Vince Pitelka
 Appalachian Center for Craft
 Tennessee Technological University

Tennessee Technological University - Appalachian Center for Craft - Clay Studio

Art 3520-3521 - Advanced Studio
Process/Skill Inventory

During studies at the Craft Center and elsewhere, BFA and Certificate students should become familiar with most of the following materials, techniques and processes. Do not be intimidated by this list. You will learn much of this by participating in classes and studio activities over a period of years, but it is important to inventory your knowledge and skills as you proceed so that you can purposefully address whatever is missing. If the chosen direction of your work arises from broad experience and fluency in materials, process, techniques, and design, it is far more likely to be successful in exhibition and marketplace.

Clays and Claybodies
___ Raw clays
___ Claybody components
___ Clay-mixing equipment and safety
___ Low-fire whiteware
___ Terracotta
___ Raku
Stoneware and Porcelain bodies for:
___ Reduction
___ Salt/soda
___ Woodfire

Damp-Clay Forming Techniques 
___ Pinch-forming
___ Coil-forming
___ Large coil forms
___ Paddle-and-anvil
___ Rib-and-hand
___ Slabs with rolling pin
___ Soft-slab
___ Stiff-slab
___ Textured slabs
___ Slumped slabs
___ Throwing
___ Off-the-hump
___ Closed forms
___ Thrown-and-altered
___ Plaster slump and press molds

Surface Decoration on Greenware
___ Impressing
___ Bisque stamps/roulettes
___ Combing
___ Profile ribs
___ Carving
___ Modeling
___ Faceting
___ Fluting
___ Piercing
___ Incising
___ Terra sigillata
___ Polishing
___ Burnishing
___ Sprigging
___ Appliqué
___ Slips
___ Floc. and defloc.
___ Slip-painting
___ Slip-trailing
___ Slip-resist
___ Slip-layering
___ Sgraffito
___ Mishima
___ Dry-sanding
___ Scraping
___ Colored clay

 

 Glazing Processes and Ceramic Chemistry 
___ Glaze lab safety
___ Toxicity of materials
___ Brushing
___ Dipping
___ Pouring
___ Spraying
___ Engobes/underglazes
___ Oxide patinas
___ Glaze resists
___ Overglaze painting
___ Glaze mixing
___ Low-fire oxidation glazes
___ Raku glazes
___ High-fire reduction glazes
___ Salt/soda glazing
___ Wood-fire glazes
___ Ceramic materials
___ Glaze modifiers
___ Colorants
___ Ceramic Stains
___ Glaze faults
___ Glaze Testing
___ Chemistry of clays/glazes
___ Empirical glaze formulation

Kilns and Firing Processes
___ Firing safety
___ Bonfire/Pitfire
___ Low-fire oxidation
___ Mid-range oxidation
___ Sawdust-smoking
___ High-fire reduction
___ Salt/soda
___ Sagger
___ Wood-firing
___ Dawson Kiln Sitter
___ Digital/analog pyrometers
___ Pyrometer shutoff system
___ Elec. toploader kilns
___ Elec. frontloader kilns
___ Programmable kilns
___ Theory, operation, construction of gas kilns
___ Refractories
___ Basic refractory repair
___ Baso valve safety system
___ Kiln ventilation

Studio Equipment
___ Studio safety
___ Slab roller
___ Extruder
___ Clay mixers
___ Pugmills
___ Ball mill
___ Triple-beam balance
___ Spray gun
___ Spray booth
___ Sandblaster

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Site maintained by: Vince Pitelka -  Last Updated: November 15, 2009