Ceramics Flashcards
Ceramic
Having to do with clay or glass or the making of objects from clay or glass
Slip
Clay that has been watered down; acts as glue in slip/score technique. A fine liquid form of clay applied to the surface of a vessel prior to firing. Fills in pores and gives uniform color
Slip/Score Technique
Method used in hand-building to connect two pieces of clay
Wedging
The process of kneading clay so as to remove air pockets and create uniform consistency of clay
Coil Method
One of the oldest ways of forming pottery. Long strands of clay which are laid on top of each other and joined through blending coil to coil. Coil pieces can be almost any shape and any size
Stoneware
High fire clay. Stoneware is waterproof even without glaze; the resulting ware is sturdier than earthenware
Slab
A flattened out piece of clay; you may use a rolling pin or slab roller to achieve a slab of clay. Clay slabs are cut to shape and joined together using scoring and wet clay called slip. Slabs can be draped over or into forms, rolled around cylinders or built up into geometric forms. Large forms are difficult because of the stress on the seams and because the slab naturally sags. Some potters get around this by working fibers into the clay body. The fibers burn out during the firing, leaving a network of tiny holes
Bone Dry
Clay that is completely dried but not yet fired
Greenware
A term used to describe unfired clay objects in general
Bisque Ware
Clay objects that have been fired for the first time and without any glaze applied to them
Glaze Ware
Bisque ware that has been glazed then fired
Fettling Knife
A special knife-like tool with a fairly flexible blade for cutting into moist and leather hard clay
Loop Tool
A special tool with a wooden handle and a wire loop at one or both ends, used for carving and hollowing out forms
Sprigging-On
A term used to describe the technique of adding small clay forms as decoration on the surface of pottery forms, also called application
Incising
A decoration technique, created by carving lines into the clay or carving small areas out of clay but not perforating it
Kiln
A furnace designed specifically for heating clay to the temperature to make it permanently hard and stone-like. Kilns can be electric, natural gas, wood, coal, fuel, oil, or propane powered.
Element
The heating coils of an electric kiln
Footing
The bottom of a piece that rests upon a surface (may be wheel thrown or hand-built). There are two kinds: raised and flush
Firing
Clay is hardened by heating it to a high temperature, fusin the clay pottery. Has two basic atmpspheres: Oxidation and Reduction, these two atmospheres will affect the color of the final piece
Glaze
Class forming chemicals, usualyl with colorants added, that when applied in liquid form to bisque ware and fired in a kiln, form a pleasing, usually glossy coating to the surface of the clay. Glaze can be colored, opaque, translucent or matte
Slip Clay
Clay in Liquid form
Bat
A plaster disk or slab for clay work
Casting
A clay form made from a mold. May also be referred to as “Plaster Casting”
Casting Slip
Liquid clay used in the process of forming objects with molds.
