I’ve taken 1 pottery taster workshop, Now I want to make more, where should I go?

What to Do After Your First Pottery Class: Wheel Throwing or Hand-Building?

You've taken your first pottery taster workshop, made your first ceramic piece and discovered that you actually really enjoy working with clay.

Now what?

If you're wondering what to do after your first pottery class, the next step depends on what you want to create.

Perhaps you loved the pottery wheel and want to throw your own cups and bowls. Or maybe you're more interested in sculptural ceramics, unusual vases and experimenting with different textures.

The good news is that you don't need years of experience to start developing your own work.

At our pottery studio in North London, we've developed two courses for people who want to move beyond introductory pottery workshops and start learning how to make ceramics independently.

Here's how to choose your next pottery course.

1. Enjoyed Wheel Throwing? Take a Pottery Throwing Course

If you loved your first pottery wheel throwing workshop and can already centre clay independently, your next step is to develop your throwing skills.

While a pottery taster workshop introduces you to the basics, learning to throw independently requires practice, technical understanding and consistency.

Our 5-Session Pottery Wheel Throwing Crash Course in London is designed for beginners who have already experienced wheel throwing and are ready to develop their skills further.

Across five sessions, you'll learn how to prepare and wedge clay, improve your centring technique, throw cylinders, create taller and more complex forms, trim your work and explore different glazing techniques.

With a maximum of five students per class, you'll receive individual guidance while getting plenty of practical experience.

Unlike taking another introductory workshop, this course allows you to build on the skills you've already learned.

The course is spread over approximately two and a half weeks, helping you develop through regular, focused practice.

By the end, you'll have created your own collection of handmade ceramic pieces while developing the skills needed to continue throwing.

Explore our 5-Session Pottery Wheel Throwing Crash Course.

2. Interested in Sculptures, Vases or More Complicated Forms? Try Hand-Building

What if you love pottery but aren't particularly interested in spending hours learning to centre clay on a spinning wheel?

Or perhaps you enjoy making ceramics but want greater creative freedom.

That's where hand-building comes in.

Hand-building is a pottery technique that allows you to create ceramic objects entirely by hand, without using a pottery wheel.

It's particularly suitable for creating sculptures, sculptural vases, irregular forms, textured ceramics and experimental tableware.

One of its biggest advantages is that the basic techniques are generally much quicker to learn than wheel throwing.

While centring clay on a pottery wheel can require considerable practice, hand-building allows you to start experimenting with different shapes and creative ideas almost immediately.

If you're someone who enjoys sculpting, experimenting with textures or creating more unconventional ceramic forms, hand-building might be exactly what you're looking for.

Learn Hand-Building in London: Our 5-Week Beginner Ceramics Course

Our 5-Week Hand-Building Ceramics Course is designed to take you from complete beginner to someone with the knowledge and confidence to start