12-week Introduction Ceramics Course

About this course

The course introduces clay preparation and studio safety before developing hand-building skills through pinching, coiling, slab building, joining and scoring. It then moves to wheel work, including centring, pulling walls, shaping cylinders, bowls and cups, trimming, hump moulds and making handles. Participants are introduced to studio glazes and their application, then use slips and sgraffito for decoration. Later sessions allow time to revisit techniques, work on personal projects and receive individual guidance from the tutor. The course includes both wheel-based and hand-building work.

What you'll learn

• Prepare clay using wedging techniques and follow studio safety and etiquette.
• Construct ceramic forms using pinching, coiling and slab-building methods.
• Centre clay, pull walls and shape basic forms on the wheel.
• Refine thrown pieces through trimming and turning, and add handles or other attachments.
• Apply studio glazes and use slips and sgraffito as decorative techniques.

Is this course right for you?

The course is designed for complete beginners and for learners returning after a shorter ceramics course who want more time with both wheel work and hand-building. No previous experience is required. Later sessions include personal projects and individual tutor guidance.

• Suitable for learners starting ceramics without previous experience.
• Also intended for students continuing from a shorter introductory course.
• Learners can develop work through both wheel throwing and hand-building.

Before you go

• Work must be trimmed and ready for bisque firing at the end of session 10.