Manufacturing technology of ceramic products. Pottery kiln - types and preferences

Clay products are always relevant. Some people cannot imagine their kitchen without ceramic dishes - they cook in it, decorate their interior with various decorative pots made of this plastic material. Yes, and souvenirs - magnets, photo frames, cups, vases, which we always get when we relax at the resort, most often clay ones. All this suggests that the pottery business is one of the most profitable destinations entrepreneurial activity. In this article, we will introduce pottery for beginners, so that anyone who is seriously considering leaving the main job for the sake of development own business, was able to realize himself in this direction.

Features of the pottery business

The first potters were the ancient Greeks. It was they who began to make unique products from clay - vases and amphorae, which conquered the whole world of that time. We treat them as ordinary, without attaching special value. But one has only to think about how many home life things made of clay - plates, cups, cauldrons, bowls and much more. This means that pottery as a business will never lose its relevance and will bring a stable and high income for those who decide to start pottery at home. If you are among the people who want to start DIY pottery at home, then you need to know the main features of this entrepreneurial activity:

• Ceramic products are best sold in large resort towns, where there are always many tourists coming from far abroad. These people are target audience, as they will probably buy various souvenirs for their relatives and buy something beautiful for themselves personally as a keepsake of their vacation;
• Those who have been engaged in pottery at home for more than a year have well mastered the peculiarity of this business, which we mentioned in the paragraph above. Therefore, this line of business has a high level of competition. A beginner will have to devote a lot of time to studying the market in the area where he decided to open pottery;
• Remember that your pottery must be exclusive in order for people to buy it. It will be necessary to develop an author's technique for manufacturing and decorating ceramic products to show off your personal unique design style. People really like to buy author's gizmos - it's fashionable and meets the requirements of the time;
• Keep in mind that those pottery products in the resort town that reflect the flavor of the local culture will be in special demand. People are more willing to acquire something that emphasizes the traditions and customs of the place where they have been;
• The beginning of pottery should be marked by the release of a narrow range of products. It should be one thing - or dishes, or souvenirs, or pots, or vases. Over time, when your customer base expands, you can think about making several types of ceramic products at the same time;
• Before starting pottery, it is necessary to register a private enterprise. If you will only be engaged in the manufacture of household goods (dishes, for example), then you need to register your activity under the OKVED code 26.21. If your interests also include children's toys, then you need to choose OKVED 36.50 and a simplified taxation system in order to insurance premiums and other expenses were not very great;
• Having mastered the above features of the ceramic business, you can become a wealthy person almost from scratch. Of course, start-up capital will be needed in any case, but it will not be so large and will quickly pay off. We will talk about this in more detail in the corresponding section of our article.

Selection and arrangement of premises for the workshop

How to start pottery after registering a business? It is important to pay due attention to the room where your workshop will constantly function. After all, the selected space must meet certain mandatory requirements:

1. It must be two rooms. You equip one of the rooms for a workshop (this room should be larger in area than the second), and the other for a warehouse of finished ceramic products (a room area of ​​​​15 m² will be enough);
2. By area, the room should not be less than 50 m²;
3. It is advisable to choose an apartment for a workshop on the ground floor;
4. It is very important that the room has all the necessary communications ( we are talking on sewerage, air conditioning, ventilation, electricity and plumbing);
5. Be sure to carefully consider the choice of equipment for the pottery workshop. This should be done under the guidance of an experienced craftsman who is well versed not only in pottery technology, but also understands the equipment necessary for work. By the way, many potters can make equipment for pottery on their own.

Production technology

Scheme of production of ceramic products

For several decades in a row, the production of ceramic products has been carried out using the same technology, but different ways. If you are making souvenirs (doing free modeling), then you only need to choose the right raw materials, knead it and sculpt it. In this case, it is important to use a potter's wheel, a modeling board or special prints - so the shapes of your products will be more accurately processed.

In fact, the process of making pottery includes several main steps:

• Acquisition of raw materials - you can either buy it or extract it yourself. If you are just thinking about how to start pottery, you can try the second option. To do this, you need to find deposits of clay in your personal plot and check it for suitability for hand sculpting. It is necessary to roll a small tourniquet from clay and roll it into a bagel. If there are practically no cracks, then this is an excellent raw material for work;
• Form from clay necessary product using the tools you have;
• Dry your ceramic creation and then fire it;
• When the product hardens well, it needs to be given an elegant look. To do this, clay is treated with special solutions, and then painted, decorated and varnished.

If you neglect at least one of the above points, then your work may be done in vain, because improperly mixed and then processed raw materials will simply begin to crumble, break, which means that you will not be able to sell it.

Necessary equipment for work

Let's get back to what equipment you need to purchase if you decide that the pottery business is exactly the one you want to implement:

• Potter's wheel;
• Scales;
• A machine on which clay is kneaded for modeling;
• The furnace in which you will burn the finished products;
• Forms for modeling various clay figurines;
• Decorative materials for decorating your products (paints, glass, brushes, etc.).

Note that at first you do not need to purchase professional new equipment. At first, it will be possible to use used devices. They can really be found on various sites of free ads, on the Internet. Do not worry that the technique that other masters of pottery managed to use is no longer suitable or will quickly break down. As a rule, the equipment is always sold in excellent condition. If you are unsure that you can handle it on your own, invite an experienced craftsman who will give you useful advice when buying and with his expert eye, he will determine whether you are offered quality equipment for the workshop or not.

Pottery wheel diagram

What can you earn?

Ceramic products have a fairly large sales market. Therefore, if you doubt whether pottery is profitable in modern society you can put aside all negative thoughts. Ceramic products are a great way, with minimal start-up capital. The main thing for you to decide. Be sure to consider the needs of a wide range of people in the area in which you decide to do this business.

• If you decide that there is nothing better for you than to open your own pottery and souvenir business, then you can find wholesalers who will buy goods from you. But organizing this whole process is quite difficult. After all, large supermarkets acquire a batch of souvenirs, in which at least 1000 pieces of products. Numerous problems and questions immediately arise. initial stage development of your business will only prevent you from focusing and learning manufacturing techniques. Of course, if you hire experienced craftsmen in your workshop, you can quickly deal with orders;
• Having gained experience, you will be able to organize paid pottery workshops for children and adults. Today it is a very fashionable direction of artistic activity. Who is not interested in molding something with their own hands, and then hanging a product made by themselves in their room? Over time, when high earnings from pottery appear, you will have the opportunity to organize large-scale exhibitions and even competitions among your students;
• Some companies and firms prefer to use different ceramic souvenirs as advertising. They can be made to order.

In fact, the market for the sale of ceramic products is very wide. You just need to constantly develop, look for new consumers, offer your services to a wide audience, and then profitable offers will always appear.

Financial investments

Having decided, you need to draw up a pottery business plan in order to make sure for yourself that the chosen decision is correct and dispel all doubts about whether it is profitable to engage in pottery in our time.

The minimum amount of money that you need to have before doing the pottery itself should be 500,000 rubles. This amount will go towards the following expenses:

• It will take about 10,000 rubles to register an IP;
• Renting a room for arranging a workshop - 40,000 rubles (the same amount will have to be spent monthly);
• Purchase necessary equipment- 300,000 rubles;
• Kiln for firing - 100 thousand rubles;
• Several potter's wheels - 50,000 rubles;
• Scales - 6 thousand rubles;
• Modeling molds - 50,000 rubles;
• Clay different varieties- 20,000 rubles;
• Marriage and breakage of products (from 15,000);
• Employee salaries. You will need at least two masters at first, an advertising manager and a person who will keep track of finances (you can assign this responsibility to yourself). All this requires at least 70,000 rubles;
• To pay taxes and contributions, you will need about 70 thousand rubles a year, but this figure can vary significantly, depending on which form of production you choose;
• You will have to spend at least 10,000 rubles a month on advertising your business.

Where can I sell the finished product and at what price?

Now let's take a closer look at how much money you can earn for the implementation finished products from clay.

If you find regular wholesale buyers who will purchase goods from you in a batch, where there are 1000 units, then you can get from 10,000 to 100,000 rubles. Revenue will depend on what kind of products you sell:

• If these are fridge magnets, then for a batch you can get 6,000 - 12,000 rubles (if they are made for a designer order, then the price doubles);
• If these are photo frames, then for a batch you will receive from 12,000 to 24,000 rubles (the situation here is the same as with magnets);
• If these are ceramic pots, then for a batch you can get from 75,000 to 200,000 rubles;
• If you rent pottery equipment to other workshops, you can earn from 2,000 rubles a day;
• If you conduct pottery training for children and adults, then in one hour of classes you can earn from 500 to 1000 rubles.

Video: How we made a pottery school from scratch

Before you start exercising entrepreneurial activity related to ceramic products, you should definitely study as much information as possible about this type of business. There are a lot of sources on the Internet. It can be difficult to read a useful article, but also watch a free video pottery for beginners.

We recommend that you, in addition to self-education in matters related to starting a business with ceramic products, take pottery training from a qualified specialist. He will explain to you not only the theory of working with clay, but also demonstrate everything in practice. Of course, you will have to spend money on courses - approximately 15,000 rubles, provided that you attend pottery master classes for two months. Keep in mind that even if you learn pottery lessons for beginners well from the master you went to study with, you will still be far from professional level. In the process of work, with experience, you will achieve the desired result and become a fairly wealthy person who will do what he loves.
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Ceramic vases, pots, tea sets, candlesticks, plates, whistles and even musical instruments - all this can be created independently.

To learn how to make ceramics with your own hands, the main thing is desire. Before becoming a ceramist, try molding the simplest knickknack out of clay, and you will understand whether it is worth spending money on buying equipment for work. If something didn’t work out, it doesn’t matter, soak the marriage and make a new figure out of it, before baking, the product can be modified endlessly.

What is ceramics made of and where to get materials for work

Ceramics is fired clay, which is the main material in the work of a ceramist. Unlike, natural is of natural origin, it is mined from the bowels of the earth without subjecting it to chemical and other types of processing.

Experienced craftsmen, in order to save money, extract and prepare raw materials on their own. This process includes several stages and hardly deserves attention if you are just starting out and living in the city.

Clay for the manufacture of ceramics must be oily and free of pebbles and other debris, otherwise the craft will crack during the baking process. The finished mass is stored under certain humidity conditions.

Natural clay is different types:

• White - the most common, initially has a grayish tint, and after heat treatment takes on a pleasant hue Ivory.
• Red - contains iron oxide, which gives the raw material a greenish tone. The main color of the raw material is brown, after firing the products become red. It lends itself well to modeling, does not crumble, ideal for sculptures and large items.
• Porcelain is gray when raw and white when baked.
• Blue - more often used in cosmetology and traditional medicine.
• Black or dark brown ceramic body - the hardest clay, acquiring an ivory hue after kilning.

Also clays for ceramics classified by temperature processing into low-melting, medium-melting, refractory.

It is most convenient to buy ready-made pottery clay, focusing on the size of the fraction, the color after firing at different temperatures and other characteristics and quality indicators. The cost depends on the manufacturer, packaging, texture. There are ready-made masses with additives for investing in various tasks - modeling, molding, potter's wheel.

In addition to clay, glazes and enamels are needed to cover products, pigments to give hand-made ceramics the desired shade, special additives to improve properties and heat treatment.

Used to glue parts slip mass- a kind of glue made from diluted clay. If you simply connect the elements, they can fall off when heated. All this is sold in specialized stores for ceramists.

Methods for the manufacture of ceramic products

There are several ways to turn the clay mass into a beautiful ceramic product.

modeling- the most affordable way to make ceramic products with your own hands at home. Souvenirs, sculptures, dishes, toys or other crafts are molded by hand, as if from plasticine, helping themselves with special stacks or improvised devices.

Pottery requires a rotating circle. With the help of this ancient craft, even today they create vases, jugs, pots, plates, cups.

warm-up- the easiest option for making ceramics for beginners. In the work, a plaster mold is used, in which soft clay is laid out, and after hardening, a figured product is removed. Gypsum molds are attractive because they absorb excess moisture, helping the clay product to harden and dry.

Casting- here they also use forms, but of a different plan. Diluted clay is poured into molds, blanks are dried, removed and painted.

Clay crafts gain strength only after firing - processing in pottery kilns at a temperature of 900 to 1300 degrees. Finished souvenirs cover acrylic paints or special vitreous glaze for ceramics. In the case of glazes, another firing is required after staining.

If you want to get a natural shade, they use milking - they cover an unpainted baked ceramic figurine with milk in several layers and bake again at more low temperatures.

Pottery kiln - types and preferences

Previously, kilns for firing ceramics were forges dug in the ground and heated exclusively with firewood. Modern pottery kilns are gas, electric and wood-burning. The latter, as a rule, are made by hand, they are suitable for use in private households. In the conditions of an apartment, it is most convenient to work with electric furnaces; for large volumes, you can choose a gas furnace.

IN metal case such furnaces hide refractory bricks or other material that retains heat and is not afraid of heating. Designed to wick away moisture ventilation holes, the process of firing ceramics is controlled by a software regulator. Electric pottery kilns are not cheap. The price depends on the manufacturer, volume, power.

On sale there are models with vertical and horizontal loading and hood. By type of location heating element pottery kilns are divided into muffle and chamber. IN muffle it is located around a container made of refractory material (muffle). In chamber heaters, the heater is located inside, which reduces heat loss and makes the equipment more economical.

If you try a little, you can make a ceramic kiln at home with your own hands, taking refractory bricks as a basis and something for the case, for example, an old washing machine.

Baking is the most important process that does not forgive mistakes. Sometimes even experienced craftsmen instead of the expected masterpiece, they see a worthless marriage. Products are never taken out immediately, they must cool in the oven.

How to choose a potter's wheel

Pottery wheels are needed for sculpting round objects, so this tool is not necessary to buy right away. If you are just learning ceramics, start with sculpting or punching. Circles come with manual, foot and electric control.

* Calculations use average data for Russia

Manufacturing various items from clay - this is perhaps one of the most ancient types of folk crafts. Ceramic products differ in the type of raw materials used, the composition of glaze coatings, the method of production, and also in their purpose. Due to the plasticity of the material, its tonality, the variety of colors and shades of glazes used and other methods decorative finishes ceramic products have long been used not only for purely utilitarian purposes. They also perform decorative functions, decorating the interior and acting as an original and memorable gift. Today, most of the ceramic products are made industrial way but ceramics and pottery handmade, which are produced in small workshops, also enjoy in great demand and are often valued much higher than the factory ones.

Types of ceramic products

Consider the main types of ceramics. These include terracotta, fireclay, porcelain, faience and majolica. Each of these types differs from the others in the composition of clays, the firing mode, and in the decoration techniques used. Experts divide all ceramic products into products of coarse and fine ceramics. Products of the first type are distinguished by the heterogeneous structure of the shard, which is clearly visible to the naked eye. In addition, such a shard has a natural color of natural clay, which varies from light yellow to dark brown tones. Products of fine ceramics are distinguished by a sintered finely porous shard with a homogeneous, dense structure. They are divided into two main groups: products with a shard sintered in a fracture (hard porcelain, soft, bone and frit porcelain, fine stone products) and products with a porous shard (faience, semi-porcelain, majolica).

Porcelain is a mineral mass of a fine mixture of kaolin, plastic clay, quartz and feldspar. Products from this type of ceramics are distinguished by their special whiteness, have thin walls (thin shards), which are often transparent to the light. Even when unglazed, porcelain retains liquid well (unlike other types of ceramics, which require additional processing). Faience is similar in its own way appearance on porcelain, but does not have such whiteness and transparency. Its shard is noticeably thicker, and when unglazed, it lets moisture through. From porcelain and faience, as a rule, they produce dishes, as well as a wide range of various decorative items- vases, dishes, figurines, etc.

Terracotta is the name given to objects made of fired colored clay. They have a natural porous structure and are not glazed. Terracotta products are characterized by the following shades: pale pink, yellowish cream, cherry, grayish, brick red. Panels, decorative sculptures, reliefs, etc. are created from natural colored clay with subsequent firing. Fireclay is used to create reliefs, decorative sculptures and vases. These products have a characteristic granular texture and are decorated with glazes. Majolica is a product made of baked clay, which is covered with painting and/or opaque glaze on top.

Production of ceramic products

The production process of ceramic products includes several main stages: preparation of clay mass, molding of products, drying, firing and decoration. Materials used in ceramic production are divided into basic and auxiliary. The main materials are those used for the preparation of ceramic masses, glazes and paints for painting on ceramics. And auxiliary materials include materials used for the manufacture of plaster molds and capsules. The first stage of manufacturing ceramic products also consists of several successive technological operations. First, the raw material is cleaned of harmful mineral inclusions, then crushed, ground, sifted through a sieve. All components for the mixture are dosed and mixed with each other. The molding of the product is carried out from plastic and liquid (so-called slip) ceramic masses. In large-scale industries, products of simple shapes (for example, cups and plates) are molded from plastic mass with a moisture content of 24-26% in plaster molds using steel templates on automatic and semi-automatic machines. And complex and diverse in shape ceramic products are made by casting from a slip with a moisture content of 30-35% into plaster molds.

chief technological process in ceramic production is firing. Under the influence of high temperatures, the clay mixture acquires mechanical strength. Roasting is carried out in two steps. In this case, the conditions depend on the type of raw material used. So, for porcelain products, the first (scrap) firing is carried out at a temperature of almost 900-950 ° C, and the second (poured) - at a temperature of 1320-1380 ° C. In the case of faience products, the first firing is carried out, on the contrary, at a high temperature of 1240-1280 ° C, and the second at a lower temperature - 1140-1180 ° C. For firing, special kilns are used, which are of two types - tunnel (continuous) and mountains (periodic). On the penultimate stage in the manufacture of ceramic products, they are decorated by two main methods - manual or semi-automated. A simple decor is applied in the form of a mustache, layering or ribbon - continuous circular strips of various widths. The drawing can also be applied using an airbrush through a stencil made of thin tin or foil with cutouts along the contour of the future image.

This type of decoration is also used, such as covering: solid, when the entire product is evenly covered with a layer of paint; half-cover, in which the product is covered with paint with a width of 20 mm and above; descending, in which the paint is applied with a weakening tone to the bottom of the product; a cover with cleaning, in which a pattern is cleaned along a solid roof, and, finally, the most difficult option– roofing with cleaning and coloring with paints and gold. Decorating with a stamp is the most simple option, in which a pattern (most often in gold) is applied with a rubber stamp. When printing, the image is transferred to the product from the printed impression on paper, as a result of which a graphic one-color pattern is obtained, which is subsequently painted with paints in one or more colors. A decal is a technology for transferring a pattern onto a ceramic product using a lithographic decal. Now most often they use a sliding decal: an cellulose acetate film is attached to the lining paper, on which a pattern is printed. Then the film is wetted with water and separated from the paper, remaining on the product. At the last stage, the product with a decal is fired in a muffle furnace, during firing the film burns out, and the paint is firmly fused to the surface of the product. Ceramics, like other products, can be painted by hand with a brush or pen. At the same time, simple and highly artistic painting is distinguished. Recently, such methods of decorating ceramic products as photo printing and silk-screen printing are gaining popularity. In the first case, photographic images are transferred to the ceramic surface using special inks and equipment. And in the second case, the pattern is printed using a silk mesh, on which the stencil is laid out. The product on which the image is transferred is placed under the grid. Then a rubber roller with paint is passed along it, which pushes the paint into the cutouts of the stencil, transferring the pattern to the ceramics.

Manufacturing of clay products

The process of making a clay product is somewhat different from the above. For example, in small pottery workshops, the following methods of plastic molding are used: manual ("by hand" - in the production of fine art products), "sausage" molding, in plaster molds by modeling, in plaster molds using a template, and, finally, on a potter's wheel. The most famous (at least to the layman) is the method of molding on a potter's wheel. This simple equipment allows you to create symmetrical, uniformly expanding or tapering vessels various forms and sizes.

The potter's wheel consists of a vertically mounted iron rod, which is attached to the working table, and two wooden wheels of different diameters. A large circle with a diameter of 95-105 cm is fixed in the lower part, and a small circle with a diameter of 30-40 cm is fixed in the upper part. In order to set the potter's wheel in motion, the master rotates the lower circle with his foot, and all work is carried out on the upper circle, where the product is molded. In addition to the potter's wheel itself, some tools are used for hand molding: a wooden cutter, a piece of flat rubber, a walnut sponge, a metal club, pieces genuine leather and plexiglass.

The automated process for the production of ceramic products does not require high qualifications and extensive work experience from workers. But for manual work, you need both. The hand molding process itself seems fairly straightforward. Raw clay is laid out on a potter's wheel, and then with hands dipped in water, it is pulled into a cone. Pressing hard on upper part cones, the clay mass is lowered down. This operation is done several times and helps to even out the texture of the wet clay. Then the lump is formed into a hollow cylinder. The potter passes the walls of the cylinder between two fingers, turning the body and neck of the product. the desired shape clay mass is attached using various tools (in particular, a wooden cutter). When shaping, the potter constantly moistens his fingers with water to increase their sliding on the clay. Finally, when the product acquires the required shape, its walls are polished with a damp sponge and a piece of rubber, and then cut off the potter's wheel with a thin wire or twine and left to dry for 24 hours (as a rule, drying is carried out not indoors, but on outdoors). Since clay, unlike various mixtures based on it, can deform during drying, the product dried up to 19-20% humidity is again installed on the potter's wheel and corrected. For example, some parts are machined with metal hooks, the surface of the product is smoothed with a wet sponge and polished with plexiglass. If the clay product consists of not one, but several parts, then at this stage they are glued together. Then the workpiece is sent for decoration or scrap firing (when decorating with glazes). There are a lot of ways to decorate clay products, as well as ceramic ones, but glazing is the most widely used. Glazing is the process of covering a product with glaze - a vitreous mass. Glaze not only decorates the clay product, but also prevents it from penetrating moisture (which is detrimental to clay) and makes it more durable. Glazes are transparent (both colorless and colored, which allows you to create amazing effects while maintaining the natural color of the clay) and opaque. Before applying the glaze to the clay, the workpiece is cleaned of dust using special brushes. At this time, in a separate container, the composition for preparing the glaze is diluted with water. The product is subsequently dipped into this mixture or poured over it, and then dried. If it is necessary to glaze not the entire surface, but only its individual sections, then the glaze is applied using a large brush with a thin pile. Experts advise, if possible, to purchase an airbrush for applying glaze. Of course, it is not cheap (from 3-5 thousand rubles), but it significantly saves the time and effort of the master.

Glazes are refractory and fusible. Glazes of the first type are used for porcelain, hard faience and fireclay. They melt at a temperature of about 1125-1360 °C. For majolica (unfired clay), glazes are used that melt at temperatures up to 1000 ° C.

As in the case of faience and porcelain, earthenware is also shaped during firing, during which the shard is finally “sintered” and hardened, and the molten glazes harden. The workpiece is first placed in a kiln for the so-called waste firing. Then it is painted with glazes, and then fired again. Roasting takes place by slowly and gradually increasing the temperature inside the muffle furnace. At the end of firing, the oven is turned off. When it cools to 200 ° C, the doors are slightly opened to speed up cooling. When the oven is completely cool, the product is removed from it.

Sysoeva Lilia

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Pottery craft originated in ancient times. Numerous archaeological finds confirm that the first handmade clay products belong to the Neolithic era. Durable clay figurines and household items that have survived to this day in the most bright colors tell about the history of the development of an ancient craft, which eventually developed so much that it became an art.

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Pottery in the world

Clay is a common material that nature has generously endowed mankind with. And people have been using it for a long time. At first, they tried to fashion the most necessary items from it (cooking utensils, cups, plates), practical and unpretentious. Over time, after the potter's wheel was invented and firing methods were discovered, a shapeless piece of clay in the hands professional craftsmen began to turn into exquisite products.

Each nation is proud of its history of the development of pottery. In China, it was known as early as 2000 BC. e. and developed to the highest level, as evidenced by the emergence of the famous Chinese porcelain, which is valued throughout the world.

From Ancient Greece the famous amphoras, vases, jugs, which have elegant and bizarre shapes, have survived to this day. On vases, the ancient Greeks painted entire stories from myths, scenes Everyday life. Various clay working techniques were used. So, on red-figure vases for the image, the natural color of the clay was left, and the background was painted over with black. When creating black-figure products, a picture was applied to reddish clay with black varnish. Such items were considered a luxury, they could be found in the homes of wealthy Greek nobles.

In African countries, clay products were made by hand, then dried in the sun and fired with burning straw. Today, simple shapes and textures, natural colors, animalistic, floral and abstract geometric patterns of African ceramics are in great demand among connoisseurs of beauty.

Pottery in Russia is one of the most important and ancient crafts. At first, the Russians made only jugs, pans, and cups from this natural material. But over time, with the accumulation of experience in working with clay, the craft began to turn into a craft, and not only household goods were produced, but also toys, figurines, and luxury items. Pottery workshops, art studios, creative artels appeared, using various ways firing, clay kneading technology. As a result, each workshop acquired its own form style, thanks to which many of them are famous all over the world (Dymkovo toy, Gzhel).

New pottery features

Pottery long time was an important and honorable trade, which could only be engaged in good masters. It has been constantly improved and developed. But gradually, clay began to be replaced by metal, tin, and then plastic, with which natural material could no longer compete in terms of its price and scope.

It is impossible to imagine that this kind ancient art could completely disappear. However, history is spiraling, and today there is a surge of interest in working with clay. But now pottery reveals itself from a different side.

If earlier the craft was a source of income, now it is in most cases a way of relaxation, creative self-expression. Along with, of course, the existence of fashionable ceramic workshops that produce truly valuable designer items.

Exists a large number of pottery workshops, where master classes are held to create simple products from clay, which do not require special skills and abilities. Such circles are attended by children and adults who want to create beauty. with my own hands, decorate your home with clay products and give them to loved ones.

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For kids 4-5 years old, the benefits of modeling are mainly that it helps to develop fine motor skills, and the classes are held in a fun way: playfully, children get acquainted with the properties of clay. Unlike working with plasticine, clay modeling requires special preparation of the material, which develops responsibility and logical thinking in children.

For children 6-7 years old, clay makes it possible to actively develop their imagination. Practical skills of interaction with natural material quickly seized, at this age the child can already develop the design of his craft, the plot of the composition being created.

For adults, working with clay also benefits. It is very relaxing and calming. Passion easily develops into a serious hobby. By the way, there are methods of clay therapy aimed at reducing aggressiveness, eliminating phobias, negative emotions in adults. If for kids working with clay is a way to discover something new in the world, then for an adult it is a way to find personal harmony.

Working with living material extracted from the bowels of the earth, a person, as it were, comes into contact with nature, receiving a boost of energy from it. When an adult dips his hands into the clay, he abstracts from outside world focuses on its internal resources. Pottery, in its therapeutic effect, can be compared with a walk through the forest, relaxing on the seashore. The fact that contact with nature saves from fatigue, emotional exhaustion does not need proof, and clay is a natural material.

Pottery is one of the oldest and most interesting crafts. But if earlier only masters could do it, now work with clay is available to everyone. Anyone can create their own works, while receiving a positive energy charge.

Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village

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in the ethnographic park-museum it will not be difficult to find: Peace Street, the House of Iran and Iraq. Work is always in full swing here, and visitors to the park usually do not pass by. Nothing fascinates like the shape of a vessel that magically changes in the hands of a master.

The potters working in the workshop came to ETNOMIR from different regions Russia and different countries of the world, therefore, a variety of products are skillfully made: Slavic milk jars and pots for porridge, Georgian jugs for wine, Asian tea bowls, Greek amphoras for oil and much more.

You will see the products of our craftsmen both in the houses of the Street of the World (Greece, Georgia, African countries and others), and in the ethno-hotels of ETHNOMIR (you must admit that in the room of the Podvorie hotel it is pleasant to drink not from an ordinary glass cup, but from an earthenware mug, but in a hotel "Caravanserai" - from a ceramic bowl). They can also be purchased at ETNOMIR souvenir shops. And most importantly, every guest of ETHNOMIR can sit down at the potter's wheel and experience amazing feelings, creating his own masterpiece from malleable clay.

Pottery is always at the peak of popularity. The technology of their manufacture has not changed for several thousand years. Even materials such as glass, metal or plastic could not influence the popularity of these products. As demand constantly exceeds supply, pottery can become promising direction to create a small and fairly profitable business.

Where to start a business?

At first glance, it may seem that it is enough to simply open a pottery workshop, purchase raw materials and equipment, and you can start earning money. In fact, you need to carefully prepare before opening such a business. To be successful, you need to become a master potter. The manager who manages the business must carefully study the production process, as well as familiarize himself with the basics of pottery.

Legal registration

Such a line of activity should be registered under the code “Production of decorative and household ceramic products”. If issued individual entrepreneur, the number of hired workers should not exceed 5 people. In this case, you can choose a simplified taxation system. Thanks to this, you do not have to keep accounting records and fill out tax returns.

room

To organize pottery production at home, you need a small room with an area of ​​​​50 square meters. meters. In addition, it is necessary to highlight separate zone under a warehouse, an area of ​​15 sq. meters. There you will store the finished product.

It is desirable that the pottery workshop be located on the first floor of the building. As for communications, the premises must have electricity, sewerage and running water. Also, do not forget about air conditioning and ventilation.

Equipment

For the manufacture of ceramic products, you must purchase a potter's wheel.

In addition, you will need:

• Scales;
• Clay kneading machine;
• Kiln for roasting;
• Forms for frames and various figures;
• Paints and brushes.

You will have to invest about 300 thousand rubles in the production of pottery. This is a small starting capital that any novice entrepreneur can raise.

Before purchasing equipment, it is necessary to study the special literature in order to familiarize yourself with some important nuances.

Do not immediately buy new equipment. Sometimes you can find used pottery equipment in excellent condition through advertisements in newspapers and the Internet.

Staff

If you have an irresistible desire, as well as a certain amount of perseverance, you can do everything production processes on their own. But it is much more efficient to use hired labor.

To work in a pottery workshop, you can hire people:

• For kneading clay;
• Product molding;
• Roasting;
• Artistic design and painting of finished products.

Technology for the manufacture of clay products

Home production of pottery is as follows:

• A solution of a certain consistency is kneaded from clay and water. Different grades of clay are used as feedstock;
• The mixture is sent to the potter's wheel, where the master makes dishes from it. Various figurines are made using special molds on a potter's table;
• Roasting in a kiln. This is the longest process. The longer the product is fired, the more durable and stronger it is;
• Finished product coloring.

If you are interested in pottery production, videos can be viewed on the Internet on specialized resources. Also, see other ideas for making money in the field of manufacturing materials and products, for example,.

Income

Pottery almost always finds its buyers. To organize the sale of finished products, you can take it for sale in supermarkets or souvenir shops. This is not the most profitable way, so you should try hard to become a regular supplier of a large souvenir chain. In this case, the volume of one batch of products will be at least 1000 pieces.

It is worth noting that pottery as a business brings good profits. To increase income, you can open training courses at the workshop. Many modern people who are tired of the daily hustle and bustle are happy to be creative. You can also organize refresher courses. In this case, you will need to purchase optional equipment for pottery production and consumables.

In addition, you can engage in the manufacture of pottery to order. Large companies often order large quantities of souvenirs with their logo or symbols. The pottery business will be successful if you choose a competent pricing policy. For regular wholesale buyers, it is necessary to provide special system discounts.

Purchase of raw materials

It is important to know that clay for pottery production can be of different varieties - white, red, and also with lime or sand impurities.

Before you start purchasing equipment, decide what kind of clay you will be working with. The choice of equipment and its cost largely depend on this.

Experienced potters mostly use red clay. The most important thing is that it contains a little lime. Experts advise finding one specific place where you can constantly take raw materials. It is desirable that the clay be oily and contain no more than 1% metal oxide. You can learn about the deposits of such material from local geologists or local historians.

Features of pottery

Before you start sculpting, you need to prepare the mixture. traditional technology pottery production involves squeezing air bubbles out of the clay. That is, the mixture must be thoroughly interrupted. To do this, the workpiece must be rolled up several times on wooden board. With the help of a wire, it is cut into pieces and thrown against the table with force. After that, the workpiece must be twisted several times in a spiral. This is a very important process, on which the number of marriages largely depends.

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are interested in how to learn pottery? The most important thing is to be patient, because this art requires a long polishing of skill. If something doesn't work for you, don't be upset. Think of those potters who worked several thousand years ago. They did not have special equipment and literature from which to draw necessary knowledge, but despite this, they created real masterpieces.

Summing up

Nowadays find training courses pottery won't be difficult. Therefore, having a desire, you can easily master this profession.

Experts recommend not to turn your apartment into a workshop. Use for this cottage, garage or rent a room. Otherwise, you will pollute all the rooms, burn the wiring, clog the sewers and, as a result, quarrel with all the neighbors.

The pottery workshop will bring good profit if you have a large enough number of clients. After you settle organizational and production issues, immediately look for reliable distribution channels.

Use advertising for this, and also take part in various art exhibitions. Offer souvenirs to small shops in the city center, at train stations and airports. If you take into account all these recommendations, the pottery workshop will become a profitable and promising business.