One of the best things about making pottery is that there are so many ways to do it - handbuilding and throwing, decorating and glazing, as well as firing with gas, grass or electric. With all these variables, it's no wonder that no two potters make the same work.
In this collection of pottery techniques, you'll discover scores of great ideas, practical information you can use and seeds of inspiration that you can nurture. Pottery Making Techniques showcases more than thirty skilled artists who provide instruction and insights to techniques they use on a regular basis. They've learned from their mistakes, sorted out the good from the bad, and streamlined methods that will work for you. Intermediate to advanced techniques are presented in a well-illlustrated, step-by-step format that will provide years of inspiration.

Throwing

Carve with a Surform tool in Carved Teapots by Jim Connell
Center clay with no effort in Low-Stress Centering by Ginny Marsh
Build forms inside leatherhard molds in Getting It Together by Dannon Rhudy
Make your own Throwing Sticks by Ivor Lewis
Once it's made, there's Using a Throwing Stick by Ivor Lewis
Cut-away views reveal An Approach to Bottles by Cory Roth
Bats too expensive? Here's How to Make Outstanding Bats by George Juliano with Elizabeth Hudgins
Here's a method for Building Large Forms by Michelle McCurdy
Tired of lids that don't fit? Try Throwing a Jar and Lid in One Piece by Sumi von Dassow
Create a Cut-off Wire Bow by Don Adamaitis
Learn about Throwing Long-Neck Bottles by Annie Robbins
Fabricate Hand Tools Made From Scraps by Lili Krakowski
Discover Trimming: Method, Technique, Mind's Eye by Sumi von Dassow
Stop struggling with Pulling Handles by Steven Hill

Handbuilding

Read A Show Story by MaryLou Higgins
Find inspiration in A Collaboration of Painter and Potter by Susan Chappelear
Build complex forms by Handbuilding with Slabs and Cones and Cylinders by Scott Dooley
Try Making a Bumper-Jack Extruder by David Hendley
Don't settle for standard dies when you can make Homemade Two-Part Extruder Dies by David Hendley
Complex dies are used in Industrial Workers Cups: The Intersection of Industry, Hard Times and Clay by Richard Burkett
Perhaps you'll make a variation on the Bumper-Jack Extruder The Sequel by Mary Kate Sullivan
Attach slabs by Building with Nails by Hanna Lore Hombordy
Make a decoration that you will be Rolling, Rolling, Rolling by Andi Fasimpaur
Never tried paper clay? Paper Clay A Primer by Rosette Gault
Explore Creating Forms with Hump Molds by Harriet Gamble
The Budget Potter Slab Guide by Sylvia Shirley
Get rid of junk by Combining Found Objects with Clay by Todd Shanafelt
Stay neat after you Make a Split-Leg Potter's Apron by Barbara Coultry

Finishing and Firing

Try a step-by-step for Airbrushing an Abstract Expression by Douglas Kenney
Unlocking the Secrets of Crystalline Glazes by George Juliano with Elizabeth Hudgins
Mix glazes with cups and spoons in Measure for Measure by Lili Krakowski
Make life easier with Glazing Tips and Techniques by Sumi von Dassow
Discover the secrets of burnished work in All Polished Up by Sumi von Dassow
If you enjoy painting, learn about Slip Painting by Tamar Laderman
Firing with Paper Saggars by Dannon Rhudy
Find the ideal Kiln Wash by Bill Jones
Building a Domed Cylinder Kiln by Don Adamaitis
What happens in the kiln as the heat rises? The Degrees of Kiln Firing charts it out.