Is It Really That Hard To Throw On The Wheel?

When it comes to throwing clay on the potter’s wheel, there are a couple of tips and tricks you should probably know before jumping into it. There are three big tips you need to know to succeed in throwing. Tip one is to correctly learn how to wedge your clay, the second is centering clay on the wheel, and the third is how to make a cylinder on the potter’s wheel. I’ve got a few links to some super helpful potters on YouTube to show and demonstrate these tips and tricks.   

Tip #1: Wedging Clay

When wedging your clay, it’s important to remove all the air pockets in your clay. Whether it was prepackaged or reclaimed clay, before you start creating you should remove any air from inside the clay. If pockets of air were left in the clay it can cause irregularities in any structure you make. Maybe even more importantly, which is something that is not mentioned in the video, is if there are any air pockets and you fire your clay in a kiln, it could cause the pocket to burst and either destroy or send shards flying at other pieces in the kiln. This happens because the air heats up and expands inside the pocket not having anywhere to escape so it basically makes the pocket explode. If carelessly left unattended in larger pockets, it becomes dangerous for the other pots and wares in the kiln. This is why I consider wedging to be the greatest tip, if not most important, of creating with clay.

Tip #2: Centering on the Wheel

            Beginning on the wheel is always the scariest part. It’s the initial fear of failing at it that essentially stops people from attempting to throw on the wheel. The first thought people have is “Where do I even start on this thing?” And the answer is centering! Simple as that! Well, I say that loosely. It takes some practice but once you have it you have it. Jonthepotter has a great five-step video that’s really helpful and full of errors that most beginners go through. This tip is essential to creating anything on the wheel. Because of the way potter’s wheels work with centrifugal force, centering becomes highly important.

Tip #3: How to Make a Cylinder

            People that get the centering skill down pact usually try to skip ahead and make cups, bowls, or whatever they’re aiming to make. They tend to skip one of the most important steps, which is to start with a cylinder. The cylinder is the starting point for any vessel made on the wheel. From a cylinder, you can make a cup, a bowl, a vase, or any shape of pot you can imagine. It all begins with the cylinder. What’s my basis on the importance of the cylinder? During my education, the first assignment I had on the potter’s wheel before I could make my first cup or anything, was to make one hundred “perfect” cylinders on the wheel, all exactly four inches wide and eight inches tall. Oh man was that one heck of an assignment! But I’ll be damned if that didn’t teach me how to throw a perfect cylinder every time. The next lesson was how to shape that cylinder into different vessels. I made cups, bowls, and all forms of pots and vases. This video from Play In Mud Pottery is a very detailed and great way to practice making cylinders. It’s the most important vessel to make on the wheel.

            These three things are the essentials of throwing on the wheel. Master these three skills and you’re well on your way to becoming a great potter. Just like everything else in life, it takes practice. But if you can apply yourself and have patience, you’ll become a potter in no time.

            Do you have anything you’d like to hear or learn about? Let me know down in the comments what you’d like to see in the future.

Credit to videos belongs to:

#1: Earth Nation Ceramics

#2: Jonthepotter

#3: Plays In Mud Pottery