Beginner's guide to pottery throwing – how to get started
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Wheel throwing is both fun and relaxing – but it takes a long time to learn and can feel difficult at the beginning. With good technique and a few simple tools, you will get started quickly and can practice the different steps, as the hours of practice are what will give you the results you desire later on!
Here, we guide you step by step, based on an instructional video that shows the entire process (see the bottom of the post). We also provide tips on which tools we at Lervis recommend as a starter kit for beginners.
Step 1: Center the clay
Start by kneading the clay so that it has an even consistency and is free of air bubbles. Make a round ball and attach the clay to the center of the potter's wheel. Moisten your hands, start the wheel, and press on the clay with one hand from the side and the other hand on the corner/top of the clay. Make a cone by pressing the clay from the sides, then press the cone down. Now press with both hands (one hand from the side and the other hand on the corner/top of the clay) hard enough that you are stronger than the movement of the clay, then focus on holding completely still, and the spinning of the wheel will help you place the clay in the center. Repeat the movement until the clay spins without wobbling – then it is centered.
Step 2: Open the clay
Press your thumbs straight down into the center of the clay but leave a bottom (approx. 0.5 - 1 cm thick). It is important that the hole is completely in the center so as not to break the centering. Pull slowly outward to create a flat and even bottom.
👉 Tip: If there is a lot of loose clay or water in the hole, you can easily remove it with a damp sponge.
👉 Tip: Measure the thickness of your bottom using your needle tool or a thin steel wire.
Step 3: Pull up the walls
Place two fingers on the inside of the wall meeting two fingers on the outside, work with the pads of your fingers, and pull upward like a small wave of clay to make the wall a little thinner and taller. Keep an even distance between your fingers as you follow along upward. If you are a beginner, you may have to take a little clay at a time and do this movement many times; the steadier your hand becomes, the more clay you can take per pull. Try to throw as straight up as possible, like a cylinder.
👉 Tip: Are the walls a bit uneven and the piece taller on one side? You can easily cut it off using a needle tool and the spinning of the wheel. Presto, you have a perfectly straight edge again.
Step 4: Shape and smooth
Now you decide the shape – cup, bowl, or vase. Use tools to smooth the surface and create sharp lines or soft curves. If you have more clay than you want at the bottom, use a trimming tool to remove excess clay and get a neat and nice shape.
👉 Tip: If you want perfectly straight walls, a wooden rib is the perfect tool to use; a silicone rib helps you with the perfectly round shape on the inside of the piece.
👉 Tip: Trimming tools, the quick way to get that neat look at the base of the piece.
Step 5: Cut off from the wheel
When you are satisfied with the shape, gently wipe the entire piece with a sponge while the wheel is spinning to remove loose clay and water and get a smooth surface. To remove the piece from the wheel, use a cutting wire. Add a little water to the wheel and pull the water under the piece by holding the wire taut and pulling. Gently lift the object off and let it dry until it is leather-hard.
👉 Tip: A cutting wire and sponge are indispensable in the ceramics studio.
Step 6: Trim (trim the bottom)
When the ware is leather-hard, place it upside down on the wheel, center the piece, and then secure it with lumps of clay. Some people only suck the object onto the wheel with a little water, but the edge is often ruined by this. Trim away excess clay and use trimming loops of different shapes to "carve" out the foot you desire and get even walls.
👉 Tip: See Lervis' wrapped trimming loops and find your favorites.
So which tools should I buy to get started?
Lervis recommends:
• Wooden rib
• Silicone rib
• Trimming loops
• Needle tool
• Cutting wire for clay
• Trimming tool
• Sponge
💡 For those who want a complete set of 35 different tools, there is also the "Ceramics tool large set," a ready-made kit with ceramic tools for throwing, sculpting, and coiling. Perfect for testing different techniques and having a basic set in the ceramics studio.