Clay: A sculptural medium. Alumina + silica + water
Leather Hard: Stage of the clay between wet and bone dry. Clay is still damp enough to join it to other pieces using slip.
Bone Dry: Completely air dried.
Firing: This is the process of heating the clay to a specific temperature in order to bring about a change in the clay or the surface (aka glaze). Clay is fired in a kiln. Do NOT touch the kiln!
Wedging: A method of kneading clay to get the air bubbles out. If you have air bubbles in your clay it will explode during firing.
Score and Slip: Score and slip refers to a method of joining two pieces of clay together. First, score the clay: make textured scratches into the surfaces that you would like to join. Then you slip it: add slip to the joint. Next you press the two pieces together and smooth with your fingers or tool.
Coil: This is the technique of building ceramic forms by rolling out coils, or ropes, of clay and joining them together with the fingers or a tool.
Pinch: The "pinch" method means using your fingers to pinch the clay into shape. Pots made in this manner are called "pinch pots".
Handbuilding: This term refers to any of several techniques of building sculptures or pots using only the hands rather than the potters wheel.
Molding: In this technique, slabs of clay are pressed into molds in order to create various shapes or forms.
Throwing on the Potters Wheel: A potter's wheel is a device with either a manual or an electric rotating wheel head used to make pottery forms.
Greenware: This refers to ceramic ware that has not been fired.
Bisque: The term bisque refers to ceramic ware that has been fired once without glaze.
Glaze: A glass-like surface coating for ceramics that is used to decorate and seal the pores of the fired clay.
