Ceramics at Home for Beginners
A course by Paula Casella Biase
, Ceramic Artist
Learn modeling and enameling techniques to create decorative pieces
- Best seller Spanish with subtitles in English
- 98% positive reviews (1.5K)
- 66164 students

Learn modeling and enameling techniques to create decorative pieces
- 98% positive reviews (1.5K)
- 66164 students
- 21 lessons (3h 51m)
- 9 additional resources (1 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish
- Spanish, English, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Working with clay can be another form of meditation, especially if you do it with care and passion like Paula Casella, a graduate in fine arts and the founder of Bambucito Cerámica Orgánica. With 15 years' experience in this artisanal craft, she teaches you everything you need to know to get started in ceramics.
In this course, learn how to model and glaze ceramics at home from scratch, creating some pieces with unbaked clay and others with fired clay (you need access to a kiln for the latter). Learn the nuanced differences between oven bake clay and air dry clay, as well as how to make plaster molds that you can reuse to create an infinite number of pieces in future projects.
This course complements Ceramic Glazing for Beginners, where Paula teaches you the basics for decorating and glazing your ceramic pieces.

Featured review
Yes, it was fun, well explained, good quality videos, lots of extra resources.
Very clear instructions and a friendly fun teacher.
What will you learn in this online course?
Course table of contents
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U1U1. Introduction
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U2U2. Knowing the materials
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U3U3. How to make a mold and clay modeling techniques
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U4U4. Clay Glazing Techniques
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U5U5. Different uses, care and transport of your parts
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FPFP Final project
Start by getting to know Paula and her background in fine arts, teaching, and ceramics. She shows you some pieces from her varied collection and then talks about some of her main influences.
Have a look at the materials you need, types of clay, what you need to make plaster molds, and the different glazes to decorate your pieces.
Discover the importance of recycling the excess clay correctly and learn how to make your basic plaster mold at home, which you can reuse as many times as you want to create different ceramic pieces.
Now it’s time to start crafting! Following Paula's guidance, create the base and bowl for your first set using the slab modeling technique and the plaster mold you made beforehand. Continue with the second set, which is purely decorative, by applying the coil modeling technique.
Move on to the third set and shape it using the pinch technique–no need for a mold this time. To round out the modeling phase, make the fourth set by repeating the same design as the previous ones, but this time larger, and you learn how to add different textures to the pieces.
Learn different decorative clay techniques, how they are used and when it is best to apply them. Explore two decorating methods for air dry clay. Then, discover glazes in suspension, the decorative gold luster technique, the oxide technique or "marble effect," and the enamel wash method.
Finally, let your imagination take over and see the infinite ways you can use each of the sets made throughout the course. To preserve your pieces, Paula gives you valuable advice on how to take care of each one of them on a day-to-day basis and how to transport them.
What is this course's project?
Make four sets in the shape of a mushroom. The first three are made by applying three basic clay modeling techniques and three glazing techniques to create versatile tableware (breakfast, jewelry box, etc.) The fourth set is made using fabric and by applying the slab technique, also adding textures, and using a different glazing technique.

Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in getting started in ceramics and curious about the creative process of this craft.
Requirements and materials
To take this course you don't need any previous knowledge, just the desire to discover the creative process of ceramic making.
As for materials, you need a basic ceramic starter kit (modeling tools, sponge, cutter) that you can get in any dollar store, and also clay, a roller, old fabrics, powdered gypsum, enamels, and acrylic paints. Keep in mind that to complete some parts of the course, you need to have access to an artisan kiln or ceramic workshop, which are very easy to rent out.

Reviews

A course by Paula Casella Biase
Paula Casella was born in Argentina and is currently based in Spain. She holds a fine arts degree, a master’s in education, and has more than 15 years' experience working as a teacher, muralist, and ceramics designer.
As a lover of nature and cooking, she combines her two passions in her Bambucito ceramic workshop, where you can enjoy a delicious meal on handmade crockery that she makes herself.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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U2
Knowing the materials
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Meet the different types of clay and tools
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What you need to make molds
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Materials to decorate your pieces
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U3
How to make a mold and clay modeling techniques
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Brief explanation of the ceramic process
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How to recycle clay at home
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Making a plaster cast
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Modeling using Slabbing I
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Modeling using Slabbing II
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Modeling using Coiling I
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Modeling using Coiling II
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Pinching modeling
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Slabbing Modeling with textures
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U4
Clay Glazing Techniques
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Mud decoration without oven
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Enamels in suspension
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Gold luster
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Decorate with oxides. Marble effect
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Glaze with gouache
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U5
Different uses, care and transport of your parts
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Let the imagination fly
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Care and transport of parts
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FP
Final project
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Ceramic Decorative Techniques
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
magelaivanamujica
Práctico,.didáctico y de fácil comprensión muy útil lo recomiendo
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nadaladriana
Paula es encantadora, explica muy bien da ganas de seguir aprendiendo es muy completo el curso yo compré tres cursos de paula y son geniales
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lacontable1970
Excelente el curso, muy bien explicado
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elisabetitisubias
Muy bueno!. Explica de forma simple y precisa.
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albertofilosofo31
Genial este curso! Estoy inicando con mi hija de 12 años, super motivados. Gracias!
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