Ceramics Surface Decoration: A Creative Journey
Course overview
Discover the art of surface decoration and take your ceramic pieces to the next level with our comprehensive 10-week ceramics course. You’ll experiment with a variety of methods that will bring your pottery to life!
Whether you’re a beginner looking to expand your skills or an experienced potter wanting to explore new decorative techniques, this course offers a supportive environment to experiment with a variety of methods that will bring your pottery to life.
You’ll explore a diverse range of surface decoration techniques under the guidance of our experienced tutor Maia Ottenstein. Over the weeks, you’ll be introduced to a range of new decorating techniques, allowing you to build a broad repertoire of skills while developing your personal artistic style. This hands-on course emphasises both technical proficiency and creative expression.
No advanced pottery skills required—just bring your enthusiasm and willingness to experiment!
This course is perfect for:
- Intermediate ceramicists looking to expand their decorative repertoire
- Beginners with basic pottery experience wanting to enhance their work
- Art enthusiasts interested in exploring creative surface treatments
- Anyone seeking a relaxing yet creatively stimulating weekly activity
The fee for materials is included in the cost of this course. In consideration of our studio’s kiln capacity and material resources, we discourage turning out large volumes of work equivalent to more than approximately 1 bag of clay per learner per course. Any work exceeding this amount will be charged at £5 per kilo.
The course runs term-time only.
Decoration techniques included:
- Slip Decoration Techniques – From slip trailing to sgraffito and beyond, learn a variety of methods to impart colour, texture, and patterns onto your ceramics using slip
- Carving and Relief Work – Add dimension through carved designs and textural elements
- Unique Impressions and Stamps – Create and use stamps and tools to add accents or repeated motifs to your work
- Water Etching – Explore this resist technique for creating texture, patterns, and multi-coloured decorations
- Underglaze Decoration – Paint with underglazes to achieve vibrant colour and combine methods for striking effects
- Majolica Decoration – Apply oxides and washes over a white glaze background for more painterly effects
- Mixed Media and Layered Approaches – Combine techniques and media to create unique effects
Each weekly session includes:
- Demonstration of the featured technique
- Guided hands-on practice
- Individual instruction and feedback
- Discussion of design considerations and historical context
- Time to work on personal projects applying the techniques
Basic materials and Kiln firing of your completed pieces (up to a specified number), are all included in the course fee.
Please bring:
- Comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty (clay washes out but can stain some fabrics)
- A small towel for hand cleaning
- An apron
- A notebook for sketching ideas and recording glazing notes
- Your creativity and willingness to experiment!
After completing this course, you can continue your ceramics journey by enrolling on one of our many daytime or evening courses at our campuses in Berkshire.
Alternatively enrol by phone quoting 3AACYUA02R
Meet the tutors
We want our learners to feel welcome, safe and at ease when attending our classes, especially if this is your first time attending an adult education class or if you're coming back to education after a break.
If you're interested in one of courses, meet our tutors first! You'll see they have similar passions and interests and, most importantly, the right qualifications to help you make the most of your time and money.
