handbuilding

Handbuilding is a set of ceramic methods that shape clay without using a potter's wheel. It encompasses pinch, coil, and slab construction, as well as other creative approaches that rely on the hands and simple tools.

Pinch building starts with a ball of clay that is gradually pinched and pressed to form a hollow vessel, its walls built up by compression. Coil construction builds forms from long, rope-like strands of clay joined with scoring and slip, often yielding rounded or irregular shapes. Slab construction uses flat slabs rolled to thicknesses suitable for the form, joined at edges by scoring and slip, and reinforced as needed with internal supports or cores.

Materials and tools: Handbuilders work with common clays such as earthenware, stoneware, or porcelain. Essential tools include a needle tool for scoring, wooden modeling tools, a sponge, a rib for shaping, and a kiln for firing. Slip, a liquid clay, is used to join parts; moisture and timing are important to avoid cracking.

Process and finish: After shaping, pieces dry to leather-hard, are sometimes trimmed or refined, and then air-dried completely before bisque firing. After bisque, glazes are applied and the piece is glaze-fired. Surface decoration can include slip trailing, burnishing, underglazes, or textures created during shaping.

History and use: Handbuilding is one of the oldest pottery techniques and appears in many cultures. It remains foundational in education and studio practice, valued for its accessibility and flexibility for functional wares as well as sculpture. Contemporary artists often combine handbuilding with wheel throwing and other methods.