The Beginner's Guide to Hand Building

Starred review from June 6, 2022
Ceramicist Cobb (Mastering Hand Building) marries form and function in her masterful debut, a look at “the mysterious and magical world of clay.” She begins with an overview of best practices for posture and breathing at the wheel, as well as stretches to warm up one’s hands for working clay. Once the preliminaries are out of the way, on come the projects. There are 16 of them, equally divided into sculptural and functional sections, and ranging from handheld to heftier items: “Creatures” offers a fox sculpture perfect for a cottagecore aesthetic; “Mobiles” pieces together raindrops and clouds for a darling ceiling piece; and “Candelabra,” the star of the sculptural section, is an intricate challenge. Cobb posits that “beauty can impact our daily life,” and that sentiment is reflected in her functional projects: a rustic scoop for measuring ingredients, a citrus reamer (“use your hand size... to help inform the handle shape”), and a match striker to complement the candelabra. With ideas ranging from beginner to advanced, this inimitable guide is one for the long haul.

October 1, 2022

Cobb's (Mastering Hand Building) slim volume provides a basic introduction to tools, supplies, and techniques necessary for hand building ceramic sculptures and functional objects. Readers will learn about appropriate home studio space, a beginner's tool set, stages of clay texture and workability, basic techniques, and safety precautions. Pages addressing body posture, ergonomics, and stretches emphasize the importance of avoiding injury. Kiln firing is briefly mentioned with the assumption that readers will have access to a ceramics studio. Glazing is touched upon as well, but the author notes that she intentionally kept this section short. The book showcases sculptural projects, some of which are purely decorative, such as plants or animals, which utilize various techniques. Functional objects such as scoops, coffee pour-overs, soap and butter dishes, and candleholders are also featured. The projects are heavily illustrated with photos of ceramics by various artists. Readers are encouraged to use their own creative instincts to make pieces that reflect their vision. Templates are included for the more complicated shapes, along with instructions for enlarging them. VERDICT Geared toward the absolute novice, this book will appeal to those interested in working with clay but are not looking for glazing or firing instructions.--Rebecca Brody

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