Stiff Slab Project
Mrs. Asker-Chipman
Ceramics 1B
High School
Arts Content Standards
2.0 Creative Expression
• 2.1 Create original works of art of
increasing complexity and skill that reflect
their feelings and points of view.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
• 4.4 Articulate the process and rational for
refining and reworking one of their own
works of art.
Soft Slab verses Stiff Slab
• Use a soft slab of clay when you want the
clay to ease into a shape.
• Rounded shapes are built with soft slabs.
• Curves are created while clay is soft.
• Round and curved shapes are called
“organic shapes”.
Soft Slab verses Stiff Slab
• Use a stiff slab of clay when you want the
clay hold a shape while it is being attached
to another shape.
• Angular shapes are built with stiff slabs.
• Boxes and objects with flat sides are created
with stiff slabs.
• Rectangular and multi-sided shapes are
called “geometric shapes”.
Stiff Slab verses Soft Slab
•The stiff-slab method is more appropriate for
architectural and geometric forms.
•The slab is rolled then allowed to slowly dry to
leather-hard stage before being and joined with
other stiffened slabs to create the form.
Stiff Slab Ideas
• You might want to
build a tray, a box, or a
candle holder.
• Think of things that
might be build with
wood.
• Plan a project based on
ridged sides.
Stiff Slab Construction
Fiona Hannon. Slab built lamp. 2007
Ken Eastman. ‘Still Life With Seven Forms.’ Slab built and
painted.. 19 x 23 48 cm. 1997
Stoneware slab pots. 20th century
Roberta Griffith. ‘Nikko Traverse.’ Slab built.9x18x18 cm 1998.
Roberta Griffiths. ‘Nikko Transfer.’ Slab built. 8x35x38 cm
Ken Eastman. ‘Cut Outs.’ Slab built and painted. 1998.
David Faithful. Lidded Pot. Slab built. 1970’s
Shoji Hamada. ‘Vase’ Japan 1938
Toini Muona. ‘Chamotte Vase’ Finland 20th century
Kazuo Yaqi. ‘Walking’ Japan
Building a slab pot
Slab pots.
Lisa Pritchard
Slab Houses
Chickadee birdhouse
New England architecture
Temples
• Greek
• Roman
Cottages
• Irish cottage
• Scottish cottage
Cottages
• Cotswold
• Thatched roof
Chinese House
Chris Theiss. ‘On the Bridge.’
Slab and coil work with sgraffito. 1989
Stiff Slab Choice Requirements
• The project must take advantage of the properties
of a stiff slab (geometric shapes that will be
attached to one another to build a bigger shape).
• The project needs to be planned: student will make
a paper pattern (maquette) to insure the design will
work and to cut the pieces from the clay.
• The project must be three dimensional (not a tile
or flat wall hanging).
• It should be no larger than 6 inches by 4 inches on
any side (in greenware).