Hello,
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Online Beginners Wheel Course (Coming Soon). Hope this clears any doubts you have! You can DM us on Instagram, mail us at hello@slowpottery.com or send us a contact form for any further questions.
- What will we learn from this course?
- In this course, I will be teaching you how to setup your home studio, prepping your clay, getting started with the wheel and material, basic techniques to make pots on the wheel, two basic foundation forms, how to trim and attach handles, how to recycle clay.
- What kind of setup/ materials equipments are required for this course?
- I've detailed out the setup required for this course in this blog post. Do watch the video and read the text while setting up.
Click Here for the Home Studio Pottery Setup
- How much is the cost of the setup?
- The cost of setup is between Rs.30,000/- to Rs.50,000/- depending on the model of the wheel.
- Who is this course for?
- This course is for anyone who want to learn the basics of wheel pottery. You could want to do it as a creative outlet, a stress buster, maybe a stepping stone to taking up pottery as a profession, a beginner potter who wants to refine their basics.
- Can you do this course if you are an absolute beginner, who has never touched clay before?
- Yes, you can do this course even if you haven't done pottery before or touched clay before.To make sure it does not overwhelm you as the course has plenty instructions, make sure to take it easy, rewatch videos, read the text properly and practice plenty.
- Is glazing covered in the course?
- No glazing is not covered in the course.
- Why is glazing or firing not in the course? What can you do with the pots that you make during this course?
- For the first few months of learning and practising pottery, I recommend recycling your pots and clay which is taught in the course. Its very important to focus on making and practising and recycling pots before you get into the art of glazing and firing.
Once you feel you're ready to glaze or fire which should be after atleast 4-6 months of practice, you can either find a studio in your city which teaches you how to glaze and fire or you can wait for our online glazing course which will be launched in the next 6-8 months.
Here's another option - If you work and practice with terracotta clay, you don't have to glaze your pots and the pots can be fired with local potters or a pottery studio in your city. If you're working with stoneware clay, the pots need to be glazed and fired to make them functional.
Once the pots are fired, they never go back into the earth. Its important to make and keep only quality pots.
- Is this online course live or recorded?
- This course is recorded so there's no issue of doing the course at a particular time. You can do it anytime at your own pace.
- Does this course have an expiry? Can the videos be accessed only for some duration?
No, this course has no expiry date. Once you buy this course, you will have it till Slow Pottery exists :) which hopefully is quite a long time. So you can buy this course and then setup your studio. It's not necessary to setup first and then buy the course as its not limited by time.
- What's the best way to learn pottery through this course?
- The best way would be to firstly not put too much pressure on yourself to become a great potter. Have fun with it, know that its a slow craft. Lots of practice is recommended.
I would suggest according to the schedule options that will be given in the course, put your practice in your schedule. Be consistent with it.
Do the chapters one by one. Rewatch if needed. Read the text after the chapter. Take a print of the text if need be to have instructions on your side while practicing on the wheel.
And once again, have fun with the course. Stress of not not getting a technique will slow you down.
- Can you do this course if you have a full time job?
- Yes, you can. To make this decision or your practice easier, I've created some templates of schedules for you. The schedule template will be there for people with part time jobs, full time jobs, homemakers, and a custom one where you can create your own with the help of guidelines that I will provide you.
- Can you do this course if you already know your basics?
- It depends on your purpose of joining. Check 'what will you be learning' question on the top. If you know these topics but would like to refine your basics, this course is apt for you. If you are happy with your basics and would like to the next level, please know we will be working on the next intermediate course soon.
- How long is the course?
- This depends on your schedule. If you are doing this course two times a week 3 hours per day, it can go on for 3 months. If you are practising 5 times a week, 6 hours per day, you can do this course in 3 weeks.
- Will you be interacting with me directly at real time?
- No, during the course I will not be helping you real time. Due to that I have tried to answer many questions in the course that I think you will have. But I intend to make Youtube videos and Instagram content to help you with the issues you face. I will find a way to even do zoom live sessions to cover some common issues.
You can definitely reach out to me on Instagram, email or the discussion panel on the course platform.
- Will there be an intermediate level?
- Yes! Intermediate level and glaze online workshop is next on our list.
- Is it as effective as an offline course?
- This is a tricky one. Both have their pros and cons.
In short yes, if you are self disciplined, have a schedule, listen to the instructions, practice regularly, and practice patience, you can learn the craft as well as a student in an in person pottery class.
In an offline class, I supervise constantly, which you will be doing for yourself. At the same time, offline classes are more expensive and require you to take out a month or three months to come here and dedicate your time here. I provide both services. We have offline classes 6 months of the year and now we have online classes. Whichever suits you best, you can choose and join in.