Coil Self Portrait Vessels
Coil vessels are fun and easy to make. Students of all ages enjoy making them and using them
especially when it is about them and who they are. Student identity is the theme for this coil
building project. The traditional Greek vase forms and the Mississippi Ugly Mug Jugs make
excellent examples for inspiration and for surface decorations.
Primary Learning Outcome:
The student will be able to create a Greek inspired vessel form with Mississippi Ugly Mug Jug
inspired facial features using the coil construction method to tell others who they are.
Objectives:
The student will:
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Create a vessel shaped like silhouette.
Create Sides of vessel constantly thick (3/8 or 1/2 inch) throughout.
Create Coils that are smoothed on inside and outside of vessel (unless outside is decorative).
Create a design that reflects a human with accurate features and is attractive and neatly
balanced (no lopsided forms).
General craftsmanship is excellent. Attachments are well formed, smoothed and attached
securely. Create attachments that tell the viewer who they are. (Ideas include hobbies, favorite
foods, etc.)
Materials and Equipment: Commercial glazes, Clay, Kiln, Work surface for clay, Clay tools, Cups,
Water Supply, Internet connection, sketchbooks or drawing paper and clay tools
Worksheets and Handouts Needed:
1. Ceramic Glossary
2. Coil Bowl Handout
3. Coil Self Portrait Vessel Rubrics
Student Procedures:
1. View the completed coil built vessel sample. Then, watch the demonstration of how to
build a coil vessel following step by step the procedures below:
2. Sketchbook Assignment: After studying the Greek pottery forms and designs of the
Mississippi Ugly Mug Jugs, find some pictures of inspiration for you to do a series of
drawings and that of objects you will be making to attach to the form.
3. Templates can be used for the outer form of the vessel.
4. After kneading the clay to a smooth consistency, pull a golf ball size piece off and shape
it into a smooth ball. Flatten the ball into a hamburger patty shape about 3/8” thick. [I
always caution students about overworking the clay as it will start to look cracked and
dry on the surface if it is overworked.]
5. Next, pull off another golf ball size piece and roll it into a coil about ½” in diameter.
Attach the clay to the “patty” base using the score and slip method and smoothing on
the inside until perfectly smooth. Continue attaching the coil around the base and then
to the coil itself, laying the coil a little toward the outer edge so that a vase or head
shape is made.
6. After one or two coils are attached, smooth the outer coils also. Smoothing booth the
inner and the outer surface will make the vessel sturdier. Be sure to support opposite
side of clay in or out when pushing against side to smooth.
7. When the vessel is about 6-10” in diameter, smooth the top edge and loosely cover the
whole bowl with paper towel and plastic bag so that it slowly dries to a leather hard
consistency.
8. Now you need to add a foot to the vessel form. When the bowl is leather hard, turn it
over and lightly draw a circle on the bottom. Score and slip the circle and attach a coil in
a circle on the bottom. Cut the coil off when you reach the starting end of it so that the
coil is a perfect circle. Smooth both inside and outside attached edges, tilting the foot
outward just a bit.
9. Allow it to sit a few minutes so that the coil is a bit firmer, then turn the form over and
make sure that the foot sits flat on the table surface. You can put a bit of pressure on it
to straighten it.
10. When the vessel is no dryer than leather hard and perhaps a bit less dry than leather
hard add facial features and other object attachments to tell the viewer who you are
(known as visual clues)
11. At this point, students can blend or cut onto the clay in a freehand style in order to
create beautiful and very precise images in the clay as well as attachments.
12. The vessel should be allowed to dry slowly, but thoroughly, so keep bag on piece loosely
when finished and open more each day until the 3rd day when bag can be removed. Clay
is then allowed to completely dry and can then be fired.
13. After firing, use Stroke and Coat glazes to decorate all the self portrait features. Stroke
and Coat glazes do not bleed like underglazes but are glossy like regular glazes. Ensure
that the bottom of vessel is uncoated.
14. Fire again and use!