Clay is an age-old medium beloved for its versatility, flexibility, and forgiveness. There are several slightly different types of clay each with its own characteristics. Whether you like to make stylish jewellery, delicate figurines or pots for your plant babes, there’s clay perfect for you. From rustic earthenware to refined porcelain, let's explore the endless creative applications different types of clay offer.
Porcelain Clay
Porcelain clay is one of the most renowned forms of clay. In the world of pottery, porcelain is considered the most elegant and regal clay type. It has a smooth texture, similar to butter meaning it feels lovely on the hands. Unlike other clays, porcelain is normally thirsty and absorbs water quickly, which can greatly affect its workability. If you add too much water porcelain clay can easily lose its shape and collapse, however, without enough water, it can quickly dry out.
Due to its less forgiving nature, working with porcelain clays may be more challenging for beginners than other types of clays. However, although it's much harder to form on the pottery wheel, and it requires a skilled hand, that shouldn't discourage you.
For instance, a simple cylindrical vase is an excellent project to start with when working with porcelain clay. Once your vase is dry, you can keep your finished product elegant and neutral with the clay’s natural white appearance or paint intricate designs onto the white porcelain for a truly unique finish. The pure white colour of porcelain modelling clays provides an ideal neutral backdrop for applying coloured glazes, slips, underglazes, and stains.
Due to its unique delicate yet durable nature, porcelain modeling clay can be also used to make heavily used tableware like plates, finer dishes, and drinkware. You can also use it to make delicate objects like fine bone china and figurines.
Stoneware Clay
Stoneware clay is one of the densest types of clay. Artists find stoneware clay to be a desirable medium due to its affordability, lower firing temperature, and ease of handling.
When fired in a kiln at high temperatures, stoneware clay becomes non-porous. This means that it doesn't allow for liquids to be absorbed or pass through. Being resistant to liquids, stoneware clay is an ideal material for making dinnerware and cookware. So, whether you're looking to store liquids, bake your favourite recipes, or serve dishes in style, stoneware clay is the perfect choice.
Since stoneware clay dinnerware and drinkware are intended for handling food, they can withstand higher temperatures in microwaves and dishwashers. However, you still need to keep an eye on them when they get older because as they age, wear and tear might cause them to lose their microwave safety.
From greys to darker tones, stoneware bodies come in many colours. This means that you can add a pop of colour to your creations. For richer, more lively effects you can add stains, dyes, underglazes and slips to the surface.
Earthenware Clay
Earthenware clay has a distinctive dark reddish tint and a warm appearance. It's versatile and easy to work with making it the perfect medium for anyone who's into pottery, especially beginners. Since earthenware is fired at a relatively low temperature, it's more porous than other clays.
This makes it ideal for making pots that allow for good air breathability. The porous nature of this material facilitates oxygen exchange, which allows the roots of your plants to breathe. Furthermore, after watering your plants, earthenware clay pots can absorb some of the extra moisture, keeping roots from remaining in damp soil for an extended time.
Also, earthenware clay is more susceptible to breakage. But if you handle it correctly, there won't be any issues. To improve the strength and waterproofness of your terracotta creations you can apply a glaze to the surface. Apart from improving the durability of your creations, this final step adds colour and shine, making your creations pop.
Air-Dry Clay
Air-dry clay, as the name suggests, dries slowly at room temperature without baking or firing. As the clay evaporates, you can see some cracking, but this is common and simple to repair by adding a few drops of water to the crack and smoothing it with your fingers.
Due to its soft and light composition, airdry clay is easy to manipulate and shape, making it ideal for beginners. Since air dry clay is simple to work with, and it doesn't require a kiln, it can be used for easy clay projects at home. For instance, you can make napkin holders, jewellery, key trays, planters or candle holders - the possibilities are virtually endless.
You can either leave your finished creations plain or easily decorate them in any way you wish. Air-dry clay allows you to experiment with colours as it can be used with marker pens, acrylic paints, and inks, making it a fun clay to work with.
