Video - Colored Clay Workshops 

While isolating at home during the Covid pandemic, I was able to create a series of 8 videos which together are a basic Colored Clay Workshop.


Introduction to Colored Clay – Video Table of Contents


Video #1 – Introduction 

59:00 minutes

Choosing Clay  -  How to choose your clay body

Stain Information  -  How to choose your stains

Mixing Stains into Clay Coloring clay with stains

Mixing Stains into Slip  -  Coloring slips with stains

Color Test Discs  -  Making color test discs


Video # 2- Skinner Blends 

57:00 minutes

Traditional method  -  Original method of mixing secondary colors

Two Color Skinner Blend  -  An easier way of blending secondary colors

Multiple Color Blend  -  Multiple colors in one Skinner Blend sheet

Test Strip  -  Making a test strip for every Skinner Blend

Optional Placements  -  Various ways to place your colors

Color on both sides  -  Solving a color problem

Brightening  -  Adding white to brighten the Blend

Other Placement Options  -  More color placement options

Single Color Fade  -  Single color with white Blend

Test Strip – fired  -  Judging your colors with bisque test strips

Recommended Tools  -  Tools you might need

Making Cut Off Wire  -  Making your special cut off wire


Video # 3 – Stripes 

1:00 hour

Basic Stripe Cane  -  Making striped canes with Skinner blends

White & color stripes  -  Adding white to lighten the color effect

Vary thickness & patterns  -  Optional choices in stripe designs

Accordion fold stripes  -  Soft, wavy stripes

Using the color blend  -  Using the whole width of the blend

Precise patterns  -  Using firmer clay for precise patterns

Very thin stripes  -  Making very thin stripes 


Video # 4 – Checked Patterns 

1 hour 13 minutes

Precise Checked Cane  -  Precise checked patterns

Precise thin checks  -   Precise thin checked pattern

Basic Checked Cane  -  Basic method of making a checked pattern

Adding white detail  -  Adding white layers to cane patterns

Moving colors in patterns  -  How to fix checked patterns

Varied thicknesses  -  Vary the thickness for design interest

Mixing pattern sizes  -  Using varied sizes of the same pattern

Zig Zag patterns  -  Adding movement to your canes

Color in place patterns  -  Making checks without shifting basic colors

Free Form pattern  -  Re-purposing an existing cane


Video # 5 – Herringbone Patterns 

1hour 23 minutes

Basic Herringbone  -  How to create a herringbone pattern

Optional design additions  -  Adding interest to basic designs

Leaf patterns  -  Making a leaf from a simple cane

Leaf Canes  -  Making and sizing leaves

Herringbone Creations  -  Making images from herringbone patterns


Video # 6 – Bullseye/Jellyroll Canes 

1 hour 37 minutes

Basic Bullseye Cane  -  How to make a Bullseye cane

Abstract Design  -  Abstract pattern made with a Bullseye cane

Basic Jellyroll Cane  -  How to make a Jellyroll cane

Jellyroll cane options  -  Multiple ways to vary your cane design

Adding a color interior  -  Adding a sheet of color for design interest

Center of flower  -  Making the core of your flowers

Simple Flower Cane  -  A basic way of creating a flower cane

Flower with color changes  -  Progressive color changes in cane

Lilies  -  Making lily shaped flowers

Four square design  -  Making a contemporary design

Another flower design  -  A very simple technique 

Static Cane  -  Contemporary design technique


Video # 7 – Hand Building with Colored Clay Canes

1 hour 35 minutes

Support forms  -  Bisque support system for building and firing

Math of shrinkage  -  How to calculate the size of the forms

Holding Area for clay  -  Store your pieces for even humidity

My Work Surface  -  Preparing my work area & patterns

Colored Clay Bowl  -  Slice & prep the canes

Laying out the pattern  -  Laying out your design & rolling to join

Making the bowl  -  Placing the sheet of color in the form

Wrap for drying  -  Careful wrapping for drying

Colored Clay Tray  -  Tray with handles

Basic Lamination Process  -  Basic process of lamination

Preparing thin color sheets  -  Colored sheet prep for bowl and tray

Laminated bowl & tray  -  Laminated bowl & Tray assembly

Creating a Quilt Pattern  -  Creating a quilt from small pieces

Laminating both sides  -  Laminating both sides with same pattern


VIDEO #8 – Dry, Clean, Glaze, Fire 

1 hour 37 minutes 

Drying your work - How to dry your colored clay Artwork

Marking your support form Mark your forms for exact placement

One side at a time - Dry the piece before cleaning reverse

Cleaning the back - Support to clean reverse side

Talk about firing temps How & why I fire my work

Cleaning bisque - Wet sanding

Wax resist - Applying wax resist

Glazing - Glazing for high fire

High Fire / Witness cones - Why use witness cones?

Controlled Cool - Firing down an electric kiln

Finished Artwork - Checking glaze results

Closing Remarks



 © Chris Campbell 2019