Yes, I would like opening tips - I am not a beginner potter, but still struggle with attaining and maintaining flat bottoms in cylinders. Thanks very much for making these videos.
You may have made and posted a video already, and I will check, but just in case you haven’t…..yes please to a video on opening tips. I almost always throw my centered clay off center when opening and then rely on the ‘freeze and squeeze’ to try to recenter it. Thanks for your great tips!
This video was helpful, thanks! Please do a similar one for opening without creating a weak spot at the junction, and one for wedging. I always get air bubbles from the end of wedging, when I incorporate the section with all the folds. The rest of my clay is smooth.
The best video I have watched for the wheel! love your another video of centering, it's been very helpful !!! please teach us more with the opening and maybe wedging
Super helpful! Especially the part about inside-outside finger placement. When I started using the wheel, it was never really articulated that I should be trying to push the clay upward. A video about opening would be great.
Hello Ben, I am a beginner learning to throw on the wheel. For the longest time I wasn't able to center with consistency until I saw your centering video. Your explanation just made it click! Now I think I am able to center the outside, but somehow the inside of the clay is not centered - whenever I open up the clay, there's almost always an undulation which, as you pointed out, gets exaggerated when I pull up the walls. I would really really appreciate more videos of basics of throwing - opening up and definitely coning! Thank you so much for sharing what you've learned. I really appreciate it!
The way you've explained these problems is really straightforward and helpful. My current struggle is I'm having a hard time getting symmetry on all sides. For example, if I'm making a bowl, the belly might jut out more in one side than the other. I'd love to see an explanation of how to shape things, particularly rounded things, more uniformly.
That's a good idea! The key thing is to go slow--just like you need to pull the walls up slowly to avoid irregularities, when bellying out you have to stay in one spot long enough for the wheel to spin all the way around, before moving your hand up or down. Also, apply less pressure than you might think--try bellying out a little at a time, and going bottom to top several times, inching up to the final shape. It's easy to press too hard and then subconsciously pull back, resulting in that unevenness.
Hey there! Just found your channel- your videos make me want to start a “pottery journal” and take notes. I’m so grateful because I am just beginning my journey in the art of ceramics. Thank you for educating me and sharing such wonderful content🫶🏽🌸 Gonna binge on more of your content now haha
Thanks for this video. Very helpful! I’ve been doing pottery for almost 2 years now, and I still struggle with my fingers drying out before I get to the top of a pull. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
I had terrible problems with pulling up. Then I heard the advice that I needed to put 20% pressure on the inside and 70% on the outside. It absolutely works for me.
Thank you so much! I am only a year and a half into my pottery life and I experience all of these problems from time to time! I’m so appreciative of these videos! Any help and advice is welcome. Do you have expertise in techniques for throwing different clay bodies? I’ve been venturing from b-mix to a 101 and currently trying porcelain. It’s a different experience!
Porcelain is definitely a whole other world. It really requires a gentle touch. I find it is great practice for all other types of clay. Some clays are more forgiving, but a gentle touch is really advantageous anywhere. If you can develop that light touch with porcelain, it will make everything else feel easier
Question. The kind of clay you seperaye from regular dirt in your old videos to make things like this with, can that be used to line a shovel dug hole to make a natural little pond ones land? I live in Oklahoma. I have two acres of red dirt. Can I seperate clay from the hole I am shovel digging amd then use that clay to like the hole to get it to hold rain waterr when it won't hold water right now?
I don't know enough about that kind of engineering project to give you useful advice. Clay strata can be impermeable, but I don't know how much you would need or anything else.
How can you tell if you are moving too slowly? I have uneven walls but think I might be going to slowly, so how do you know what's the right speed of movement in comparison to the speed of the wheel? Would also love these kind of tips on opening and making the bottom!
First, the most important thing is moving up consistently. Fast or slow, if you don't change the speed from bottom to top the walls will be even. Second, you need to match wheel speed to hand speed. A fast wheel requires faster hands, or else you stay in one place too long and wear the wall thin. A slow wheel requires slow hands. You can mark a spot on the wheel head (with a piece of clay) and make sure that the wheel spins 360 degrees, all the way around, before your hands move up a noticeable amount. If you don't let the clay spin all the way around in your grip, you'll end up leaving some clay behind in various spots. Done intentionally and evenly, this makes a spiral going up. Done accidentally, it's often random and just uneven walls.
You just got a new subscriber. I'm also following Andy Ward on RUclips, but he focuses more on hand-building and replicating historical ceramics of the southwest United States. I'm wondering if you currently have the skills and resources to replicate Ancient Greek red figure pottery.
Yes, I hope to make videos about that some day. I very highly recommend the book 'Rock Glazes Unearthed' by Matthew Blakely. It has all the info you could ever need, though I know that can be overwhelming sometimes
I love it when you say the problem and then tell how to fix it! Tks so much
I’ve had all the problems 😂
Yes, I would like opening tips - I am not a beginner potter, but still struggle with attaining and maintaining flat bottoms in cylinders. Thanks very much for making these videos.
Been a while since we've done any tinkering and/or thinking - missing your videos friend!
Yes, of course I'd love to see even more about this, I also have students like this and you're explaining the issues well. Thanks for posting it!
Thank you for sharing your helpful and informative tips on throwing pottery.
Glad it was helpful!
You may have made and posted a video already, and I will check, but just in case you haven’t…..yes please to a video on opening tips. I almost always throw my centered clay off center when opening and then rely on the ‘freeze and squeeze’ to try to recenter it. Thanks for your great tips!
Great videos! Keep'em coming!
This video was helpful, thanks! Please do a similar one for opening without creating a weak spot at the junction, and one for wedging. I always get air bubbles from the end of wedging, when I incorporate the section with all the folds. The rest of my clay is smooth.
The best video I have watched for the wheel! love your another video of centering, it's been very helpful !!! please teach us more with the opening and maybe wedging
Thank you! Will do
Super helpful! Especially the part about inside-outside finger placement. When I started using the wheel, it was never really articulated that I should be trying to push the clay upward. A video about opening would be great.
Yep, would love to see a video about opening
This is what I’ve been looking for! Thank you for explaining why I’m making these mistakes
Hello Ben, I am a beginner learning to throw on the wheel. For the longest time I wasn't able to center with consistency until I saw your centering video. Your explanation just made it click!
Now I think I am able to center the outside, but somehow the inside of the clay is not centered - whenever I open up the clay, there's almost always an undulation which, as you pointed out, gets exaggerated when I pull up the walls.
I would really really appreciate more videos of basics of throwing - opening up and definitely coning!
Thank you so much for sharing what you've learned. I really appreciate it!
great explanations, keep on posting any tips you think are necessary or helpful please as you've helped me so much. thank you!
Thank you! Best video for me the beginning. 🎉 thank you! 🙏🏻
Thank you for this!! This is exactly the kind of throwing advice and troubleshooting I’ve been looking for!!!
The way you've explained these problems is really straightforward and helpful. My current struggle is I'm having a hard time getting symmetry on all sides. For example, if I'm making a bowl, the belly might jut out more in one side than the other. I'd love to see an explanation of how to shape things, particularly rounded things, more uniformly.
That's a good idea! The key thing is to go slow--just like you need to pull the walls up slowly to avoid irregularities, when bellying out you have to stay in one spot long enough for the wheel to spin all the way around, before moving your hand up or down. Also, apply less pressure than you might think--try bellying out a little at a time, and going bottom to top several times, inching up to the final shape. It's easy to press too hard and then subconsciously pull back, resulting in that unevenness.
Would love to see more vids! Keep up the good work 😊!
Thanks!
This really helped me understand what I've been doing incorrectly. Now I just have to practice more.
Hey there! Just found your channel- your videos make me want to start a “pottery journal” and take notes. I’m so grateful because I am just beginning my journey in the art of ceramics. Thank you for educating me and sharing such wonderful content🫶🏽🌸 Gonna binge on more of your content now haha
Agree regarding note taking!!
Thanks! A pottery journal is an excellent idea--a notebook devoted to what you learn, your experiments and impressions. I love it!
Thanks for this video. Very helpful! I’ve been doing pottery for almost 2 years now, and I still struggle with my fingers drying out before I get to the top of a pull. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
same issue for me!
Thank you for this video. I'm now following you. Glad I found you!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge 🙏
Please do a video on opening!
I find your videos really informative, easy, make’s sense, thank you 😊
Thanks!
Thank you!
Your tutorials are so so helpful!! Please keep them coming!
** "if you are over caffeinated" 😂 brilliant!! I'll be using that one in my classes ;) thank you for your lovely videos, very informative!
so helptful, thank you so much!
I had terrible problems with pulling up. Then I heard the advice that I needed to put 20% pressure on the inside and 70% on the outside. It absolutely works for me.
Sorry, 30% inside, doh!
Amazing videos, seriously!
Thank you so much! I am only a year and a half into my pottery life and I experience all of these problems from time to time! I’m so appreciative of these videos! Any help and advice is welcome.
Do you have expertise in techniques for throwing different clay bodies? I’ve been venturing from b-mix to a 101 and currently trying porcelain. It’s a different experience!
Porcelain is definitely a whole other world. It really requires a gentle touch. I find it is great practice for all other types of clay. Some clays are more forgiving, but a gentle touch is really advantageous anywhere. If you can develop that light touch with porcelain, it will make everything else feel easier
insanely good video so nice with the cross section view!!
Question. The kind of clay you seperaye from regular dirt in your old videos to make things like this with, can that be used to line a shovel dug hole to make a natural little pond ones land?
I live in Oklahoma.
I have two acres of red dirt.
Can I seperate clay from the hole I am shovel digging amd then use that clay to like the hole to get it to hold rain waterr when it won't hold water right now?
I don't know enough about that kind of engineering project to give you useful advice. Clay strata can be impermeable, but I don't know how much you would need or anything else.
How can you tell if you are moving too slowly? I have uneven walls but think I might be going to slowly, so how do you know what's the right speed of movement in comparison to the speed of the wheel? Would also love these kind of tips on opening and making the bottom!
First, the most important thing is moving up consistently. Fast or slow, if you don't change the speed from bottom to top the walls will be even.
Second, you need to match wheel speed to hand speed. A fast wheel requires faster hands, or else you stay in one place too long and wear the wall thin. A slow wheel requires slow hands. You can mark a spot on the wheel head (with a piece of clay) and make sure that the wheel spins 360 degrees, all the way around, before your hands move up a noticeable amount. If you don't let the clay spin all the way around in your grip, you'll end up leaving some clay behind in various spots. Done intentionally and evenly, this makes a spiral going up. Done accidentally, it's often random and just uneven walls.
@@tinkerandthink thanks for this tip for marking it with a piece of clay! will try it next time!
You just got a new subscriber. I'm also following Andy Ward on RUclips, but he focuses more on hand-building and replicating historical ceramics of the southwest United States. I'm wondering if you currently have the skills and resources to replicate Ancient Greek red figure pottery.
hi i know its been a year but i was wondering if you knew how to make glazes from natural material like you would wild clay
Yes, I hope to make videos about that some day. I very highly recommend the book 'Rock Glazes Unearthed' by Matthew Blakely. It has all the info you could ever need, though I know that can be overwhelming sometimes
@@tinkerandthink thank you so much. ill look at it
My rim
thank you, robert pattinson
Hah! Haven't gotten that since Twilight was popular