#mudtools

[kness]

Cute pottery tools ⚒️

[hausofcashstudio]

New Tools for the Studio ✨

Picked up some simple but impactful additions for my ceramics practice today. A glazing brush recommended to me by a studio mate and polymer rib that I’ve used in the studio enough times to know I needed one of my own. The brush should help me get smoother, more even glaze applications and the rib is going to come in to really smooth out the clay whether I'm hand-building or throwing. Very excited to continue the journey with this medium though challenging, it has been so rewarding.

[riverstonepottery]

We all have to start somewhere. This applies to everything we ever do and learn in life. We start at point A and take baby steps until we reach our goal. Most people are not born artists. It is a matter of desire. If you want something bad enough and you enjoy doing it, you work on that skill a little at a time, or fully immersed, until you learn it or improve upon it enough for it to become something you are good at. If you want to be an artist, and are not one yet, it takes drive, determination, passion, an open heart, an open mind, a willingness to learn, a desire to be heard, and a willingness to accept criticism, make adjustments, and move forward. . #Riverstonepottery @riverstonepottery @hopefregerio . @skuttkilns @axnerpotterysupply @pdblais #mudtools #themug #wip #newstuff #instapotter #instaartist #themug #supporthandmade #coffeeholic #etsyfinds #coffeefirst #bohodecor #tealover #selfcare #makersgonnashare #zenspace #meditativeart #Pottery #allthehelpicanget #onebowlatatime #whiskeyinateacup #springisreal #sippycup #ecofriendly #handmadegift #potterymug #handmadecoffeemug #ourbestfinds (at Lake Wylie, South Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3LYeYvg0zw/?igshid=149d77dxv8nw7

[mudbugcreations]

New day, new tools #mudtools #woreouttheoldone #wiretool #pottery #studioday

[jennericksonart]

I learned about the wondrous qualities of porcelain sponges from Bech Evans. Here is his sponge collection. I think he was telling me to use that one he was pointing at in this picture. 🤓 #ceramics #crafts #porcelain #haystackmountainschoolofcrafts #bechevans #mudtools (at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts)

[elysemariecreation]

Spring Cleaning 🧹 🧽 . . . . #springcleaning #springhassprung #potterydesign #claytools #mudtools #coloradosprings #colorado #garagestudio #dowork #pottery #ceramics #tools (at Colorado Springs, Colorado) https://www.instagram.com/elysemariecreations/p/BvuFQZLAT0Z/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3d9nxv6yi9xz

[doctorwormandtheelectricmayhem]

A girl can never have too many ribs and sponges lol #mudtools #claycamp #potterylife #alltheribs #beyouneverknewyoucouldgetceramicstoolsatsephora (at Art Studio)

[jbbartram-illu]

Hi! I love your art, it sparks such joy in me :))

And I had a question for you, I work primarily in 2D but I've always been interested in sculpture. What would the essential equipment/tools be for someone wanting to start?

Thanks!!

First off, thank you for your lovely words about my work!

Secondly, the truth: I'm a terrible person to ask about this because the second I get involved in a new type of art, I immediately become a little obsessed with collecting ALL THE TOOLS, and pottery gives you a lot of tools to choose from/collect, oh no.

Despite this shortcoming in my creative urges, I've tried to do a roundup of my most-used tools / put together a selection of tools that, if I only had them, I could still do all the things I like to do on my sculptures. Here we go:

Knife!

Mine is pottery-specific (because I was at a pottery shop & it wasn't expensive), but it doesn't need to be. A dollar store paring knife would work just as well! I use this to cut out things from slabs (eg. wings, crowns, etc) & sometimes to do more dramatic sculpting at the very beginning of a larger piece.

2. Pin tool

I use this for scoring clay to attach bits together, to carve smaller designs (eg. on my teeny sphinxes), etc. It's one of the things you really need as a potter (if you're working on the wheel, you can also use it to check the thickness of your bottom).

3. Wooden sculpting tools

I have a comical number of these (mostly because my mom gave me all her pottery stuff), but these are the three I use the most (plus a narrower-tipped version of the pointy one, not pictured). I use them for sculpting my forms before I scoop their insides out, more sculpting after the scooping, to blend the edges when I've attached a limb/other bit to a piece, and to add texture/details. I also use the very blobby end of the one on the right to compress/smooth the insides of smaller sculptures once I've scooped them out.

4. Paintbrushes

Since I'm also an illustrator & paint with watercolour & gouache, I've got an endless supply of brushes that are exhausted from rough watercolour paper but still have a lot of life in them -- now those become brushes for sculpting & glazing! During the sculpting phase, I use them to add water to my scored sections when I'm attaching bits together (I like to live dangerously & just use water instead of slip, like a real ceramics badboy), to smooth out bits where my fingers/a sponge won't fit, and to gently re-wet bits that are drying too fast. Absolutely indispensable!

5. Scoopin' tool (aka trimming tool if you pot on the wheel)

As with almost all of my tools, I have a bunch of these (mostly inherited from my mom, who was mostly a wheel potter so had a bunch of them), but I just got this one for Xmas & the circular end is the best yet for scooping the insides out of my creatures! You could also use these for sculpting, but I find my little knife/wood tools easier to control - these sometimes get a bit gouge-y.

6. Sponges!

Sponges in general are important for ceramics (I also have some cheap cut up hardware store sponges for cleanup purposes), but I find that these Mudtools sponges are the best for actual sculpting - they don't hold as much water & are easier to wring out than the type of sponges you get for wheel throwing, so your sculpture doesn't get sad & goopy, they're amazing for smoothing your surfaces, & the thin edges get into smaller areas vs. other sponges. I'm also hoping they're super durable - I got these at xmas, so have just started using them & can't give any info on that yet.

7. Texture tools!

I love to add texture to my sculptures - feathers, hair, etc, and these sgraffito tools are great for that (whether you're actually doing sgraffito or not)! I have a few (including a set of Xiem ones in all different shapes), but these two are the ones I use the most.

BONUS THINGS:

A few other things I find important to my pottery setup include:

A spray bottle (my bigger Ikea one broke, so I'm using this wee one that came from a travel watercolour set...really need to get another big one!)

A bigger basin/tub for cleanup/cleaning tools while you work (you can also see a couple of my tool/desk-cleaning sponges here). I do keep a smaller bowl of water on my desk while I sculpt, but I find having a bigger water source helps, as I often need to clean tools while I work & would rather not have to go to the sink for that (or dirty my desk-water too much).

Yogurt containers for dried clay bits/tupperwares for sculptures in progress. I have great aspirations of recycling my clay scraps, so I keep them in labelled containers for when I get my butt in gear to do that. These little tupperwares are great for keeping chunks of clay & sculptures in progress because you can spritz up the whole box & get a nice humid atmosphere to prevent drying out if you need to leave them for a few days.

EXTRA BONUS: tools you don't need but that I find extremely useful

Pony roller! It has the best name AND is great for rolling out little slabs/bevelling the edges of them (with the littler bottom roller)

Clay paddle. I feel *insert gif of Rosa from Brooklyn 99 with the puppy* about this tool, which I just got for Xmas. It's AMAZING for roughly shaping lumps of clay before I get into more detailed sculpting, and makes mashing two chunks of clay back into one chunk WAY easier. 11/10, love this tool so much.

Lastly, this isn't a tool, but this stuff is the BEST moisturizer if you do anything with your hands/live in a place with harsh dry winters & would like to keep your knuckles in one piece (I also love it while I'm drawing - I can hold the pencil right away?? Magic?!). It sinks in super quickly, doesn't make your hands all sad & slippery for ages, AND it lasts for a while even if you've got clay & water on & off your hands all the time. Great stuff.

If you got to the end of this, THANK YOU for your great question! I had a lot of fun figuring out my essential tools (tho obviously you don't need all of these to make great work...these are just my most important ones!) and then...uh, rambling on about them, apparently.

[fourthwheelstudios]

check out @davekimthepotter and follow us for more updates and info on upcoming availabilities for Private and group lessons 💃🏻 DM or email us for inquiries admin@fourthwheelstudios.com . . . . #ceramics #davekimthepotter #projectharris #fourthwheelstudios #clay #instaart #artoninstagram #throwingpottery #pottery #wheelthrowing #stoneware #porcelain #privatestudio #industrycity @instaglennharris @industrycity @davekimthepotter #dolantools #mudtools #ceramicsculpture #ceramicstudio #art #artistsoninstagram #artist (at Industry City) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvjJ_aqAweU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=tks4wak5mj1x

[carolmilich]

Getting pieces ready for the kiln. Fun special ornaments order! Loving my new #mudtools sponge! Nice smooth edges! (at Carol Milich Handcrafted Porcelain)

[zephyrpotter]

#dandelion #waterslidedecals being applied to some sweet lil dishes! . . #wip #ceramics #pottery #botanicalphotography #zephyrvalleypottery #zephyrvalleyceramics #mudtools #montanaclay #madeinaskutt #etsymudteam (at Clancy, Montana)

[nycpottery]

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Making a an 8" high, 12" wide porcelain bowl. And a shout out to the amazing @shannonmcnay for the tripod that made this possible! #porcelain #cone6 #maker #made_in_ny #nyc #englishporcelain #wheelthrown #ceramics #pottery #standardclay #mudtools #bowl #etsy #etsymudteam #craft #process #throwing

[artspacerichmond]

Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 NCECA Juried Student Exhibition (NJSE) Merit and Purchase Awards (Images shown in order of listing) Aardvark Clay Purchase Award Dallas Wooten, Patterned Urn, Ohio University, Athens, OH - Graduate KBH Merit Award Cindy Leung, People Talk, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL - Graduate Elmer Craig Merit Award Donte' Hayes, Feed, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA - Graduate Smith Sharpe Fire Brick Supply Merit Award Torie Dombrowski, Anthozoa, Buffalo State University, Buffalo, NY - Undergraduate Mudtools Merit Award Jamin Shephard, Imaginary Landscapes 027, University of Texas at Tyler - Undergraduate Studio Potter Merit Awards Heather McLelland, Egg Mixing Bowl for One, East Carolina Univ, Greenville, NC – Graduate Luciano Pimienta, Fallen Fruit, San Diego State University, San Diego CA – Graduate Megan Thomas, Let Me Tell You A Secret/I'll Put It In Your Mind, Utah State Univ, Logan, UT - Graduate Artwork from the 2020 NCECA Juried Student Exhibition is available for purchase: https://artspacerva.square.site #artspacerichmond #artspacegalleryorg #nceca #njse #juriedstudentexhibition #ceramics (at Artspace Richmond) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_u16wqFuLR/?igshid=1uaq0d94sg26o

[hoveartshop]

Having some fun with my new Mudtool from @scarvapotterysupplies (at Art Shop And Pottery) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4mziDmHxl2/?igshid=mx585oyt2f32

[potterymakinginfo]

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Another pottery power tool. From @bradmillerstudio - When I cut deep concentric rings into a platter I need to use a Mudtools drag tool and my handy Toro weed blower. Music by the great John Lee Hooker. Thanks Forrest Middlelton!#mudtools #ceramics #ceramika #ceramiche #ceramicsculpture #ceramic #porcelain #porcelana #porcelæn #keramik #keramik #keramikk #keramic #pottery #pottery_videos #nceca2017 #nceca #potsinaction #edwardcellagallery #robischongallery #harveymeadowsgallery #venicebeach #ceramicsmonthlymagazine #potterymaking #wip #wheelthrowing #wheelthrown #trimming #powertools

[jbbartram-illu]

hey there! i'm a huge fan of your work and, as a hatchling ceramicist and sculptor, i had a question about how you build the bodies of your little beasts. i'm making the assumption that they're hollow and if that's the case, do you start with a ball of newspaper and then build around that? or do you have another method? i was also curious as to how you keep the outside so smooth and was wondering if you have any tips around that! i feel like my creatures' bodies always end up a tad lumpy and that's fine but i'd love to figure out a method that leaves them...less lumpy lmao thank you!!

Much like @moldspace, I follow the 'make shape from lump of clay / scoop out shape if needed' technique - I also often do further sculpting (using various wood tools) after the first scoop, as the eviscerating process can deform your original lump shape a bit. I also smooth the inside of the shape once it's fully scooped (which gives me a chance to check the wall thicknesses & make sure there aren't any wild deviations that'll cause issues in the drying/bisque-firing process).

Here's a gif of the scooping in action - I just got this circular trimming tool for Xmas & I find it easier to control my scoops (vs. an oblong/other-rounded-shape trimming tool):

I have tried pinch pot methods in the past, but they always get away from me & lead to uneven walls/bad shapes, and I tried coiling once & it activated my UGH BORING response, so I've avoided it since. Not to say these are bad techniques! I just don't vibe with 'em, you know?

Here are some before/after photos (from lump to...uh...hollow lump, now with leg!) of one of my ungulates, which are the easiest guys to use as examples as hollowing them out is super straightforward.

Also to note -- some sculptures I don't hollow out at all. My rule of thumb is if their circumference is the same/smaller than...uh, my thumb (and I have time to really let them dry out), no hollowing is needed. For example, I don't hollow my tiny sphinxes or my wyrmapillars, because doing so would be really annoying:

In terms of smoothness, the clay you're working with needs to be considered - I find that clay with a ton of grog can be harder to get really finely smoothed because the grit gets in the way, so I gravitate towards less groggy clays (but I also still love a good speckle, grit & all). I think my chosen hollowing technique is also a good start, as my surfaces can be smoothed nicely with hands/sponge/tools pre-scooping (& they don't have the thumb-divots of a pinched pot/crevices of a coiled one).

I also do put a lot of time into smoothing once all the necessary bits have been attached to the piece. I often use my wood tools to scrape away pesky lumps that have appeared during the detail work, and I find that the Mudtools sponges are really good for final smoothing because they're extremely flexible & easy to wring out so they're not slopping water all over your work!

These are my main three wooden tools/the two Mudtools sponges I have:

I hope this was helpful - thank you so much for the great question!! <3