This foundation course explores materials, concepts, techniques, and processes in ceramics, including basic design principles, creative development, hand-building, throwing, glaze techniques, firing, and ceramic terminology. Emphasis is placed on personal exploration within the context of historical and contemporary developments across cultures. Evaluation and critique of aesthetics and the creative development of clay objects, including historical examples of ceramics from various cultures, historical periods, and aesthetic sensibilities will be discussed during the lab and lecture hours. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of making, decorating, and firing. Field trips may be required. Formerly: ART 51A. Transfer credit: CSU; UC.

This course provides advanced level instruction leading to advanced projects in ceramics, integrating multiple handbuilding techniques used to create a cohesive body of work. Emphasis will be on demonstration of a large scale construction in clay using structural supports. Course exercises will cover advanced surface decoration and glazing. Students will focus on producing a unified series of large scale sculptures as well as have hands-on experience with firing kilns. Prerequisites: ART V50C. Field trips may be required. Transfer credit: CSU; UC.

This foundation course explores materials, concepts, techniques, and processes in ceramics, including basic design principles, creative development, hand-building, throwing, glaze techniques, firing, and ceramic terminology. Emphasis is placed on personal exploration within the context of historical and contemporary developments across cultures. Evaluation and critique of aesthetics and the creative development of clay objects, including historical examples of ceramics from various cultures, historical periods, and aesthetic sensibilities will be discussed during the lab and lecture hours. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of making, decorating, and firing. Field trips may be required. Formerly: ART 51A. Transfer credit: CSU; UC.

This course provides investigative approaches to the enhancement of ceramic hand building through technical processes with emphasis on the awareness of contemporary aesthetic approaches in ceramic history. Emphasis will be on demonstration of surface decoration on clay structures through altering textures, inlays, color slips, oxides, sgraffito, and slip trailing. The nature of clay–plastic, leather-hard, bone-dry clay–will be explored. Prerequisites: ART V50A. Field trips may be required. Transfer credit: CSU; UC.

This course provides development of individual projects in handbuilt ceramics focusing on personal aesthetics through the understanding of professional procedure in ceramic art. Emphasis will be on the demonstration of two techniques–combined with but not limited to slab construction, extruder, pinch, and coil construction–to reflect a personal expression in clay sculpture. Introduction to non-traditional glazing techniques for sculpture. Explore the possibilities of various firing processes. Prerequisites: ART V50B. Field trips may be required. Transfer credit: CSU; UC.