HANDBUILDING 101
LESSON 2: Coil Construction
Coil construction is one method of making a large form. By adding one
layer of clay coils on top of another it is possible to make forms of
any size. This method is still used in many areas of the world and was
widely used by all cultures before the invention of the potter's wheel.You can begin to construct a coil pot using a pinched form as
the base, or by creating a base with a spiral of clay and then building
upwards. You can build your coils around a form, or without one,
depending on what you are trying to make.
To start, decide how you want to make your base? Will your
finished pot have a flat base, or a curved base. If you're making a
flat base, it is usually easier to make a coil spiral and smooth it out
into your base. If you are making a curved bottom, it is usually best
to start with a fairly thick pinch pot.
Once you have made your base, roll lumps of clay into snakes
as thick as a fat pencil. Try to make your coils long enough to go once
around your piece. You can roll your coils extra long, if you like, and
then cut them to the length you need.
To build up the pot, lay a coil on top of your base, slightly to the inside of the edge. Smooth the clay down from the coil into your base, until the line of the coil fades away. Go all the way around the pot, smoothing the coil into the base before adding a new coil to your pot.
Now that you have had a brief introduction to coiled pots, please take some time to browse the web and find five web sites with pictures of things that other artists have done with coils. Write the URLs down in your notebook.
Lesson 2: Coil Construction
Lesson 3: Slab Building
Lesson 4: Press Molding