Why Study This Course?
Gain confidence with glazing while creating simple hand built ceramic pieces. This course is perfect for beginners who want to learn how to bring clay to life with glaze. You’ll explore easy hand building techniques like pinch pots, slabs, and coils, and then focus on glazing to create beautiful, personal pieces.
What You’ll Learn:
-Basic hand building: pinch, slab, and coil techniques
-Planning and applying glazes with confidence
-Brushing, dipping, pouring, and layering glazes
-Preparing your pieces for firing and understanding glaze results
Outcome:
By the end of the course, you’ll have a small collection of hand built, glazed ceramics and the skills to continue experimenting with glazing.
First Class Requirements
To be eligible for this course you must be 19 or over on 31st August prior to the course start date
-Personal Learning Plan
-1-2-1 Guidance
-Practical Demonstration
-Hands on learning experience
-Critique and Tutorial
Clay MUST be purchased from the College Shop. The cost of slip, glazes and kiln firings is included in the price of the clay, which learners can purchase as required from the technicians' office (Art Shop, RAS 5). A range of clay types is available, and the tutor will advise which is most suitable for each project.
Learners taking part in glazing activities will require an FFP3 mask, which is also available to purchase from the technicians' office. Glazing takes place throughout the course in accordance with strict health and safety procedures.
Ceramic tools are provided. Finished pieces typically take around two weeks to dry and complete the bisque firing (the first firing), followed by a further one to two weeks after glaze firing before they are ready for collection.
Work exceeding 28cm (H) × 38cm (W) × 28cm (D) or weighing more than 5kg will incur an additional firing charge.
Learners are encouraged to keep a record of their work, either in a sketchbook or digitally, including photographs where appropriate. Records should include details such as the clay used, decorative techniques, glazes applied, firing temperatures and approximate dimensions of each piece.
No food or drink is allowed in the studio; a nearby hub area is available.
Please allow 15 minutes at the end of each class to tidy up.
Please note there is an additional cost of approximately £50 - £100 for materials on this course.
Please note that tutors may occasionally be changed at short notice. While teaching styles may vary, we ensure consistent quality across all of our courses. For this reason, a change of tutor does not qualify for a refund.