Topic outline

  • Introduction

    • Centering the clay is the cornerstone of throwing on the wheel. It's the process that must be done before any pot can be formed, and the aim of this tutorial is to go over that process in exact detail, alongside discussing many of the tips and tricks learned over the years.

◄Step 11: Coning the Clay
►Conclusion

  • Step 12: Hand Placement and Removal

    • 12.1
      This next tip is perhaps a bit more subtle in nature and it has to do with how you place your hands onto the lump of clay and how you remove them. The first thing you want to think about is you only ever want to make contact with the clay when it's spinning, and the same goes for when you release your hands. You never want to stop the wheel and then release your hands, nor do you want to place your hands onto a stationary lump and then begin spinning it.

    • 12.2
      What you want is for the lump of clay to always be spinning when you touch it and remove your hands from it. Think of it like turning wood on a lathe. You would never place the gouge onto the stationary piece of wood and then start up the machine that rotates it, and when you're turning wood on the lathe you always want the piece to be spinning before you try to do anything to it. The same goes for clay.

    • 12.3
      Another thing to think about is how you release your hands from the lump of clay. Ideally, you want to release them very gently, as if you release your hands too abruptly, you'll notice a very slight wobble in the lump of clay, and if you do this just before you make the hole to form the base, the pot could become slightly off-centered even when you thought you centered it perfectly. Placing your hands onto the lump of clay isn't so important as you can immediately center them and hold them still, but when you release your hands you want to do it very gently, just to detach any connection they might have, and with enough practice, it just looks like you're removing your hands normally.

◄Step 11: Coning the Clay
►Conclusion