I showed my nine-year old your video - it's clear, relatively quick, and with it, she centered air-dry clay on a battery-powered plastic wheel and is elated. Thank you!
Wow. You have just explained to me exactly what I’ve been doing wrong. My instructor is amazing, but he’s been doing it so long that it’s hard to understand the nuances of his movements.
Hi, I'm Clara. I started my ceramics class yesterday, it is so difficult for me to do centering clay on the wheel. your video is so useful! I hope I can do it next time! Thank you!
i haven’t played with clay in SO long and that was my first love tbh. i’m glad i came across your channel! thank you for the tips and reigniting my fire 😭
Soooo just paid over $300 for an 8 week pottery class and after the first class I was like...oh-oh, why did I sign up for this?? I was so frustrated. Going back tomorrow for week 2 and after watching your video I feel armed for battle with that little ball of clay! lol thanks so much Jon the Potter for posting this :)
So I have been taught but I just got a wheel for home. I could not center, not like I could in class. Well, I watched this and was able to center it! I love watching your videos . Thank you.
Well this am I watched and I am taking this easy looking way to my studio. I began pottery before the pandemic. Did well building my pots more that 6 inches high. Looking good. Then it happened. Seems like I couldn’t center anymore. My friend and I have a small studio with shimpo tabletop wheels that’s really nice. I thought maybe it’s to low on the table we use. So I raised it. Today I’m goin in hitting the target I hope after seeing this video. It encouraged me. I may be over thinking it lol. Thanks for your videos.
Hey Jon, I am a new potter. I’m taking classes and watching every video you’ve made so that I can teach pottery at a small school I started for kids with dyslexia. So many of them are artists and when I told them I was going to help them learn how to do pottery they got extremely excited. Now I need to try and at least stay five minutes ahead of them. This video is super helpful. Thanks
Thanks for the video! I took intro to ceramics at Eden Prairie community arts center and an note doing the open studio - centering is truly my biggest challenge
Thank you for this well done video. I spent 90 minutes trying to center in my first pottery class class last night -- the entire class time -- with no success. I felt so frustrated at the end of class. I am going to try your tips next time.
So helpful. I’m a practiced potter, but have been out of practice for several months cause of COVID. Wonderful refresher since I was struggling with centering
Can you recommend a wheel to start with iam try to beat my addiction and I have always enjoyed art and design and I neet to focus on positive things in my life an help from you would be great start for my future many thanks for your time and support Craig
This past summer I started working with clay for the first time. So far I have thrown clay only for 5 classes! Summer class was a beginner class. We learned something new every day on how to work with clay. The last 2 classes we were introduced to the wheel. I wanted to take the next class (with my daughter) she has more experience, but the class was full. We decided to go into the intermediate class (which is pretty much you are on your own) soooo. My daughter has been wonderful at helping me...and the instructor too! But the centering of my clay I could just not get ugh....until I watched your videos!!! My last class I actually threw 2 centered bowls !!! I am so excited to see how they dry....now I need to watch your trimming video. Thank you for your help and encouragement!!! Love step 5!!! Time is the key to learning I forgot that.
Centering is the hardest and MOST important part!! I know is seems like it should be the first step but it takes years to truly get centering down, once you do though, the whole world of pottery opens up! Keep at it, thanks for watching!
Jon, thank you so much for your clear instructions. After years of avoiding the wheel, many workshops attended, many videos watched, many unsuccessful attempts... finally I GOT IT:))) And it's so simple....THANK YOU
Super helpful to see you talk it through while a beginner was throwing! Something I struggle with is getting is centered to start, and then while I open it up it gets off centered again! Maybe I'm not opening it up with even pressure? Either way - I'm just starting out and have watched a lot of other YT videos but you're by far my favorite! Love watching your videos!
Thank you for your video. It has been very helpful for me. I'm just at the beginning of pottery and this helps me a LOT!!! thank you again Mate and keep it up the good job! Cheers from Rome!
Hi Jon, this is a bit off topic but I ordered some pottery and it arrived in a really awesome packaging. It's kind of paper bubble wrap. Flat sheets of brown paper with a Lazer cut pattern so when it is wrapped around something it makes a 3d honeycomb. I was so excited by it as I'm sick of storing bags of packing material for my pottery and this was the best protection I have found.
"After about 5 minutes" hahaha... in my ceramics class I took all of the 1 hour and 30 minute block :) Edit: oh wait I forgot to mention that I didnt get it to center after that amount of time
Jon, you are a gift! Thank you for sharing your talent and expertise! I just started teaching at the high school level, and I have one ceramics class. I started the year teaching handbuilding techniques because I'm not proficient at throwing on a wheel (But I'm learning a lot through you. Thank you!) My question is, how can I stop the ceramic bat from shifting/rocking on the wheel?
Took my first pottery wheel class last week and the hand and arm positions presented to me are very similar to what you shared. Did well with my first bit of clay, the second and third did not go as well...
This is such a helpful video!! I’m on day two of throwing and I’ve got it almost centered but the top hand is what was throwing me off. :-) thank you!!
New subscriber here! 😊 I am really happy I came across your videos because I have been thinking about trying pottery out by the beginning of next year. I am really excited to start!
Just had my first ceramics class. I couldn’t center it after 7 hrs I was so frustrated! I am going to try what you said. Raising it up like a cone seems difficult. Holding one hand steady is something I will certainly try.
Yay. I have a bad left wrist, so I can't get my thumb into the right position to use them to push the cone down, so I do similar to this to centre. But I think you've just helped me work out the kink in my method, I'm not holding my right palm in quite the right way at the start. I'll try it tomorrow!!!
I am a new subscriber. I have been taking my first pottery class. Your videos have been so helpful for me to watch. You have an amazing talent. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome video! I’m new to pottery and hope to learn and have a great time with it. This video really helps. I’m looking forward to my next session in the studio to practice, practice, practice this centering method! Thanks!!!
Love your videos. About to head to the wheel (now that I have my own - yippee) and practice, practice, practice. You make it look so easy but I know it's not. Am determined by the end of today to be able to center and even make a pot!
Hi Jon~ I'm going for my first class tomorrow, just wanna thank you for the video and heads-up on the important part of throwing! :D Feeling excited and nervous for tomorrow, but i'm sure it'll be fun
This is what I was looking for. The only other bit of info I'm curious about is the speed the wheel head should be going. I notice how when I turn up the speed, my hands are being thrown a LOT more and no matter how much I brace against my legs, my hands always move. But slower speeds, a lot easier to handle.
side note, just tried for the first time and it was fun! didnt come out of it with anything usable, but I put all my wet clay back on on plywood with some plastic and hope it'll be usable again once it's dried a bit.
Do you have a video on the very basics? For someone who is looking to get into it. A decent price turn table for someone who wants to give it a try. What type of clay to use. What to do with left over clay, is it trash or able to be reused for future projects... Just the 101 of beginning.
If you are trying to give throwing a shot, I'd recommend taking a class! throwing is actually very cost prohibitive, and you're looking at shelling out easily over 1000$ just for a new wheel.
Instead of wrapping my hand around which they always show but worked shit for me. I just ended up angling the end of my palm and pushed inward as I push down with the other hand and it’s way easier and now I can actually make stuff that looks good
Are you involved in the Lutheran church at all? I work in that scene... everyone and (literally) their mom has a “live generously” shirt. There is always a box of them around at work, they are perfect for doing work in! We always joke that the live generously shirts are EVERYWHERE
Hi John, I love your videos and have learned so much. My one question is you stand while throwing. We don’t have any wheels that high where we go. Is there a reason you stand, it seems easier.
