Basic Clay Skills
In order to work successfully with clay, you will need to understand some rules.
Rule of Thumb- Clay cannot be thicker than your thumb. If it is, you must hollow it out.
Rule of Little Finger- Clay that is thinner than you pinkie will be susceptible to breaking, so keep thin pieces as attached as possible to your piece.
Wedging- Clay cannot contain any air bubbles or enclosed air. If it does, it will shatter in the kiln when it gets hot. If you make an enclosed object, you must also create a vent hole so that hot air and steam can escape. This will help prevent cracking, breaking, and explosions in the kiln. A vent hole can be tiny- just poke it one time with your needle tool and make sure it goes through to the open center- that's enough.
Rule of Joining- clay must be scored and then slip applied to the scored edges when joining pieces together (see video below). Unless clay is very, very soft, you must score and slip for pieces to stay together as they dry and then heat up in the kiln. You will have a better success rate if the clay you join together is of the same moisture content, also.
Watch these videos before you start working with clay.
