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core skills wheel
The Core Skills videos are for beginner and beginner+ wheel-throwers. This means you have some experience with throwing, up to two years of experience. You can consistently center and throw small pots. I find that many pottery students plateau at this level, and need some clear direction to progress further. Once you’ve conquered all of the Core Skills projects, you will be a skilled and cognizant thrower who can throw any pot you want.
If you are an abject beginner who has never touched clay, you can do this program too, if you are sufficiently brave! Plan on spending a lot of time on the steep learning curves of centering, and learning how to position and brace your body.
If you have more than beginner+ experience, these videos are designed to still be challenging for you. The level of difficulty advances quickly, and my expectation standards are high. No matter your experience level, for anyone who feels they have plateaued with their skill level, these videos will get you back into gear and moving forward again.
Here’s a quick trailer about the whole series …
core skills wheel / enroll in the entire course
Access all of the videos in this series for 6 months.
Cost is $16/month (USD), for a grand total of $96 (USD).
rent the core skills videos one-at-a-time
Project 1 is free to watch. The remaining lessons are available to rent individually, $20 (USD) each for a 1 month period.
Click on any thumbnail below to view a free trailer.
Project 2
Tall-Footed Rice Bowl
Core Skill: The first big push
26 min, 59 sec
$20 (USD) for 1 month
Project 3
Thumbprint Tumblers
Core Skill: Cylinders
23 min, 44 sec
$20 (USD) for 1 month
Project 4
One-Curve Bowl
Core Skill: Shaping with a rib
28 min, 20 sec
$20 (USD) for 1 month
Project 5
Sphere Vases
Core Skill: Cylinder-based forms
25 min, 40 sec
$20 (USD) for 1 month
Project 7
Small-Necked Bottle
Core Skill: Collaring
41 min, 46 sec
$20 (USD) for 1 month
Project 9
Lidded Jar
Core Skill: Fitting two pots together
28 min, 50 sec
$20 (USD) for 1 month
Project 10
Four Handles
Core Skill: Handlemaking and attachments
50 min, 49 sec
$20 (USD) for 1 month
wedging tutorials
Like I mentioned in the Project 1 video, I am not going to make videos on wedging, because there are already some great ones available on YouTube. These are my two favorites.
symmetrical and asymmetrical wedging
By Corvallis Schools Art Departments
5 min, 40 sec
stack and slam wedging / easier on the wrists
By Michael Wendt
3 min, 5 sec