Learn basic throwing skills to enable you to make a variety of simple forms including cylinders, bowls, vases and lidded jars. Gain a basic understanding of surface decoration using slips, oxides, underglazes and glazes.
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This ceramics course offers the opportunity for you to learn the basic skills and techniques for making thrown pots. You will learn clay preparation, how to centre, throw and turn basic forms. This will enable you to develop personal projects and experiment with constructions. You will also find out about slips, underglazes, oxides and a variety of glazes, and how to use them in surface decoration.
What will we cover?
This course covers clay preparation, simple shape forming and turning to produce bowls, jugs, vases and mugs, lidded forms and a variety of handles.
You can explore throwing techniques further by assembling forms to produce larger pieces. Decorative techniques and glazing will be introduced, using a variety of methods, ceramic materials and different firing temperatures.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Throw cylinders and bowls, including vases and mugs - Make and fix handles - Turn forms to finish a foot - Throw and measure a lid to fit a pot - Use different techniques with coloured slips and oxides
Intermediate learners will be able to: - Experiment with changes in scale - Work with altered forms and assembly.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is open to anyone with an interest in throwing and decoration, from complete beginners to more experienced students wishing to develop their skills.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information and use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations. Self-reflection is an important part of art education and practice, you will be encouraged to evaluate and review your own learning, ways of working and progress and be invited into group discussions.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The class is taught by ongoing group and individual demonstrations and tuition, and is supported by visual references, examples of work and handouts.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Most ceramic materials are covered by the course fee. There is a charge of £2.75 per 500g for clay before firing, the porcelain charge is £24.00 per bag/ £12 per half bag. Tools are available within the department for use but you may want to purchase your own. In the final week you will need to pay for materials that you have used during the course, payments to be made by contactless card reader.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
VR719 Ceramics: surface decoration on clay
VR724 Pottery on Saturdays
VR737 Pottery Evening Class
Your tutor will advise you on progression possibilities.
Trish is a ceramicist living and working at her multimedia studio in London. She currently teaches ceramics at City Lit and the WMC Camden, (The Working Men's College). She is also a visiting practitioner at the London Collge of Fashion (UAL). Trish has a Degree (First) and an MA in Ceramics from UWIC, (University of Wales in Cardiff). Her degree work was chosen for FRESH at the British Ceramics Biennial in 2011 and by The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (Nceca) in 2012, for an exhibition in Seattle. She has work in both public and private collections. After university Trish was chosen as ceramicist in residence at the prestigious Harrow School for boys in London. Adult education has now become Trish's main teaching direction, enjoying the enthusiasm and determination that adults bring to the learning environment. Having started her creative path in ceramics through adult education, prior to university and with several years of teaching across a wide spectrum of learners, her experience and wide skill set make her a dynamic and innovative teacher.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/pottery-introduction-to-throwing-and-decoration1170967Pottery: introduction to throwing and decorationhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/v/r/vr718_introduction_to_throwing_and_decoration-2.jpg649649GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Art & design/Courses/Art & design/Ceramics & sculpture/Ceramics & pottery/Courses/Art & design/Ceramics & sculpture22851132114314311228511321431Learn basic throwing skills to enable you to make a variety of simple forms including cylinders, bowls, vases and lidded jars. Gain a basic understanding of surface decoration using slips, oxides, underglazes and glazes.003037426Pottery: introduction to throwing and decoration649649https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/v/r/vr718_introduction_to_throwing_and_decoration-2_2.jpgInStockEveningMonKeeley StreetAvailable courses11 weeks or longerWeekday2026-09-14T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experienceSep 2026Art & designVR718649649Pottery: introduction to throwing and decoration519422649Trish Spencepottery-introduction-to-throwing-and-decoration/vr718-2627Learn basic throwing skills to enable you to make a variety of simple forms including cylinders, bowls, vases and lidded jars. Gain a basic understanding of surface decoration using slips, oxides, underglazes and glazes.0000-Available|2026-09-14 00:00:00<p>This ceramics course offers the opportunity for you to learn the basic skills and techniques for making thrown pots. You will learn clay preparation, how to centre, throw and turn basic forms. This will enable you to develop personal projects and experiment with constructions. You will also find out about slips, underglazes, oxides and a variety of<br/>glazes, and how to use them in surface decoration.</p>Learn basic throwing skills to enable you to make a variety of simple forms including cylinders, bowls, vases and lidded jars. Gain a basic understanding of surface decoration using slips, oxides, underglazes and glazes.This course covers clay preparation, simple shape forming and<br/>turning to produce bowls, jugs, vases and mugs, lidded forms and a variety of handles. <br/> <br/> You can explore throwing techniques further by assembling forms to produce larger pieces. Decorative techniques and glazing will be introduced, using a variety of methods, ceramic materials and different firing temperatures.- Throw cylinders and bowls, including vases and mugs<br/> - Make and fix handles<br/> - Turn forms to finish a foot<br/> - Throw and measure a lid to fit a pot<br/> - Use different techniques with coloured slips and oxides<br/> <br/> Intermediate learners will be able to:<br/> - Experiment with changes in scale<br/> - Work with altered forms and assembly.<p>This course is open to anyone with an interest in throwing and decoration, from complete beginners to more experienced students wishing to develop their skills.<br/><br/>You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information and use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations. Self-reflection is an important part of art education and practice, you will be encouraged to evaluate and review your own learning, ways of working and progress and be invited into group discussions.</p><p>The class is taught by ongoing group and individual demonstrations and tuition, and is supported by visual references, examples of work and handouts.</p><p>Most ceramic materials are covered by the course fee. There is a charge of £2.75 per 500g for clay before firing, the porcelain charge is £24.00 per bag/ £12 per half bag. Tools are available within the department for use but you may want to purchase your own. In the final week you will need to pay for materials that you have used during the course, payments to be made by contactless card reader.</p><p>VR719 Ceramics: surface decoration on clay</p><p>VR724 Pottery on Saturdays </p><p>VR737 Pottery Evening Class</p><p>Your tutor will advise you on progression possibilities.</p>Ceramics & sculptureCeramics & potteryvirtual519649422VR718NONEMon14/09/26 - 07/12/2618:00 - 21:0018:0021:0012 sessions (over 13 weeks)1211 weeks or longerEveningWeekdayKSKeeley StreetTrish SpenceBeginners, Some experienceAvailable courses2026-09-14T00:00:00+00:00Sep 2026Art & design649649Pottery: introduction to throwing and decorationpottery-introduction-to-throwing-and-decoration/vr718-2627Learn basic throwing skills to enable you to make a variety of simple forms including cylinders, bowls, vases and lidded jars. Gain a basic understanding of surface decoration using slips, oxides, underglazes and glazes.0000-Available|2026-09-14 00:00:00<p>This ceramics course offers the opportunity for you to learn the basic skills and techniques for making thrown pots. You will learn clay preparation, how to centre, throw and turn basic forms. This will enable you to develop personal projects and experiment with constructions. You will also find out about slips, underglazes, oxides and a variety of<br/>glazes, and how to use them in surface decoration.</p>Learn basic throwing skills to enable you to make a variety of simple forms including cylinders, bowls, vases and lidded jars. Gain a basic understanding of surface decoration using slips, oxides, underglazes and glazes.This course covers clay preparation, simple shape forming and<br/>turning to produce bowls, jugs, vases and mugs, lidded forms and a variety of handles. <br/> <br/> You can explore throwing techniques further by assembling forms to produce larger pieces. Decorative techniques and glazing will be introduced, using a variety of methods, ceramic materials and different firing temperatures.- Throw cylinders and bowls, including vases and mugs<br/> - Make and fix handles<br/> - Turn forms to finish a foot<br/> - Throw and measure a lid to fit a pot<br/> - Use different techniques with coloured slips and oxides<br/> <br/> Intermediate learners will be able to:<br/> - Experiment with changes in scale<br/> - Work with altered forms and assembly.<p>This course is open to anyone with an interest in throwing and decoration, from complete beginners to more experienced students wishing to develop their skills.<br/><br/>You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information and use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations. Self-reflection is an important part of art education and practice, you will be encouraged to evaluate and review your own learning, ways of working and progress and be invited into group discussions.</p><p>The class is taught by ongoing group and individual demonstrations and tuition, and is supported by visual references, examples of work and handouts.</p><p>Most ceramic materials are covered by the course fee. There is a charge of £2.75 per 500g for clay before firing, the porcelain charge is £24.00 per bag/ £12 per half bag. Tools are available within the department for use but you may want to purchase your own. In the final week you will need to pay for materials that you have used during the course, payments to be made by contactless card reader.</p><p>VR719 Ceramics: surface decoration on clay</p><p>VR724 Pottery on Saturdays </p><p>VR737 Pottery Evening Class</p><p>Your tutor will advise you on progression possibilities.</p>Ceramics & sculptureCeramics & potteryconfigurable
