01.Introduction - For more than twenty years I have been an avid and fascinated collector of ceramics.Always on the lookout for new additions to my collection, I combed the antique shops, farmhouses and auctions in small communities. Occasionally I was rewarded with a beau­tiful piece of bisque, a cup and saucer of Irish Baleek or perhaps a beautifully executed piece of jasper.I collected no particular period and no particular style of ware.

02.The Ages - The history of ceramics is a fascinating adventure into ancient cultures and into the ways in which the techniques of this art underwent refinement.

Ceramics may be defined as the mold­ing of clay or earth bodies into various plastic shapes and then using intense heat to give them permanency.It is probably the oldest of all crafts, since nothing more is needed to fashion a crude earthenware vessel than natural clay, warm sun and two hands.

03.Ceramics Hobby - One of the nation’s favorite pastimes, ceramics offers bit excitement and practical uses.

In the cold, concise language of Web­ster's Dictionary, clay is "an earthy substance used in making pottery, bricks, etc." To the ceramist this definition seems much too objective and academic—like saying the Hope Diamond is nothing more than a chunk of carbon which has under­gone immense subterranean pressure and heat.Surely this flawless gem is worthy of a more full-flavored description.

04.Your Tools - The wise way is to start slowly, to save money and avoid confusion.You'll

There is a vast variety of tools and A equipment now available to the ce­ramics hobbyist.Suppliers' catalogues are jam-packed with paraphernalia for the amateur workshop.After paging through one of these catalogues, the beginner is apt to be overimpressed with the necessity for fancy tools and equipment.Fact is, however, that very few implements are can't-do-withouts for the beginning ce­ramist

05.Clays - Success in ceramics depends on your using the right clay in the right way.

Clay is among the most abundant of earth's natural resources, as well as one of the cheapest and most useful.There are many different kinds of clays, natural and synthetic, used for different purposes in ceramic work.Before you begin shaping your first piece of pottery, you should know certain facts about the properties of the various clays you will use.

06.Molds - The vast majority of ceramic wares sold commercially today are cast in plaster molds.Only in expensive gift shops and art studios will you find original, one-of-a-kind, handmade pottery or sculpture for sale.Just as the assembly line makes it possible to manufacture automobiles in large quantity and at a popular price, so the mold makes it possible for the ceramist to produce multiple, inexpensive copies of a design.

07.Casting - Once you've mastered the individual problems inherent in various types of molds, take advantage of the time and money benefits of "mass production."

You are now ready to make your first slip casting.Let's begin with the sim­pler one-piece mold you made of the drinking glass.Remember, however, that before you use any mold you should make certain that it is absolutely dry.

08.Drape - Place it so that one edge is held away from the table or floor by a stick about one inch thick, thus forming a slight angle to per­mit better drainage.When the clay in the mold has lost its shine, it has dried suffi­ciently to be removed from the mold.Set aside the ceramic drinking glass you have cast to dry thoroughly before finishing.

You will probably be able to cast several more reproductions in the same mold be­fore it becomes too water-soaked for achieving good results

09.Ash Tray - Above is one-piece mold and ash tray made from it.Remove dust from inside mold with dry sponge.

Left, slip is mixed thoroughly to creamy, smooth consistency.Mixing too hard may create bubbles in slip.One-piece mold is not easiest to pour since lip and edges require special care, but 16-year-old George Engel tries it for the first time.Below, he pours slip slowly into the mold; don't stop pouring or there will be mold marks on ware.

10.Ceramic Dog - There are several peculiar problems you are likely to encounter while casting with molds.A mold should be planned so that as shrinkage takes place in the slip, all areas shrink toward one central point.If a piece shrinks in different directions, the strain will cause it to crack and break in the mold.The form which best demon­strates this is that of an egg-cup

11.Hand-Modeling - Once you’ve got the feel of clay you’re ready to go a step beyond decorating and glazing, into more creative processes.

Working with castware, the ceram­ist's creative abilities are given free rein only in the decorating and glazing processes.If the mold has been purchased or made after someone else's original de­sign, this is particularly true

12.Flower Vase - The project introduced above and the candlestick shown on a following page were planned and executed by Karl Martz, renowned author and teacher of ceramics technique at IndianaUniversity's School of Fine Art.Mr.Martz's work has been purchased for many important public and private collections throughout the world.He was recently named "Outstanding Craftsman" by House Beautiful magazine; received the Maud Ainslie Craft Award from the SpeedMuseum in Louisville, Kentucky; was twice the winner of top honors at the National Ceramic Exhibition; and twice was awarded First Prize at the Indiana Biennnal Ceramic Exhibition.

13.Candlestick - Score a path about one-quarter inch wide between the pellets, paint it with slip, and weld a small coil, one-quarter inch thick, all around.Smooth to a square ridge with tools.The box is now complete and ready to be decorated.

Constructing this simple box has cer­tainly opened your eyes to the many other objects you will be able to make by the slab method.Any manner of flat-sided ceramic pieces can be made just as han­dily: ash trays, cigarette boxes, vases, cheese dishes, etc.

14.Decorative Bowl - Many ceramists prefer to remove the surface ridges which are formed by the coils.This can be accomplished by filling the valleys with slip or soft plastic clay and smoothing with the fingers to erase the cur­vature of the coils and fill in the seams between.Rub the model with the back of a spoon if you want a very smooth sur­face

15.Sculpting - The next step after you've mastered hand-modeling is the creation of a human or animal figure out of clay.

16.Harlequin - He techniques you learned in the preceding chapter for hand-modeling pottery will stand you in good stead when you begin sculpting figures.While it is not sculpture in the purest sense of the word, you can create simple animal shapes by taking a handful of wedged sculpture clay and pressing it into an abstract form—the same as you did to get the feel of clay be­fore making your first piece of pottery.

17.Horse - Clay body containing 3% iron oxide is to be cleaved, sliced on wedging board into small squares V2 to % inch thick and about 4 inches square.This is first step toward making horse shown in photo above.

Grog is sprinkled liberally on each piece and distributed so that there's an even amount on each.Hollow-slab construction method is demonstrated here by Domenick Angelo, student at Sculptors and Ceramic Workshop, who just returned from Rome after using benefits of scholarship he won from BostonMuseumSchool of Fine Arts.

18.Potter's Wheel - Throwing and turning ware are fascinating techniques and look easy, but they're deceptive.The potter's craft requires lots of practice.

Much of the glamour of the potter's craft is associated with the wheel Undoubtedly, the making of a model by throwing and turning on a wheel is the most fascinating of methods for making pottery.Faster, more precise methods have replaced the wheel in the modern commercial ceramics factory, but the an­cient tool has remained as an important implement for the artist-potter.

19.Wide-necked Bowl - There are dozens of different types of potter's wheels, ranging from the simple kick wheel to the modern electrically driven ones which are rather expensive but are adaptable to many uses because of the numerous accessories that come with them.The kick wheel is suitable for beginners.It can be purchased inexpensively or is easily constructed in any home workshop.

20.Small Bowl - In the preceding series of photos you noted the positioning of hands in throwing will s a clay piece.Here, Castor shows you the steps of throwing by demonstrating a sm

Step 1.Adhere the clay firmly
Step 2.Center the clay
Step 3.Make the hole
Step 4.Open the hole
Step 5.Start the cylinder
Step 6.Lift the cylinder
Step 7.Form the small bowl
Step 8.Finish the lip

21.Decorating - Effective decoration is the essence of fine ceramics craftsmanship.Practice this variety of techniques.

There are many effective techniques A by which you can decorate the wares you produce in your ceramic workshop.Decorations may be applied upon soft clay by incising, inlaying and embossing; upon dry clay and bisque-fired clay by color, either under the glaze or with no glaze at all; in the glaze by the use of colors or colored glazes; or over the glaze with colors and enamels and decalcomanias.

22.Airbrush - The following material is reprinted from the book "'Airbru.-li in Ceramics" (Copyright 1955 by Graphicraft Publications) by gracious consent of the author, J.Zellers Allen.Mr.Allen directs The Allen Airbrush Institute in Detroit and has won nation-wide recognition for his work in ceramic techniques.

A double-action airbrush derives its name from the fact that the control lever has two actions: down for the release of air, and back for release of color.

23.Glazes - There's no limit *to how much you can know about glazes, but even the novice can use them with beautiful results.

Glazes consist of materials which, when subjected to intense heat in a kiln, melt and form a glasslike coating on the surface of the clay.Glazes serve two major functions, utilitarian and decora­tive.In pottery, the glaze gives a smooth surface, prevents food and water from be­ing absorbed by the clay, and is more easily cleaned.Glazing also gives a more pleasing color and texture than the clay and adds greatly to the beauty of the piece.

24.Kilns - Choose your kiln to suit the kind of ceramics you'll do, and learn how to use it for maximum performance.

Kilns have been used by man for many thousands of years.Excavations of ancient sites of early civilizations indi­cate that the most primitive kilns were of the updraft type.In most cases, they con­sisted only of a firing chamber, a perforated floor and a wall.

25.Firing - Success or failure? It's a suspenseful moment when you open the kiln door.

In the entire field of ceramic art there is no greater thrill for either the amateur or the professional than to open the door of the kiln on a perfectly fired "load" of either bisque or glazed ware.By the same token, there is no greater heart­break than to open the door on a poorly fired "load.

26.Pour a Mold - Creating your own greenware saves money and gives added satisfaction.Here Gertrude Engel shows every step from pouring to finish.

Several molds, a gallon of slip(liquefied clay), a kitchen table to work on, a wooden mixing spoon and a crock or glass jar to pour from a single wood modeling tool or an orange stick and you are ready to turn out lovely ceramic bodies that, when finished, you can sell or give as presents.

27.Decorate a Vase - It is the inventiveness you display in using the techniques of ceramics that will determine how personal and unusual your pieces will turn out.So experiment! Here is an example of how you can put your interesting ideas to work.In this in­stance we start with the throwing of a small-necked vase.When throwing is completed there are many ways of com­bining techniques to decorate

28.Charcoal Bag - Here is a wonderfully practical way to use designs and pictures of all types from magazines, newspapers and catalogs.You can save yourself actually many dol­lars by doing away with stencils, and you will have finished products that are hand-painted.

With a little bit of practice you will be amazed at the beautiful results that can be obtained.

29.Table-top Tile - Wall, table and tray are the most obvious places of display for this large and exciting tile.An expert demonstrates how you can make one.

Another project by Harold Castor of the Sculptors and Ceramic Workshop, this large ceramic tile embodies a design technique that is at an all-time high now in popularity.The steps in making this are clearly shown in the photographs.

30.Liquid Mask - Handsome designing in ceramics is easier and more exciting when you use liquid mask to define areas.

Left, basic pattern of horse is traced on piece of greenware with pencil.Char­coal bag method can be used (page 133).and charcoal marks will fire out in the kiln.MarieHome is artist on this job.

Use a sable brush and liquid masking material to fill in figure of horse.Let the liquid mask dry for several minutes.

Ceramics Terms - ARABIC—A gum used with paint and glaze as i binder.

ARMATURE—A wire-skeleton shape used to build figures on.

BAFFLE—A device used to protect the ware in the kiln.

BALL CLAY—A plastic clay used in the manufacture of stoneware, pottery and cbinaware.

BALL MILL—A jar filled with porcelain pebbles that is rotated in order to grind glazes and colors.

THE END