Ceramics - technical stuff!

If you investigate, research and experiment, you will avoid many later pitfalls and disasters. Have a look at these 'how to do...' tips.

Document your experiments with your own photos.

Technical research link

Here is another interesting site.
Techniques in Clay

Plastic clay imprinted with real texture and pattern

Ceramics for Grade 10

This term you will working in 3-dimensions with clay.
We will use 'African Animals' as our theme, and create both a sourcebook (LO1) as well as a finished ceramic sculpture or animal container (LO2). 


The guidelines are in the following presentation .....
Introduction to Ceramics - presentation

Animals from Ardmore Studios

Craft & Applied Arts

For my Grade 12s ............

Dube & Verster collaboration

Construct an Infographic on TWO of the beaded articles featured in my presentation. The guidelines are also to  be found in the presentation.

Louise Hall Becoming I (2009), Compressed charcoal on Fabriano, 71 X 100cm

Link to the KZNSA Gallery
 Finelines

Gender Issues rubric - LO2

For the Grade 11s and 12s ........


Keep your goalposts in mind as you work on your LO2 piece. If you constantly evaluate your work, then you can identify and solve problems as they crop up.
You will develop a healthy self-critical attitude to your work, and - eventually - will not need a teacher!
Remember - you are being critical of your work - not yourself.


Link to Gender Issues rubric - LO2

Bell - Art & Spirituality

Bell works with both ceramics and  printmaking to investigate spiritual issues.
Have a look at the PowerPoint link below ....

Deborah Bell - Art & Spirituality

Shining through the Shadows

Painting an illusion of wood

For the grade 10s .........


Have a look at this artist's blog .....

Link to Leane's wood illusion

Infographic on Galdhari's Irony

Roanne Moodley has made an excellent infographic on this work ...

Here is the link ......

Roanne's Infographic

Admire - but don't copy! 

Monochrome under-painting

For the Grade 10s ..........


We will start our surreal egg paintings by creating  illusions of form and space using one dark colour and white. (A monochrome) This is a very old traditional technique used by Vermeer.

Link to a tutorial

Here is another tutorial using fruit (persimmons)
Fruit tutorial

However, we will use acrylics for our monochrome because it dries faster. Mix your own dark - try and avoid using black. Remember to work into both figure and ground.


We will work over the monochrome (the 'grisaille') with  local (representational) colours. Lastly, we will use oil paints to blend and adjust the colours and tones.

Batch re-sizing in Photoshop

If you have made a mistake for your web animation, and your photos are too big, you can batch re-size them ..... this is much quicker than doing them one by one!

Follow the link to this tutorial .....

TUTORIAL