Being a beginner in clay can so often be overwhelming with how many steps there can be, all the different tools, and the endless variety of techniques used by clay artists. Questions like, “Where do I even begin?”, “Do I start with handbuilding or throwing?” or “Do I really have to know all these words?” can be intimidating in such a versatile and, quite frankly, expensive, medium. I’ve put together this *very* short list of terms I wish I knew before I walked into my first day in the studio as a complete beginner.

The first word we have is Wedging. Wedging describes the process of kneading clay, which makes clay easier to work with, as well as preventing angering the Kiln Gods with an explosion in the kiln. There are two main types of wedging, Spiral, and Ram’s Head. Neither is better than the other, rather a preference to each individual clay artist. Of course, some veteran clay artists will tell you that they don’t wedge their clay if it’s coming out of a bag, but I recommend learning to wedge your clay and doing it as a beginner to build up a good knowledge base.

Our second word on this adventure is a two-in-one, firing and cones. Firing is the process of clay being heated in a kiln at temperatures ranging from 1200 - 2300 degrees Fahrenheit. Heating the clay at this temperature hardens the clay tremendously, and melts glazes to create the desired look. Cones can refer to two different things serving the same purpose. If someone says “This is a Cone 5-6 clay body.” this would mean that the clay fires correctly at the temperatures between Cone 5 and Cone 6 (2167 to 2232 degrees F). Another Cone, is the ceramic test pieces that allow you to gauge if your kiln reached the correct temperatures during a firing.

Next on our list, let’s talk about Sgraffito. Sgraffito, meaning “to scratch” in Italian (how creative), is a decorative technique done by caring through a top layer of clay to reveal another color or colors underneath. Many times, this is achieved by painting a layer of underglaze on your leather hard clay and simply using any carving tool to scratch away at the surface to depict patterns, images, or textures. This technique's lineage has been traced back to the Italian Renaissance, however is sometimes mistook for the Mishima technique which is the exact opposite of Sgraffito, in which you carve your design and then fill the carved-out space with color. 

One of the most amazing parts of clay as an art form is that it is an abundant resource that, when you mess up, can easily be returned to the earth or broken down and made into a new clay body. We don’t waste Unfortunately only pieces that have not been fired and have no glazes or underglazes applicated are the only clay candidates up for Reclaim, but this messy process makes clay a very unique medium. Reclaim can be thought of like recycling, you slowly collect your clay scraps, trimmings, and not great pieces in a bucket of water and then begin to bring your previous “trash” back to life to be used again by drying it slowly on an absorbent surface such as plaster or cement until it reaches the ideal consistency.

Our final destination on this tour of pottery vocabulary is something known as Slip. When thinking of the stages of greenware (or not yet fired) clay we observe them as plastic, leather, leather hard, and bone dry. Slip would fall before plastic on the scale, containing a mixture of clay and water that resembles mud, very soupy mud. This stage of clay is an integral part of attaching clay together, but can also be used to create a decorative look with designs, patterns, and textures. Colored slip is often used to create a dripping effect on mugs and other functional items, as well as many other creative decor techniques.