Clay work specializes in hand built, one of a kind of ceramic artwork and sculpture. Clay can be used to prepare different industrial products such as images, pots, vases, etc. Pottery is the ceramic material which makes up pottery wares. Pottery also refers to the art or craft of a potter or the manufacturer.

Preparation of Different Geometrical Shapes from Clay

Plain Geometrical Shapes

Shapes having length and breadth but no thickness are plain geometrical shapes. Some of the plain geometrical figures are as follows:

Triangular: Shapes having three sides and three angles are triangular.

Rectangular: Shapes having four sides where opposite sides are equal and having four right angles are rectangular.

Square: Shapes having four equal sides and four right angles are square.

Quadrilateral: Shapes having four sides and four angles are quadrilateral.

Pentagonal: Shapes having five sides and five angles are pentagonal.

Hexagonal: Shapes having six sides and six angles are hexagonal.

Solid Geometrical Shapes

Cubical Prism: Cubical prism is the prism with six congruent faces where all faces meet at 90o.

Rectangular Prism: Rectangular prism is the prism with six rectangular faces where opposite faces are equal and all faces are 90o.

Pyramidal Shape: It is like pagoda style where all point faces meet at a fixed point with either triangular or quadrilateral base.

Cylindrical Shape: A solid with two parallel circular bases like a roll. If you unwrap the middle section and lay it flat, it becomes a rectangle.

Conical Shape: It is like a funnel where the base is circular and a curved side that ends at one point .

Spherical Shape: It is like a ball where all points are equidistant.

Preparation of Fruits Shapes and Household Articles

Every object has its shape. For example, an apple has a spherical shape, a banana is a curved cylinder, and the book has a rectangular prismatic shape. There are certain steps to create a shape of an object with clay.

Soil Preparation: The first step is to find an appropriate soil. Clay soil can be found in ceramic suppliers. You can find quality soil in Gadawa of Dang district.

Wedging:Secondly, mix the clay with water. Mix and firm pressure homogenously till it becomes flexible and removes air bubble which might damage work.

Wrapping and Storing: Now, wrap the clay with plastic to preserve the moisture. If the clay dries, it loses water and becomes stiffer.

Forming: Clay is shaped or molded in the various forms.

Drying: Once the clay is formed, it is dried in shade for a few days. They will become stiffer and lose flexibility.

Greenware: When the piece of poetry product has dried completely, it is referred to as a piece of greenware. It means the piece is awaiting the first firing until enough pieces have accumulated to fill a kiln .

Firing: After the products are dried to greenware and enough pieces have accumulated to fill a kiln, then they can be processed for firing . On the first day, the kiln is lit at a lower setting to dry the ware and left overnight to slowly warm .Firing too fast during this early stage of the firing can cause damage to the work . On day two, the kiln is gradually turned to a higher temperature up to 900 – 1000 degree Celsius. The kiln is then turned off and cooled down slowly. On day three, the kiln is opened and the products are taken out.

Glazing: The glazing substance could be a mixture of ground glass, clays, a coloring material and water. They are applied to the pot.

Glaze Firing: Again, the firing process is a three-day affair. Glaze firing temperature is raised up to around 1200 degrees Celsius for one day and a half and they are allowed to cool down. On day three, they are unloaded from the kiln and stored in the room.

Your Project Work at School

It is difficult to follow all the given steps. There is another safe method that you can try at your home or at school.

Prepare the clay as mentioned above and make anything of your interest. Lightly cover it with plastic sheet and leave overnight in a flat area where it remains safe. Next day, uncover it for about four hours and then cover again throughout the second night. Then, leave it to dry completely.

Introduction and Use of Paints

Painting is an art using multiple or single colors. You can add beauty in your work by painting colors. Before painting, make sure your clay is dried. It will change to light grey from dark grey.

Introduction and Importance of Ceramic

In early times, ceramics were pottery products made by human beings from clay only. It has more than 27,000-years-oldhistory. But now, ceramic includes many other products. The beautiful tiles in your bathroom and kitchen are all ceramic products. Now, we can find varieties on ceramics like cups, plates which are all made of ceramic at this time. All pottery works are ceramic works but all ceramic works are not pottery works.