Elements, Principles and

Pinch Pots

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Elements, Principles and Clay

• Principles:

o Emphasis:

• Calling attention to an

object by using a focal

point

• One object stands out

more than everything

else!

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• Elements:

o Form:

• When space is added to a shape.

• 3 Dimensional objects have Height, Width, Depth. (geometric or organic.)

Form in Art

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Geometric

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Organic

Emphasis: STANDS

OUT

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Emphasis

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Elements, Principles and Clay

• Elements:

o Texture: refers to

the surface quality

or "feel" of an

object (ie. rough,

smooth, soft)

• Actual texture -can be

felt

• Implied (or simulated)

textures – shown

through drawing

• Principles:

o Contrast:

• the arrangement of opposite elements (light vs. dark colors, rough vs. smooth textures, large vs. small shapes, etc.) in a piece so as to create visual interest, excitement and drama.

Creating Texture

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Contrast

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Contrast

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Clay• Made from earth,

water and fire

• Clay is different from

mud, since it has

plasticity: ability to

hold together while

it’s being shaped

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Clay Terms• Ceramics: Clay objects that hold their

shape after they have been heated to

specific temperatures.

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Clay Terms• Pottery: Functional ware, such as

vases, pots, bowls or plates

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Clay Terms• Wedge: pushing the clay on a flat surface to

improve the workability of the clay and eliminate air

pockets.

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Clay Terms• Kiln: A structure built to fire clay at high

temperatures

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Clay Terms• Fire: Heating pottery or clay sculptures to a

temperature high enough to render it hard and durable.

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Clay Terms• Hand Building Methods:

o Pinch method: Technique that involves squeezing the

clay, usually between thumb and fingers.

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Clay Terms• Hand Building Methods:

o Coil Method: Attaching rolls of clay together to form

pottery.

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Clay Terms• Hand Building Methods:

o Slab Method: Technique that involves shaping clay

into a broad, flat, thick piece.

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Clay Terms• Clay Stages:

o Plastic: clay is fresh out of the bag. Very soft and able to use.

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Clay Terms• Clay Stages:

oGreenware-unfired pottery or sculpture

o Leatherhard: between plastic and bone dry, when clay is dry, but can still be carved or joined to other pieces

o Bone dry: Stage of drying when moisture in the clay body has evaporated. You can no longer work with this clay. Ready to be fired.

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Clay Terms• Clay Stages:

o Bisqueware- has been fired once. Ready to glaze.

oGlazeware- has been fired with glaze which forms a coating of glass on the surface.

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Clay Terms• Joining Techniques:

o Score: Scratching the edges of the clay before joining them together.

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Clay Terms• Joining Techniques:

o Slip: A mixture of clay and water used to join scored pieces of clay.

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Clay Terms• Joining Techniques:

o Slip and Score:

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Pinch Pot Ideas

Organic

Organic

Geometric

Geometric

Sketch Your Ideas:

Sketch Your Ideas:

Give Color to Your Sketch• This is just a sketch,

not a final drawing

• You are just taking

notes on what you

want to do for your

pinch pot

• The color is the glazes

you will chose after

we have fired the

piece

Remember to show:• Texture

• Form

• Emphasis

• Contrast

• And Creativityo These are the objectives you will be graded

on

You will using the pinch

pot method, but you can

create anything from

functional to simply

decorative.

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