort and handling and does not take the hours and hours of practice to gain the skills that wheel pottery requires for only the basic forms. Slabs about .5 inch, can be rolled out, cut to shape then decorated with patterns made by stamps, appliqué or incising and finally cutting out the clay sections and assembling them carefully. Slabs are joined with some liquefied clay (slip) which serves as the glue. Clay Design from
Assembled slabs
PARTS OF THE CLAY VESSEL FOOT
Second,
an aesthetic reason. It gives the structure a visual lift.
Clay
Project Designs 1
2. 2 slabs are pressed to join at edges with fingers or tools. Repeat applicque textures. added before joining. Handles optional clean lines top by adding a belt to top Foot #2
3 Here is a variation
of 2. 2 Slabs cut to an interesting outline. Joined by pinching both sides.
The foot is a slab bent to fit the bottom shape. Add ornamental handles
- - remember to use slip between joined surfaces.
4 This design is formed by bending two slabs
into "U"s. Join in the center;
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