Creative Clay Course FAQ’s
Are you feeling unsure if you have the time, skills, space or resources to embark on a Creative Clay Course? If you are considering starting to create with clay from scratch, decorating your ceramics or exploring the idea of sculpting, you might be surprised at how little you really need!
To help you on your journey, I have compiled the most common questions I get asked by students. For more support, I have this blog post ‘How to Start Making Ceramics at Home’.
Whether you join a local group, make pinch-pots on a river bed or participate in my online courses, I am so pleased to be here to inspire your creativity with clay and help you along the way.
Do I have to be experienced with ceramics?
Not at all! These courses are designed to suit beginners as well as experienced ceramicists who would love to develop new skills. If you are an absolute beginner, the best place to start is with the Creative Clay ~ Hand Building Beautiful Serveware course, as this comprehensive resource covers the foundations and design process. If you have made some basic ceramics and have gone through the glazing and firing process before, you will be a perfect fit for Creative Clay & Introducing Sgraffito and Creative Creatures ~ Introducing Clay Sculptures. Natural Clay and Decorating with Slip & Sgraffito is an intermediate class that requires a better understanding of clay and some experience.
Do I have to be good at Art and Drawing?
Absolutely not. You don't need to consider yourself experienced, arty, creative, mindful or any of the other things often associated with ceramics. Just an openness to playing around. I find that you can develop skills quite quickly if you are passionate!
I encourage students to avoid being focused on a ‘perfect or good outcome’ in the learning stages and just enjoy the process. Making mistakes is an inevitable part of the journey with ceramics, so I always remind students to be easy on themselves and learn from mistakes wherever possible. (I am pleased to say however, that taking an online course will help you avoid many common mistakes!)
Do I have to complete the course within a certain amount of time?
No, you have an unlimited time period to complete each course. You can rewatch as needed and go at your own pace.
Do I need access to a kiln and potter’s wheel?
Kiln - Ideally, yes. If you do not have immediate access however, that is fine. The work will keep until you are ready to fire. (Be warned, it's hard to stay patient, though)
Potter’s Wheel—If you are looking for the most simple start, I strongly suggest hand building. Wheel throwing is brilliant fun, though it has a much slower learning curve and takes a lot of hours practising to master. I only teach Hand-Building at this stage.
What Tools do I need for the course?
One thing I love about working with clay is that it is a very simple process. Many of the tools you will find in a ceramic studio are just fun extras that make life a little easier. I like to keep tools and materials quite simple. None of them requires you to purchase much in the way of specialty materials, with the exception of amaco underglaze and liquid quartz sealer if you wish to use the Sgraffito method on plates.
In each of my Online Courses, I have a full list of the supplies you will need, marking the things that I consider optional and offering simple alternatives to any expensive tools. You can explore them on each course page starting here.
Do I need a Studio Space?
No, you don't, though I recommend setting yourself up with some type of space if you can. If possible, an area where you can be unapologetically messy and leave half-finished projects, prompts and ideas is great for removing hurdles to creative time. If this isn't available to you, try to have a box or basket that keeps everything together so you find it easy to start and finish projects whenever you get the chance.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to me here.