Sarah Anderson – How To Make a Sgraffito Teapot

Hey, I’m Sarah Anderson, and in this workshop, I will be teaching you the basics on how to throw a teapot with a diffuser on the inside. If you’re an avid tea drinker or know someone that is, this workshop is for you.

We will be using intermediate to advanced techniques on the wheel to measure and fit our pieces together. After we finish the construction of the teapot, we will move into surface design. Sgraffito is the process of carving into the surface of your clay, and resembles the style of printmaking. For those comfortable on the wheel or those just starting out, there’s something for everyone to learn in this workshop.

At the end of this workshop, you will be able to measure dimensions, attach multiple components together, create pinched handles, and learn the technique Sgraffito.

In this workshop, we will be doing the following:
Step 1: weighing out and wedging components of clay we will need
Step 2: Throwing body of teapot.
Step 3: Measuring the diffuser dimensions, then throw this component.
Step 4: Measuring the lid dimensions, then throw this component.
Step 5: Throw the spout.
Step 6: Trim teapot, diffuser, and lid.
Step 7: Make handles.
Step 8: Apply underglaze onto leather hard teapot.
Step 9: Attach handles.
Step 10: Plan out design & carve!

Required Materials:

• Clay body of your choice (for the sgraffito portion, think about how the colors will show up on the clay: white paper vs brown paper.)

(for the sgraffito portion of workshop)

• Kemper Wire Stylus tool
• Underglaze or colored slip (I use Amaco velvet underglaze)
• soft bristle paint brush (hake brush)
• paper, pencil.

(for the throwing portion of workshop)

• Throwing wheel
• basic tool kit for throwing
• Calipers or a measuring instrument

When you buy this workshop, you get:

1. Watch my Online Workshop
   1. Instant Access to watch my 2.5 hour long workshop!
2. Bonus Q&A
   1. Watch my live Q&A where I answer questions about my process face-to-face
3. Lifetime Access to the Replays
   1. The workshop and the Q&A are recorded, and you will have lifetime access to it.
   2. You can watch it online, or download it to your device to watch offline at any time

Sarah Anderson received her BFA in Sculpture from Ball State University in 2019 and is a full time ceramic artist based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. She has been an instructor, ceramic studio manager, and working artist at multiple art centers and private studios throughout the Midwest.
Sarah create narratives in the surface of her pottery through the technique called sgraffito, the Italian word for scratching. These carvings are similar to reliefs and physical prints, creating a tactile texture that makes you want to interact with the work. Her functional pottery is inspired by patterns, tattoos, botanical illustrations, and heavily relies on narratives.

I play with perspective, and the complexity in the foreground and background of a 2D surface. I am currently exploring ways to compliment the surface design to the form of each piece. Each pot has its own personality, and it is my job to find it. The narratives of my illustrations play a large part of how I personify each piece, and how each character introduces a new dialogue. When I create a conversation, no matter what that conversation holds, I feel I have created a successful piece of art.

Website: www.sarahandersonceramics.com