An Alternative Slab Building Technique

[@barbwheeler8526]

Truly shows the hand of the artist - so personal, unique and inspiring. Thank you for embracing the lack of perfection that some artists crave.

[@beckybrandl8957]

Of all the pieces I've admired and watched you create, this one is my favorite for all the reasons you described! I'm a retired primary school teacher so the added lettering with the pastel against the black background reminds me of the wonderful days of teaching penmanship on a slate blackboard. How you've added pieces against a 'too thin' side and straightened up the piece with a 'glob' at the bottom reminds me of how children think to "fix" their creations. The unevenness across the top delights me. I'm just beginning to take handbuilt clay classes. My instructor makes comments about smoothing out the seams and making everything perfect like a machine may create. I've explained to her that I like how I'm making mine a one-of-a-kind piece. After all, Pablo Picasso said, "It took me my whole life to learn how to paint like a child." I wish I could admire your creations in person but I live across the ocean. Wishing you all the best and thank you for allowing me to learn from you via your tutorials.

[@CraigUnderhill7]

It’s important to enjoy the process of making and not feel the need to work in a certain prescribed way. Thanks for the message, it’s great to know that people really understand what I’m doing. Clay is a wonderful material and it should be enjoyed for what it is rather than trying to make it do things it’s less good for.

[@rosemaried6272]

Lieber Craig, mich erinnern ihre Werke an alte Gemäuer auf eine schöne Art und Weise. Ich werde es einmal versuchen, nachzuempfinden. Lieben Dank fürs Teilen.

[@tiffanyinman3476]

there is a freedom here in your work and how you work.... that I haven't ever seen in pottery before. Incredibly refreshing to know I am stepping into an art form (one that I have been afraid to tackle my entire life because I always had an image that these objects are fired and need to be "perfect" to become that permanent ... actually realizing this is how I think of all art that is worthy of hanging on a wall or sitting on a table...hmmm there is some deep psychological personal history lesson in there somewhere, eh?) anyway stepping into this type of expression is eye opening to me. and I am loving it. I cannot wait to work on my own mindset whilst building things that bring me joy, as yours does to you. Thank you so much for sharing this process and letting the process show.

[@jackiegrant410]

My kind of working, fabulous, I absolutely love how you think and work. Each piece tells a story. Thanks, this takes the fear out of using clay in the “correct manner” I knew that there was a way. Newbie here and loving learning. ❤️

[@alpellenberg6303]

Thanks!

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Thank you, I wish more people were as thoughtful 🙏

[@alpellenberg6303]

@ I have been looking at your work for several years and always point my students to your IG site one day I’ll own an underhill

[@MrsLanaHall]

When I first started watching I thought- what on earth?! But I couldn’t stop watching! The result is mesmerizing and so moving! Thanks!

[@jeaninebradfield4471]

Great work! I really like your contrasting underglazes. Thanks

[@ahmednawaz4129]

I just LOVE this!!!!

[@marilenerodrigues8073]

Craig, voce é o maior. Para mim, a identificação é total. Maravilha. Parabéns.

[@janlewis9099]

I love the softness of the edges, and the contrasting textures on this piece. Very inspiring to make hand built work show the hand.

[@CraigUnderhill7]

I think leaving evidence of how the piece is made is so important for me.

[@susanneuhl771]

Great video, thank you for sharing and inspiring me to leave my comfort zone precision! I work with slib and engobe, but what do you use for your “washes” Thanks for info

[@bloomfieldjane]

Thanks

[@qutub-ul-walikhan2459]

your abstarct aesthetic work, i like very much. but to make the same again will be difficult.

[@CraigUnderhill7]

To make the same again would be impossible but also undesirable. The uniqueness of each piece is important as is the evolution of my work over time.

[@debrabarber-wilson3305]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and creativity

[@lydiabaca]

Excellent post. Love your vision of compositional skills.

[@tumizoomi202]

.... awesome video, thanks for sharing!

[@cherylfirth7066]

I absolutely loved watching this video. Can’t wait to try something like this. You are a good teacher.

[@leonieclapham5141]

Thankyou for sharing this technique,very inspiring

[@maryannhinden2719]

Lovely work. What is the difference between engobe and slip?

[@suzanneadams8729]

I so enjoyed watching your process. This work ‘speaks’ to me. Thank you

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Oh, that’s great. It’s rewarding for me when people understand it.

[@gonenhaba-meishar1288]

WOW REALY INSPIRING

[@elainehenderson842]

Lovely work!

[@isabellaamburn]

Love this. Wanted to know how you get the glaze parts to crackle. I love the grog too.

[@manuel-reneaguilar1709]

Your work is amazing!!! Thanks for sharing. Tell us more about engobes, particularly how to apply and layer them.

[@rosspadden4201]

Great work Craig. Organic and full of character. Nice one.

[@charlottesmom]

LOVE this!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@daniellaamit6912]

Well...adding myself to the others who felt "just my kind of work". I love the intuitive way of working, the mess in the studio...I felt at home. You work is absolutely beautiful and refreshing.

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Thanks for the positivity. It’s good that you can relate to it.

[@daniellaamit6912]

Ha ha ! even the mess on the table reminded me of...me :)

[@annagray6491]

Hi! Your work is very exciting! I just had a look to see your name and I nearly fell off the sofa! You are due to have a 4 day workshop at the pottery studio I have my pottery classes at and am hoping to be able to attend your course! I was obviously meant to see this video! Can’t wait to meet you in person! Kind regards!

[@CraigUnderhill7]

I’m back there in October and again next year in May. So glad you like what I do.

[@vulcanswork]

Thank you so much for this video. To me, this is an old castle and it tells so many interesting stories about ...

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Thanks, I want my work to suggest a feeling or narrative without being too literal. Your response is just right.

[@aprilwoosley1342]

Very interesting and I had the same thought as a previous viewer...WHAT ON EARTH? However, I was really surprised by the results. I actually saw a landscape in that piece, the bottom where you added your hand made grog reminded me either of snowy trees or a mountain scene with the black being the night sky. But I also pictured blues and greens and the bottom being an undersea coral bed. Your technique is way different then my style but I surely learned a few things and also learned that I don't have to be precise all the time. Thanks!

[@karenmcgady7637]

Could one coat the wood blocks with some Murphy's Oil soap?

[@christinewalsh3066]

very inspirational

[@shontal_ceramic2830]

I learn so much from you. Thank you so so much

[@rebeccaburack2775]

Fabulous

[@katiakatiakat]

I’ve been enjoying your videos! Today I got into the studio to make 2 pieces inspired by your work. It was So Fun! I don’t have engobe though. Can I use slip like you use engobe? Spray it and have it drip? (New to ceramics) I would at some point love to try the engobe but didn’t want to wait for your engobe/slip video. Hoping you will put a vid out for how to make engobe, pastels (really excited to try that!) and slips for newbies :). Thank you for sharing! 🙏🏻

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Thanks, glad you find my videos inspiring. You can certainly use slip like I use engobe. They are similar to each other. I hope you get some good results from working in this way.

[@denisesarazin6753]

@@CraigUnderhill7 Hi Craig, is engobe underglaze, or something different?

[@ebw78756]

@@denisesarazin6753 This webpage will explain all…. www.vincepitelka.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Surface-Design-Engobes-and-Underglazes.pdf

[@carolzic7837]

I love what you do. Thank you for sharing.

[@mariachristinaborges-lutz7157]

One more question: the mustard yellow one, is that underglaze or glaze?

[@CraigUnderhill7]

I create that yellow with a mix of underglaze and yellow engobe

[@kathleenclarke828]

nice...wonder what kind and temp. or firing?

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Fired to cone 1 in an electric kiln.

[@savannahscarborough2171]

Awesome, thanks! How do you finish the inside?

[@CraigUnderhill7]

I generally use a mix of manganese and copper oxide. I’ve made another video about now I do the insides. Glad you like it.

[@mariachristinaborges-lutz7157]

I love your work, and have a question: What’s the material you used to do the texture like sand on those sculptures?

[@CraigUnderhill7]

I use different types of grog to add these textures

[@melissalosos]

really enjoying your videos! May i ask how and of what you make your "homemade grog" just dried bits of clay and maybe some sand? also, you use a term i have not heard of, OnGo or wron-go maybe?? is that just very watered down slip, same color as your clay? Thanks! Melissa from St Louis MO, USA

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Hello Melissa, the homemade grog is made from bits of dried up clay and slip that I fire to a low temperature and then grind up. The other material you mention is engobe, which is very similar to slip but has some flux in it that makes it less dry than a slip. I hope to do a video on “What is engobe” soon. All the best.

[@bloomfieldjane]

It's just gone 7 on a Saturday morning and I've just finished watching this, now, instead of scrolling I'm about to jump out of bed and get cracking on a alternative slab building pot... Now, where to get the wood slabs from... Is the DIY shop open yet😂Thank you for the indpiration🙏

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Enjoy yourself. It’s a great way to work.

[@ErikWilliams-i4n]

So coolio 😀

[@elizabethvischer3745]

You talk about the application of clay slip and engobes. Can you explain when you choose to use which and what the differences are in the way they apply/effects they give? I’m struggling to understand the difference. Thank you… and absolutely stunning work. Your processes are mesmerising!

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Thanks, glad you’re liking my videos. Slip and engobe are very similar, so similar that there’s a lot of overlap between one and the other. Think of slip as being a mix of clays and engobe as a slip but with a small amount of flux in it, such as feldspar or frit. The difference in terms of their look when fired is that slip is quite a dry matt surface and engobe slightly less dry and matt because of the effect of the frit or feldspar. I hope to do a video soon about engobe.

[@elizabethvischer3745]

@@CraigUnderhill7 that’s brilliant.. thank you! So much to learn! Will get going with experimenting. Thanks for the videos… so inspiring 😊

[@elizabethvischer3745]

@@CraigUnderhill7 Another quick question! Do you make your own or do you buy them off the shelf?

[@anawoods684]

Absolutely stunning pottery art! You are a great master of color, texture and shapes!Thanks for sharing your videos❤

[@judithfarley6990]

Hi, lovely work. Where do you get your ongob from?

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Hello Judith I make it myself. I’m thinking about doing a video on engobes as they appear to cause some confusion.

[@whereisnatenow]

Craig, how do you do the lettering on your vessels?

[@CraigUnderhill7]

I use different techniques, sometimes it’s monoprinted, sometimes stencilled or just scratched into the surface. Let me know which piece you’re referring to and I’ll let you know. Thanks for watching

[@whereisnatenow]

@@CraigUnderhill7 Hi again, well, the one you did in this video has lettering that looks like chalk, but you call it "pastels" -- also there is a mostly yellow piece that looks like pencil. Also do you ever just use traditional underglazes instead of engobe? Thank you

[@superfly2449]

I was wondering how the slabs of wood would be removed.

[@debifrancis2962]

What is the sand like stuff

[@valeriedevilliers9675]

What paint is that

[@CraigUnderhill7]

All ceramic materials that include slip, engobe, underglaze and oxides.

[@debifrancis2962]

What is on gobe?

[@CraigUnderhill7]

Engobe is very similar to slip but has some flux in it that makes it a bit more vitreous. Sometimes it’s called vitreous slip.

[@simonphoenix3789]

the volume is really low. its almost impossible to hear with my headphones even with max volume, but I'm not sure if its that low for everyone or its just me.

[@giadouraki6711]

Volume is fine.

[@maryellenrioux2494]

Same here

[@maryellenrioux2494]

It is too low. Cant get it to go louder😢

[@INDIANFRANKLIN67]

Your video is very best please sir translate in Hindi

[@Paulabreyter]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@anawoods684]

❤

[@antidotetp7813]

What the ?Come on

[@CraigUnderhill7]

I’m glad it’s a bit edgy😉 and not for everyone.

[@alfonzograzadaushka3470]

Just Too Darn Loud for me...Speak up my friend...

[@CraigUnderhill7]

I’ll take that on board.