Tools

Basic ceramic tools

 

Throughout the week we were given the basic ceramic tools to help us manipulate the clay and to create the perfect detail on our portraits.
Here are a list of some of the tools that were used throughout the week.

 

POTTERS NEEDLE:

This is the potters needle, this came in handy later on in the week when
I was creating air holes inside of the head to let out any trapped air before putting the head inside the kiln and has many other uses.




CUT OFF WIRE:

The cut off wire is used to cut sections of clay from the large slabs that it comes as, this makes sure that the clay is cut smoothly and evenly.

  
 

 SCRAPERS:

This is a metal scraper, it is also known as a kidney because of its shape and is made in either wood, metal or rubber. The metal scraper is used in both pottery and ceramic techniques and is used to smooth the surface of the clay.



LOOP TOOLS:

Loop tools are very handy for trimming down the surface of the clay and taking away excess clay where it is not needed.

 

 

 

WOODEN MODELLING TOOLS:

 

Wooden modelling tools come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes and are mostly used for hand building tasks. During the week I used the wooden tools a lot to form the features on my portrait.

 

 

SPONGES AND BRUSHES:

During the making of portrait sculptures it is important to keep the clay moist at all times so it doesn't dry out, you can use sponges and brushes to apply water to dry areas. Sponges and brushes are also used to smooth the surface of the clay and to make it appear softer.