What Are The Method Of Molding Clay [5 Basic Modeling Techniques

Methods of molding clay? Or sometimes, it can be called The Clay molding techniques. I will explain the different existing modeling techniques for beginners and experts.

What is the method of molding clay or pottery molding techniques? The clay molding techniques are Pinch, Slab, Coiling, Clay Cast, and Pottery Wheel.

I will explain the types of methods of molding clay techniques and how to use them with examples.

I also talk about the pros and cons of each technique, so you will know the best one to start with, and I will give my best explanation and make it short for you to understand.

I will also provide helpful links to click on for better understanding. Let’s get into the real deal.

Learn How To Make Pottery Without A Pottery Wheel 

Types Of Modeling Clay Techniques 

There are 5 types of hand modeling: Pinch, slabs, pottery wheels, Rolls or coiling, and  Iron. 

Since the pieces are hand-made, these clay molding methods are recommended if you want to make many identical pieces for large-scale production.

These techniques allow us to create containers, especially in an open way, for example, cups or plates. 

Learn how to make plate by using the hand method.

With the explanation of each of the 5 types of modeling methods, you will be able to be very clear about what they consist of and which one is ideal for you.

1. The Pinch Clay Molding Method

The pinch technique shapes the clay by pressing the clay directly with our hands, using the thumb, index, and middle fingers. 

It is intuitive, simple, and quick to do since everything depends on our agility and nothing else.

As I said before, this will allow us to create open shapes such as cups, plates or vessels of different shapes.

It is perfect if you want to have 100% contact with the clay and get a little dirty.

How To Make A Cup With The Pinch Technique

First step: The first thing you should do is knead the clay very well and add little water if needed so that there are no air bubbles or damage.

Second step: Now, you must make a ball with the clay with the palms of your hands.

Third step: With the thumb of the hand not holding the ball, make a hole in the center of the ball.

It would be best not to press too hard because there should be a superficial hole.

You do not have to pierce the clay. Or, of course, unless you want to make a donut, not a cup.

Step Four: When you think the hole is about 1.5cm deep, press the clay from the center outwards to make the hole bigger.

Fifth step: You must press the clay from the base to the mouth of the piece and gradually turn it over your hand so that all the walls are of the same height and thickness.

With your fingertips, you can give it the shape you want while holding the piece firmly with your other hand to support it and make it firmer.

Sixth step: For your piece to be without imperfections, any parts that are more worked than others, the mouth of the cup is straight, you can place your piece on a table.

With this, you will know if your piece will stop and if it is crooked, with one side higher than the other.

You determine how thick or how high you want the walls to be.

Seventh step: With your piece fully perfected, you must bake it between 800°C and 1,200°C approximately for 2-3 hours.

Eighth step: Finally, when these hours have passed, you can decorate your piece to your liking with Rosetta or Product brand acrylics or with other painting techniques that you can find. Learn how to paint clay.

You can follow these steps to make any pottery shape, not just a cup. All you need is all your energy and creativity!

Learn how to make a pot using pinch techniques.

What are the Advantages of the Pinch molding Technique?

·         Being a manual process allows you to give it the shape you want.

·         The only thing that influences the final result is the handling of the ceramic in your hands, not the speed of the pottery wheel, for example.

·         Imperfections are easier to fix because you can do it immediately with your fingers, arranging the ceramic to your liking.

What Disadvantages Does The Pinch Technique Have

·         If you are a beginner, keeping the clay in your hands for so long trying to shape it will heat up and lose its moisture and the plasticity that identifies it.

But this is easy to fix, don’t worry; you need to wet your hands a little with water to have a suitable temperature for ceramics, and you can continue.

·         If the clay starts to crack, it is because it is drying out, making it more challenging to handle.

·         It can take a lot of work to achieve the figure we are imagining because sometimes you can pinch too much in certain areas of the piece, making it uneven.

Is The Pinch Technique Recommended For Beginners?

It is perfect if you are starting in this great world of ceramics, it 

Learn pottery at a home entire course with no budget

You don’t need strange tools that you don’t know, and you don’t need an oven either, just a little mud, water, your hands, and a lot of patience.

Learn the tools needed for poultry making

2. Clay Coiling Method Techniques 

The coiling method technique is known in many ways: Coiling, rollo, and cylinder, so don’t worry if you hear one of these names and don’t know which technique it is. We are going to call it a coil.

You may be wondering why it is called that. It is because we must give the clay a cylinder shape or a sweet churro like the ones we eat in Spain and Latin America to make it easier to understand.

We can use this coiling technique to make any piece or figure, from kitchen plates to vases with different shapes.

It is based on joining the coil made in clay to be able to make our piece and then give it the shape we want.

How To Make A Vase With The Coiling Technique

First step: The first thing you should do is have the base already made, and since we are going to make a vase, you will have to make a circle in clay to have the base on which the coil will be placed later.

The coil that will form the base of the vessel should be a little thicker than the following ones that we will put as we go up the wall since, in this way, the base will be strong from the beginning.

Second step: To make the coil, you must place a piece of clay and place on a table with the palm of your hands and move it forward and backward.

This step is crucial, so some recommendations are:

·         Remember to always do it with the palm of your hands and not your fingers because the coil will have the same shape.

·         The movement, apart from being forwards and backward, should be done from the center outwards to stretch the clay.

Third step: When you already have several coils made, you can place them on the base individually. 

As they are the first and you need the vase to be resistant, the ones below must be thicker than those used above.

What is sought by placing one coil on top of the other is to create the walls of the piece.

Fourth step: Every time a new Coil is placed on top of the other, you must join them with your finger so that the union is not noticeable. 

It must be done first from the bottom up and then from the top down, as if we were pulling the clay.

Depending on the shape you want to make, you can place all the coils in the same size. 

But if you want to make a broader vase in the middle, you can place a slightly longer coil on the edge of the previous one to create an outward shape.

Step Five: You’re almost done! Now you must perfect the ceramic walls by joining the Coils so that the walls are smooth inside and out.

Sixth step: To bake your piece, you must put it in an oven between 800°C and 1,200°C approximately for 2-3 hours if it is a small piece.

Seventh step: To finish, after letting your piece bake, you can decorate it as you wish to make it a perfect decoration in your home.

I have also made a cylinder vase with clay and learned how

What Advantages Does clay Coiling molding Technique Have

·         It’s a straightforward technique and fun in the process.

·         You can create all the shapes you can imagine with this method.

·         You don’t need complex tools.

What Disadvantages Does Coiling Technique Have

·         It is difficult for the coil to be the same thickness and length so that the figure is symmetrical.

·         The corrections are complicated because if you already had several Coils attached. If you make a higher-up mistake and can’t fix it by cutting the whole layer, you will have to do it again.

·         It can become a complex method for some people.

Is The Coiling Technique Recommended For Beginners 

The coiling method is recommended for beginners, but this one requires a little more patience than the previous pinch method, since joining small pieces of pottery can be annoying and a bit difficult.

3. The Slab Method Of Molding Clay

The Slab Method may be one of the most accessible hand-shaping techniques in ceramics. It can be used for cups, plates, or cups mainly.

How To Make A Clay Vase With Slab Molding Technique

First step: You must knead the clay very well to start the process. 

This clay you are going to place it on a cloth so that it does not stick on the table.

Second step: Make a base in the shape of a circle, as we did with the coiling technique; we will do the whole piece on it.

You can make the base with a diameter a little smaller than that of the ceramic plate, which will be the wall of the vase, so that later when they must be joined.

It will be easier to close the plate with the excess clay as it is a little larger. More significant than the base.

Third step: Now, with a roller, you must stretch the clay little by little to create a plate or plate. 

You have to do this on both sides, the one above and the one below, so they are of the same thickness.

Fourth step: When you have the thickness you want, and if you want to give your ceramic a personal touch in its texture, you can place some cloth or mold with a design on top and then pass the roller so that it is embodied in the ceramic.

Step Five: Since your clay plate has a unique design, you can take it in your hands and place it on the edge of the base you made earlier to look like a cylinder.

Sixth step: Now, as the clay plate does not remain edge to edge, but one piece remains on top of the other, you can gently join both edges with your fingertips, as well as in the process of the coil.

Seventh step: Once the shape of your vase is finished, you must put it in the oven between 800°C and 1,200°C for approximately 2 to 3 hours. Don’t worry if you don’t have a special oven; you can use your home oven.

Eighth step: As the last and most crucial step, if you want a unique piece, you can decorate your vase and place it in your home or give it as a gift to a loved one.

What Are The Advantages Of Slab Molding Technique

·         Only two pieces of pottery are needed to make it.

·         Using a ruler and a scalpel can make the process very easy to make symmetrical.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Slab Molding Technique

·         You have to be very careful with the air bubbles created when you roll.

·         Joining the ceramic plate with the fingertips and making it uniform is complicated.

Is the Slab Molding Technique Recommended For Beginners 

The slab molding Technique Is highly recommended for beginners because you do not need strange tools you do not know; you only need your hands and your desire to create a piece.

The process is simple and easy to follow, perfect for a relaxing afternoon with the clay.

Also, read How To Make A Picture Frame Out Of Clay. 

4. Pottery Wheel Modeling Technique

The pottery wheel technique is the best-known in ceramics since it is the one experienced potters usually use because the machines work for them.

Read What is A Potter’s Wheel?

It is perfect for making any ceramic craft, from minimal tableware to innovative objects.

A lot of practice is needed To master this potter wheel technique since it is a machine on which various factors depend, especially the speed at which we can step on the pottery wheel pedal, which is the essential tool for this process.

Also, learn the factor that make pottery wheels hard to learn.

Suppose you want to learn more about the different types of existing pottery wheels. In that case, you can find them in our article on Types of potter’s pottery wheels. [link]

 Also, read Who Invented Pottery Wheel.

How To Make A Pot With Pottery Wheel

First step: The first thing to remember for this technique is that the clay must be very well kneaded, as this will give you better handling of the material when you are molding it on the wheel.

Step Two: Without any chunks of clay on the pottery wheel, lightly step on the pedal to identify how much force you need to apply to the pedal without your piece going to warp while in the process.

Third step: Now that you know how fast the pottery wheel or plate turns, you can place your ball of clay on the plate and start to mold it little by little and very gently to achieve the shape of the pot.

You can apply a little water on your hands to better handle the clay so that it slips more inside your fingers.

Fourth step: Now, you can make the general shape of the pot, pressing the clay upwards as if you were making a cylinder. At the same time, you must place your hand in the center to start forming the internal part.

You must use both hands if you apply force on the inside. You don’t have your other hand for external support; you can cause a deformity in the piece that you cannot fix.

Fifth step: If you have already made the perfect shape of your pot and make it smooth, without air bubbles or imperfections.

Stop stepping on the pedal and remove your ceramic piece to leave it in a place where it dries a bit.

Sixth step: To finish, you must put the pot in an oven between 800 °C and 1,200 °C for approximately 6 hours. 

When you have finished this, you can decorate your pottery to your preference or leave it as is to make it look natural.

 Also, read How To Make A Soap Dish Or Soap Holder Out Of Clay.

What Are The Advantages Of Pottery Wheel Molding Technique Have

·         The pieces made with pottery are of high quality and have a lovely finish.

·         The pieces are made quickly when you already have experience with this technique.

·         It is the best method for a person who wants to de-stress because stepping on the pedal, feeling how the clay rubs between your hands, and how you can shape something is a perfect combination.

Also, read What Is The Best Clay For A Pottery Wheel.

What Disadvantages Does the Pottery Wheel Molding Technique Have

·         It is a tool that not all people can get quickly.

·         It takes some time and practice to master the technique.

·         It isn’t easy to achieve the desired result if you start with this technique.

Is the Pottery Wheel Modeling Technique Recommended For Beginners 

The pottery Wheel is a technique for experts or for people who already have some experience. In the same way, the idea is to learn little by little and gradually increase the difficulty that ceramics can have.

The results are magnificent, and the process is exciting. The pottery wheel is for you if you want to risk something new.

Many people have been asking if the pottery wheel is hard to learn. You also can read our article about is pottery wheel hard to learn. We have answered this question in her article.

5, Clay Cast Modeling Techniques 

The Clay Cast Modeling Technique is widely used to make mass ceramic pieces since it consists of pouring slip into a mold, the name given to the mixture of water with clay that becomes a viscous liquid.

Let the clay dry inside the mold and then remove it to have our piece.

How Is Clay Cast Modeling Techniques Done

First step: the mixture should not be too liquid or solid. To verify that the slip is at the right point to pour it into the mold,

Second step: Now, with the two parts of the mold glued together, you can start to pour the clay mixture into the mold, but be careful not to pour it too fast or too slow so that the slip enters each of the pores of the mold.

The mold must be made of plaster so that it has pores, adheres to the water from the mixture, and helps the piece harden and dry faster.

Third step: You must leave the mold with the mixture for a minute so that the pores absorb the clay well.

Fourth step: After waiting that minute, you can pour the mixture at an intermediate speed into a container so that the necessary clay remains attached to the mold and the piece can be formed well.

Fifth step: To know when the piece is dry and ready to remove it from the mold; the clay should not shine. And don’t worry, you don’t need an oven in this step; it dries in the ambient air.

Sixth step: Now, you can remove the mold to have your piece!

Seventh step: For your piece to be perfect, you must polish it to remove any imperfection, for example, the union between both parts of the mold or the point of entry of the mixture. These small details can be removed with a scalpel.

Eighth step: you must go to a special oven for ceramics at 1,050°C for 4 and a half hours To finish your piece, and you will be able to conclude that work of art on which you worked so hard.

Also, read How To Make A Hanging Planter

What Is The Advantages Clay Casting Modeling Techniques Have

·         It is a straightforward process to do. Everything is in the mold.

·         It is a fun and different technique.

What Are The Disadvantages Clay Castng Modeling Techniques Have

·         Requires having plaster casts of the desired shape.

·         A special oven is needed to harden the mixture.

Is Clay Casting Modeling Techniques Recommended For Beginners 

Clay Casting Modeling Techniques are definitely a technique for experts, not because of the process but because of the required quantity and quality of elements. 

We hope this blog has been handy to you and that you could have found the perfect technique, whether you are starting out or already have experience. 

They are all exciting, fun, and unique techniques, so some apply to you.

Conclusion

Now I have let you know the types of clay molding method techniques we have, it is now left for you to decide the one to start with.

As a beginner with a low budget, you can start with the pinch, coiling, and slab techniques, then later, or you can budget for a pottery wheel that makes you stand out as a professional.

Read How To Make A Picture Frame Out Of Clay

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