How to create a textured slab bowl over a plaster mold - Ceramics II

This comprehensive video shows how to roll a textured slab and create a bowl with a foot ring over a plaster mold. It shows from the plastic to the finished leatherhard stage.
I made this for my Ceramics II students to assist them in their Textured Slab projects, or their Inspiration Projects. My students might also use this technique for the empty bowls project for the Lebanon Food Pantry.
Check out this link to a live searchable Googledoc I continually update with lots of my favorite tools on Amazon using my associate links! (also some non-amazon suggestions on here!)
docs.google.com/document/d/1X...
You can also check out my Amazon Influencer Store Here: www.amazon.com/shop/karanspot...
I am a public high school ceramics teacher at William Mason High School in Mason, Ohio. (Mason is currently the largest high school in Ohio!) As a potter, I have been working in clay for over 30 years, and I have been teaching for over 28 years, the past 20 have been specifically teaching high school ceramics. I love what I do! I have my own studio in my home basement, where I work on my personal pottery for my Etsy site; www.etsy.com/shop/KaransPotsA...
I started my KZbin channel a few years ago, to make videos to help my students if they are absent and miss a demo, or if they would like to explore more advanced techniques independently. I have been amazed to reach such a wider audience than my own students!
Please subscribe to my channel if you would like to receive channel updates, or would like to learn more about clay and studio processes!

[@haleywhitehall7942]

This video answered so many of my questions and I learned a lot. Thank you!

[@mikejustice1196]

Finally a tutorial without the choir.😊

[@galekrcmarik2043]

Thank you for sharing your video to the public. I love feeling like I am back in school. It was such a fun time for me. Your videos are very to the point and totally understandable.

[@Spinquilter]

Thank you Karan for your videos -- I always come back to get a "refresher" course!!!

[@kashabanko1784]

You make this look so easy. Love the empty bowl project. Thx

[@ruthfinamore1287]

Thank you...wonderful demo. I will try this at my studio.

[@IAmKimberlyHawthorne]

Best tutorial on air dry clay for a bowl that I've seen thus far!!!!! Very informative, she spoke clearly and demonstrated the process clearly. Great job and thank you!!!!!

[@silviavolpiansky1557]

Una belleza. Tu sencillez es admirable. Gracias

[@susanchormann5659]

this was really clear and helpful. thank you

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Thanks, Susan! :)

[@dalavasquad339]

Helped me with a school project thx

[@biriktytewolde1508]

very interesting ii like working with slabs

[@lindadavidson6473]

This is the best ive seen re slab pottery. Easy to listen to. Im going to try this. I have the clay...but how long can i let my project dry before firing? Is there a limit? With the latest virus problem i may not be able to get to a kiln for a fair while...but im itching to start making something soon....thank you!

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Hi Linda- you can let unfired clay sit for years before firing! (I just usually throw a towel over it or something to keep off the dust.) I think lots and lots of people are in the same situation... just hanging onto greenware until the studios open back up. If you like this one, here is a playlist of some of my best slab videos that my Ceramics II kids reference! :). kzbin.info/aero/PLj0pNzEmvM_r9a5f85ZyTrqrP3SmHFKQS

[@mirtasartori4132]

Q pena q no ponen el traductor en español, nos tenemos q confirmar con verlo,si saber por ejemplo el polvo blanco q colocan ....

[@chancewatkins5071]

These videos are very informative ad helpful. Thanks so much for sharing them with us, I've subscribed; Jesus Christ Bless! :)

[@luciacowan9413]

Hi there, this is basically what I do but I did mine over a plastic bowl but the bowl is deeper so my problem is the clay needs to be too big and creases and then I have to cut the excess off where it overlaps so I can't do my texture before draping the clay over the mould. I'm making a yarn bowl. How would you overcome that? Use a smaller piece for the round bottom bit and then a band further up or what? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[@BEAMNGSurvival]

gooood

[@catherinekoutroumpis9774]

Thanks, very interesting to see what else is out there involving clay other than wheel pottery. I don't mind the superfluous talk either...mainly b/c I have a life 😉

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

+Catherine Spangler Haaahaaahaaaa! Thanks, Catherine! :-)

[@cathybratcher7081]

Catherine Bratcher thank you for sharing the information. Finding room to do it might be a challenge??

[@neuzeteribeiro]

Boa noite professora ! Por favor disponibiliza na plataforma do KZbin , seus para tradução em portugues( Brasil ) fico grata / aprendo muito com você

[@carlottawinters6124]

Hi Karan. I know this was posted a long time ago but I hope you're still able to respond. Do you think I can do this using air dry clay? I think I may have missed you mention the type of clay you used to make the bowls. Thanks for sharing the video. Very helpful.

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Hi Carlotta! Well, you could do the technique with air dry clay, but if you ever want to use it with food applications or any moisture, I would use it with only a fireable and glazeable claybody. :)

[@carlottawinters6124]

@@KaransPotsAndGlass thanks so much for responding. It will be used to hold trinkets at the front door.

[@terrynicholson5214]

Shouldnt the foot ring been cut striaght for it to be even and level?

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

I am sure in my haste to get this video made for my students, I could have been more careful when cutting the strip, but in the long run it made no difference. It sat level and even.

[@terrynicholson5214]

@@KaransPotsAndGlass its ok i seen what you did and i see that it was made level on sides i didnt think to check it like you did, thank you for the video we learned alot. Maybe level for a flat bottom?, i forgot it was curved so whereever the ring was put it be right and trimmed as needed. Made sense. Thanks

[@orhankemal4137]

I'm going to make a fox head taxidermy I have to cover the outer part of the fox's head with clay and then take my mold with polyurethane. is this true ? Could you help

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

I am sorry, Ohnan... I don't truly understand. I have never made a mold of an actual animal.

[@orhankemal4137]

@@KaransPotsAndGlass OK no problem Thank you for your answer

[@myuniquecollies]

hi come from Denmark. Can you spell the name of the file/rasp you are using forthe rem, I want to buy one, but can not hear/understand the name properly, many greetings anja

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Well, hello from Ohio! :) There are two names for them... a "surform" is the name that the Stanley tool company uses. (I sometimes call all these tools surforms, as those were the first ones I used about 30 years ago.) I think they are mostly made for plaster (not clay). The small ones with the colored handles are called "shredders" and they are made by a company here in the USA called Mud Tools... by potter/ceramic artist Michael Sherrill. I will give you website links, but, as I am not sure if websites work internationally, the links may not be good! Ok, this first link is directly to the Mudtools website: www.mudtools.com/product-category/shredders/?v=7516fd43adaa This second link is to Amazon- where the Mudtools shredders are sold. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WTBZ5EE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=karanspotsand-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00WTBZ5EE&linkId=0d17fbc43018225a24a5717c3a2c4bf2 And this one is a link to Amazon, where the Stanley brand surforms are sold: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002X1ZH/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=karanspotsand-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00002X1ZH&linkId=b26cff54821d50522d94fce860d4c83b Again, sorry if the links aren't helpful... I hope some of the information can help you find them! :) Karan

[@myuniquecollies]

Thank you wery mutch :)

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

My pleasure! Good luck! :)

[@CinemaSanctum]

its ok but really hard for me

[@dogacam4914]

Hi Karan, I want to make a mold for bowl that using plaster.. but 1st, want to ask any tips about how it easily take out the sample glass- bowl after mold dried. You know anything?

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Hello Doga- I'm not quite understanding your question... Are you wanting to make a mold to fire in the kiln for the use of slumping GLASS? If that is the question... then, just make sure that you have a shallow mold and brushed thoroughly with kiln wash. IF that is your question... check out this video on glass slumping: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3SrlWyQrcenmKc OR, if you are asking about making a plaster mold for use with clay, I will address that. If you have a plaster mold that has dried thoroughly, it is very easy to remove clay from a mold (providing the mold is widest at the top). If you put the clay on or in a mold, and wait until the clay has dried a bit until leatherhard, then the clay will have shrunk and pulled away from the mold, and will pop off easily. If I haven't answered your question, please let me know- I can take another stab at it! ;-) Karan

[@dogacam4914]

KaransPotsAndGlass hi Karan, also I lernt glass mold :) thank you.. Actually, I asked easy question but because of English I confused you sorry. Question is : I want to take mold by using plaster of any serving, bowl, mug that using at home. Is it easy to remove from plaster ? I wonder if that things stick to plaster .

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Doğa Çam I Doga- I'm sorry, I forgot to respond to your question last week! It is quite difficult to remove an existing bowl from a plaster mold without proper preparation. If you use a flexible plastic bowl, if properly prepared with a separator (like vaseline) it can come off. If however, you use a hard bowl, like a metal bowl, you could use TWO layers of a divider... like two layers of thin plastic bags between the original form and the plaster. Now, always make sure the original form has NO undercut... where it becomes narrow, or you might not get the plaster off it! Also, be super careful with plaster dust and debris around your clay! It will cause defects in firing if you get bits of plaster within the clay!

[@dogacam4914]

Thank you very much Karan have a good day

[@desertrockpotteryllc]

Oops, my comment was supposed to be for the tripod mug.

[@karenjoymc]

Probably a stupid question....Why do you roll the slab out on canvas?

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Not a stupid question at all! :-) Canvas is a great porous material. It helps to roll on it, as the clay will release from it. If you were to roll out on a wooden or formica table or counter top, it would get stuck. Canvas works well unless it gets really saturated, then the clay may stick a bit! I keep a big canvas covered board handy in my studio as well, if I need to have a more portable work surface! :-)

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Oh, and I should mention, it is a really THICK canvas- similar to a denim thickness! It lasts a really long time without stretching!

[@karenjoymc]

Thank you for your speedy reply! I am an oil/acrylic painter and I happen to have a roll of canvas. I hope it's heavy enough. Thank you again!!

[@lizardas]

Very informative video. I just wanted to point out an error in grammatical construction that you make throughout the video. "What I want to do is, [I want to]...." "What I'm going to do is, [I'm going to]..." The phrases in brackets are superfluous.

[@lizardas]

"What I wanna do is (I wanna)...." "What I'm going to do is (I'm going to)...." Extraneous words in parentheses.

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

+Elizabeth M Good thing my students look past that and learn the techniques I'm trying to impart! :-) And, I understand your preference for more succinct speech... since you pointed out my "errors in grammatical construction" last year too! It just happens to be my choice- my way of trying to "fill dead air" when demonstrating to keep my students a bit more engaged rather than have silence. Trying to keep the attention of 25 teenagers for a whole demo proves to be quite challenging at times. I hope the video was helpful. :-)