Slip Casting (Ceramics workshop)

In today’s workshop we were able to use our plaster moulds to create slip casts. Firstly we were shown where the slip was kept and how to pour and time the slip casts. The slip is kept in a storage arc, bellow is a sketch of the storage arc. The storage arc to to help agitate the slip to keep it mixed well.

1) You get your plaster mould and secure it together using elastic bands. Once its held together tightly, get an empty jug and pour slip into it. Use the lever to open the arc and pour the slip. Make sure you have enough slip to pour otherwise it will leave a line between different slip.

2) Pour slip into the plaster mould and fill right to the top. Leave to set for about 20 minutes, this is to create a case from clay.

*20 MINUTES LATER*

3)Pour out the leftover slip from the mould back into the arc at the top, then turn over your mould upside down on the drying table and let any leftover slip drip out. Leave for an hour to harden.

* 1 HOUR LATER*

4) After the hour is over gently remove the elastic bands and pull apart your mould, and there you have it, a slip cast of your mould.

5) The last step is to clean up the clay, you can use a knife to scrape off any unwanted bits and then a damp sponge to clean up any messy areas.

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Next I played around with texture so I slip cast a section on a plaster mould which was of a knitted item. I then placed the slip clay into my plaster mould of my duck and the outcome looked quite gruesome, It reminded me of brains so I created a more zombie duck.

  

Then I borrowed an already made plaster mould of an orb and used a lace plaster board and placed a section of some lace cast slip into the orb and cast it again and here was the results I think it looks very lovely, quite ornate and simplistic yet has a very detailed lacy design.