Back to top

Ceramics: Beginner Wheel Throwing/Hand Building

This class introduces beginners to the fundamental techniques of wheel-thrown pottery and hand building. You will learn about the ceramic process, beginning with pinching, coiling, and slab construction, to wedging and centering clay on the potter’s wheel. Students will throw basic cylinders, which are the foundation for vases, cups, bowls, and more complex forms.

Weekly discussions and demonstrations will help you grasp pottery-making techniques, appreciate the roles that form, balance, volume, surface texture, negative space, and color have in making a good pot, and develop your own sense of personal aesthetics. Students will practice skills during class through individual and group instruction, as well as have access to the ceramics lab during weekend open-studio hours.

Course Objectives and Topics

  • Pinching, coiling, and slab construction
  • Throwing basics, wedging, centering, opening, pulling, and shaping
  • Trimming, attachments, glazing, and firing techniques
  • Prerequisites: None
  • Instructor: Ken Turner
  • Dates: January 7 - April 15 (no class on January 21, February 18, March 18, March 25)
  • Time: Mondays, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
  • Tuition: $330* (+$35 registration fee for new students)
    * Includes one 25-lb. bag of clay. Additional bags of clay are available for purchase.

  • Materials: Students are required to bring their own pottery tools to class. Tools are available for purchase in DigiPen’s Student Store before class on the first day.

    Required Materials

Open Studio Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Register Now

Ceramics: Intermediate/Advanced Wheel Throwing/Hand Building

This class allows those with previous ceramics experience to take their work to the next level, learning new and more advanced techniques in hand building, wheel throwing, glaze applications, design, and surface treatment.

Weekly discussions and demonstrations will give insight into the critical aspects of ceramic artistry. This class will help you further develop your own aesthetic sense while delving into the aspects of fine pottery, such as form, balance, volume, surface texture, negative space, and color. Students will practice skills during class through individual and group instruction, as well as have access to the ceramics lab during weekend open-studio hours.

Course Objectives and Topics

  • Enhanced pottery skills
  • Advanced hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques
  • Developing personal aesthetics
  • In-depth exploration of balance, volume, surface texture, negative space, and color
  • Prerequisites: Intermediate to advanced ceramic skills
  • Instructor: Ken Turner
  • Dates: January 9 - April 10 (no class on March 20 and March 27)
  • Time: Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
  • Tuition: $330* (+$35 registration fee for new students)
    * Includes one 25-lb. bag of clay. Additional bags of clay are available for purchase.

  • Materials: Students are required to bring their own pottery tools to class. Tools are available for purchase in DigiPen’s Student Store before class on the first day.

    Required Materials

Open Studio Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Register Now

Instructor Ken Turner

Ken Turner teaches the ceramics courses for DigiPen Institute of Technology’s collegiate program and Continuing Education courses. Ken has had a lifelong passion for ceramics and has exhibited his work in numerous museums and galleries, including the Northwest Museum of Art & Culture and the American Museum of Ceramic Art. He has taught at a variety of universities, colleges, and art centers since 1994 and has also lectured at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and the Fine Arts College of Shanghai.