Ceramics Semester Exam Review
January 13th, 2015 (Tuesday) Regular Bell Schedule-- 5A Exam
Review the glossary terms. Click on terms highlighted in RED to review the technique.
Vocabulary:
Clay-- AL2O3 2SiO2 2H2O. The decomposition of Granite(feldspar) through the process of Kaolinization creates clay (The natural formation of kaolin from the decomposition of feldspar). Clay is a mineral with a plate (platelet) like structure; it is these plates, (about 0.5 microns across) when lubricated with water, slide against each other to form the plastic mass we know as clay. 'Primary ' clays are those found close to the area of Kaolinization and hence the purest (Kaolin or China Clays). Secondary clays are those moved by water away from the site of Kaolinization and get progressively more plastic and less pure (Ball Clays, Fire clays, Earthenware's).
Wedging--The process of kneading the clay to homogenize it & remove air bubbles.
Score-- To make light scratches on a surface.
Additive--To add material.
Subtractive-- To remove material.
Leatherhard-- When the clay is able to maintain shape, bear weight yet still flexible enough to bend. Similar to a piece of stiff leather.
Greenware-- A completely finished work in clay
Bone Dry-- completed work in clay that has dried enough to be ready for firing. The work is in its most fragile state when bone dry!
Firing-- Adding heat to the clay. This is can be done with wood, gas or electric heat sources.
Bisque--First firing to remove excess water & organic materials from greenware in preparation for glazing.
Bisqueware-- Ceramic object that has undergone the initial firing.
Glaze--A combination of flux, alumina, glass & colorants/opacifiers to bisqueware for for decoration & function. This also vitrifies the surface.
Glazeware-- Ceramic object that has been glazed and undergone a second or series of firings thereby adhering glaze to the surface.
Vitrification--The transformation of a surface into glass, thereby making it waterproof.
Pinch Method-- The oldest technique for forming clay. Clay is rolled into a ball and the thumb is inserted into the middle of the ball of clay down to about 1/2-1/4 of an inch. Clay is then pinched upward between the thumb and fingers.
Coil-- Clay rolled into a long cylindrical rope.
Coiling-- a method of creating pottery. It has been used to shape clay into vessels for many thousands of years. It ranges from Africa to Greece and from China to New Mexico. They have used this method in a variety of ways. Using the coiling technique, it is possible to build thicker or taller walled vessels, which may not have been possible using earlier methods. The technique permits control of the walls as they are built up and allows building on top of the walls to make the vessel look bigger and bulge outward or narrow inward with less danger of collapsing. There are many ways to build ceramic objects using the coiling technique. To do this, you take a pliable material (usually clay) then roll it until it forms a long roll. Then, by placing one coil on top of another, different shapes can be formed.
Slab-- A flat sheet of clay.
Slab Method-- A method of joining flat sheets or slabs of clay together. These sheets/slabs are formed into curves or cut into shapes which are then joined together by scoring contact points and using slip to bond them together.
Flange-- A prominent continuous projection or ledge extending out from the body, neck, or rim of a vessel, intended to facilitate handling.
Gallery-- A combination of a flange and wall. Galleries are most often seen in lidded jars, crocks, casseroles, and other functional work. Galleries can be formed on either the lid or on the jar, or on both a jar and its lid.
Slip-- A liquefied suspension of clay particles in water. Slip is usually the consistency of heavy cream. Slip is often used in decoration. It may be left the natural color of the clay body from which it is made, or it may be colored with oxides. It is applied to wet or soft leather-hard greenware.
Mishima-- A technique of inlaying slip, underglaze, or even clay into a contrasting clay body, the main clay body of the pottery piece. This technique allows for extremely fine, intricate design work with hard, sharp edges that can be difficult to reliably replicate in any other way. Although named after a Japanese city where it became popular in the 18th century, this technique originated in Korea.
Sgraffito-- (in Italian "to scratch") is a decorating pottery technique produced by applying layers of color or colors (underglazes or colored slips) to leather hard pottery and then scratching off parts of the layer(s) to create contrasting images, patterns and texture and reveal the clay color underneath
Vocabulary:
Clay-- AL2O3 2SiO2 2H2O. The decomposition of Granite(feldspar) through the process of Kaolinization creates clay (The natural formation of kaolin from the decomposition of feldspar). Clay is a mineral with a plate (platelet) like structure; it is these plates, (about 0.5 microns across) when lubricated with water, slide against each other to form the plastic mass we know as clay. 'Primary ' clays are those found close to the area of Kaolinization and hence the purest (Kaolin or China Clays). Secondary clays are those moved by water away from the site of Kaolinization and get progressively more plastic and less pure (Ball Clays, Fire clays, Earthenware's).
Wedging--The process of kneading the clay to homogenize it & remove air bubbles.
Score-- To make light scratches on a surface.
Additive--To add material.
Subtractive-- To remove material.
Leatherhard-- When the clay is able to maintain shape, bear weight yet still flexible enough to bend. Similar to a piece of stiff leather.
Greenware-- A completely finished work in clay
Bone Dry-- completed work in clay that has dried enough to be ready for firing. The work is in its most fragile state when bone dry!
Firing-- Adding heat to the clay. This is can be done with wood, gas or electric heat sources.
Bisque--First firing to remove excess water & organic materials from greenware in preparation for glazing.
Bisqueware-- Ceramic object that has undergone the initial firing.
Glaze--A combination of flux, alumina, glass & colorants/opacifiers to bisqueware for for decoration & function. This also vitrifies the surface.
Glazeware-- Ceramic object that has been glazed and undergone a second or series of firings thereby adhering glaze to the surface.
Vitrification--The transformation of a surface into glass, thereby making it waterproof.
Pinch Method-- The oldest technique for forming clay. Clay is rolled into a ball and the thumb is inserted into the middle of the ball of clay down to about 1/2-1/4 of an inch. Clay is then pinched upward between the thumb and fingers.
Coil-- Clay rolled into a long cylindrical rope.
Coiling-- a method of creating pottery. It has been used to shape clay into vessels for many thousands of years. It ranges from Africa to Greece and from China to New Mexico. They have used this method in a variety of ways. Using the coiling technique, it is possible to build thicker or taller walled vessels, which may not have been possible using earlier methods. The technique permits control of the walls as they are built up and allows building on top of the walls to make the vessel look bigger and bulge outward or narrow inward with less danger of collapsing. There are many ways to build ceramic objects using the coiling technique. To do this, you take a pliable material (usually clay) then roll it until it forms a long roll. Then, by placing one coil on top of another, different shapes can be formed.
Slab-- A flat sheet of clay.
Slab Method-- A method of joining flat sheets or slabs of clay together. These sheets/slabs are formed into curves or cut into shapes which are then joined together by scoring contact points and using slip to bond them together.
Flange-- A prominent continuous projection or ledge extending out from the body, neck, or rim of a vessel, intended to facilitate handling.
Gallery-- A combination of a flange and wall. Galleries are most often seen in lidded jars, crocks, casseroles, and other functional work. Galleries can be formed on either the lid or on the jar, or on both a jar and its lid.
Slip-- A liquefied suspension of clay particles in water. Slip is usually the consistency of heavy cream. Slip is often used in decoration. It may be left the natural color of the clay body from which it is made, or it may be colored with oxides. It is applied to wet or soft leather-hard greenware.
Mishima-- A technique of inlaying slip, underglaze, or even clay into a contrasting clay body, the main clay body of the pottery piece. This technique allows for extremely fine, intricate design work with hard, sharp edges that can be difficult to reliably replicate in any other way. Although named after a Japanese city where it became popular in the 18th century, this technique originated in Korea.
Sgraffito-- (in Italian "to scratch") is a decorating pottery technique produced by applying layers of color or colors (underglazes or colored slips) to leather hard pottery and then scratching off parts of the layer(s) to create contrasting images, patterns and texture and reveal the clay color underneath