Throwing Tiny Pots

Today I will be sharing with you my technique for throwing little pots "off the hump" with a smooth stick of a kind.

I must first disclose that this is for intermediate potters, I'm sure a beginner could do it but first they'd have to learn to center a bunch of clay and throw off the hump like they do in China and Japan and elsewhere and throwing off the hump isn't a beginner technique.

What you will need is a smooth stick with a rounded bottom. You can achieve this with the back of a drumstick (which is what I usually do) or in the case of this tutorial, the back of a toothbrush.

You will also need a tool for adding texture (I used circular plastic stamps).

Six-Eight pounds of clay.

A potter's wheel. To

Cone your clay up on the wheel with your hands together until you have a small volcano looking lump of clay in the center of the wheel.

One thing that you must understand to use this technique is that the wheel is like a lathe and the clay is like the wood you'd turn. You must keep your hands together for stability when you next will use the stick to open up the clay.

This is just like throwing a regular cylinder. Put a finger into the middle and bore it down an inch or two into the mound.

Pinch in the walls to make it have a small diameter. Then put your stick into the hole and push up the sides of the cylinder to your stick, making it taller.

I chose little circles to decorate the sides of the cylinder. Then I used my fingers to slowly widen the pot to stretch out the texture.

Cut off your pot with a wire. Put the finished piece next to you and go onto your next little pot!