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Hand Building: Surface & Substance – 8 week course with Artist Francisco Zhan
1 September 2025 @ 19:30 – 22:00
Join artist Francisco Zhan in this 8-week Hand Building course at SET Ceramics.
There are 6 spaces available for this course, this is to ensure there is sufficient space to work in the studio and that students get the out the most from both the course and the tutor.
Course Overview:
This course is an introduction to making ceramics by hand, using both conventional and experimental techniques. Exploring ceramics’ potential both as painted sculpture, as well as functional objects.
Throughout the course of 8 weeks, participants will learn the basic building blocks of working with clay by hand, through pinching, coiling, slab-rolling and block carving using different clay bodies.
Participants will be guided in using slips, glazes and resists to achieve a variety of decorative effects.
Surface and substance will provide learners with key knowledge of ceramic techniques and processes, as well as a space for free material experimentation. Using the skills learnt during the course, there will be time given to work on personal projects.
The course will cover:
– Hand building techniques: pinching, coiling, slab-rolling and block carving
– Decorating techniques: slips, glazes and resists.
– Experimental surfaces: monoprinting, inlays, Sgraffito.
– Recycling clay
This course is suitable for beginners. It also provides further support and training for those with some experience.
Course Dates:
Week 1: Monday 1 September
Week 2: Monday 8 September
Week 3: Monday 15 September
Week 4: Monday 22 September
Week 5: Monday 29 September
Week 6: Monday 6 October
Week 7: Monday 13 October
Week 8: Monday 20 October
Class Times:
Classes will start at 19:30 lasting 2.5 hours and finish at 22:00.
The last 30 minutes of the class are for cleaning up and organising work in progress.