Unit 1 Projects
Face Project
When I started the face project I knew that I wanted to do Toothless (based on How to Train Your Dragon), however I was not sure exactly how I would execute my plan. I started with pressing in spots for the eyes and mouth, making the eyes separately, and then holding them in with rolls of clay that were scored and slipped to form eye brows, similarly to the demonstration given in class. Next, I added the nose and continued to shape the eyes. Then I added the horns/ears. It was challenging to shape them and get them appropriately sized for the size of the face. Finally I added the scale details. I placed a piece of plastic wrap on the wet clay, and then drew in the details - this was to help stop clay "boogers," or little bits of clay, that came from carving. I also scooped out the back to make it finger-width. If I were to do this project again I would make the eyes more evenly sized and add more to the mouth, such as gums or teeth to help add to the smiling facial expression. It is NOT finished yet - I still need to finish glazing it.
Small Underglaze Project
Plan:
- wedge clay
- start with small ball
- pinch 5 corners and flatten
- add raised dots for texture
- paint with underglaze and then clear glaze
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The colors and pattern were inspired from the purple and orange sea stars that can be seen near West Cliff - some are purple with white spots (however there was a bit of artistic license when it came to coloring the dots). If I were to make this project again it would want to take a more detailed approach and make the sea star look a little more realistic by adding more texture. I like how the clear glaze turned out because it made it shiny. The purple underglaze became a little darker than I had hoped, but overall I like it.
For more detailed under glazing projects, please see the Daily Work section. ​
Stamp
It was challenging to smooth the bottom of the stamp to create a better imprint. I wanted to create a stamp that impressed the design, instead of leaving the stamp design convex. I thought it would transfer better. Originally I tried to make my initials as a stamp, however it was too hard to make S and G in such a small size, so I decided to make a star instead. I made the handle, the base, and the star design separately, and then scored and slipped the pieces together. When the stamp was tested it makes a clear mark, but it is a little messy. If I were to make more stamps in the future I would want to make sure that it is more clean (with less "clay boogers" and unnecessary lines). Overall though I like how it turned out because it was my first project in Ceramics one!