How to Pull Up The Walls of a Pot — A Beginner's Guide
Summary
TLDRThis video tutorial focuses on the art of pottery, specifically the technique of pulling up the walls of a pot. The instructor emphasizes the importance of proper centering and base formation before demonstrating how to evenly and confidently shape the pot's walls. Tips are provided to avoid common mistakes, ensuring a smooth and even distribution of clay. The video also covers the theory behind the pressure needed for wall formation and how to correct issues like uneven thickness or splaying. The instructor shares personal insights and practice recommendations to help beginners improve their pottery skills.
Takeaways
- 🤲 The process of pulling up the walls of a pot begins with a well-centered and base-formed lump of clay, focusing on creating an even and confident shape.
- 🔄 It's crucial to have a sharp angle on the interior corner of the pot and ensure the walls angle upwards before starting to pull.
- 💧 Keeping hands and the pot surface hydrated with water is essential for smooth clay movement and to prevent sticking.
- 👐 The technique involves using a knuckle on the outside and finger pads on the inside, applying consistent pressure while pulling upwards.
- ⏳ Patience is key; rushing the process can lead to uneven walls, increasing the risk of collapse or twisting.
- 🔄 Regularly compressing and neatening the rim after each pull helps maintain an even shape.
- 🚫 Avoid pinching all the way through the wall, which can create holes and compromise the pot's integrity.
- 🔍 Consistent pulling is indicated by evenly spaced throwing rings on the pot's surface, reflecting the steadiness of your hands.
- 🔄 The goal is to achieve a uniform wall thickness throughout the pot, which can be checked by cutting and observing cross-sections.
- 👉 Counteract centrifugal force by applying inward pressure to prevent the pot from splaying outwards and thinning unevenly.
- ✋ The position and movement of your arms are critical; use your forearms for stability and consistent pressure application.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video script?
-The main focus of the video script is to teach the process of pulling up the walls of a pot on a pottery wheel, including tips and tricks to achieve an even and confident throw.
Why is it important to center and open up the clay correctly before pulling up the walls?
-Centering and opening up the clay correctly are important because they ensure the pot is balanced and the walls can be pulled up evenly. Poor centering or opening can make the subsequent steps more difficult and lead to uneven walls or collapse.
What is the purpose of having a sharp angle on the interior corner of the pot?
-A sharp angle on the interior corner of the pot is important for controlling the direction in which the walls are pulled up, ensuring they angle upwards rather than outwards, which helps in achieving an even thickness and shape.
How does the potter ensure the walls of the pot angle upwards during the pulling process?
-The potter ensures the walls angle upwards by wetting their hands and collaring the walls slightly, which helps direct the wall in the intended direction.
What is the significance of the grooves on either side of the pot during the pulling process?
-The grooves on either side of the pot serve as a starting point for pinching the clay and pulling up the walls. They also help in evenly distributing the clay as the potter's fingers and knuckle work together to pull the clay upwards.
Why should the base of the pot not be pushed down further once it's set?
-The base of the pot should not be pushed down further once it's set because it's already quite thin, and the goal is to match the thickness of the base with the thickness of the walls after they've been pulled up.
How does the potter maintain consistency while pulling up the walls of the pot?
-The potter maintains consistency by moving their hands at a steady and even rate, not pinching progressively more firmly, and keeping the fingers held at a set position throughout the pull.
What is the purpose of observing the throwing rings on the outside surface of the pot?
-Observing the throwing rings helps the potter understand the consistency of their movements. Evenly spaced rings indicate even pulls, while irregular rings suggest inconsistent pressure and movement.
Why does the potter aim for walls and a base of the same thickness throughout the pot?
-Aim for walls and a base of the same thickness throughout the pot to ensure even weight distribution and prevent the pot from being bottom heavy, which can affect its balance and functionality.
What is the significance of releasing fingers gently at the top of the pot during the pulling process?
-Releasing fingers gently at the top of the pot prevents the rim from becoming uneven and off-center, which can happen if pressure is not released carefully and consistently.
How does the potter correct a wobble in the rim of the pot?
-The potter corrects a wobble in the rim by wetting the top slightly and using a sharp potter's needle to remove excess clay above the lowest point of the undulation, evening out the rim.
Outlines
🎨 Introduction to Pulling Up Pottery Walls
The paragraph introduces the process of pulling up the walls of a pot after the clay has been centered and the base formed. It emphasizes the importance of centering and opening up the clay correctly, as improper centering can make the wall-pulling process difficult. The narrator discusses the importance of having a sharp angle on the interior corner of the pot and ensuring the walls angle upwards. The technique involves wetting hands, collaring the walls slightly, and pinching from specific grooves to form the pot's walls. The goal is to evenly distribute the clay throughout the pot, and the narrator shares tips on how to achieve this, including the use of water to prevent sticking and maintaining an even rate when pulling the walls up.
🔍 Detailed Technique for Pulling Up Pottery Walls
This paragraph delves deeper into the technique of pulling up the walls of a pot. It describes the use of a knuckle to pull the walls from the outside while fingers push from the inside, creating a smaller region for the clay to pass through. The narrator explains the importance of consistency in the pulling process, noting that uneven pulls can result in walls of varying thickness. The paragraph also discusses the use of water to keep the clay and hands hydrated, which is crucial for smooth clay flow. Additionally, it touches on the importance of observing the cross-section of pots to understand the evenness of the walls and the need for practice to achieve consistency in pottery throwing.
💪 Pressure and Counter Pressure in Pottery Wall Formation
The paragraph discusses the theory behind applying pressure when pulling up the walls of a pot. It explains that applying pressure from only one side can cause the form to bow inward, so counter pressure is needed to maintain the shape. The narrator demonstrates how to use both hands to apply pressure from both the inside and outside of the pot. The paragraph also addresses the issue of the top section of the pot splaying outwards and how to correct it by collaring the top inward. The narrator shares personal preferences for using a knuckle for the initial pulls and fingertips for the final touches, and the importance of keeping the pot well-saturated with water during the process.
🛠️ Correcting and Finishing Pottery Techniques
This paragraph focuses on how to correct issues that may arise during the pottery process, such as a wobble in the rim or uneven walls. It describes the use of a potter's needle to remove excess clay causing the wobble and the importance of maintaining a consistent speed and pressure when pulling up the walls. The narrator also discusses the importance of releasing pressure gently at the top of the pot to avoid an uneven rim and the technique of beveling the edge for drinking vessels. The paragraph concludes with advice on the importance of practice, emphasizing that making many pots, even if they break, is the fastest way to improve.
🌟 Final Thoughts on Pottery Throwing Techniques
The final paragraph offers concluding thoughts and advice on pottery throwing. It reiterates the importance of not being too precious with the clay and encourages practice with various pot shapes and sizes. The narrator acknowledges that achieving even and thin walls takes time and that it's normal for pots to be heavier when starting out. The paragraph also discusses the sustainability of the pottery process, where clay from failed pots can be re-wedged and reused. The narrator expresses gratitude for the opportunity to share knowledge and invites feedback and suggestions for future topics to cover in the series.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Pulling up walls
💡Clay centering
💡Base formation
💡Collar the walls
💡Centrifugal force
💡Consistent pressure
💡Cross-section
💡Rim compression
💡Throwing rings
💡Sponging out
Highlights
The video focuses on the technique of pulling up the walls of a pot in pottery, providing tips and tricks for even and confident wall formation.
It emphasizes the importance of proper centering and opening up of the clay before pulling up the walls, as incorrect initial steps can complicate this process.
The video explains the need for a sharp angle on the interior corner of the pot and how to ensure the walls angle upwards before beginning to pull.
The process of pinching the thicker section of clay to form the walls is detailed, highlighting the importance of even clay distribution.
The video demonstrates the use of a knuckle and fingers to create a smaller region for the clay to pass through during the pulling process.
Maintaining the base's thickness and avoiding further thinning is discussed, as well as the goal of matching the base's thickness with the walls.
The importance of keeping hands and the pot wet for smooth clay flow is highlighted, to prevent sticking and uneven walls.
Consistency in the pulling process is stressed, with advice on how to avoid creating uneven thicknesses in the pot's walls.
The video provides a method for correcting the rim of the pot by compressing it after each pull to ensure an even and neat finish.
It explains how to avoid pinching all the way through the wall, which can create holes, by ensuring fingers never touch during the pulling process.
The video illustrates how to create an indentation at the bottom of the pot to push excess clay into the walls for controlled wall thickness.
Consistency in movement is key, and the video suggests checking the throwing rings on the pot's surface to assess the evenness of pulls.
The video discusses the theory behind applying counter pressure when pulling up walls to prevent the pot from bowing inward or outward.
A technique for correcting the rim and maintaining an even thickness is shown, including the use of a potter's needle to fix wobbles.
The importance of releasing pressure gently at the top of the pot to avoid an uneven rim is demonstrated.
The video concludes with advice on finishing the pot for removal from the wheel and preparing it for further shaping or trimming.
It reiterates the importance of slow and consistent speed when pulling up the walls and the value of practice in achieving even distribution of clay.
Transcripts
after a lump of clay has been centered
and the base formed the next step in the
process is pulling up the walls of the
pot and doing that is the topic of this
video in which i'll discuss how to pull
up the walls alongside showing you any
tips and tricks i have together with
showing you what to avoid to hopefully
get your throwing to a point where you
can quickly evenly and confidently pull
the walls up on the pods you're making
it's worth noting that this video won't
go over centering or opening up and
forming the base of your lump of clay as
i've already covered those topics in
great detail in two videos which i'll
leave links to in the description below
both centering and opening up the clay
correctly are undeniably important parts
to this process and if you attempt to
pull the walls up on a pot that's
centered poorly or opened up incorrectly
you'll only make this next step of
pulling the walls up all the more
difficult so
let's begin this is the shape i finished
with at the end of my last video the
base of the pot has been clearly defined
as has the thicker portion that
surrounds it and it's this thicker
section that's going to be pinched
together and pulled into the walls of
the pot it's quickly worth reiterating
though how important it is to have a
sharp angle on the interior corner of
the pot and then before i start pulling
the walls up into a cylinder i just make
sure that my walls are angling upwards
instead of potentially angling outwards
and to do that i just wet my hands and
collar the walls in slightly this way
the wall is facing the direction you
intend to pull it in this cross section
you can see the area from which i'm
going to pinch from which at this point
are these two grooves either side
as for the base once it's set i never
want to push down any further as it's
already quite thin and ideally i want
the thickness of the base to be matched
in the thickness of the walls after
they've been pulled the aim of the game
is to pull these thicker sections up so
the clay is distributed evenly
throughout the entire piece
to do this i make a fist and i extend a
knuckle my hand is then twisted so it
faces downwards and it's the side of
this knuckle which is going to do a
majority of the pulling from the outside
my right hand knuckle is placed into
this groove on the outside and on the
inside the pads of my fingers meet it
and then push them together which
creates a smaller region the clay has to
pass through as it's squeezed up on
successive pulls the positioning of my
fingers changes slightly and the pads of
my fingers on the inside are a bit
higher than those on the outside but
let's start with this initial pull the
first thing i do is make sure my hands
and the pot itself are covered in water
as if they aren't hydrated the clay
won't flow smoothly and instead it'll
stick to my hands
i tuck the side of this wetted knuckle
into this groove and as it pushes
against the pads of my fingers on the
inside
i move them both up at a very steady and
even rate and this is not a process you
want to rush as if you move your hands
too quickly or spin the wheel too fast
you may impart various thicknesses into
the walls of the vessel which then makes
the walls themself uneven and more
likely to collapse or twist after each
pull i take a moment just to compress
and neaten the rim which i do by
squeezing it either side and by pushing
down with my index finger for my next
pull this is when i get a lot more
height out of the cylinder and now the
walls are a bit thinner i can begin to
manipulate them in a slightly different
way so of course i always wet the region
i'm going to work on and then i push my
knuckle into the bottom of the pot and
with my fingers on the inside i push
them out slightly above where my knuckle
is pushing
the gap you leave between your fingers
dictates how thick the wall will be as
you pull it up often i'll see beginners
pinch all the way through the wall
creating a hole in their pot and well of
course that happens if your fingers
actually ever touch as it means you'll
have pierced a hole in the walls of your
pot for my next pull i make sure the
walls are wet and then i dig in with my
knuckle to create an indentation at the
bottom this pushes in the excess clay
into a portion of the walls you'll then
be able to pull up the bump you see
above that groove is where my fingers on
the inside are pushing out and once i've
set this up i can push both fingers into
these indentations pinch
and then move them up at a steady rate
forcing the clay upwards once again i
move both my hands at a very even
gradual rate i'm not pinching
progressively more firmly as my hands
travel up instead once the initial
squeeze is made at the bottom and the
gap between my fingers is set i keep my
fingers held at that position throughout
the entirety of the pull i don't
suddenly squeeze more firmly or suddenly
release pressure as i'm going up and in
fact the most vital thing at this stage
when you're pulling is to just be as
consistent with your movements as you
possibly can be one way to tell if
you're doing that is to look at the
throwing rings you leave on the outside
surface of the pot if they're spaced out
nice and evenly then it means your pull
was even too if instead these grooves
are sporadic and some are wider more
narrow or deeper than others then it
means your pulls are inconsistent so you
can look at the outside surface of your
pot at this stage to really get an
understanding of how your hands are
moving but the best thing you can do is
to cut your pots in half and observe the
cross section
and this is ideally what we're looking
for a pot with walls that are the same
thickness throughout they shouldn't be
too thick in one section or thin in
another it is normal perhaps to have a
slight extra bit of thickness in the
bottom corner but generally what we're
aiming for for a cylinder at least is to
have walls and a base that are more or
less the same thickness throughout you
don't want the bottom of your pot to be
excessively heavy but naturally at the
beginning when you're learning to throw
they will be it's just one of those
things but with enough dedicated
practice it doesn't take long to get
pots to a point where they'd look like
this the key is just not to be too
precious at the start and to throw
cylinders until they break so you really
gain a thorough understanding of the
limits of your material
now while that might have gone over the
process in some detail i'll spend the
rest of this video going over each step
in a lot more detail together with
discussing how to fix certain things why
some errors arise together with showing
you many more cross-sections like this
to hopefully illustrate what is
sometimes quite a difficult process to
grasp as it certainly was for me when i
was a student first learning how to
throw pots
let's discuss the pressure needed to
pull up the walls and the theory behind
it if you only apply pressure from the
outside you can see that the form just
bows inward the same is true if you only
push from the inside instead what we
need is some counter pressure to oppose
the force being applied from one side so
instead i pinch with two fingers and
they move up together with a relative
amount of pressure
as you throw pots centrifugal force will
naturally will want to pull the walls of
the vessel outward which you can see
here although it is an abstract
situation if i spin the wheel as you can
see the pot gets wider as the clay is
flung outward as it spins you may find
as you're pulling up cylinders that the
top section begins to splay outwards as
you're making them which will cause it
to thin out as it stretches and that
part can be quite difficult to control
if i find this is happening to my pots i
wet the vessel and then i clasp both
hands around the piece and i gently
collar the top inward
i run my hands from below
up to the top and i make as much contact
with the rim as possible with my hands
so that it's being squeezed in from all
the way around as opposed to just one or
two points and then just to correct the
rim i pinch it between two fingers and
compress it down from on top now the
reason i'm showing you that
is to explain why i throw pots in this
inward tapering shape as i'm pulling up
the walls of my cylinders i aim to keep
the opening more narrow than the base of
the pot and after every pull i'll collar
in the upper sections of the walls just
to keep them tapered in as with each
pull the walls become straighter and if
i didn't account for this and didn't
correct them by tapering them in
slightly then there's a chance the
cylinder will gradually begin to flare
out more and more and as it does so it
becomes more difficult to control
and as i pull the walls up i do so in
such a way that they slope inward in
this way i end up with a cylinder that's
more stable and controlled
now i use a knuckle on the outside to
pull up the walls i find this really
works well for me for the first couple
of pulls at least yet you'll find other
potters who use just their fingertips on
the outside and you'll find other
potters who instead of using their
fingers directly they'll push them
through a wetted sponge on the outside
there isn't just one correct way of
doing it but the fundamental technique
remains the same regardless if you're
using your fingers or a sponge and
whilst the sponge does come with the
added bonus of keeping the pot well
saturated as you're throwing you're also
disconnecting yourself slightly from the
clay as you aren't pushing on it
directly
for me though personally i tend to use
my knuckle for the first couple of pulls
and then i might switch to using my
fingertips towards the end to really
pinch out the very last of the excess
clay in the base and typically i'll only
use a sponge when i'm throwing larger
pots
there are constants in this process
though such as dousing the piece with
water before you begin each pull along
with the constant pressure and speed the
wall is pulled up at another very
important factor to consider is the
positioning of your arms and tuck my
elbows into my torso and actually that's
where most of the movement comes from
i'm moving my whole forearm up from the
elbow as opposed to just moving my hand
or rotating it at the wrist
moving my hand from the elbow means that
the position of my knuckle remains the
same on the outside of the pod and the
angle that i push in initially is
maintained as it travels up the wall and
as you can see here my whole forearm is
moving not just my hands and the result
of this is that my hands are just far
more stable as i move them up
in this clip i'm doing what you
shouldn't do i'm moving my hand upwards
just by rotating my wrist and you can
see just how drastically the angle at
which i'm pulling up at changes and i've
gone from using the side of my knuckle
to the tip of it and the focus pressure
i began with when i first tucked my
knuckle in becomes very difficult to
sustain as the point of focus changes
halfway up the pot
in fact i found myself losing control
when trying it this way
if as you're pulling up you linger in
one spot for too long you may also
create a weak point as the clay thins
beneath your fingers and collapses down
slightly although in a different spot
this is what a thin region can look like
in comparison to the rest of the wall
and if this occurs lower down the weight
of the walls above it can be enough to
cause the lower section to crumple and
collapse this is also something that's
more likely to happen if you've spent a
very long time throwing the same
cylinder because as you progressively
add more and more water the clay slowly
becomes saturated it degrades and
becomes weak and a cylinder like this
really shouldn't take more than two or
three minutes to make if they are taking
you 10 or 15 minutes per piece then
there's a chance the clay you're working
with is already too saturated and
therefore structurally the clay will be
weaker and you'll have a more difficult
time making the pot
if you pull the walls up too quickly
you'll end up creating very dramatic
throwing rings like this which if this
was your end product and the look you
wanted then fine but as the cylinder
still needs to be thrown a lot more
exaggerated rings like this can impede
your making as there are now very thin
and very thick sections that you have to
contend with as you pull the walls up
and you'll have a much more difficult
time evenly distributing the clay but
now that we've discussed all that and
some of the reasons why i do certain
things let's go back to the beginning i
pinched the clay firmly at the bottom
between my knuckle on the outside the
pads of my fingers on the inside they
squeeze and move up the walls together
and then as i'm fetching more water i
keep one hand on the pot to help keep it
sturdy i then plunge my fingers back
down and with my knuckle on the outside
i gouge in and undercut and just above
that on the inside i'm pushing out with
the pads of my fingers to create a bump
and then i lift this bulge up the walls
of the pot and you'll notice that my
hands don't change their position
whatsoever rather they're just pivoting
from my elbows i then gently release my
fingers from the top and compress the
rim again just to ensure that it's
running smooth and is perfectly centered
i then fetch some more water once again
and douse both my hand on the inside and
the walls on the outside then imagine
i'm using a knuckle on the outside i
push in at the very bottom and just
above that i push out slightly and then
i move the two up together very
gradually and you can see as the clay is
forced through that thinner gap between
my fingers the wall itself becomes
thinner and i'll show you that again
from the outside and one thing you might
notice is how i'm bracing the thumb of
my left hand against the knuckles of my
right hand this is done once again to
add stability to my movement and it
means my left hand isn't floating in
space quite so much and here's how that
pull might look now that the wall is
thinner and you can clearly see how the
bulge that's created is lifted up by
that finger underneath
creating pots that have even cross
sections is one of the first things you
should work towards when learning how to
throw pots on the wheel as you don't
want your pots to feel bottom heavy when
they're lifted up pots can still be
thickly walled even thicker than this as
long as the weight is distributed evenly
throughout the entire pot and what i aim
for is to have a base which is the same
thickness
as the walls next to it the next pot
i'll show you is what we don't want this
is an example of a pot that's bottom
heavy thrown in such a way that the clay
has been left down in the bottom not
only will this piece defy your
expectations when you go to pick it up
especially when it's filled up with
liquid but if you don't trim lots of it
away you're essentially wasting raw
material not only that but a bottom
heavy piece like this is a sure sign the
creator isn't throwing their pots
properly they aren't squeezing the clay
in enough at the base and the lower
balls still hold much of the reserves
which should be distributed more evenly
throughout the pot above it it's also
worth mentioning here that my pots were
heavy like this ones
any potter learning how to throw will
have pots at the beginning that are
bottom heavy as learning how to
distribute it evenly is one of the
trickiest things about learning how to
throw pots learning to do it efficiently
is something that just takes time
but for those who are starting out i'd
recommend just going for it use a bit
more gusto and pinch more firmly at the
base try to move as much clay upwards in
the first three pulls as you possibly
can and if that means your pot breaks
then so be it slice it off and start
again the fastest way you will improve
is by throwing hundreds and hundreds of
pots
another important thing to consider when
you're throwing is how you release your
fingers when you get to the top of your
pot ideally when you get to the top you
want to release pressure very gently
from either side
and i'll show you that again
as i'm pulling up
my knuckle on the outside and the pads
of my fingers on the inside never go
beyond the rim of the pot instead they
arrive just underneath it and then i
very gently detach them
often beginners instead of stopping at
this point simply continue pulling all
the way through the rim and pinch it
like so which often causes one side of
the rim to be thinner than the other and
if you do this numerous times you can
end up with a rim that's very uneven and
off center
if i am making a drinking vessel i don't
want the top of my pot to be squared and
blocky like so so instead i bevel this
edge so it comes to a point where it
meets the outside wall this way the
sharper edge will fit comfortably into
the corners of your mouth and it also
makes the pot feel less enclosed as if
it's offering out its contents as
opposed to holding them in
it's also through this edge that we
perceive the thickness of the pot and by
throwing it to be just a bit more
delicate like this it makes the entire
vessel seem as if it's being more
carefully thrown
you may also sometimes find that you
have a wobble in your rim this can be
due to many factors such as poorly
wedged clay or inconsistent pressure
when you're pulling up the walls
to rectify this i wet the top slightly
and then take a sharp potter's needle
i'll push this
through the wall below the lowest point
of the undulation and when i feel the
tip of the needle on my finger on the
other side i'll lift away all the excess
clay above it which in practice looks a
bit like this
i'll then wet this room again and just
carefully work it back to my desired
shape
one thing i really want to reiterate is
just how important it is for your pulls
to be slow and consistent speed you
start with at the beginning of your pull
should remain the same from bottom to
top the more practice you get the faster
you can begin to throw but initially you
should just be focusing on the quality
of each pull
make sure the rim is set the form is
tapering in
wet the outsides
form the groove in the base and then
gently pull the walls up
if you find your hands are getting dry
as you're doing this you could try
throwing with water that contains a bit
more slip in it as it tends to cling to
the form of the pot as opposed to water
which can just run off in some cases
i usually fetch a bit more water in
between each pull squeezing it on both
my hand on the inside so the interior
walls are covered and on the outside if
the component does dry out too much and
you start to feel the clay sticking to
your hands then that's a sure sign that
you need to add some more water
the position on the wheel that i'm
pulling from is also really important if
the wheel head is a clock my hands are
pulling on the walls at about four
o'clock
next i'll discuss how i finish a pot so
that it can be removed from the wheel
although that topic together was shaping
a pot i'll save for the next video in
this series i begin by sponging out the
excess water inside the pot and then i
carefully trim away this skirt of clay
around the base
which is done with a blunt old turning
tool there's then a selection of tools
you can use to clean up the walls these
are three throwing kidneys one's rubber
one's wooden and one's metal they'll
more or less do the same thing and they
all have the same feature which is a
nice long sharp side it's this edge
which i'll be offering up to the clay in
order to scrape away the excess slip on
the walls and whilst they may all be
similar the different materials really
do make a big difference i primarily use
metal ones these days they tend to be
the sharpest and are probably the most
difficult to control but i'll discuss
each of them in turn
the plastic ones tend to be the most
beginner friendly they're smoother and
they don't bite the clay as much as the
wood or the metal but they are more
malleable which can be very useful in
some situations then there's the wood
which isn't flexible whatsoever but has
a smooth edge relatively compared to the
metal and then there's my favorite which
is the sharp brass tool which bites and
really rips away the outer layer of slip
and it is slightly flexible when i
remove this lip i place one hand inside
the pot and then i firmly grasp the
metal tool and i hold it hovering it
just where i want the wall to be i'm not
digging it into the clay rather from the
inside i'm pushing the clay out against
the metal edge and i'm not digging the
metal into the clay as doing so usually
causes the pot to twist and deform
i even use a sharper metal edge
sometimes which leaves me with a very
crisp and dry surface although there's
little room for error when using tools
like this
i hope all this has proved to be useful
out of all of the processes i've shown
so far in this series i think this is
the most difficult part i know i've said
it a lot but the best thing is just not
to be too precious when you're first
learning how to throw tall thin
cylinders just spending an afternoon
with 10 lumps of clay and throwing each
of them as thinly as you possibly can is
absolutely fantastic practice even if
they break as you'll still learn so much
and sometimes you need to exert too much
pressure and pull the walls up too
thinly to really gain a thorough
understanding of the material throwing
pots really evenly and thinly is
something that takes time so you
shouldn't let this hinder your progress
and you should try throwing all kinds of
pots even if they are a little bit heavy
initially you'll learn more doing that
than feverishly trying to throw perfect
even cylinders and there are still some
shapes these days that i find much
harder to distribute the clay nice and
evenly but maybe in 10 years time with
another decade of practice i'll be able
to throw them as easily as i can
cylinders
and we should think ourselves as lucky
as potters as all the clay from pots cut
in half or ruined can simply be wedged
back up into perfectly usable material
and ultimately thrown with again into
ever more successful pots
thanks for watching
i hope this video helped the series
isn't over yet and please do let me know
down in the comments below if you found
this series helpful and equally if you
have any ideas or specific topics you'd
like to see me cover please do let me
know in the comments below
that's all
see you next time
[Applause]
you
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