Ceramic Desserts

Clay and Acrylic Paint

TASKYou will create a realistic replica of a favorite dessert using clay and acrylic paints. Your clay sculpture will be a hollow form that is cut and made into a lidded container.

Inspiration - Wayne Thiebaud

American painter Most famous works are of cakes, pastries, boots, toilets, toys and lipsticks. Associated with the Pop art movement because of his interest in objects of mass culture.Uses heavy pigment and exaggerated colors to depict his subjects.

Inspiration - Anna Barlow

Working Ceramic Artist known for her clay sculptures of ice cream cones and sundaes.

“The beauty of food left to melt and ooze holds a fascination for me. It is something that is usually overlooked and temporary but this can be captured and frozen in time with clay and glaze.”

Anna Barlow - Artist Statement

What are your initial thoughts about Barlow’s work? Now let’s read her statement and an article about her work. Highlight or underline as you read….

Anna Barlow - Artist Statement

Now let’s look back to Barlow’s work again. What do you notice now? What inspiration can you take from her?

Project Brainstorming

List at least 10 different desserts… think cakes, cupcakes, pies, etc.

Think about Barlow’s artist statement and where she draws her inspiration - family traditions, holidays, celebrations, childhood memories...

Choose one final dessert to use for your project.

Find reference images and print them in color.● Multiple viewpoints & components● Close-ups, frostings, decorations,

crusts...● Be sure images have details to

sculpt from● Images should be at least 4”x6”

each

What you will doDraw color sketches for how your ceramic dessert will look from 4 viewpoints

Think about:Details, textures and

embellishments Handle for the lid on your

dessert containerColors and ‘flavors’

Conference with teacher to choose final direction

Drawings - Different Viewpoints

What you will doParticipate in demonstration and experiment with various clay hand-building techniques (pinch, coil, slab, score/slip, additive and subtractive).

What you will do

Build your ceramic dessert using one (or a combination) of the methods demonstrated. Use your Ceramics Reference Sheets for guidelines on each technique and proper storage and handling.

What you will doWhile your ceramic dessert is drying and being fired, participate in demonstration and experiment with acrylic painting techniques. Once your ceramic dessert has been fired, you will paint it using acrylic paints.

Acrylic PaintingAcrylic is an opaque medium. When water is added the color will lose intensity, not lighten.

Acrylic PaintingYou should always mix colors - never use paint straight from the bottle. See the difference between pure color on the left and mixed color on the right.

Acrylic PaintingFor a more realistic look, you will blend colors together to transition values. See the difference between flat color on the left and blended color on the right.

Set up your space!

WaterBrushesPaper towelsPallet

Set up your space!

Wait for paint to dry to add contrasting details

Set up your space!

Use dry brush and scumbling techniques to add texture.

Student Examples

QUESTIONS?