Studio Notes

Plaster molds let you repeat a form as many times as you want. Here's what plaster is, how to mix it safely, and how to make your first simple mold.

Clay always gets smaller as it dries and fires. Here's what shrinkage is, why it matters for your work, and how to measure it with a simple test.

Something went wrong in the kiln — but what, and why? A practical guide to seven common glaze defects, their real causes, and how to prevent them next time.

You have a recipe, a bag of materials, and a bucket. Here's the complete practical process for turning dry ingredients into a ready-to-use glaze — including the steps most guides skip.

Glaze is one of those things that looks complicated but is surprisingly approachable once you understand what's actually happening. Here's everything a beginner needs to know.

Every glaze recipe lists percentages — but what do they actually mean when you're standing at the scale? Here's how the numbers work, and it's simpler than it looks.