continue
your study of ceramics

Improve the techniques you learned in Ceramics 1 and learn about the history of ceramics.  Work will be more challenging.  Projects will be more complex, more elaborate, and geared toward a specific era in the history of ceramics.  Electric wheels will be available for your use during the entire semester and you will be encouraged to create more sophisticated form.

Warning . . . Ceramics is not Sculpture*

Remember .  . . This is a class in which you use clay only.  Be sure you want to work with clay and that you can be responsible in your use of clay.  Only the most mature students will be happy in this class.

*We will learn to make pots using hand-building and wheel throwing techniques.  Many pots will be functional (you can put foods, liquids, or other things into them).  Some pots may not be as functional as others, and some pots may have sculptural elements, like a mug that looks like an animal.  But ceramics is not sculpture.

Assignments include sketches, readings, class discussion, a final exam, and art projects that are based in the history of ceramics.  You may choose to hand build or throw your pots.  

We will continue to explore glaze-making techniques. 

For all projects, form and surface decoration will be explained with emphasis on techniques and design elements (line, shape, value, texture) and principles (balance, rhythm, emphasis, proportion, opposition).  

I hope you will apply the theories you learned in basic art in your ceramics class.

• sketches and art projects

• reading from textbook

• class discussion

• quizzes and a final exam

After you learn to hand build pinch, coil, and slab pots, I will teach you how to throw on the electric wheel.  For all projects, form and surface decoration will be explained with emphasis on techniques and design elements (line, shape, value, texture) and principles (balance, rhythm, emphasis, proportion, opposition).  I hope you will apply the theories you learned in basic art in your ceramics class.  

Grades will be evaluated using the following scale.  Because ceramics is a varied course, your grade is weighted in each area. Grade slips are posted periodically, but you must make sure you have completed all assigned work.  You will maintain a record of your own grades on an index card, which you hand in with each project  

Late policy.  No work can be handed in late without prior permission, which will be given for serious problems or emergencies only.  This permission will only be given prior to the day the project is due.  Do not ask me for permission the day the project is due.  For each day that a project is late without permission your project grade will be lowered by one letter grade. You are responsible for keeping track of your progress.  You must make sure you have completed all assigned work.  I cannot do this for you because there are so many small objects to grade