ART 258 Introduction to Ceramics

Lecture Hours: 2
Lab Hours: 4
Credits: 4

Introduction to clay; using handbuilding and wheel throwing skills to create ceramic forms. Includes basic form and 3-D design considerations as well as pinch, coil, slab, basic throwing and trimming, decoration, and glazing techniques. Emphasizes craftsmanship through slide lectures, demonstrations, and studio projects.

Prerequisite: Placement into WR 115 (or higher), or completion of WR 090 (or higher) with a grade of C or better; or consent of Instructor.
Student Learning Outcomes:

Describe the origins of clay and its working processes from geological beginnings, through finished fired state.
Complete handbuilding projects using pinch, coil, extruded, and slab processes.
Complete basic forms using the pottery wheel, 8” cylinder and cup or mug with pulled handle.
Use body stains, slips and glazes to decorate hand built and basic wheel thrown clay artworks.
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of hand built and wheel thrown clay objects created in class using appropriate terminology to distinguish between successful and unsuccessful design strategies, and to develop strong alternative solutions to those initially displayed in the original design concept as assigned.
Compare quality examples of historical and contemporary ceramic artworks with their own ceramic creations through a written gallery critique using online and off-campus resources.
Work individually and cooperatively to critique pottery projects.
Practice attention to detail and craftsmanship in creating and finishing hand built and basic wheel thrown ceramic artworks.
Use online resources to identify examples of historically significant ceramic forms; adopt, adapt, and integrate their significant design components into a personal creation using classroom clay techniques.
Find solutions to visual problems (integrating unity, seeking relationships, finding associations, generalizing, synthesizing).

Content Outline

Introduction
- Historical overview-the diversity of ancient and contemporary uses of clay
- Origins of clay-stages and description of ceramic processes, integrating vocabulary
Studio Practices
- Security concerns with access, use, and upkeep of studio
- Health and safety issues with proper handling of ceramic materials
- Proper operation, safe use, and care of equipment
- Clay preparation-mixing and wedging’
Design Methods and Approaches
- Introduction to design process and ideation
  - Define-clarification of goals, restrictions
  - Brainstorm-discovery
  - Analyze-testing the brainstorm designs
  - Revise-modification to clarify or simplify the design
  - Refine-execution of finished work
- Form and function
  - Integrity of material
  - Contrasts of utility and aesthetics in composition
- 3-D design considerations
  - Form
  - Plane
  - Surface/Texture
  - Introduction to additional elements of design (space, light, color, etc.)
  - Introduction to principles of design (unity, balance, repetition, etc.)
- Introduction to content and personal expression
  - Abstraction versus representation
  - Using metaphor and symbol
  - Using historical and contemporary examples
  - Personal expression as style
- Online learning component
  - Research and identify online examples of historical variations to handbuilding and wheel throwing techniques presented in class
  - Adopt, adapt, and revise “found” examples to use as foundational themes for developing in-class skills
Handbuilding Processes
- Preparation-mixing and wedging
- Pinch and coil
- Fabrication
- Surface decoration
  - Incised and stamped
  - Paddling
- Slab construction-slip and score
- Extruded forms
Wheel Processes
- Introduction
  - Centering
  - Opening
  - Forming
  - Shaping
- Decorating moist clay
- Trimming and finishing
- Individual skill building assignments
  - 8” tall cylinder
  - Cup or mug with pulled handle-trimming
Decorating and Firing Processes
- Slips-production and use
- Glazes-types and proper application
- Use of kilns-loading, firing, and unloading kilns