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One of the most common questions we get asked is, “What type of clay should I use?”
While it can seem overwhelming at first, there’s just a few things to keep in mind when selecting your ceramic clay body.
Since we’re primarily a hand-building studio, we’ll focus on clays that are ideal for hand-building. While we have wheel-thrown with these clays before, (our famous snake bud vases have a thrown body) their moisture retention and ability to respond to shaping make them ideal for beginning hand-builders.
In our studio we rely on three clay bodies.
Kristy Lombard:
For our workshops and our clay kits, we use “Kristy Lombard” clay. It’s a mid-range clay that looks and acts similar to a high-fire clay, without the need for firing at much higher temperatures.
It's a fairly wet clay body, so we take care to use minimal water as we work. Too much and it can lose it's form. It’s ability to retain moisture is what makes it a great candidate for beginner hand-builders since it's less likely to dry out, even if you work slowly. If you’ve come to our in-person workshops, this is the clay you've received.
Unfired it’s gray, slightly wetter than most clay bodies, and soft to the touch. Similar to firm cream cheese. In the photo above you can see how it goes from a dull gray when unfired (green-ware), to white once fired (bisque-ware). We use this clay body for making snakes like Sylvia.
Speckled Buff:
This clay was originally developed for potters who wanted something smooth and easy to throw on the wheel but with that classic stoneware look. It has little sand or grog compared to similar clays, making it great for both beginners and more advanced throwers looking for a forgiving body. It's also a great clay for hand-building, just keep a touch of water on hand in case it needs hydrating as you work.
When fired in an electric kiln it develops a soft tan desert tone with subtle speckles throughout. We use this clay body to make our famous Selma snake.
Trail Mix Dark Chocolate:
This clay body is a dark, rich brown, almost black. It gets its color from umber, a natural pigment that also acts as a flux (a material that helps everything melt and bond in the kiln). Because of that, this clay becomes very dense and tight once fired, meaning it's less porous than some other mid-fire clays.
It's not as wet to the touch as Kristy Lombard clay. It's still moist, and rather soft, but with a little more texture and grit than the KL clay. Because of this, it's excellent for building larger pieces like XL coil pots, or sculptures. We like keeping a spray bottle on hand in case we need to re-moisturize it as we work on big projects.
One thing to note: because of the naturally occurring iron, and umber, you definitely want to do a glaze test tile. The glazes can change drastically on this clay body. We've found that this clay often needs an extra coat of glaze.
Each of these clays changes drastically after firing, as shown above. Your choice will depend on your goal, skill level, and aesthetic desired. For most beginners the Kristy Lombard clay is an excellent place to start. Once you've had time to practice, you can move on to other clay bodies and techniques.
Whichever clay body you choose, remember, it's about the process not the product!