Owl Gateway
Ceramics
Ceramics are classified as inorganic and nonmetallic materials that are essential to our daily lifestyle.
HOOTIE
Clay Designs
In preparation for all the fun we’re about to have with clay, we’ve got to start by getting those creative brain juices embalmed and flowing.
This is where the real creativity happens! We’ll be designing our character sculptures by sketching them from different angles, channeling our inner architects of ancient Egypt. After all, the Egyptians were true masters of design and sculpture… you don’t get a monument like the Great Pyramid of Giza, towering at 481 feet tall and weighing 6 million tons, by winging it and tossing pebbles.
Once our designs are set in stone—well, clay—we’ll be ready to get our feathers filthy… I mean muddy… no wait, clay-e! Let the sculpting adventures begin!”
Master Oamie’s Thoughts
If I were doing this project again… I would definitely select slimer from the ghostbusters as my main character. As in art and as in life… choose something you’ll be passionate about. The passionate choice will keep you interested and fuel you to completion.
CLAYOPATRA
Clay Sculpting
Ceramics is a unique blend of adding and subtracting clay—a bit like sculpting in reverse! But to build up your masterpiece, scoring and slipping are the secret sauce. Without them, your art risks slipping into obscurity, scoring no points on the test of time!
Scoring and slipping act like ancient welders and glue, ensuring even a pharaoh’s canopic urn stayed ‘tomb-tight’ and ‘crack-free’ for eternity.
Without these techniques, clay sculptures would crumble to dust, lost to time during the fiery kiln journey. Speaking of kilns, ever heard of vitrification? It’s when silica turns into glass at 2500 degrees, giving clay its strength and durability. But before that fiery finale, it’s time to sculpt your character and score some slip points
Master Oamie’s Thoughts
I like to think of scoring and slipping as making muddy velcro.
PHAROWGLAZE
Glazing
Yep, egyptian artists did add actual gold to their glazes, giving their creations a luxurious shimmer. But hey, we’re not rolling in gold shekels like the pharaohs— well not yet! We’ll start with the basics: learning how to glaze.
Glazing ceramics is like painting with earth and fire. It’s really magical stuff, actually. Glazing transforms plain ol’ clay, minerals and metals into vibrant colors and durable works of art!
You’ll dip your brush into liquid glaze and apply it to your bisque sculpture — bisque is clay that’s already had its first firing. You’ll use some of your imagination as you add the glaze to your ceramics since the colors will transform to their trueself when they hit the heat of the kiln.
Speaking of kilns, that’s where the alchemy happens. The glaze undergoes a crazy transformation as it’s blasted with intense heat. Minerals in the glaze melt together, forming a smooth, glassy surface that not only looks stunning but also protects the clay underneath.
So, lets explore the underworld of glazing. It’s a journey filled with excitement, discovery, and maybe a bit of clay-colored fun along the way!
Master Oamie’s Thoughts
My friend in college would make glazes from scratch mixing different minerals and creating his own recipes like a master chef. The results were extraordinary and often the glaze would make a simple pot into a masterpiece. Just like decorating a cake!
