Ceramics/Creating a Hard Slab

Ceramics: Step-By-Step Hard Slab Construction

Ceramics is a common type of art people use in the world today. You can often use a common type of ceramics called Hard Slab Construction. This type of construction is needed if you want to make a piece of work with sharp edges. In order for you to make this type of construction you need certain types of pottery tools. The tools are as following:


 * 1) Clay
 * 2) Rolling Pin
 * 3) Pottery Knife
 * 4) Rubber Rib
 * 5) Slip

You need the clay because you have to have it to make the construction. You need the rolling pin so you can get the clay flat and make sure that you get out all of the air bubbles so that your project doesn’t blow up.

You need the pottery knife so you can cut out the clay and make it even on both sides. If you want the sides to be accurate and pretty, put a ruler to the side of the clay, and make sure the edges are straight. You can also use a pottery knife to score the edges.

You need a rubber rib so that you can make the artwork smooth. In order for this to work you need a container of water so that you can dip it into the water to make it wet, and it can smooth out more easy.

You need slip so that when you put it together it doesn’t fall apart(you also need a fresh piece of wet clay to join the two pieces together.)


 * 1) Using a rolling pin, role the clay out until flat enough to use.
 * 2) Cut out the clay making all the edges nice and firm
 * 3) Cover up the cut out slabs with a plastic bag making sure that the clay is flat on the board
 * 4) Bevel each side of the clay so that when you put it together it has perfect edges.
 * 5) Using slip and score put the two pieces of leather hard clay together using a fresh piece of clay.
 * 6) Put a plastic bag over the artwork so that the fresh piece of clay can get leather hard with the rest of the piece, so the piece does not break.
 * 7) This is what your work would look like after it has been glazed and fired.