This 9-week intermediate evening course is designed to guide participants in developing their projects with tutor-led demonstrations and support. Throughout the course, you will explore a range of techniques for creating ceramics, including hand-building, mould making, casting, and finishing techniques.
This course is also designed for those looking to build on the skills gained in our Ceramics for Beginners course, offering a deeper exploration of ceramic techniques and practices.
In this 9-week course, you will begin with the foundations of clay, exploring clay bodies and preparation techniques. You will then delve into various hand-building methods, including pinching, coiling, slab building, and carving. Additionally, you will learn 'Kurinuki,' a traditional Japanese technique that involves carving away from a single block of clay. This meditative process, meaning "to hollow," emphasizes discovering unique forms through subtraction. Through these methods, you will experiment with shaping, building, and adapting forms, deepening your understanding of clay.
You will also learn how to create clay stamps by carving plaster, enabling you to test various designs and textures on your work. Following this, you will be introduced to mould-making techniques. You will start by creating a simple one-piece plaster mould, or 'drop-out mould,' using a simple found object, sourced independently.
You will explore 'Press Moulding' and 'Hump Moulding' through demonstrations and learn slip casting - a technique where a clay-water mixture is poured into a plaster mould.
Next, you will learn various finishing techniques for decorating your pieces, including inlay, incising, sgraffito, stencilling, slip trailing, combing, marbling, agateware, and glazing.
Lastly, you will discover alternative finishing methods through 'Raku Firing,' a low-temperature earthenware technique that involves rapid firing. This process allows you to treat bisque-fired work by plunging it into sawdust or quenching it in water.
Disclaimer
The University regularly reviews its courses. Course content and structure may change over time. See our course and module disclaimer for more information.
Learning Methods
This course will be delivered on campus from 18:30 – 21:00 on Wednesdays for 9 weeks.
Activity Summary
- Minimum of 8 students, maximum of 10 in the group
- 22.5 hours of teaching in total over 9 evenings, 18:30 – 21:00
Timetable
- Week 1: 10 September
- Week 2: 17 September
- 24 September – no class
- Week 3: 01 October
- Week 4: 08 October
- 15 October – no class
- 22 October – no class
- Week 5: 29 October
- Week 6: 05 November
- Week 7: 12 November
- Week 8: 19 November
- Week 9: 26 November
Independent Study
This course allows participants to develop independent projects with both guidance and demonstration from the tutor. Participants are encouraged to carry out research into their own personal interests to direct their projects and their own creative practice.
In week 3 participants are asked to bring an object to make a one-piece mould also known as a drop out mould. Alternatively, participants can make a multiple part mould. Details in relation to this will be discussed during the first two workshops.
Assessment
This course is not formally assessed.
Staff Delivering on this Course
Kevin Andrew Morris
Often referred to as a ‘Nomadic Ceramicist’, Kevin Andrew Morris is motivated by an investigation of his own family heritage and material culture. His work engages with concepts of craft, material and place. Based in Aberdeen, Morris exhibits work both nationally and internationally, working with a range of artists, institutions, and various public projects.
Opportunities to travel, research and make work internationally are important to him as are opportunities to work locally. He considers participation and engagement as an opportunity for him to learn new skills, feeding the development of his own creative practice.
Recently, Morris founded the Scottish Ceramics Gallery, in addition to being part of the team that founded the Aberdeen Ceramic Studio.
Entry Requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this course.
This course is suitable for intermediate level.
Required Age
All students are required to be at least 16 years of age on the commencement of the course.
Academic Year 2025/2026
Course fee: £280 per person
The fee is to be paid as part of sign up process and prior to the first session.
After completing the registration form, you will be directed to the payment page. Your place on the course is not confirmed until payment has been received. If you have any difficulties locating the payment link or if you have registered for this course but have not completed the payment form, please contact us for a direct link to pay which will bypass registration.
Additional Costs
Essential core materials are provided.
The following course-related costs are not included in the course fees:
Course Cancellation
If minimum participant numbers for this course are not met, the course will be cancelled and participants will receive a full refund.
If you have registered and paid for your place on the course, but now wish to cancel, please email engage@rgu.ac.uk at least 48 hours prior to the first evening session commencing.
Disclaimer
For new intakes course fees are reviewed and published annually for each mode of delivery. Tuition fees are fixed for the duration of a course at the rate confirmed in advance. For further information see:
Any questions?
Get in touch with the Engage Team and we'll do our best to help.