Creating Ceramics with the Slab Technique
A course by Jeremy BellinaPotter
A course by Jeremy Bellina, Potter
Craft unique and organic forms using a simple pottery method: the slab technique.
Sometimes the most beautiful creations are made simple. That’s why potter Jeremy Bellina stands by the slab technique. The method is more about getting in touch with the clay’s behavior, rather than prior experience. Before getting into pottery, Jeremy had a regular 9 to 5 job that he grew tired of. Pottery started as a pastime and eventually became his full-time job. He shares with you his journey from hobbyist to professional and how you can use your intuition to create something truly unique.
In this online course, Jeremy takes you through the basic understanding of clay behavior and the slab technique. It allows you to develop a variety of shapes without a lot of experience or expensive equipment. Jeremy, and your clay, will guide you through it.
What will you learn in this online course?
21 lessons & 14 downloads
Introduction to the Tools and Materials
7 minutes, 35 seconds
Understanding How Clay Behaves
5 minutes, 41 seconds
Making Your Own Slip
4 minutes, 9 seconds
Rolling the Clay into Slabs
8 minutes, 8 seconds
Assembling the Mold and Creating the Walls
11 minutes, 3 seconds
Connecting the Walls
18 minutes, 50 seconds
What's included in this course?
First, meet your teacher, Jeremy. He tells you how pottery became a method of reconnecting with his creative side as a full-time career and who has influenced him along the way.
Then you get to know another important aspect of this course —the clay. Jeremy takes you through the different clay consistencies and their respective behavior.
Once the slip is made, practice the technique by producing a bowl. Roll and cut multiple slabs, assemble the mold, join it all together, and add the detail.
Next, get started on the final project. Sketch out the silhouette, so you can make more slabs, lay the walls, and connect them. Finally, glue them to the faces, insert the inner hole, and apply the finishing touches.
Once you’ve finished your final product, Jeremy gives you tips on recycling leftover clay and shows you how to glaze your newly fired creations.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to form one-of-a-kind ceramics, no matter your skill level.
What is this course's project?
Create a handmade wavy hollow vase.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in pottery and ceramics.
Requirements and materials
A clay roller, knives, sponges, and a rubber kidney.
Reviews
- 3 months ago
Me gusto mucho, con materiales muy basicos se puede lograr un buen producto con placas, muy bien el paso a paso
- 8 months ago
Der Kurs war auch für Anfänger sehr anschaulich dargestellt mit der Plattentechnik weiter zu experimentieren. Danke Jeremy, danke.
- 9 months ago
É um curso bem básico, mas importante para quem não conhece a técnica.
- 1 year ago
Explicação detalhada o que torna o curso mais fácil.
- 1 year ago
ADOREI O CURSO, MUITO DIDATICO!
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Inspirations
- U2
The Tools and Clay
- Introduction to the Tools and Materials
- Understanding How Clay Behaves
- Making Your Own Slip
- U3
Initial Project: The Wavy Bowl
- Rolling the Clay into Slabs
- Assembling the Mold and Creating the Walls
- Connecting the Walls
- Flooring, Cleaning, and Detailing
- U4
Advanced Project: The Hollow Vase
- Sketching the Silhouette
- Rolling the Slab
- Laying the Walls
- Connecting and Gluing the Walls to the Faces 1
- Connecting and Gluing the Walls to the Faces 2
- Cutting and Inserting the Inner Hole 1
- Cutting and Inserting the Inner Hole 2
- The Finishing Touches 1
- The Finishing Touches 2
- U5
Post-production
- Recycling the Leftover Clay
- Preparing the Glaze
- Pouring the Glaze
- FP
Final project
- Creating Ceramics with the Slab Technique
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
This course is designed for intermediate learners, but motivated beginners with basic pottery knowledge can follow along. It covers both foundational and advanced slab and wheel techniques.
You’ll need clay (preferably with chamotte), rolling pins, wooden rods, rib tools, a pottery wheel (optional), chipboard, PVC or MDF board, and basic hand tools like a rubber kidney and plastic covers.
You’ll learn slab building, wheel-throwing basics, creating asymmetrical and curved forms, joining slabs, moisture management, slip making, and finishing methods for cups, bowls, and sculptural pieces.
Yes, the course includes tips on setting up a functional home studio, choosing surfaces, and creating an efficient workspace for handbuilding and wheel work.
You’ll be able to make cups, bowls, jugs, sculptural and functional vessels, and experiment with retro-futuristic and art deco inspired designs using slab and wheel techniques.
The course teaches moisture control strategies such as covering clay with plastic, using ventilators, and managing drying stages to minimize cracking and ensure even drying.
Yes, you’ll learn how to prepare slip from bone dry clay, adjust consistency, store slip, and use it for strong, seamless joins in slab construction.