Carving Pottery Made Easy - MY 3 BEST CARVING TECHNIQUES!

[@sandracartica4932]

This piece was a labor of love ❤️ I, myself could carve for days. Your work inspires me to make the twisty vase. Thank you so much for sharing your incredible skills and artistic eye. ❤️

[@annruel1982]

Wonderful Sandra!! You are right that carving is very relaxing, right. Give the twisy vase a try. Did you find the video where I show you how to make it?

[@sandracartica4932]

@@annruel1982 yes, I found the twisty vase video! Yay!

[@annruel1982]

@@sandracartica4932 Oh good. 🙂

[@cherylkornegay741]

I really like the vase where you used the pigment. How about doing a video on water etching as a follow on to the carving video? Love your work Ann!

[@vzeimen]

Water etching would be great. Ann has a video on water etching already kzbin.info/www/bejne/noqbkmeCaL5sa7M. This video inspired me to try and I've done quite a few things using shellac with really pretty results.

[@annruel1982]

Hey Cheryl! Thanks so much. Vicki Zeiman is right, I actually did a video with the subject of water etching. that is a fun technique for sure. Congratulations on your magazine article this month!

[@mjceramics5552]

I was thinking same. This looks like a lot of painstaking work and was wondering if water etching would produce the same result with less work. Always enjoy your videos Ann! You really get us thinking!

[@annruel1982]

@@mjceramics5552 Hi MaryJane. Thanks for the kind words. the only thing about water etching is that you let the masking substance (like shellac) dry to the surface and then wipe away the surrounding clay. Once the shellac dries, you cant take it off without firing. You will get an etched surface, yes, but you cant go back and soften the hard edges that would be underneath the shellac (or mod podge or whatever masking you are using). In other words, you will have a flat surface along the top edge. If you carve it by hand, you get much softer relief edges and you can carve details into it too. Does that make sense.

[@mjceramics5552]

@@annruel1982 yes! After I saw this I went back and rewatched that episode on water etching and see what you mean. I learn so much from you...thanks!

[@gaeangardensbyizabela]

Darling little mouse amongst the wheat stalks, so cute and sweet. Low relief made easy, a great tutorial Ann!

[@annruel1982]

Hey Izabela!! Thanks for that!! The vase just lent itself to having something swaying in the wind so the wheat stalks with the mice just went with it.

[@pottershawn]

I can’t decide! I think the first one speaks to me!❤

[@annruel1982]

Thanks Shawn! Im still up in the air about them both. They have both grown on me. I appreciate your thoughts!!

[@Worrier629]

Ann, you’re a very skilled and generous artist! I loved the neat look of the celadon glazed vase!

[@easterazali9237]

You are a very gifted lady Ann , this design is gorgeous ! I like the first one which has a rustic look to it 💝 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@annruel1982]

Hi Easter. Aww...how kind of you. I really appreciate your thoughts!! Happy potting to you!

[@shirleycirio6897]

Ditto, ditto, ditto.... So very talented and generous!!!

[@annruel1982]

Aww...thanks so much Shirley! ditto to you too, haha 🙂. Happy potting!!

[@micheledickey4066]

Incredible pieces!! I like the one with more color. You can see the detail better. I would never have the patience to do this but I’m glad there are people out there who do and make such beautiful pieces!!!

[@annruel1982]

Hey Michele. So nice to hear from you. I bet you could do this technique. Give it a try before poo pooing it 🙂

[@micheledickey4066]

@@annruel1982 You’re so sweet! My hubby says I have amazing patience but some things I just don’t want to do. Lol. I LOVE everything you do and show all of us. I’ve tried most of it. But… carving like this is not one of them. I wish so badly I were better at sculpting.

[@annruel1982]

@@micheledickey4066 I bet you could do it. Like most things in life the more you practice the better you get. And if you are someone with patience, I bet you would be the perfect person to try. 🙂

[@rutilopata8294]

Beautiful! Loved both but the celadon a dot more✨💐🌸thank you Ann!

[@annruel1982]

Hey Ruti! I appreciate your thoughts. thanks so much for watching. I think they are both growing on me, haha. Happy potting!

[@freedomstaying-free8162]

Love the Celadon Ochre finish on the mouse/wheat vase....so simple & elegant. 5 stars

[@jackiestoklas6015]

Thank you Ann. I love carving, but I'm self taught and flying blind. So nice to find a tutorial. My first effort at wheat looks like wild flowers on a wind blown stalk. Maybe I'll color them purple and try again on my next outing.

[@annruel1982]

Hi Jackie. Hey Wild flowers on a wild blown stalk sounds great to me. You took the idea and made it your own! I say, keep going!!! and thanks for watching. Happy potting to you.

[@walkerpottery9296-Natalie]

I love both vases! Such a neat process to watch you do! I think it would look nice to try the interactive pigment with the celadon over it. Thanks for a great tutorial!

[@annruel1982]

Hey!! Yes, you are so right. Great idea. I should have made more of those so I could experiment. 🙂.

[@tutsilibelle3617]

Oh my gosh, that vase is absolutely beautiful, i will certainly try to make one, the little Mouse is so cute you are really blessed with such a talent.

[@annruel1982]

You are so kind Tutsi! Thanks so much!! Give it a try. I also have a video showing how to make the twisty vase to carve on.

[@TheButlersPottery]

Thanks for sharing. I like the one with gold accents best. I just made some mugs and was going to paint cactail on them. I think I'll carve them instead. I find carving relaxing and meditation.

[@annruel1982]

Hi Joyce. I appreciate your thoughts 🙂. I think carving the cattails on pottery would be a great subject. It will be fun to play around with the texture as they are like velvet.

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

You are an amazing artist! I love these so much… I think I prefer the contrast of the first one best. That really brings it to life. So beautiful! Thank you❤️🤗🐝🌀

[@annruel1982]

Thanks so much Deborah!! You re right about the contrast. Good eye. Thank you for watching!!

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

@@annruel1982 You’re welcome and thank you too❤️🤗🐝

[@annruel1982]

@@deborahdanhauer8525 🙂

[@clayeasy]

Thank you again for a great tutorial! Love to see the result and how you use all of your tools. Cheers from Finland!

[@annruel1982]

Thanks so much for your kind words. Looks like you are focusing on the sculpting too. Awesome. Hello to Finland from Florida!! 🙂

[@AnaMahsati]

Great tips, thanks! I like the pigmented vase more, but both look good.

[@annruel1982]

Hey Ana. I appreciate your thoughts. There are a lot of ways I could have gone about decorating these. :-). thanks for watching and happy potting!

[@maudemccarthy1667]

Both simply wonderful…especially like the second. Thank you for sharing.

[@darrellmelton1215]

I like the second vase best.

[@darrellmelton1215]

Let me add to my comment here. I love and watch all of your video tutorials Ann ( hope that I spelled that right) even the ones I will never try. They are to the point and informative, please continue making them. And I do like both of the vases but the second one is, in my opinion, best.

[@annruel1982]

@@darrellmelton1215 Aww...thanks so much Darrell. You can thank Jim for the way they are formatted. From the beginning, he wanted the videos to be as concise and informative as we could make them so I have had to learn to trim things back. I appreciate your opinion about the vases too. Thanks so much!! Happy potting!

[@vzeimen]

Very nice, I think I like the Ochre one best but both are lovely. I love carving clay and have been wanting to start learning to do more relief so this was an excellent video for me. Thanks again Ann

[@annruel1982]

Oh awesome Vicki!! go for it!! If you do, I would love to see the pictures.

[@mainacht3509]

Your work is incredible, Anne.

[@annruel1982]

Hey Mai!! Thanks so much!! Give it a try!!

[@svenlundergard1]

This is a well produced, well filmed and well narrated instructional video. Thanks. Liked and subscribed!!

[@embee7434]

Happy New Year! What an adorable subject to teach such a fiddly skill! Thank you for sharing. I like how the treatment on the first vase really accented and highlighted the carvings.

[@annruel1982]

Happy New Year to you Em!! I appreciate your input!! Thanks as always for watching!!

[@schmugalie]

That is beautiful!!! Definitely something I’m going to try!!

[@annruel1982]

Hi Em!!! thank you so much for watching!! Go for it!!

[@RoosterPootPottery]

Thanks!

[@annruel1982]

Wow, thanks so much Sheri!!! that is so nice of you. Jim and I appreciate you watching!! Happy New Year to you!

[@carolinamendezhernandez7225]

I like the first one because color pulls out the carving

[@linzajchowski1803]

Another amazing video and beautiful work. Thank you

[@annruel1982]

Wow, thanks so much Lin! I appreciate the kind words and you watching!

[@lilnelson4597]

Very inspirational work! Thank you

[@sofiaceleste6299]

Que bello, hermoso!! Gracias por compartir tu talento 🙂

[@annruel1982]

¡Sí! Es totalmente un placer para mí compartir. ¡Darle una oportunidad!

[@susangrogan5150]

Excellent. You are very talented.

[@annruel1982]

Awesome Susan!! I appreciate that!! Go and give it a try!

[@darlink57]

Excellent video! Thanks so much!

[@annruel1982]

Hey! Great to hear from you! thakns so much for watching and being so supportive!!

[@sallythompson5071]

I'm inspired. My fave is the first one.

[@nexussever]

Your tutorial gives me hope that I can improve my carving skills.

[@chrisp7548]

Wow! Very nice!

[@annruel1982]

Thanks so much Chris!!! Im glad you liked it!

[@ИннаКулишова-щ7о]

Вдохновляют вашими работами. Вы молодец!

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Спасибо

[@chloeuntrau4588]

Prefer the first one...lovely work!

[@annruel1982]

Wow, thanks so much Chloe! thanks for watching!

[@shubhrajoshi5357]

brilliantly explained

[@sarahelgefalk5955]

Tack!

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Thank you so much for your support! We will put it to good use - thank you!

[@redharrier8273]

Wow, that was a wonderful lesson! Thank you so much for making it look easy enough to be at least approachable for a novice like me. I've been looking for ways to float up a drawing but didn't know how. What are your thoughts on water etching? How does it compare to this process and where would one use it? Would you have time to discuss the two methods in a demonstration to see the difference in results? Thank you.

[@redharrier8273]

PS: i like the second one more. Porcelain is so seductive - the finished pot appears more sculptural and shows cases the design without the added pigment, IMO. With a grogged clay, definitely the pigment - for a rustic effect. They are both beautiful. ❤️

[@annruel1982]

Hey Red. Thanks so much for your thoughts and for watching our video. I actually did a video where I did water erosion type of etching on the clay. Let me know if you dont find it in our collection. Water etching is where you draw a design onto bone dry clay, then brush some sort of mask over the lines . I have used such things as shellac or even mod podge. When the mask dries, you can take a damp sponge and wipe it over the masked lines and the design will still be raised. The only thing is that you have to fire off the mask so there is not really a chance that you can define the edges to make them softer. Does that make sense?

[@redharrier8273]

@@annruel1982 Thank you. I will look it up.

[@annruel1982]

@@redharrier8273 let me know if you dont find it. Good luck

[@dianeuranowski3694]

simply amazing!💕

[@JudyHensley-xn5gu]

Fabulous Ann!!!!!😍

[@tazounettedu69]

Thanks you for your videos and tips ❤

[@annruel1982]

Totally my pleasure Crawl! Thanks for watching!

[@pookiesmemaw]

That's just beautiful ❤️

[@sandiecraig174]

Hi there Ann - great work - can I just ask - you didn't seem to slip and score when you added the extra clay to the form - I've never worked with porcelain so is this restricted to that clay - I would like to try with earthenware first - thanks - x

[@annruel1982]

Hey Sandie. Good eyes. Actually I am more apt to slip and score jointed pieces than I am to clay that I am just attaching like these little tiny bits. Of course, that said in this case, the clay was still leather hard and more apt to sticking to it. If the clay were totally bone dry, then I would wet the bone dry clay, score it and slip and hope that it wouldnt pop off. I could just tell that the two clays I was putting together were not that far from each other in the drying process. Give this a try !!

[@sandiecraig174]

@@annruel1982 - Ann = thanks for that - Love your videos BTW x

[@annruel1982]

@@sandiecraig174 Aww...that is so sweet. Thanks for waching Sandie

[@deepashtray5605]

"Anybody can do it." Galdangitall, you were supposed to keep that a secret! It helps immensely to have a smooth bodied clay to carve into. Beautiful work as usual.

[@annruel1982]

haha....the secret is out. ...You are right about the porcelain as opposed to the grogged clay. In fact I actually do mention that when I am using my wet finger to smooth the clay. Good catch Ash.

[@Sheepdog1314]

excellent

[@annruel1982]

Hey Sheep! Thanks so much!! I appreciate that!

[@sandrasau1890]

Hi Ann, is this a porcelain clay?

[@LittleStreetPottery]

999.994% of the time Standard Porcelain #365

[@karri8998]

I did not understand what you said at the beginning of the video. The burnishing won't work if it's grog? Is that correct? And if so why?

[@annruel1982]

Hi Karri. Hmmm....last night I wrote a lengthy response to your question right here but it doesnt look like it posted. I will try again. You are right that trying to smooth out the surface of clay that has grog in it wont work as well as if you are doing it with clay that doesnt have grog in it (like porcelain). The problem is that when you construct something with grogged clay, there is a fine layer of smooth clay on the top, but lurking right under the surface will be the rocky like edges of the grog. So when you wet your finger and try to burnish the clay smooth, that fine smooth layer of silt is removed by the water. What is left is that pitted groggy surface. Where you tried to smooth out the surface but end up with a rough surface instead. I actually demonstrated that in my last carving video if you want to look it up

[@karri8998]

@@annruel1982 Thank you so much Ann. I really appreciate your response and learn so much from your videos. Thanks again, looking forward to watching more of your content.

[@annruel1982]

@@karri8998 Any time Karri!! I really appreciate you watching 🙂

[@shaiouchowdhury803]

Can you make a video for beginners to learn model making with plaster of Paris

[@annruel1982]

Hi Shaiou. Do you mean creating the molds for slip casting? I have done a couple of videos where I use the plaster or paris but one was only for making a damp box and the ohter one involved me making a mold to press clay into for tiles. Making molds for slip casting is a whole other skill that I dont have a lot of hands on knowledge to do, much less I would have to shell out some bucks for the supplies and then have space in my studio to store once I was done with it. I will think about it, but I am not sure it would be worth it. Im sorry about that.

[@shaiouchowdhury803]

@@annruel1982 yes but not the molds but the model. How to curve out the model for making molds. Basic on curveing a model.

[@annruel1982]

@@shaiouchowdhury803 Just to be clear, you are not asking about me doing the plaster of paris part, you just want to see me carve something like an animal, for instance. Actually, I dont have as much experience with that. I chose the functional pottery side of clay. the closest video to this that I have done is making a little piggy pinch pot, haha. ...kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWrQep2YmLZkors

[@doninis1354]

I am deaply impressed but I am also a bit jalous. I don't have the possibility to work with clay, but I would love to. As an multi creativa I take a lot from your videos what works not just with clay. Thank you so much.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@clairblair2671]

Is the clay so moist it isn’t necessary to wet the attachments?

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Yes, when its really sticky - then you dont really need to wet it. Thanks.

[@Elizabeth-tj8ex]

What kind of clay do you use?

[@LittleStreetPottery]

in descrption

[@emmapuppylover3051]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@sandrasaunt6441]

First one ❤

[@Jonjonlovers]

😊😊❤

[@lili-dz4oo]

🙏🙏🙏👍😍

[@annruel1982]

Yeah!! Thanks so much Lili!! Give the carving a try!

[@nicholereber8283]

Thanks!

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Thank you so much for your support - we really appreciate it! Welcome to the team!