In this book, Michael Hardy looks at the traditional handbuilding methods--pinching, coiling, slab building, and pressmolding--and explains how to do them. For many years these methods were eclipsed by throwing on a potter's wheel which came to dominate as a making method. However, in the past 30 years handbuilding has once again become a preferred technique among ceramic artists. These artists are engaged in exploring the creative possibilities that handbuilding offers, experimenting fully with and combining techniques in an effort to achieve their artistic vision. The results have...

Best known as one of the most widely used industrial ceramic techniques, slipcasting has become increasingly attractive to individual artists and craftspersons. Slip, a water and clay solution, is poured into porous molds. As the mold absorbs water from the slip, a layer of clay forms a cast. The excess slip is removed from the mold and the cast is stiffened, removed, dried, and fired in a kiln. Since the molds can be based on anything from delicate sculpture to found objects, slipcasting frees artists from the constraints of other ceramic techniques while allowing them to create multiples...

Dry glazes, also known as matte glazes, provide ceramic artists with an alternative to conventional glossy and transparent finishes. Potters such as Lucie Rie and Hans Coper frequently used matte and opaque coatings in their work. Contemporary sculptors employ dry glazes to add texture and depth to the surface of their pieces. Still, little information has been published on matte glaze techniques until now.

In "Dry Glazes," artist and educator Jeremy Jernegan covers everything ceramicists need to know to create and manipulate a range of matte glazes, from satin to cratered. This compact...

Lustreware, once associated with alchemy for its golden effects, may no longer be a guarded secret of potters and tillers, but the technique still intimidates many artists. The challenging mix of science and art requires a great deal of experimentation to achieve the desired results. Perfecting lustre demands patience, experience, and, above all, knowledge. Yet the iridescent beauty of this decorative technique makes it all worthwhile. Lustre takes on many appearances, from a warm coppery glow to a spectacular prismatic finish. In "Lustre," ceramic artist Greg Daly demystifies the method...