Top Pottery Studios in Singapore

Pottery making is one of the oldest practices in the world. Evidence of shaping clay and ceramic materials into various objects and shapes is reported at archaeological sites all over the world.

Pottery products may function as a houseware to hold food or water, or may be displayed as a decorative piece that may hold historical or cultural significance.

In modern Singapore, pottery products in our households serve an aesthetic purpose. Pretty pots or vases littered with intricate designs add a classy touch to our living space. Some may even help contain indoor plants, with colours that complement the plants that they hold. Increasingly, Singaporeans look to pottery products to artfully beautify their home.

From buying to making pottery

It is not uncommon to see your friends or relatives posting about their recent virgin experience at a pottery studio. For some, what may have started out as a weekend workshop may have blossomed into a therapeutic pastime. The pursuit of perfection and the endless possibilities of pottery products to create may be addictive.

The best part is that you can bring your own pottery pieces home with you! Pieces that serve more than just a keepsake, pottery pieces like a small pot to hold succulents, a small plate to hold your keys or even a jar to contain aromatic scents. Decorative items with a touch of you can make your house more homely.

Check out these pottery studios in Singapore to bring out your inner artist!

Pottery can seem a soft hobby, taking scant amounts of time and cash, alternatively, pottery may grow to significant activity for your recreation. Were you simply a mere beginner, it may be wise options to attempt pottery casually, sign up for starter’s lessons. In case you are just commencing for lessons, below are certain suggestions on steps to start.

Reasons to try pottery:

Clay seems fun, also pottery may adjust slowly to individual mastery, skill, at any suited pace. Pinch urns could seem effortless to just anyone, encompassing junior kids. One can effortlessly study to craft one pinch urn within just under one hour.

Clay seems rarely dull; you could endlessly discover more angles, further, to engage in or further to craft. Start game to start thrilling crafts upon your entry into universe for pottery, as clay is possibly as deep or vast as original ground it returns to.

What is the process of pottery making?

The entire process of pottery making starts from the preparation of the clay. Kneading the clay helps remove air pockets trapped within and ensures that moisture content of the clay is consistent throughout.

Once the clay is prepared, potters can begin shaping the clay material into various shapes. The shaped clay products are then left to dry, removing a huge proportion of moisture, allowing the clay to better hold its shape. Firing of the clay product in a kiln permanently hardens and sets it in its final shape. Decorating the pottery product may be done before or after the firing of the clay body.

Types of pottery shaping

There are two main types of pottery shaping techniques: hand building and wheel throwing.

Hand building

Hand building in pottery making constitutes using your hands to form, knead and combine pieces of clay to form an end product. It is regarded as the easier of the two pottery shaping methods as there is a flexibility of time to achieve precision in shapes.

There are a few techniques in hand building: pinch, slab or coil.

In pinching, the potter shapes the pot by pressing, pinching and kneading the clay to form the shape of they wish to achieve.

In slab pottery making, the potter cuts slabs of clay of different shapes to be joined together to form the eventual shape of the pottery product.

Coiling involves rolling the clay into a long roll, the potter then coils the long roll of clay to eventually form the shape of choice.

Wheel throwing

Wheel throwing is a pottery making technique where the potter shapes a ball of clay as it rotates in the centre of a turntable. The turntable is typically spun by an electric motor, with the speed of rotation controlled by the foot or hand of the potter.

The potter begins by placing the ball in the middle of the turntable and centres the clay to ensure that the clay ball spins symmetrically. The potter then moulds the soft ball of clay by carefully squeezing, pulling and shaping the clay as it rotates on the turntable. By using a turntable, the potter is able to shape the clay into perfectly symmetrically circular shapes.

Decorating pottery

Decorating pottery pieces can be considered to be an art form on its own. Intricate patterns or abstract shapes embellished on pottery products can elevate the outcome of the final product. Besides aesthetics, pottery pieces have also been used as a canvas on which stories of cultural and historical significance are charted.

Factual recounts of significant events and stories describing popular folklore have been found to be inscribed on archaeological pottery pieces. Even simple recurring patterns painted on clay pieces may reflect the cultural background, providing insights into the origin and background of the people who once lived there. Modern art pieces and home decorations celebrate some of these designs. Even though the meaning behind some of these designs may be lost, the beauty of some of these remain.

Some common methods of decorating pottery pieces include painting, carving and glazing the pottery pieces. These techniques may be performed either before or after the firing process.

Painting

Painting is one of the oldest methods of decorating pottery pieces. Paint can be applied before or after the firing process. However, paint pigments tend to change in colour as it matures and fuses to the clay after the firing process. Therefore, pottery paint would state its suitability to be used before or after the firing process and the final colour it is meant to be applied before the firing process. Glazing over a painted pottery product helps to lock in the paint.

Glazing

Glazing a pottery piece seals it in an impermeable vitreous layer that fuses with the clay body when it is fired. This makes the pottery piece suitable to be used to contain liquid or food. Glazing can also add to the overall aesthetic of the finished pottery piece. Besides choosing between glossy or matte finish glazes, glazing is surprisingly technical and a skilled potter can control the glazing pattern, resulting in vastly different outcomes.

Carving

Carving pottery involves scoring or incising designs onto the soft clay before the firing process. Carved designs enhances the pottery piece not only visually, but adds a tactile component as well.

A skilled potter would be able to manipulate the carving tool to draw shapes and designs of varying depths in the clay, creating recesses in the product. This expands the possibilities of function and aesthetics that the pottery piece can serve. For example, creating multiple holes in a pot shaped piece can be used as a candle holder, with the holes allowing for the light to come through.

What location is suited to craft pottery?

Clay could well be confined to rooms or some shed of independent holdings. Clay grains are sand and may not come easily swept or wipe using home vacuum cleaners. The optimum den might hold:

Floors resistant to flood or breezy to clear, like some concrete and linoleum

Reach of water (still, zero clay ought to clog up drains.)

A solid table, including a formal kitchen top

A non-sticky top to craft in (refer below)

Solid shelving to dry urns

A rack or more holding containers for glazes, so pets or children may not reach them.

More choices are to slow down getting your free space to own as you experiment. The best option to try this could be to attempt beginner’s pottery lessons.

Locate Clay or materials

Instant clay or glazes come rather quickly attainable. Such emerge within a range of colours or temperature intervals. Confirm via the home pottery and ceramic materials shop, artist materials shop, alternative art material shop. Home shops could be on hand to provide, alternatively you may seek for online stores.

Upon your accessing more supplies, you could seek to buy clay, glazes, or more material in more amounts. Getting bigger masses could get you discounts for full shipping charges, particularly when one does not live very close to ceramic supply stores.

Locate Kiln Grounds

Crisp green ware is suited to warm upon turning bone dry (not cool to sense any further). To get such, you require one kiln. For people simply starting off, the kiln is usually too pricey for purchase.

Question home potters for their renting of kiln space. Note that such are crafting the pots of their own or run under personal schedules. You could need to pause until they get a kiln opening that holds space to contain pots.

Were you seeking to find out about firing steps, seek suitable guidance, help, learning. You require experience to know all steps to warm a kiln. The potter could truly welcome the help for shifting and moving the kilns or watching them upon their warming.

The Pot is shrinking

Clay starts to shrink upon the drying out, certain shrinks greater than some. Pots alternatively shrink upon the warming up, usually upon baking to the most warm degree, heating. 

Pottery instruments that come handy

While one may shape pottery with just mere hands, you have possible tools which you could eventually deem suitable. Tiny beginner’s instrument pack are on hand holding most of needed, foundation basic instruments, holding some needed sponge. 

Recommended tools include:

Towels or even one apron

One tiny pail for shipping water or slurry upon you crafting.

Two or three big pails for clearing water.

One or further sponges to hold water for the clay or for clearing.

One big, tender brush (Sumi and bamboo are suited)

One wooden modelling (cutting) instrument

One potter’s needle.

One stiff Wire.

One container to put your instruments in

Crafting sheds

How much does it cost?

Pottery studios typically offer varying combination of workshops. There are workshops specifically for hand building only, wheel throwing only or a mixture of both.

Most studios offer a single introductory workshop that is planned to take one through the entire process of pottery making. They also tend to offer short term and long term courses ranging from five to ten sessions. The price range for a pottery workshop ranges as follows:

• Introductory workshop (approx. 3 hours): $70 – 90 per pax
• Short term course (approx. 5 X 3 hour sessions): $300 – 400 per pax
• Long term course (approx.. 10 X 3 hour sessions): $500 – 600 per pax

Editor’s Note:

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