4 Habits that dramatically Improved my Pottery
Wheel-thrown pottery is both an art form and a discipline that rewards patience, practice and consistency. Whether you're a beginner learning to center clay or a seasoned potter looking to refine your technique, certain habits can improve your work and lead to noticeable progress. Below are four game-changing habits that have proven immensely helpful to me on my pottery journey.
1. Commit to Preparation
For me, the key to a smooth session starts before I even touch the wheel or clay. Developing a ritual of preparation saves time and minimizes frustration down the line.
Wedge your clay thoroughly: Proper wedging eliminates air pockets, homogenizes recycled clay, and ensures consistent texture throughout your work, making it easier to center and throw.
Set up your tools systematically: Keep your workspace tidy, with essential tools (like trimming tools, sponges, ribs, and water) easily accessible. This will help you stay in the creative flow without disruption.
Plan your Session: Plan your throwing session, project or sketching your ideas beforehand sets the stage for success.
Pro tip: Spend a few minutes warming up your hands and use warm water to throw! Potters often overlook the importance of hand agility and the sensitivity of tendons. Light stretches can improve recovery and reduce pain.
2. Cut Open Your Pots
Though it may feel like "wasting" a finished pot, the insights I have gained from this practice are priceless. Potters who consistently use this habit improve their precision and gain better control over the throwing process by reflecting on what they could do better. Seeing what’s happening beneath the surface can reveal subtle flaws and areas for improvement.
Evaluate wall thickness: Cutting your pots in half helps you assess whether the walls are evenly thrown. Uneven thickness can lead to issues during drying or firing, such as cracks or warping.
Refine your bottoms: By cutting open your pieces, you can verify if the base is as intended. Do you need to leave more clay for a deep-footed bowl? Are you wasting clay in the foot that could be used in the body of the pot? Are you opening far enough for the desired form?
Pro tip: Take photos! You may want to document progress over time.
3. Do Not Open Until Centered
One of the most common pitfalls for early potters is rushing to open the clay before it’s properly centered. While it may be tempting to start opening your piece, a poorly centered piece of clay will lead to asymmetry, wobbling, and frustration down the line.
Incorporate coning up and down: This technique involves repeatedly coaxing the clay into a tall cone and then compressing it back down. However, it ususally almost never gets your piece totally on center. What it does do is align the clay particles, making the clay easier to center.
Use visual and tactile cues: The clay should look perfectly still, even as the wheel spins. It should also feel smooth and stable under your hands. If you notice any movement or inconsistencies, pause and keep trying.
Use your body, not just your hands: Proper centering requires the use of your whole body—brace your elbows, engage your core, and use your legs for stability.
Pro tip: If you feel frustrated, stop and try again. Recognizing the need to pause is as much a skill as the physical act itself.
4. Make and Use Test Tiles
If you don’t use test tiles, every pot becomes one. Creating and using test tiles for experimenting with glazes, textures, and firing techniques is one of the most effective habits to adopt in pottery. Without test tiles, every piece you make runs the risk of becoming an unintentional experiment, which can be frustrating—especially when a beloved pot doesn’t turn out as expected.
Experiment freely: Test tiles give you a low-risk way to try new glaze combinations, textures, or surface treatments. This prevents you from gambling with larger or more time-intensive pieces.
Track glaze performance: Every kiln load is slightly different, and glazes can behave unexpectedly under different conditions. By testing on tiles first, you can record how glazes respond to variations in temperature, clay body, or application.
Create a reference library: Keep your test tiles organized and labeled. Over time, you’ll build a personal glaze library that serves as a visual reference, streamlining future decisions for your work.
Avoid unpleasant surprises: If you don’t test, you risk every finished pot becoming a learning moment—sometimes in unfortunate ways. A cracked piece, poor glaze fit, or unappealing color combination can ruin a pot you worked hard on.
Pro tip: Use test tiles that reflect the shape and thickness of your typical pieces. Glaze results can vary based on surface area and texture, so accurate tiles will yield better predictions.
Final Thoughts
Building effective habits in pottery takes time and persistence, but the rewards are worth it. By mastering preparation, honing essential techniques like centering and trimming, embracing slow progress, and welcoming mistakes as part of the process, you'll find yourself making leaps in your skill level.
