We sculpt business: our own pottery workshop. How to open a pottery workshop What you need for pottery

Many of us have our own hobbies. Usually these activities bring only moral satisfaction. But who said that a hobby can't be profitable? It is to this profitable type of activity that pottery can be attributed. How much will it cost to open a small pottery workshop? And how much can you earn by spinning a potter's wheel?

Main material with which the potter works is clay. It comes in different varieties and is selected, depending on the product being manufactured.

Technological processes of pottery production - this is kneading, sculpting and firing. In the future, the finished product can be glazed.

The production time for one ceramic pot can take about two hours. At the same time, 20-30 minutes will be spent on kneading and modeling from clay, and the rest of the time on drying and firing.

Every job has its own nuances. In pottery, the total percentage of defects reaches 20-30%, and at first it can be half of all clay pots. The degree of suitability of raw materials, modeling from clay, the level of dryness before firing - all this affects the quality of the finished product. If you intend to rotate the potter's wheel on your own, then you will have to master all the processes and delve into all the technological details. Also, for the manufacture of pottery or souvenirs, you must have artistic taste and imagination.

The composition of the equipment of the pottery workshop includes
- muffle furnace - preferably 3-4 pieces. The price is about 100 thousand rubles;
- potter's wheel - the number depends on the number of employees. The price is 30-50 thousand rubles. But there are ways to make a potter's wheel with your own hands;
- clay mixing machine - the price is about 30 thousand rubles;
- scales - the price is about 6 thousand rubles;
- molds for products - quantity as required.

The composition of the premises of the pottery workshop consists of a production area and a warehouse. The glazing process is best done in a separate room with good ventilation. The composition of the glaze includes lead and other chemical elements, so you must follow your own safety measures.

Room area selected, depending on the volume of production and the number of workers. Minimum industrial volumes suggest at least 50 sq.m. production areas, while the warehouse is allocated about 20 sq.m. The rent of such premises will be about 30-40 thousand rubles. per month.

Pottery activity workshop falls under the OKVED code 26.21 "Production of household and decorative ceramic products." This category includes the production of pottery, household items made of ceramics, as well as figurines and other decorative items. The manufacture of toys is not included in this group. If it is planned to produce such products, then during registration it is necessary to add the OKVED code 36.50 “Other production”. The number of registered types of economic activity should be maximum and include all possible productions.

As an organizational and legal form when registering an activity, it is better to choose an individual entrepreneur under a simplified taxation system. This will reduce tax payments and insurance premiums.

Workshop staff directly depends on the volume of sales. As a rule, people who are in love with their craft are engaged in pottery. And there are few of them. In addition, pottery and souvenirs are exclusive author's works. Finding customers and organizing sales is a very time-consuming process. Usually craftsmen take their products to places with a large flow of foreign tourists, to various festivals and exhibitions, closer to Europe. There, where clay pots and do-it-yourself lids are in demand. Therefore, the staff in a small pottery workshop consists of 1-2 people.

Marketing - the most crucial moment in the entire pottery business. Despite the fact that sales of souvenirs have increased significantly in recent years, 90% of all products are produced outside of Russia. In any case, merchants import their goods from Southeast Asia. This means that this market is still free for the domestic manufacturer.

According to wholesalers, Russian manufacturers are very unreliable in terms of terms and quality of their products. For a large souvenir chain, the minimum batch of products of one name should be at least 1000 pieces. Therefore, when concluding a contract with such a customer, there are very big risks for the supplier.
Arrangements with small souvenir shops are more attractive for a small pottery workshop. The volumes are smaller, but the incomes are correspondingly.

One of the options for implementation is the manufacture of products on an individual order. For example, in interior design, many look for special vases, clay pots or reliefs, tiles or frames. As promotional souvenirs, fridge magnets, small stationery stands, clay figurines, beer mugs go well.

Development of the pottery business involves, in addition to the sale of finished products, and the establishment of a program for teaching pottery. The organization of master classes or training courses can be a good source of income. Interest in this kind of art has always been. Turning the potter's wheel, watching the transformation of a piece of clay into a slender vase or jug is truly a pleasure. Therefore, there are many who want to try. In addition, in recent years, pottery therapy has become very popular. By the way, you can conduct master classes with a visit to the customer's home. And, as customers, elite schools and kindergartens can act here.

Advertising products and services is an element of promotion of any business, including pottery. In order to be noticed and appreciated, you will have to spend a lot of money on advertising. But, as they say, the end justifies the means.

The cost of clay products is from 100 to 1000 rubles. a piece. The price depends on the volume, shape, design, complexity of the work. Souvenirs, magnets diverge at a price of 40 to 100 rubles.

Cost of education can vary from 300 to 1000 rubles per hour. It all depends on the professionalism of the master and the presence of those willing to pay one or another amount.

Summing up all of the above, we can characterize the business model of an ideal pottery workshop that works in three directions at once: 1) the production of clay products for large wholesalers; 2) a separate small workshop for the production of copyright works to order; 3) a school for teaching pottery. This enterprise is headed by an individual entrepreneur himself and exercises direct control over the quality of products and delivery times.

As for the initial investment, as you can see, they are small. The opening of the workshop and promotion will cost no more than 10 thousand dollars. But the payback period and the amount of profit will depend on the creativity and organizational abilities of the entrepreneur himself.

In the manufacture of ceramics, you can build a profitable business, both in large-scale and full-scale production, and as part of the opening of a small pottery workshop. The latter option, as experience shows, is even more cost-effective.

Basically, this direction of activity is chosen by entrepreneurs who already have some experience and are familiar with the specifics of pottery.

In this case, it will be faster and much more efficient to implement a business idea, but, on the other hand, lack of experience is a fixable matter, and everyone would be willing to study the nuances of manufacturing ceramic products. Moreover, such products are now in great demand, which is growing every year.

room

To accommodate a pottery workshop, a room with an area of about 70-80 square meters will be required, which should be divided into a production area, a warehouse for raw materials and finished products, a staff room with a shower room and a bathroom.

It is recommended to separately equip a room for glazing products, since the composition of the glaze contains substances that are harmful and dangerous to health, for example, lead, working with such a composition requires the use of respirators, a professional ventilation system, and water and electricity supply is also required.

As for the location of the pottery workshop, large ceramic manufacturers, if possible, place their workshops closer to suppliers of raw materials or clay deposits. A small pottery workshop can be located within the city, but not necessarily in the center, this will help reduce rental costs.

Equipment

Necessary equipment for a pottery workshop - directly production units (potter's wheel, clay kneading machine, oven, glaze mill, scales and ready-made stencil forms for small items), handy tools (potter's knives, shovels, threads, files, compasses, spoons and other pottery tools), furniture for craftsmen (tables, chairs), equipment for storage and storage of raw materials (tanks, racks, shelves).

Approximate calculation of costs at this stage:

Potter's wheel - from 900 to 1500 dollars;
Clay kneading machine - 950 USD;
Scales - from $ 180;
Tool - from $ 150 and above.

Firing of ceramic products is carried out in muffle furnaces. The average cost of one furnace is 2-2.5 thousand dollars.

Some pottery specialists, in order to save on the purchase of a muffle furnace, manage to convert electric stoves for the needs of firing.

Raw material

The cost of purchasing the first batch of raw materials (clay, enamels, paints, glazes) will be 1500-1600 USD. Clay is imported mainly from Ukraine. One ton can be purchased at a price of 100 USD. and higher.

Staff

Usually in small pottery workshops up to 50 sq.m. 2-3 masters work. The salary of such workers is 400-450 dollars per month, it all depends on the fullness of employment, the level of qualification of specialists.

Where can I get money to start my own business? This is the problem faced by 95% of new entrepreneurs! In the article, we have revealed the most relevant ways of obtaining start-up capital for an entrepreneur. We also recommend that you carefully study the results of our experiment in exchange earnings:

An accountant is also needed, the functions of a manager for the purchase of raw materials and sales are often taken over by the owner of the workshop, the appearance of products is developed by an incoming or full-time designer, graphic designer. The model range and success of manufactured products will depend on the imagination and creative flight of thoughts of this specialist.

Specificity of activity

It is most profitable to start such a business in resort areas and cities with high tourist attendance, then ceramic products - original and authentic - will definitely be in demand. Of course, it is important to take into account the fact that there are competitors or suppliers of a similar group of goods.

Many believe that it is difficult for local pottery manufacturers to compete with cheap Chinese products. But it is worth remembering that a mass product is not as interesting as an individual development, besides, Chinese products, although cheap, are not of high quality.

When creating products, it is important to remember that each region of the country has its own history and traditions, which are reflected in ceramic souvenirs and paintings. And the clay, which has been mined for centuries and the way it is processed, is a kind of visiting card of the area, for example, Slavic, Gaivaretskaya, Cherry ceramics and others appeared, which Chinese manufacturers certainly cannot repeat.

It is not necessary at the first stages to engage in the manufacture of a huge range of ceramic products at once. The most popular dishes, decorative plates, mugs, magnets, vases.

The sources of income for the pottery workshop are the profit from the sale of the products themselves, as well as the recently popular services of holding master classes in pottery, courses and renting out the workshop and equipment.

Prices for such services: the cost of a master class per person - from 10 dollars, the rent of a workshop - from 35 USD. in hour.

Markets and distribution mechanisms

The main sales markets are retail chains, small firms, flower and gift shops, souvenir shops, wholesale markets, small boutiques of gifts and souvenirs in large shopping and entertainment centers.

Effective advertising of services and sale via the Internet, own website, the presence of an online store, promotion of goods through social networks, electronic bulletin boards. In such electronic and printed sources, it is convenient to place information with a price list on products, as well as prices for pottery training services.

Investments and profit

The starting price for a simple clay product (using a stamped magnet as an example) is $1.5-1.8.

At a cost of 0.7-0.9 c.u.

Summing up, we note that the total investment for starting a business will be 7800-8000 dollars.

The payback period of a business project with intensive advertising promotion, active sales and search for potential customers, high quality products, unique design and creative fantasies of the artist does not exceed 12 months.

Video: pottery workshop from the inside

Pottery has always been and will be at the peak of popularity. They appeared in the days of Ancient Egypt (about 1500 BC). For those who don't know, let me explain. Pottery or ceramic objects are made from various types of clay by softening it with water, further sculpting and firing. This technology has not changed for three and a half millennia. Some processes were automated, but in general, the creation of modern ceramics implies all the same steps that the ancient masters took.

It must be said that even the emergence of new materials, such as metal, glass and even plastic, had practically no effect on the popularity of pottery. Demand for them, like many centuries ago, still exceeds supply. This means that this is a very promising direction for opening an interesting, non-standard and very rare business.

It would seem that everything is simple, you just need to start making money. But not everything is as easy as you might think. Indeed, in order to succeed in this difficult business, first of all, you need to become a master of pottery. This is an important point, regardless of whether you are going to participate in the process of manufacturing ceramic products, or prefer to manage the business from a managerial position. Knowledge of the manufacturing process is very important. Therefore, first of all, you must master at least the basics of pottery.

This can be done in several ways. The first is to enter the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V. I. Surikov, where for six years you will study and learn a new promising profession (Department of Sculpture). Of course, with such a wealth of knowledge, you will not be afraid of anything, and you are guaranteed to take your place in this area. But you probably don't want to spend six years of your life studying at a university.

Fortunately, there are other ways to learn pottery. The fastest and most effective is to hire a tutor. Master's lessons are very expensive. From 1000 rubles per hour of class. But, if you dream of making ceramic products yourself, this is one of the best and fastest ways to learn. If you are only going to run a pottery shop and want to understand the production process, short courses are ideal. The cost of such training will cost you 10-15 thousand rubles for 2 months of classes (twice a week for 3-4 hours). It is unlikely that after such courses you will become a master, but you will understand the process of making ceramics.

So, let's assume that you have learned the basics of ceramic art and are ready to open your own pottery workshop. What's next? And then you need to go through several mandatory steps. First of all, you should know that the organization of this business will require investments in the amount of three hundred thousand rubles and more. The "ceiling" depends on the planned scale of production, the number of employees and the level of equipment purchased.

Location and premises for a pottery workshop

The room is small - from 50 square meters. This is quite enough to organize the production of ceramic products. In addition, you will need a warehouse space - from 15 square meters. Here, as you already understood, finished products will be stored.

The requirements for the premises are as simple as possible. It should be located on the first or basement floor of the building (after all, this is a production workshop). Of the communications necessary for operation - the electrical network, water and sewerage. In addition, you need to take care of the ventilation and air conditioning system.

Equipment for a pottery workshop

To produce handmade pottery, you will need a potter's wheel. In addition, accurate scales are needed for dosing clay, a machine for kneading clay mass and, of course, a special kiln for the final firing of finished products. Also, various forms can be additionally useful for creating some kind of figures, frames or fridge magnets. And one more thing - for many ceramic products (for example, for figurines) you will need paints and brushes.

Pottery workshop staff

If you wish and a certain amount of perseverance, you can do all the production processes yourself. But it will not be possible to achieve success quickly in this way. Much more efficient is to use the division of labor (which was invented by the great Henry Ford). Let one person knead the clay, the second shaping, the third firing, the fourth coloring the finished ceramic product. And at this moment you will deal with organizational issues, look for suppliers and distribution channels.

Pottery production technology

The whole production process looks like this. First, a clay mixture is created. To do this, the clay is mixed with water and mixed until the desired consistency is formed. You should know that there are a lot of varieties of clay. And for each product, whether it is dishes or a photo frame, you need your own type of clay.

If it is dishes, then the mixture is sent to the potter's wheel, where the master creates the necessary shape. A potter's table or special molds can also be used.

At the last stage, the ceramics are fired in a kiln. This is the longest process, taking up to 80 percent of the production time. The better the product is fired, the stronger and more durable it will be.

The final touch is to give the product a finished look by painting, varnishing and packaging (if necessary).

Distribution channels for finished products

First, you can organize your own retail outlet to sell your products. Secondly, you can open an online store, which will save you from many monthly expenses, such as the cost of renting a visit. Thirdly, you can conclude contracts for the supply of your products with gift and souvenir shops. There are many options. You just need to choose the most suitable for you.

And further. You can earn not only on the manufacture and sale of ceramic products, but also on teaching pottery to everyone. You can open a school or courses right at the production site. Given the cost of such lessons, potter training can be a great source of additional income for you. We wish you good business!

Do you want to start your own business, but do not have serious funds to invest? It doesn’t matter - you can always find a niche where you don’t need serious start-up capital, but at the same time the business brings good profit. One of these niches iswhich we will talk about in this article. Its organization does not require anything supernatural or complex - anyone can open it.

Introduction

Clay products are still popular, despite the fact that more practical and reliable materials are on sale. Today, pottery is used mainly as souvenirs - in any store you can find plates, vases, cups, toys, tablets, frames and other clay products. They are very popular with buyers and demand, as a rule, greatly exceeds supply.

Pottery is a good business for beginners

Why do you need a workshop if you can produce products in an apartment? In principle, at the initial stage, you may well organize production in a garage or office, but if it is a business, then you should still think about legalization and a separate room. You will need equipment, drying tables, you will be able to organize excursions for children, conduct master classes, which will significantly expand the number of your customers and will be a good marketing tool.

How to start

Before starting any kind of business, you must:

Study the market. Go around the souvenir shops in your city, see what they offer, at what price. Try to find manufacturers and find out their selling prices.
Create a buyer persona. Your clients will be tourists from 22 to 50 years old, as well as teenagers from 8 to 14 years old who will attend master classes.
Learn manufacturing technology. There is nothing complicated about this - on YouTube you will find hundreds of videos on how to make certain types of pottery.
Find a place. Let's just say - the apartment is not suitable. In principle, if you have your own house, then you can equip a barn or garage for this, but keep in mind that groups of people will come to you. Usually the equipment is installed in the yard.
Make a business plan. Many aspiring entrepreneurs skip this step. We do not recommend doing this - firstly, you will be able to collect all thoughts and ideas into one whole, and secondly, it will be for you as a reminder of where you wanted to move and what to achieve.
Register with the tax authorities. Registration is an important stage of legalization. If you want to provide services and sell products, then do not miss it.
Start working. After the premises are found, you purchase equipment and raw materials, and then get down to business. We recommend that you first focus on souvenirs in order to get a constant influx of money, and then organize excursions.

As you can see, there is nothing supernatural in this regard - with the proper desire and desire, you can open a workshop in a couple of weeks.

How to register

To register, you need to contact the tax office at the place of residence. You can choose a system of work - an individual entrepreneur or a limited liability company. For a potter, the first option is enough.

Attention:Setting up a sole proprietorship is much easier and cheaper than an LLC. IP reporting is also simpler, so we recommend choosing it.

When registering, select OKVED codes:

2, section C - manufacturing.
23 - manufacture of non-metallic products.
23.4 - manufacture of other ceramic products.
23.41 - production of decorative and household items from ceramics.

In principle, the above is quite enough for work, but if necessary, you can specify both retail trade and the provision of consulting services. In principle, the number of OKVED codes is unlimited, so enter them without fear. But if you want to do something that is not included in the codes during registration, you will have to contact the tax office again, so it is better to indicate them in advance.

There is nothing difficult in pottery

Since your business is guaranteed to employ less than 5 people, you can choose a simplified system of work, which will allow you to refuse to fill out tax returns and keep records.

Premises selection

For work you need a room of 50 m2. This is sufficient to accommodate pottery workshop equipment and a small warehouse (recommended at least 15 m2).

Attention:choose a room on the ground floor to make it easier for you to take out finished products and bring in raw materials. Also keep in mind that visitors will come to you.

Where to choose a room? You do not need the central streets of hypermarkets, where rent is very expensive, a sleeping area or even the outskirts of the city near the traffic intersection is quite suitable for you. The requirements for the premises are simple: sufficient volume, the presence of running water, electricity and heating. It is desirable that it has ventilation (because the room will be damp), but in extreme cases, you can organize normal ventilation. Special repairs in the room are not needed - just plaster the walls or leave the brick - it looks good in the interiors.

We select equipment

So, we have already decided on the main issues. Next, consider what equipment you will need for work:

High quality pottery wheel. They exist with a foot drive and with a motor. We recommend purchasing modern motor options so as not to be distracted during work.
Scales for weighing raw materials and finished products. Two scales are usually needed - one measuring in grams (from 1 to 3000 grams) and the second measuring in hundreds of grams.
A machine for kneading clay. Of course, this can be done manually, but for this you will have to spend time and effort, and kneading qualitatively large volumes manually will not work.
A special kiln for roasting, with the help of which the products are dried and brought to condition. A classic oven will not work - you need a special temperature regime.
Various molds for making figurines and more.
A set of brushes and special paints for ceramics.

In 2018 prices, you will spend about 300 thousand rubles on the purchase of equipment and execution of all documents. This is quite an affordable amount for starting your own business.

Attention:if you are on a budget, you can always buy used equipment - this will reduce costs by about 30%.

Organizational matters

It is necessary to immediately decide on who exactly will work in the workshop. In principle, for starters, you can do it yourself in order to master the process and learn all its tricks. But then we recommend hiring people, as souvenirs will take as much time as possible to make. You will need at least two people - one will knead the clay and shape it, and the second will do the art painting. You can take on the duties of a manager, selling goods and organizing various events.

Conducting master classes, you will attract new customers

The manufacturing technology is quite simple:

The required amount of clay is poured with a certain amount of water, the solution is kneaded in the machine until a homogeneous mass is obtained. It is very important to achieve uniformity and lack of lumps so that the product does not have defects.
Giving clay the desired shape. Part of the clay is placed in molds, and part is sent to the potter's wheel for processing. The resulting product is dried so that it can be transferred to the oven.
Roasting of finished products. It is placed in an oven and kept at a certain temperature. During the firing process, the clay crystallizes and turns into ceramics - a dense and durable material that is not afraid of moisture.
After the product has cooled down, it goes to the artist's table. He paints it, giving it unique features. In some cases, special paints are used, which must be baked to obtain a glazed surface.

How much can you earn

Next, we move on to the most interesting - financial issues. You already know what is needed to organize a workshop, what equipment is needed, what exactly is produced and how ceramics are made. Now let's see how quickly the investment will pay off.

It is best to sell your goods in bulk, handing it over to souvenir shops. Usually they work as a network, so you need to contact the owner and interest him by offering favorable conditions. Keep in mind that chains need a large number of products - they sell dozens and hundreds of products a day.

The second source of income is training courses and master classes. Most parents are happy to enroll their child in pottery workshop for children for creative courses, and regular visits from groups bring a good profit. You need to think in advance how exactly you will work, because you need a special person to work with children, so you will either have to do it yourself or expand the staff.

Do not forget about large companies that often order souvenirs for the entire team - by getting contracts for such transactions, you can provide yourself with work for several weeks. In this article, we will not give exact numbers, because they simply do not exist - it all depends on your desire, location, products and the correct organization. Let's just name the general figures for the business - on average, a workshop working in one shift brings at least 3 thousand rubles of net profit per day, minus the cost of raw materials, rent and wages. You will earn about 90 thousand per month, recouping the investments made in 4-5 months (it should be borne in mind that you are unlikely to reach this amount right away). Practice shows that six months after the opening, the workshops are firmly on their feet and expand, launching new product lines, organizing various courses and circles, attracting visitors to master classes and lessons.

Pottery originally developed as a craft that served to make containers for meals or vessels in which bulk and liquid materials are stored. Today, it is a processing by molding on a specially designed potter's wheel, after which glaze is applied to the dried product, followed by a mandatory one. In this way, objects are made that are used in any field: household, construction, decorations, jewelry, souvenirs. These products are called pottery ceramics, they can be found in any corner of our planet.

There are three main production classes in pottery technology:

production of building bricks;
making pottery or stoneware;
the development of more refined faience or porcelain items.

Based on the production technology, all classes of pottery are similar to each other, but there are a number of nuances that affect the final result. The main difference is the grades of clay that underlie the product.

Story

As mentioned earlier, pottery originated from a craft that served solely to make vessels for storing materials and food. Over time, it developed, enriched and appeared before us today no longer in the form that our distant ancestors saw it. Thanks to technological discoveries, new articles of dressing began to appear, they led to the emergence of such items as refractory bricks, stoneware, tiles, tiles, drainage pipes, architectural decorations and numerous other products.

Due to the fact that society began to finish and decorate the usual clay products, pottery moved from the category of craft to the category of art. The manufacture of clay pots has been popular in antiquity ever since mankind became acquainted with the material common on the planet - clay and its properties.

The Old Testament contains several references to the profession of a potter and his products. The most ancient vessels made of clay, even in the prehistoric era, got off with a human hand and, accordingly, were of irregular shape. A little later, there are round and oval items, obviously made using a potter's wheel. History has not preserved information about the exact appearance of this circle, but it has been mentioned since antiquity.

It is known that the first porcelain products appeared in Asia two thousand years ago. This indicates that the pottery industry in China developed much more rapidly than in the rest of the world.

Each nation had its own traditions associated with this craft, which turned into an art. So in African countries at the beginning of the twentieth century pots were made by hand, clay was dried in the sun, and the product was fired with a bundle of straw and fire.

As for Europe, here until the eighth century pottery was in complete decline. Only the Spanish Moors gave it a push, around the same time there were products that were covered with glaze.

Pottery flourished around the thirteenth century. The most striking surge occurred in Italy, where majolica was invented - a type of ceramic that is made from fired clay. Florence gave the world such a master of pottery as Luca della Robbia, his sculptures and other works are considered the pride of the nation in our time.

Using the technologies of the sculptor Robbia, the Tuscan factories have taken another step forward - faience products. They were first burned with fire, then they were covered with white glaze, on which drawings were made, after which the product was subjected to a second firing, stronger than the first. From majolica, they began to make not only architectural decorations, but also flowerpots, figurines.

After the decline of pottery in Italy, France took over. It was here that the clay kiln was invented.

In the Middle Ages, earthenware was created and used only by the poor, the upper classes used pewter, silver, and gold. Pottery was also widely used in church decoration. Here it was used to create jugs. Churches of Novgorod, as well as churches from the time of the Romanovs, are decorated with similar items.

At the end of the eighteenth century, entire factories began to appear around the world that were engaged in pottery.

Ceramic products

The main difference between the varieties of ceramics is the composition of the mass, as well as the type of glaze from which they are made. Pottery comes in two types: dense and porous.

Dense - these are products that, when fired, due to high temperature, merge into a homogeneous solid mass. At a break, such a product resembles glass. It is translucent and does not absorb liquid, and when it hits steel, it gives sparks. An example of dense pottery is porcelain.

Porous, on the contrary, break easily, let the liquid through. Among such products is faience.

There may be products that do not belong to any type, but are something transitional between these two types.

Dense

Hard porcelain. The mass is fused, translucent, fine-grained, elastic, homogeneous, hard, it will not succumb to the action of a knife. Such porcelain contains kaolin, chalk, quartz and feldspar. It is subjected to a double firing: first, a weak one for glazing, then a strong one after coating.
Soft porcelain. It is also called French. Its content is an almost transparent lead glaze. A double firing is also necessary here, only very strong at first and weaker at the end.
Unglazed porcelain, or biscuit. It has the usual porcelain mass.
Pariyan. By weight it is close to soft porcelain, has a yellowish tint, and is hard to melt.
Carrara. White, translucent. Its mass is a cross between stone products and paryan.
Stone products. They have a dense fine-grained mass. There are ordinary and delicate products, mostly white.

porous

Delicate faience. It is a mixture of refractory clay and silica. It is covered with transparent glaze. The mass is opaque, ringing.
Ordinary faience, or majolica. This is a red-yellow mass, which, after firing, is covered with an opaque tin glaze.
Products from ordinary and refractory clay. This includes bricks, tiles, drainage pipes, etc.
Burnt stone mass, or, as it is also called, terracotta. Its composition is purified clay and ground fragments of finished products. It is used to decorate vases and other products.
Ordinary pottery. The mass is produced from clay, clay marl, and also from opaque lead glaze.

Materials for pottery

To make brick, porcelain, faience, you need to do the following work: make a clay mass, shape it, dry it, burn it and cover it with glaze. The main material for the manufacture of products is clay. Potters prefer to use potting clay, which has the right viscosity and its temperature resistance is ideal for creating products. Despite the fact that the clay itself has a high level of plasticity, the addition of auxiliary materials is mandatory due to the fact that during firing it is rapidly and unevenly compressed, which turns the product into an awkward thing. To make the simplest product, sand, ash, sawdust are also needed; for better quality products, fireclay is needed - a powder that is obtained from crushed products.

For the production of ordinary pottery, previously mined clay must be left for one to two years in air or in water. After that, it is kneaded in wooden boxes, in factories and factories this is done by special machines. This action is necessary in order to clear the clay of stones or debris. After the clay is taken out of the boxes, it is piled into heaps, which are cut into thin slices with a knife. They are again placed in boxes and are re-kneaded, cleared of impurities that could remain on it. Higher grades of products, especially colorless ones, require components that must be perfectly cleaned. The basic rule of a benign clay mass is its uniformity. For the purpose of high-quality cleaning, the clay is divided into small pieces, which are poured with water and after a day of “soaking” they are thrown into kneading machines. The teeth of this machine, during rapid rotation, cut clay, and a stream of water passing through this chamber carries away very small pieces into a special pool, large ones remain at the bottom. The pool is designed for the next level of cleaning, here coarse particles are deposited, after which another jet carries them into the second pool. In it, the clay is finally sifted out. This technology uses only warm water, because it separates the clay pieces better, and the cleaning process is noticeably accelerated due to the optimal temperature.

The proportions of the components are determined for each type of product separately. Mixing of funds also occurs in different ways: dry, with knives or with jets of water. When this homogeneous mass is obtained, a large number of unwanted bubbles still remain in it. This problem is eliminated either with special equipment, or with the help of feet, with which the clay is simply trampled to obtain the desired consistency.

Burning

In a narrow sense, ceramics is the same clay, but fired. Accordingly, when they say "ceramics", they mean products made from inorganic materials (often clay), as well as their mixtures with various additives, which are produced under the influence of high temperatures and subsequent cooling.

The firing process triggers irreversible changes, after which the material turns into ceramic. Under the influence of high temperature, small particles are fused in those places where they come into contact.

In the production of porcelain, technologies undergo significant changes. This is due to the difference in materials, the required temperature and the different properties of the components. Each source material has its own proportions, as well as a certain temperature regime:

The technology of roasting products is carried out by various methods. Nevertheless, the kiln firing process is a centuries-old, unchanging tradition. Depending on the temperature and duration of the process, products of different quality are obtained. Therefore, the maximum temperature in the production ovens does not change until the production of a whole batch of products is completed.

Moreover, the appearance of the finished product also depends on the composition of the atmosphere in the kiln. You can cause one or another degree of air oxidation. With the help of specially set parameters, it is even possible to achieve that the potter's clay will change color from brown to green.

Glaze application

Some pottery works are not glazed at all. These include bricks, tiles, terracotta, pots. The so-called glazing is carried out in order to protect clay products from excess moisture. The same result was achieved in ancient times by milk roasting - a method of giving products a beautiful look and water resistance.

Not the most expensive clay products are glazed in their raw state at the same time as they are fired. This is called antling. The essence of this action lies in the fact that during firing, salt is thrown into the oven, which turns into vapor and settles on the product. In the place where it lands, a fusible compound is formed, called fort.

Another way of coating is that the glaze, crushed into a fine powder, is sprinkled on the product. Often these are products of rough manufacture: pots, unfired pipes, and so on. Before coating, the product is smeared with flour paste and fired.

The essence of the third method is that the product is doused with glaze, which has the consistency of cream. A similar method covers solid products that practically do not absorb liquid. For example, some types of porcelain and faience.

And the last way is that porcelain and faience products are placed in a container with glaze. This method is intended for those products that are subjected to weak firing and initially absorb liquid. The glaze is ground into a fine powder, mixed with water. In this liquid, resembling milk in consistency, a product is placed that absorbs this mixture. It is possible to make a drawing on such a glaze.

Art therapy

In the modern rhythm, everyone finds their own way to relax. One of the most beautiful and unusual methods is to do pottery. There are two ways to try yourself in this art. The first is to buy a potter's wheel and the necessary materials to practice on your own. A pottery workshop in your own home is not only stylish and fashionable, but also incredibly exciting for you, your loved ones and friends. In this case, you can feel like a free artist, try different forms based on video tutorials.

The second way is the school of pottery. In the class of beginners like yourself, you will have the opportunity to try on the role of the creator of the beautiful, the artist and the sculpture.

Psychologists say that pottery is a great way to cope with stress, become more balanced and attentive. Art therapy, according to experts, is one of the best methods of dealing with depression and other nervous disorders. Spending time at the potter's wheel helps to organize thoughts, distract from small everyday troubles and find a way out of a difficult life situation. "Full dedication to the cause will not solve your problems, but it will definitely help you find ways to solve them," the doctors say in one voice.

DIY products

In every house there are clay, ceramic or porcelain products. In conditions of mass production, it is difficult to surprise someone with factory-made dishes or a flower vase.

Pottery is an incredibly fun and exciting activity for the whole family. You can have fun, learn a new business, develop skills and dexterity.

Having visited the first pottery master class, you will be able to make a pot yourself. Attentive teachers are usually patient with newcomers, guiding them and helping in everything. Pottery helps to cope with minor stresses, distracts from everyday hustle and bustle. And the products that you make yourself will be a reason to be proud of another victory over yourself. In addition, after you work around the circle and blind your pot, you will have the opportunity to paint it with your own hands. Here you can show all your imagination. Such a product will be a wonderful gift for a loved one.

Parties, birthdays and corporate parties held for such an unusual activity are popular. This is a good opportunity to communicate, get to know each other better and see the creative potential of your friends. In addition, such a holiday will surely be remembered for its unusualness, originality, and products made independently at the potter's wheel will be an excellent gift in memory of a wonderful day. And someone, perhaps, will discover a talent in himself and seriously take up this business in order to open his own museum of pottery in the future. Children will especially like this activity. If they are good at sculpting from plasticine, then you should try to send them to a pottery school. This will help develop hand motor skills, have a beneficial effect on the mood of the baby, and also allow you to discover the child's creative potential. An interesting and exciting hobby develops attention, imagination and thinking.

Hobby or business?

In today's world, pottery is very popular. They belong to the category of products that are always in demand and relevant. Each house has dishes, vases, pots, various figurines and souvenirs. For many centuries, growing into art, is popular and in demand. Therefore, the passion for pottery is increasingly growing into a real business. Our own pottery workshop is a very profitable business, because the main raw material - clay - is a free material that literally lies just under our feet. Beautiful, original, designer products can bring a good income to the manufacturer. The master of pottery is a profession for the soul. You can diversify the world around you, get a unique hobby that will bring you profit, and also reveal your creative potential.

Pottery is popular all over the world. Despite the fact that it has been around for several decades, it will never go out of fashion.