Ceramic Sculpting Course

Ever wanted to try your hand at making pottery or sculpture from ceramics but didn't know where to begin? From making functional items like tableware to conceptual sculpture, this London ceramics course has a little something for everyone. Hosted by a tutor who is a specialist ceramics graduate from the Royal College of Art, you will be fully supported in making objects of your choice through group demonstrations and one-to-one guidance, in a fun and friendly environment.

This course is ideal if you're a beginner who'd like to experience and explore making ceramics through pinching, coiling, slab building and slip decoration. Offering practical demonstrations and one-to-one tuition, you will be guided through making and decorating a range of ceramic objects.

On the first day, you will learn about different types of clay and their uses, how to prepare your clay through wedging, how to pinch a bowl form, roll coils, roll a slab and begin coiling a pot or object of your choice.

On day two, you will move on to learning how to roll a slab to build a cylinder, cube shape or object of your choice. You'll then try your hand at decorating your forms with a range of tools and techniques including painting, stencilling, sgraffito and slip trailing with coloured decorating slips.

Kiln firing will also be explained and your creations will be fired after the course. Because your work needs to dry and be fired before glazing you will have the opportunity to select a piece of work to be glazed by the tutor after the course. The tutor can also advise you on alternative surface finishes.

By the end of the course, you will have the fundamental skills needed to hand-build anything you can imagine in clay! You can use these techniques at home or in your studio with air-drying clay or the real stuff and bring it to us to fire it for you. It's a brilliant introduction to pottery for anyone with an interest in this terrifically tactile art form.

Please note:

• Due to the drying and firing process the work will be ready in 2 - 4 weeks. London Sculpture Workshop will email you when your masterpieces can be collected. The workshop is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30am - 1pm and 2pm - 5:30pm.
• The stated class duration includes a one-hour break for lunch.

• All materials and two kiln firings to make a variety of functional or sculptural ceramics to bring home with you.
• Aprons will be provided but it can get messy.

• Closed footwear (no sandals or flip flops).
• A notebook.
• A packed lunch.

This class series runs over 2 consecutive days.