Making Marks: Discovering the Ceramic Surface

by Robin Hopper

Book Overview

Starting with the fundamentals, Hopper explores in great detail the following surface techniques: plastic and liquid clay, glazing, pigment processes and firing processes. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0873495047
• ISBN13: 9780873495042
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Krause Publications
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.3" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Checking for stars!

Hi, I am the author of this book. The first review in the list of five gives a glowing report and yet rates only one star! I feel that this is a mistake. All the other reviews give the book five stars. This might be detrimentally affecting sales. I feel sure that the reviewer did not intend the single star rating with the review that he or she has given. Perhaps you can check this out. Thanks

A great reference for both beginners and advanced potters

Making Marks is an excellent reference book that both beginners and advanced potters can benefit from. It delves into all aspects of potting, and not only illustrates the results that can be achieved, it provides the "how to" for many of the processes. Any potter who has this book in their library will never run out of ideas for creating unique pieces.

Books like this one - a definite necessity !

This is an exciting book, it is not just about painting marks on surfaces. The list of options is quite comprehensive from liquid slips, clay colour modifications, carving, underglazes, slip-trailing, lustre-ware and of course impressions and incisions made by tools. Robin Hopper is a master of clay due to the years he has be absorbed by it. He has used good quality work by various potters to display the different forms of decoration. Surface decoration is always something you need to think in advance about before making the piece. You need to be clear what you want to see in the end, these choices will affect how smooth you want the surface to be and of course the decoration needs to be a custom-fit aesthetically for each piece. Discourse about these matters is found throughout the book. Glaze technology is discussed in this book, though not to the depth a total beginner would like - total knowledge could be gained in a technical course. This is one of those books that you can keep using as your understanding grows depending on where you are. Always interesting and inspiring to read about other surace decoration forms gaining knowledge all the way. This book would also be good as a guide in a set course, chapter by chapter you could do projects eg Chapt 1: Drawing, Chapt 2: Sign & Symbol, Chapt 3: Pattern & Space, Chapt 6: Marks of Slash, Scratch, Carve & Cut etc. All in all, a wonderful storehouse of so many ideas to have at hand !

For the dabbler or those needing inspiration to try something new

While I'm relatively new to the art and craft of pottery, I beginning to find my own voice in my work. This book is helping me to think about differnet ways to express myself in my work. While I will probably never go out and buy a sand blaster or work with lusters, I know I have the inital reference source I need should I decide to go that way. Possibly one of the most valuable (but not necessarily exciting sections) is his intial discussion of drawing and line. I come from a background of hard science (chemistry) and know little of formal art or the principles of "line." He explains why this is important and how to start thinking about it. Finally, the book is a visual orgy. My husband (non potter) and I frequently sit and flip through the book to look at the examples of the various works. It becomes intoxicating. We can sit and discuss what makes one peice have that "come hither" look while another, while technically excellent, has little or no appeal to us. It has become a spring board for me in terms of astectics. While this book will not teach you how to sand blast or give you important clues about the proper layering of airbrushed glazes, it will help you think about all of the different types of marks you can make on clay and choose the ones that call to you.

Compendium of Surface Decoration Techniques

This book is an exhaustive compendium of all different surface decoration techniques. The second paragraph of the "Book Description" in the "Editorial Reviews" for this book gives you a good idea of the range of topics in the many chapters. Each one of these topics is treated comprehensively, and also includes many color photo examples. It is a very thorough and well-done book.