Sgraffito Plates
Intro to Clay
Native American
Sgraffito Assignment
Process/Steps:
1. Wedge clay (Remember to close up open bags of clay! When the last person is done using it).
2. Make a cube & then throw a slab 1/2″ to 1/4″ thick.
3. Get a plate and line it with paper towels (Make sure the whole plate is covered otherwise clay will stick to the back of the plate!!!).
4. Place the slab on the plate and press and smooth as much as possible, first using pressure from the hands then using the rib (wood or metal)
5. You have the option of attaching a handle at this point to the back side of the plate because the clay is still in the wetware stage. Attach the coils by SCORING AND SLIPPING.
6. Cover loosely with a plastic bag. Make sure the bag is left open because we want it to lose water to become leather hard. The teacher may check on plates and close bags when they look like they’ve reached the leather hard stage.
7. Create a plate design using 2 patterns and one animal from a Native American myth
8. Get the design checked off by the teacher
9. When clay is leather hard, take the clay off the plate gently. Flip the clay plate over and gently smooth out the back. Put your name on the bottom. Use a needle tool or paper clip to take off excess clay.
10. make sure your plate is smooth inside and out.
11. Paint black glaze (2-3 layers) and let dry.
12. Cut out your design and lay it on the plate to see how it fits. Then use a pencil and trace the design to transfer the image by pressing lightly. You should press hard enough so that you can see your design, but not too hard where you are carving any clay away.
14. Using any tool that you find (paperclips, ribbon tools, 10″ wooden tools, printmaking tools, and Xacto knives but NOT needlepoint lines (they are too thin and don’t work very well) scratch the underglaze off according to your design.
15. Let plates dry to the greenware stage.
16. Fire at the speed in between a bisque and glaze fire.
17. They come out like little jewels!
18. Apply clear transparent glaze after fire if students want to eat off the whole plate.
19. Take home
Assessment
1. Wedge clay (Remember to close up open bags of clay! When the last person is done using it).
2. Make a cube & then throw a slab 1/2″ to 1/4″ thick.
3. Get a plate and line it with paper towels (Make sure the whole plate is covered otherwise clay will stick to the back of the plate!!!).
4. Place the slab on the plate and press and smooth as much as possible, first using pressure from the hands then using the rib (wood or metal)
5. You have the option of attaching a handle at this point to the back side of the plate because the clay is still in the wetware stage. Attach the coils by SCORING AND SLIPPING.
6. Cover loosely with a plastic bag. Make sure the bag is left open because we want it to lose water to become leather hard. The teacher may check on plates and close bags when they look like they’ve reached the leather hard stage.
7. Create a plate design using 2 patterns and one animal from a Native American myth
8. Get the design checked off by the teacher
9. When clay is leather hard, take the clay off the plate gently. Flip the clay plate over and gently smooth out the back. Put your name on the bottom. Use a needle tool or paper clip to take off excess clay.
10. make sure your plate is smooth inside and out.
11. Paint black glaze (2-3 layers) and let dry.
12. Cut out your design and lay it on the plate to see how it fits. Then use a pencil and trace the design to transfer the image by pressing lightly. You should press hard enough so that you can see your design, but not too hard where you are carving any clay away.
14. Using any tool that you find (paperclips, ribbon tools, 10″ wooden tools, printmaking tools, and Xacto knives but NOT needlepoint lines (they are too thin and don’t work very well) scratch the underglaze off according to your design.
15. Let plates dry to the greenware stage.
16. Fire at the speed in between a bisque and glaze fire.
17. They come out like little jewels!
18. Apply clear transparent glaze after fire if students want to eat off the whole plate.
19. Take home
Assessment