Ceramic Books

The first comprehensive how-to book on the topic! Contemporary ceramists have adapted traditional printmaking procedures to transfer images onto clay surfaces. And, with this thorough resource, anyone can take advantage of these techniques in their own home studio-even those with no printmaking background. The simple processes don't require fancy equipment. Use silk-screen decals with light-sensitive emulsions to create a master image, then cover with glazes, and voila! Use colored slips for unique monoprints. Work with stencils, relief blocks, or stamps, trying a variety of materials to mark the clay surface. Each method is carefully laid out in numerous photos, and shown on a finished piece. More than 100 images by leading contemporary artists showcase the techniques and provide a wealth of inspiration.

Embark on your first pottery project with confidence & flair -- this step-by-step project book offers a wealth of handy hints & straightforward advice, designed especially for the first time-potter. Projects include coiling, slab techniques & how to throw a pot on a wheel. Close-up photographs in full color make the methods clear, while pictures of the pots & figures provide ample inspiration. Includes hints on choosing equipment & materials. Net Wt. is 1.68 lbs.

Techniques, traditionally passed on through apprenticeships that last nearly a decade, are explained in detailed instructions, including more than 700 illustrations and color photos. The complexities of loading and firing a wood kiln, unique glazes and firing techniques used to obtain surface effects, and experimental approaches are discussed in this reference. This optimum resource offers artists an additional bonus with instructions for creating two kilns, including the authors' famous Dancing Fire Wood Kiln.

This updated edition is the definitive guide on kiln design and construction for artisans and artists worldwide. Author Frederick Olsen draws on 40+ years of experience to offer complete plans and instructions for building kilns of all sizes and purposes. Includes principles for the design of highly efficient kilns, newly available refractory materials, building methods, flue types and construction, curved and common walls, bricklaying courses and arches. Updates include construction techniques, new kiln designs, as well as new safety equipment. Hundreds of photos and illustrations detail design and construction of all types of kilns. Advice on building materials and methods. Indispensable information for all ceramists. Net Wt. is 2.32 lbs.

Building one's own kiln can be a daunting prospect, with the potential for numerous missteps along the way. This book aims to give confidence to those who seek to build their own kilns. Kiln Construction is a user-friendly guide that offers a thorough grounding in the basics of construction and also in-depth examinations of three kiln types--gas, oil, and woodfired--with diagrams and photos showing every step in the process. These designs have been thoroughly tried and tested and are in regular use by well-known potters. Comprehensive information on methods, materials, fuels, and kiln furniture is provided as well. Net Wt. is .82 lbs.

Large scale ceramics demand a number of considerations that do not concern most ceramists: kiln size, assembling, weatherproofing and installation are some of the things that must be taken into account. Large-scale Ceramics discusses these issues as well as giving advice on obtaining and handling commissions. Well-illustrated with images depicting large scale works from many parts of the world and the process of their construction, it is written in a lively and entertaining style suitable for anyone with an interest in ceramics and includes examples of the authors work over a 20 year period.

In Lettering on Ceramics, Mary White shows how this tradition has developed, covering methods of imposing letters onto clay, including stamping, stencils, slip trailing, resist methods, carving and relief work among others. She also looks at a number of artists working in this area, showing beautiful examples of their work, and examining their approach and methods of lettering. Also included is a selection of calligraphic alphabets to use for inspiration or to copy.

Martinez and her husband perfected the magnificent burnished blackware now prized by collectors. This classic volume chronicles the life and work of this major American artist. The 200 color and 140 black-and-white illustrations show techniques, the pueblo ambiance, and numerous finished pieces. Net Wt. is 3.33 lbs.

In 1980, artist/teacher Leon Nigrosh pulled together basic information about all the low-fire techniques, including: earthenware, Egyptian paste, majolica, primitive firing methods, terra sigillata, vapor glazing and more. Net Wt. is 1.23 lbs.

Beatrice Wood turned to ceramics late in life at age 40, but still managed to work behind a potter's wheel for nearly 65 years. Influenced by the Dada movement, her lusterware pottery, with its rich and decadent palette of shimmering gold and silver, vindian greens, incandescent pinks, and intense purples, has captivated generations of collectors. Gilded Vessel is not so much a biography as a celebration of the life and ceramic artistry of Beatrice Wood. Glorious color pictures reveal the iridescent beauty of her pottery, while black-and-white photographs document the life, loves and luster, of a woman New York Times Magazine hailed as one of the great lives of the 20th century.