Getting started with clay is fairly inexpensive. You will need a wood board to work on that is covered with cloth. My favorite board that I use is about 21" x 24" and is about 3/4" thick. You can cover it with an old t-shirt by stretching it tightly and stapling it along all the sides on the back so the t-shirt is stretched tightly over the board.
The major purchase is clay.
Your first decision will be what type of clay you want to use. If you don’t have access to a kiln then you may want to purchase air dry clay that will not have to be fired. You will then be using regular acrylic paints to finish your pieces instead of glazes. I would encourage you to try and find a kiln resource so you can enjoy the full experience of sculpting and here are a few avenues to search.
Look in your area and see if there are pottery classes provided at community classes for extended adult learning or community educational sites. If you sign up for classes then they will fire your pieces. Or you can look in a phone book under ceramics and see if one of those places will let you rent kiln shelf space. Most will give you an economical price.
The first purchase of clay may cost around 10 to 14 dollars. Keep in mind though that this will buy around twenty-five pounds of clay which will last you a long time. I would suggest you look in the phone book for art supply places and buying your clay there. You are going to get a better price at those places than places like Craft Stores. Watch your prices. I’ve know some chain stores to charge the same price for 5 pounds of clay that you can buy for 15 at an art supply store. You can even purchase clay on line.
All of the clays below will require being fired in a kiln.
I am a big fan of Miller Clay so that is what I will recommend on this page. It is always good to experiment with different types of clay so you can find the type of clay that you enjoy using best. Here are four types of clay that we use and they are universal clay bodies so can be found any where in the on the web or at a local art shop.
Types of Clay
Miller Clays
Miller Clay #20- This is a type of terracotta colored clay. It is great for hand building as well as throwing on the wheel. It is fired from cones
Miller Clay #20G- This is similar to the #20 but mixed with grog. It is good to use for larger or heavier sculptures.
Miller #510- This is white stoneware clay. It is easily manageable, smooth and a good choice for hand building and slab work. This clay is usually more expensive then the other three types of clay listed.
Miller Clay#1050- Sculpture Clay- This is good clay for large sculptures, slabs and pots. It is buff in color and good to use
for sculpting.
You can get by with home made tools without purchasing any at first. I use to do wonders with a toothpick!
We will discuss tools in another article.
Last Updated ( Sunday, 09 March 2008 )
Pentacles
Written by bruxa da terra
Sunday, 16 March 2008
***All patterns are $2.50 each and will be emailed to you***
All measurements are listed in inches
Open your mind Pentacle Approx width : 11.3 Height: 12.2
