Making pottery on a potter’s wheel and their decoration at ceramics lessons

Abstract

The specifics of work of a teacher of artistic ceramics in making pottery by students at ceramics lessons in the conditions of specialized artistic institution of is highlighted. The experience of boarding school in organization of modelling process is described. The technique of making pottery on a potter’s wheel, methods and types of their decoration are presented. The main stages of work on the wheel are described: centering, strengthening of the ceramic mass texture, cavity and bottom formation, cylinder formation, designing pottery from the cylinder. The algorithm how to draw a flagon and a plate on a wheel, how to decorate them with colourful engobes using pears and ‘fliandrivka’ method, is presented. The process and features of decorating artistic ceramics are described. The ways how to decorate pottery in their raw condition, after drying and first firing, are described. Textural decoration of pottery, which includes convex and in-depth decoration of ware surface, is described. The features of textured decoration, which are performed by coloration of the material with ceramic paints, engobes and other materials, as well as by coating with coloured glazes, painting, are indicated. Convex decorations of the pottery surface in a form of relief and attached details, which are characteristic of majolica, terracotta, pottery, earthenware and less commonly for porcelain, and in-depth pottery decorations are described, which are made in different ways: moletage, openwork, inlaid work, sgraffito, carving.

The importance of ceramics lessons as a tool of national education and formation of students’ value attitude towards folk art will contribute to students’ general, artistic and aesthetic development. The article will be useful for students, teachers, and heads of hobby groups of secondary and specialized schools and out-of-school educational institutions.