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Pottery Knowledge Quiz Of The Week (Pkqw): Week 4


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Week 4

 

 

1. Simon Leach lists five basic tools for throwing beyond a ½ gal bucket and a hand towel. These are a Wire tool, Chamois leather, needle tool, throwing stick with a 45 degree angle point, and a sponge on a stick. He also finds two other tools helpful, one being a gauge of some sort and the second is a ____________________.

a) cradle

b)hole punch


c) mirror

d) metal kidney rib

2. In its simplest form, an engobe is little more than a creamy slip, similar to the slurry you remove from a thrown pot before you take it off the wheel. The difference between the two is mainly the amount of non-plastic materials in the glaze. In the right proportions, a fluxing (melting) agent and other ingredients make the engobe more ___________________.

a) plastic

b)opaque

c) vitreous

d) colorful

3. In pottery, you scratch through one or more layers of material exposing what is underneath in a process called_____________________

a) faceting

b)sprigging

c) trailing

d) sgraffito

4. ________________ colorants are mixtures of coloring oxides, flux, and sometimes a bit of clay to help flow and adhesion. These ceramic “paints†are mixed to a slightly more watery consistency than glaze because they are applied right on top of an unfired layer of glaze.

a) Underglaze

b)lusters

c) On-glaze, In-glaze 

d) engobe

 

 

This weeks questions were taken from text in Simon Leach's Pottery Handbook, Simon Leach with Bruce Dehnert, Abrams, 2013

Note from Pres,   Those of you that are looking for a good beginners handbook on throwing and the processes used to enhance throwing, I recommend this book.

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Are those smiley faces hints? I have to disagree with #3.

 

1. Judging from Simon's videos it's clearly not a video editing tool.

2. Now I finally know what an engobe is.

3. I know this one! Sgraffito.

4. I've never heard of on-glazes so I'm going with lusters.

 

 

 the forum software is translating b )  as a smiley. the best way to avoid that would be to place a space between the two characters

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Actually, it should not be doing that as I was using a cut and paste from a pdf document that I generated that was formed from an odt that allowed very controlled auto numbering. I will edit it out. When I checked the post it did not have the smiley's.

 

 

best,

Pres

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I hope the book is not as rambling as the videos-Yappy-he NEEDs Video editing tools badly for sure.

I could not make it thru any of them.

Pres I'm sitting this one out or as a form of flattery I could go on an endless 5 pages of potential answers.

I'll sit it out.

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Simon Leach is a potter of over 30 years of experience who has set up studios in England, Spain and now the US. I guess you would call him an immigrant. -_- If you know of Bernard Leach, then you may know of David Leach, and the 3 person in this son to son chain is Simon. That should set your compass as to who he is genealogically.

 

The book for someone starting out with the wheel is quite well done, and pretty well organized. His video that came with it, could bear more editing, but then most of my do also. You can look him up on utube, and Google him for more info.

 

 

best,

Pres 

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I don't mind the style of video, if you get bored you can edit yourself with the mouse and timeline skipping anything you like.

 

1, C, was my thoughts initially but is it a tool, maybe D

2, D, but then it is probably C. I don't know if I would describe it as more vitreous.

3, D,

4, C, I did some googling and onglaze and inglaze seem to be used about luster too but luster firing seems to be on fired glaze not unfired.

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I will admit that a couple of the questions this week, you may have a difference of terms or choices without reading the book. I guess it is good to be able to see more than one aspect. Question number 1 is one such question. We did have a Qotw this last year involving the very answer that it call for. . . remembering again to that the book speaks a lot to beginners.

 

best,

Pres

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Guest JBaymore

Pottery terminology varies by locale.  "Onglaze color" in the UK is sometimes what we in the USA call "washes".

 

best,

 

..................john

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I will list the answers now, then later the full explanation as I get it completed today.

 

1.   c-mirror

2.   c-vitreous

3.   d-sgraffito

4.   c-on-glaze, in-glaze

 

Looking above, looks like S. Dean gets a gold star. :D

 

 

best, as always,

Pres

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As promised:

 

    1. 1. c. Mirror: Similarly, the clay you've prepared should be nearby and kept covered with plastic at all times. The wire tool can dangle from the splash pan, while the chamois leather hangs over the edge of the water bucket. I also ï¬nd it helpful to have some kind of a gauge (like the sponge stick on page 25) and a mirror (see page 65).

      2. c. vitreous: In its simplest form, engobe is little more than a creamy slip, like the slurry you remove from a thrown pot before you take it off the wheel (which is why many potters refer to engobe as “slipâ€). The difference between the two is mainly the amount of non-plastic (not for throwing) materials in the mixture. In the right proportions, a fluxing (melting) agent and other ingredients make the engobe more vitreous. (The more vitreous an engobe is, the more it resembles a glaze.) Engobe can be used to decorate a pot from the time it’s freshly thrown and still on the wheel to when it’s almost dry.

      3. d. sgraffito: In Italian, sgraffito means "scratch." In pottery, you scratch through one or more layers of material, exposing what's underneath. One of the more appealing aspects of sgraffito is the immediacy with which you can achieve imagery.

      4. c. On-glaze, In-glaze: On-glaze colorants are mixtures of coloring oxides, flux, and sometimes a bit of clay to help flow and adhesion. These ceramic “paints†are usually mixed to a slightly more watery consistency than glaze because they are applied right on top of an unfired layer of glaze. The ï¬red effect of on-glaze colorants usually looks more ethereal than that of an engobe or underglaze. (The engobe or underglaze is applied underneath a clear glaze, resulting in sharper detail. An on-glaze colorant melts outward into the layer of glaze, and is blurrier.)  Of note here, for those of you that are looking for In-glaze in the text. I added In-glaze, as I did not know if all would no On-glaze. In-glaze is a term I have used and read in other texts describing the same process. If this confused anyone, my apologies. . as I added it to help those who were not familiar with On-glaze.

 

I truly hope that folks are reading the full answers, even if you know the answer. Furthering understanding is part of the process, and a nudge/reminder can help us to remember something we know, but forgot or have discarded.

 

 

best,

Pres

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Marcia,

Interesting that you chose the kidney rib, and that you posted after I had posted the answers. This would pose your disagreement with the answers. Interestingly enough, I also would have opted for the metal kidney rib, as I used to find it very useful when throwing, later finding that I only needed it for very few things.  As I look at these questions, and the books, I find a lot of things that could stimulate discussion, but as yet I have not had any one argue about answers. Maybe that will come. I am glad that you posted an answer based on your knowledge, which I bow to. :)

 

 

best,

Pres

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I am liking this PQOTW a lot. I am trying not to angst over how much of my training/education in high fire ceramics I simply can not call up now (due to minor brain damage) and having sold off most of my foundational books (except Lawrence & Rhodes-but I'm not "doing" the chemistry at this time anyway. I am enjoying re-learning some things via these easy-to-take snippets.

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