Ceramics, casting and mould making workshops

Students have access to a ceramics area, a plaster room, a glazing room and a spray booth. The workshop specialises in many advanced processes: Jesmonite, silicone, Gelflex, bioresin, life-casting with alginate, clear resin embedding, concrete casting and finishing. It also has a wide range of hand tools and power tools for fabrication, from pliers and cutters to electric sanders and angle grinders.

We also stock a wide range of materials, which can be purchased from the paper store .

The plaster room has bookable spaces where students can make forms using the plaster lathe, make plaster moulds, and slip-cast clay objects.The plaster room is equipped with two blungers that make two types of slip: a white earthenware and a stoneware slip.

Glazes can be made up from raw materials kept in the studio, or plain base glazes can be stained to make up solid colours.

A spray booth is available to students and its use is covered in the glazing induction. In addition, a glass kiln is available to students wanting to fuse and slump sheet glass. Students who want more information about working with glass in this way should see the technician.

Inductions into wheel throwing, hand-building, using the plaster lathe, mould making, glazing and surface decoration are available through the Smart Hub and open to students studying 3D Design, Illustration and Fine Art .

The mould making and casting process involves capturing the sculpture or object in a material which will become firm enough to be detached and keep its shape. The negative space left behind can be filled with a casting material to make replicas of the original.