Summary notes of ten years of experience playing with mud.
Playing in the mud is a game that people often play when they are young.
Playing with mud is a straightforward folk name, and the fashion name is pottery. Pottery is a word imported from abroad, modern pottery was born from the traditional pottery, in the breakthrough of the traditional pottery with practicality as the core of the "vessel" context category into a "butterfly", so that pottery has become a personalized expression of the artistic language.
Playing with mud is both a practical technique and a practical art, which requires a lot of practice, accumulation of experience, and summary learning. Learning to play with mud can be divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
The primary stage of playing with clay: have a preliminary understanding of the clay properties, master the basic pottery making methods, and make some simple utensils: bowls, flower pots, plates, cups, etc., and lay a good foundation.
The primary stage of learning time is suitable for people, the steps of learning start from kneading mud, focusing on the practice of blank forming, blank is a very ideal forming method to do regular round ware, to master the blank technology to practice diligently, there is no other way.
The critical point from the primary stage to the intermediate stage can be done cup test, and when the cup can be done well, it can be transferred to the intermediate stage of learning.
Intermediate stage of playing with mud: be proficient in more than one major pottery molding method and kiln, basically master the entire production process of pottery, and dabble in a wide range of pottery-related knowledge. It can make ceramic products with a certain technical content: complex vases and flowers, simple craft ornaments, and conventional teapots.
The critical point between the intermediate stage and the advanced stage is tested with an unconventional pot type, and when the unconventional pot type can be done well, it can be climbed to the advanced stage.
In the advanced stage of playing with mud, you will have a comprehensive and profound understanding of pottery knowledge, know the whole process of pottery making, and be able to skillfully apply mud and its molding methods, decorative techniques, and firing schemes to make original pottery works with your personal style.
At this stage, the works made are handicrafts, works of art. Understand the application of pottery, control and play with mud, and step into the realm of "play".