Throw a Basic Cylinder on a Potter's Wheel

Cylinders are the backbone of Pottery. One of my instructors at Mud Clay Studio calls it the "chords to create the music". This is a new and improved video on how to make a cylinder on a potters wheel. Watch it while you are working, stop and go and listen for the helpful throwing tips by Melanie Tomaszewski of Mudgirl Pottery in New Jersey
#wheelthrownpottery #pottery #clay #potteryvideos #ceramics #throwacylinder #glaze #mudclaystudio #standardclay #stoneware #potterywheel #newjersey #potteryworkshops #practicepottery

[@marynigro9271]

That’s probably one of the best beginner videos I’ve seen and I’ve watched a lot!

[@jasonswienckowski5373]

You are an incredible teacher! Thank you

[@betsykennedy983]

You are an amazing teacher! You explain things so thoroughly and language that’s easily understood. Thank you!!!❤

[@francescarunza9722]

Great video! I have taken 3, 4-week intro classes and finally getting my cylinders to look like cylinders. I see a lot of my early classmates moving onto other shapes and I was feeling a little like I wasn't progressing but you have validated my own thoughts of wanting to get the cylinder right before I move on. Thank you!

[@MudgirlPottery]

STICK WITH THE CYLINDER... THen get bigger, then move to bowls... Then you can make ANYTHING!

[@Faith-qp8us]

i have watched many of these videos..so far you are the BEST at explaining every step..

[@mel.ceramicarte]

excelente explicacion!! muchas gracias!! aportaste un montón de información que no sabía

[@moniquetula1369]

So glad I found you!! I hope you know how good of an instructor you are. Clear, concise, funny. Wish you were in my neck of the woods!

[@MudgirlPottery]

Come visit Jersey!!

[@cherylrichardson9952]

Wonderful! I'm a slab building potter. You make this process so understandable!! Bravo!!

[@alignmentwithally]

Hi there! I'm a very very new beginner to the pottery wheel (I've just signed up for a 6 week course and only have had 1 class hahaha) I watched SO many tutorials within the past week to hopefully get a better understanding of the technique for centering & creating a cylinder and I have to say this video is the ONEEE. Thank you so much for explaining every little step from hand positions and to explanations for each technique. I will be re-visiting this video again!

[@MudgirlPottery]

So I’m having a rough day. A bit of imposter syndrome kind of day. But this comment just lifted me up!! Thank you thank you. It’s why I do this. The hurdles in the beginning are big and difficult and I want to help clayaddicts jump over and glide along the rest of the journey easier!! Thanks you for making my day!!

[@alignmentwithally]

@@MudgirlPottery Oh my goodness :( I know how imposter syndrome feels & it can be so disheartening 😭 But I’d like to tell that you have such a gift with not only making pottery but creating such helpful & encouraging videos like this one!! It may not click with some people but for people like me, we are so grateful for someone like you to share your knowledge and skills! Your work matters to us & I hope you continue to share 🥺💗

[@kayjay782]

I also signed up for a six weeks class. And I finally started to learn the wheel. OMG I was totally a mess of clay and it took a while. My instructor who has been doing clay - pottery for over 30 years. Made a suggestion of watching a video on throwing clay. And that learning the wheel is like learning an instrument. This takes time and practice.

[@lisapeck2594]

Very comprehensive and helpful! Thank you!!

[@samisa19]

Really appreciate the pointing out of wheel speed. Wonderful video.

[@marshapascoe79]

Thank you for sharing your skills. I have noted, after watching dozens of throwing videos, I am surprised that no one has mentioned "keeping your hands connected". I used to teach pottery and I would tell my students that very near the beginningl

[@scottfister]

This is one of the first videos of found where it's explained _why_ we should do certain things, which is so important to understand. Thank you!

[@MudgirlPottery]

Sometimes I give a bit too much info! Lol but I’m glad it clicks for you!

[@heathergallier4559]

You are a great teacher, I really felt like I was in an actual pottery class. You did a fantastic job, kept me very interested while teaching and did a fantastic job going step by step explaining everything. Not sure what your profession is.. but you should consider teaching.. this was a great video to watch!!

[@MudgirlPottery]

LOL. Thanks so much My profession is JUST this. I won a couple of pottery studios and my staff and I teach classes. Check out @MudClaystudionj on instagram or our website www.mudclaystudio.com. I dont teach as much but I run one time workshops! Most popular is my cylinder bootcamp

[@rocioc6187]

I'm taking two beginner ceramic classes and both are nothing like this video. Thank you for teaching!!!!!!

[@steves3734]

Nice tutorial, a lot of well explained information. Thanks for the video!

[@MudgirlPottery]

Thanks!! The cylinder is everything!!

[@user-jx7jl6rb7n]

Wonderful! You've helped me not throw in the towel too soon...the wheel is another kettle of fish!

[@caroleaton1]

I've recently discovered your videos and I'm glad I did. I'm a veteran potter but I watch a lot of videos picking up new tips all the time. We can never stop learning and challenging ourselves. Your style meshes well with mine so your videos really click with me. I'm going to binge watch your videos tonight. I may even throw as I watch your demos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us.

[@MudgirlPottery]

Thanks so much for the kind words! You’ll def see my growth as a KZbinr watching all these videos too. Lol I learned to make sure the lens was clean of clay eventually!

[@CVEN640Krithika]

Thanks Melanie! This was very helpful.

[@jannekaminski6968]

Thanks Melanie, great instruction and explanation.

[@MudgirlPottery]

Thanks!

[@charlotteotten824]

Top Best Instructor for Pottery!! Thank you MUDGIRL Mel, your awesome❣️🎉🎉

[@MudgirlPottery]

OMG Thanks so much! I love watching it click. I tell everyone, this is one of the hardest skills to acquire, I like to break it down to make it attainable! Once you get the skill (the voice) you can then figure out what you want to say with it!

[@annewatkis5824]

Fabulous teaching! Thank you xxx

[@sharanyavemu2333]

Love this video , and the one that you made before on dos and donts for a cylinder, your explanations are spot on !

[@MudgirlPottery]

Thanks so much. Working on some more this weekend. Anything specific you’d want to see?

[@sharanyavemu2333]

@@MudgirlPottery would love to see some dos and donts for bowls 😊

[@MudgirlPottery]

@@sharanyavemu2333 great idea! Im on it!

[@BeckieArt]

This really helped me nail my centering thank you!

[@rozsmith6850]

I wish you had been my instructor when I learned to throw on a wheel. I've developed bad habits I am gradually starting to change. Thank you!

[@MudgirlPottery]

Bad habits can be corrected! LOL and really are there any REAL BAD habits!? Although Im super skill based, i do believe that in the end no one knows what methods you used to make it... just that it makes them HAPPY! If you are ever local to NJ Check out @MudClaystudionj on instagram or our website www.mudclaystudio.com. I dont teach as much but I run one time workshops! Most popular is my cylinder bootcamp

[@denisenoble4010]

Great video,, always good to remind yourself what you need to do. Thankyou 😊

[@Laurel-Crowned]

Guess it's only me but that square spinning looks painful if you accidentally hit it 😮

[@annagray6491]

I would probably rip my little finger off! 😂

[@davidlane4391]

Great videos, I've been throwing for 40 years and I think there is very good advice here

[@MudgirlPottery]

Thanks 👍

[@lindastevens1731]

Love your videos and think you are one of the best!

[@janee6912]

Thank you. This is very helpful.

[@khaldayaqub-stevenson2641]

Thank you for this very comprehensive and informative video. You have addressed ALL the problems that I have experienced. Can't wait to get to my next pottery class and put what I have learnt into practice. Also will be watching all your videos and sharing with the rest of the class🙏🏽🌹

[@MudgirlPottery]

YAYYY. You can play the video during your open studio time and stop and go with each step! Thats what my members do!

[@KazToohey]

You are a bloody legend!!!

[@carolinepattyn3777]

Very, very well explained 🙏🏻🙏🏻😍🇧🇪

[@MudgirlPottery]

Thanks. Glad it you think so!

[@lisaann9300]

Where have you been all my potting career?😂 You're fabulous. I love the way you describe and teach! I just subscribed. Thank you so much

[@lizgiordano6045]

Great tutorial. Very well explained. Looking forward to nailing the cylinder!

[@MudgirlPottery]

Thanks. I posted 1lb vs 2lb video a couple of weeks ago

[@chorseschorses4381]

thanks for this vid!! im super impatient about improvement, so giving all these little things to focus on will hopefully help me not want to just do whatever lol. im doing my second day on the wheel tomorrow, and hopefully it goes better than last time

[@user-cp6pg5jm2o]

Thank you for this video! I just started back to teaching beginners and it’s hard to break it all down because I’ve been throwing for so long. My students have gotten a taste of success week 3-4.

[@MudgirlPottery]

Glad it was helpful! I have my members watch my videos during open studio , watch pause and do, pause and do.... All my teachers teach my way as to not confuse the studens! No need to teach more complicated ways of doing it! They'll develop their own tricks evenytually

[@nineredberries]

Thank you, definitely going to do cylinders next class! ❤

[@albertvanee4972]

brilliant.

[@ahafun2010]

thank you so much for your info and tips - glad i found your channel - rank beginner here still working on cylinders because i recognize that they are the backbone of anything else i want to do! thank you again! 🙂

[@MudgirlPottery]

Keep working on cylinders. There is so much to learn from them! From there everything is cake!

[@ahafun2010]

@@MudgirlPottery yes, that's exactly what i plan to do - and i guess keep wrecking them - what's your advice on the best way to recycle the clay from all these test cylinders???

[@PL-ue6uw]

Excellent, thanks! 👌

[@amyyeung1034]

great demo, thank you !!😊

[@danklaveano6947]

Very helpful, thank-you!

[@daisybukowski9759]

Can someone tell me the best way to re-centre if it de-centres once you’ve opened up? Is there anyway to save it? And what are the causes? Very new to this and it’s so difficult 😭

[@zx5218]

Have you ever given thought to putting a camera over your right shoulder? Thanks for your wonderful vids!

[@MidwifeBonnie]

Wonderful video. Do you think you could maybe do some footage from your perspective. I'm trying to mimic your hand position. But because I'm looking directly at you it's mirrored. I'm trying to understand exactly how you are holding your hands.

[@Bringidon]

great tutorial, thanks.. i'm still trying to find my ideal method.. i write with my left hand but do pretty much everything else with my right.. i'm managing to centre and open the clay right-handed but feel i may be better reversing the wheel and doing the pulling and trimming left-handed.. doh :)

[@MudgirlPottery]

If you write leftie you are leftie. At least that’s my experience in the studio try flipping direction and hands on the left side. See if it makes sense for you

[@lindastevens1731]

How do you hold the batt on the wheel?

[@khaldayaqub-stevenson2641]

I have 2 questions: 1) What weight of clay did you use in this demo? 2) Do you wedge (knead) to remove air from the clay before placing it on the wheel. Many thanks🙏🏽🌹

[@MudgirlPottery]

Hi there. So this is so long ago, that Im not sure how much clay Prob 2-2.5 pounds. I tend to use clay right out of the bag, I make cut a cube and do quick wedge just to get it into a potato shape!

[@skibikerunRV]

What type of clay did you use for this video? I'm using a Bailey C-10 259 and am having trouble raising a cylinder greater than 2"D x 3"H. Thank you for your help.

[@MudgirlPottery]

Hi there. I use all STANDARD supply clays., This one is 112. a light brown speckled clay. I think its the best for all beginners. Unless you like super bright glazes. I think 563 is similar for white. See if you cna find it. Its got just enough grog and great plasticity! Try going a little wider. Hard to get your hand inside 2"

[@loribennett-yv6wf]

Excellent videos- where are your studios?

[@MudgirlPottery]

Hi there. I have two in New Jersey. Madison and Montclair

[@yousfayed489]

When i make my floor, like you did around 8:20 and ven ebefore that when i make the initial hole, my clay gets off center.. why is that? I definately make sure i push my fingers towards my palm... very frustrating!

[@yousfayed489]

in the video, your clay also wiggles off center around that time, after you make your floor

[@daniesza]

7:08 elbows on knees?

[@Alexander-rq9he]

Attitude