Clay and Glazes for the Potter

by Daniel Rhodes, Robin Hopper

In some sections of the ceramics industry, more has developed in the last 45 years than in the previous 4,000. To address new information and possibilities presented by advances in the industry, noted ceramist, teacher, and author Robin Hopper has updated and simplified where necessary Daniel Rhodes’ seminal book on fundamentals of ceramic technology. This revised and expanded edition adheres closely to the editions published in 1957 and revised in 1973, with added sections devoted to health hazards and computer calculation programs and increased color information and expanded photographic images of both historical and contemporary work. -250 color photos plus numerous illustrations and charts.
-New sections on health hazards, computer calculation programs.
-Expanded color information.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Reference, Design, Crafts

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Master of Fine Arts
Sculptor, Potter, Painter.

Long time professor of Ceramic Art at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, NY.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very useful book. Artists and creative types of people are not always blessed with a gift for mathematical calculation. Rhodes addresses this issue, by doing all the work and leaving it to the potter to make the beautiful glazes come to life. I will never forget the first time I made a piece of raku pottery, using a "recipe" from this book to mix my own glaze. When I pulled the piece from the fire, plunged it into the water, and saw the iridescence of the glaze emerge on the rough, blackened surface of the pot, I felt like an astronaut seeing the beauty of the earth from space. The universe was right there in my hand.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has almost everything one would need to know about clay and glazes.

[Jan Priddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had this book in high school, but somehow it has disappeared from my shelves. Thanks to my Art teacher Robert Gee, I was devising glazes while still in high school. I dug clay out of a hillside near Concrete, WA, and though it was Mr. Gee who did most of the later work, I participated in creating a usable clay body from what we found in a clay bank along side a rural highway. Thanks to him, I also built a kiln based on Bob Sperry's Skutt design, fired raku, and exhibited while still in high school.

[ngọc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It's packed with information and though quite dense, it is a delightful read.

[Horus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book full of lots of very useful information. The author explains base glaze formulas and calculations. This might seem intimidating for some, but is well worth thinking/working through for a much more thorough understanding of how glazes work and what fuction the different types of ingredients perform. There is information here for the low fire as well as the porcelain/high fire artisan. Well worth the read.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books out there for glazes, raw materials, processes and other crucial information pertaining to ceramic technology, it doesn't skip over glaze calculation either!

[Ibrahim Hadi]

drying and firing clay

[Rissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information and photos by a truly gifted potter.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for all levels of interest in pottery!