Ceramic Character Design: Explore Color and Texture
A course by Nastia Calaca, Ceramic Artist
Learn to sculpt whimsical and handmade characters by combining colors, textures, and clay modeling techniques
Through the clay modeling of characters, you can bring your imagination to life and craft unique ceramic pieces that are reminiscent of childhood. Artist Nastia Calaca uses her sculptures to take people back to a forgotten world of tales and magic. She fell in love with ceramics at a young age before founding her own studio where she sells her work to people all over the world.
In this course, Nastia guides you through the basics of ceramic character design as you learn how to draw inspiration from everyday life and turn a sketch into a colorful ceramic creature. Explore the slip trailing technique and use it to give your character its own unique personality. Start the course with a piece of mud and your hands. Finish it with your own ceramic creation.
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 13 downloads
What's included in this course?
Begin by learning how Nastia fell in love with ceramics in the most unexpected way. Then discover some of Nastia’s influences, from the things she sees on her travels to the colorful sets of Wes Anderson movies.
Familiarize yourself with Nastia’s preferred tools and learn how to work with them. Then start looking for inspiration, sketch your initial ideas on paper, and create a simple clay miniature to visualize your character. Nastia then shows you how to work with clay and experiment by creating different body parts. Develop a color palette and practice decorative techniques to breathe some life into your budding creature.
Time to bring your character (and your imagination) to life! Nastia teaches you how to transform a simple shape into your character’s body. Create the eyes and basic shape of the piece then add detail to the design using the slip trailing technique. Paint the creature with underglazes from your color palette and fire it in the kiln.
Nastia shares one of her most valuable tips: how to present and package your finished ceramic work. To finish the course, discover the different uses and applications for your sketches, designs, and ceramic pieces.
- 100% positive reviews (151)
- 7,839 students
- 17 lessons (3h 16m)
- 13 additional resources (3 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Design and make a ceramic animal using clay modeling techniques. The teacher makes a toad but you can make an animal of your choice.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone who is interested in ceramics or sculpture.
Requirements and materials
You don’t need any previous experience to take this course, but some basic drawing and sculpture skills will be helpful.
In terms of materials, you will need clay, a set of modeling tools, underglazes, and brushes, as well as access to a kiln.
Reviews
Nastia Calaca
A course by Nastia Calaca
Nastia Calaca is a ceramic artist from Ukraine who currently lives and works in the Netherlands. Since childhood, she dreamed of becoming an illustration artist and went on to discover what has become a lifelong love for ceramics during a school trip to the Czech Republic. After completing a degree in ceramics at the Kyiv State Institute of Decorative and Applied Art and Design, Nastia started teaching workshops for beginners in her studio.
In 2016 Nastia founded Calaca Ceramic Art; an online store selling ceramic characters and figurines inspired by the world around her. Every piece is handmade and Nastia sells her custom orders to people all over the world. She also shares her work with over 70K followers on Instagram.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Preparation
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Materials
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Inspiration and Sketching 1
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Inspiration and Sketching 2
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Working with Clay
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Decorative Techniques
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U3
Bringing Your Sketches to Life
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The Body 1
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The Body 2
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The Eyes
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Incorporating Elements and Details into the Body 1
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Incorporating Elements and Details into the Body 2
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Texture and Finishing
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Adding Color and Glazing 1
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Adding Color and Glazing 2
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U4
Post-Production
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Packaging
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Other Applications
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FP
Final project
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Ceramic Character Design: Explore Color and Texture
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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FAQs
Yes, this ceramics course is designed for beginners and covers foundational hand-building and sculpting techniques from scratch, making it easy to follow for those with no prior experience.
You’ll need basic clay, a rolling pin, cutting wire, simple sculpting tools, cloth, and access to a kiln for firing. Household items can substitute for some professional ceramic tools.
You’ll learn how to design, sculpt, and detail stylized animal characters using hand-building methods, including sketching, exaggerating features, and adding limbs for expressive, unique sculptures.
Yes, the course covers underglaze application, slip trailing, patina effects, and how to layer and fire glazes for finished, colorful ceramic sculptures.
Yes, the course shares ways to use household items as substitutes for professional tools and explains how to prepare clay and build sculptures at home, though you’ll need kiln access to finish pieces.
You’ll explore Victorian and vintage magazine inspiration, learning to blend classic costume motifs with minimal, stylized illustration for unique ceramic character designs.
Yes, you’ll be guided through professional packaging methods, materials selection, and protective strategies for shipping fragile ceramic artworks.
Me está divirtiendo mucho, muy interesante
muy buen curso para iniciar en este mundo de la ceramica
Para los que quieren hacer personajes en plastilina epoxica o mas adelante en ceramica, debes tomar este curso. Muy bueno
Es un excelente curso, muy práctico. Me encantó y lo recomiendo!
O curso muito bem explicado, a professora é excelente, Recomendo.