This Pottery Taught Me More Than Any Tutorial

A cinematic pottery video — handbuilt ceramic trophy pot with medieval textures, slip decoration, and gold accents. I made this pot without a clear plan. Just one idea, some clay… and a hundred mistakes. In this video, I step out of the usual bonsai pot codes to explore a different direction — a medieval, steampunk-inspired trophy pot. I tried things I’d never done before. I failed. I adjusted. I learned. And that’s exactly what this project is about. If you’ve ever felt stuck in routine, or unsure how to turn your ideas into reality — maybe this video will speak to you, or maybe another on this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH5Fqye0mrsc78Yh_esq5VpJySflZAocu&si=hDqzzFbyJTpfNICz 🎨 Pottery techniques and process: • Handbuilding and sculpting • Carving clay plates and armor textures • Colored slip decoration on greenware • Oxide wash on bisque-fired ceramics • Low-fire metallic slip for golden accents • DIY pottery tools and creative problem solving –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 👑 A pot that won’t hold a tree. But maybe it holds something else. • WANT TO SUPPORT MY WORK? •• If you want to help me tame more clay and make more videos: Patreon – low fees, great vibes (8% cut): 👉 https://bit.ly/3G9yOtf YouTube Membership – convenient, but they take a big slice (45%!): 👉 https://bit.ly/46p3fpX One-off tip? A coffee is always appreciated: ☕ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/GregCeramics •• SHOP & TOOLS •• Pottery & creations: https://www.greg-ceramics.com/ Pot templates (digital): https://gregceramics.gumroad.com/ My homemade tools: https://www.greg-ceramics.com/?page=tool Beginner tool recommendations: https://amzn.to/3V76ZZ2 (Affiliate link) –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 00:00 The Idea — Making a Pot with No Plan 01:10 Dividing the Pot into Armor Plates 03:00 Templates, Carving, and First Mistakes 05:00 DIY Clay Tool: A Tracing Compass 06:40 Hammered Metal Texture in Clay 08:10 Cutting the Rim and Foot for Depth 09:45 Slip Painting on Greenware 11:30 Bisque Firing and Iron Oxide Wash 13:30 Second Firing — Cone 8 Results 15:00 Gold Accents and a Third Low Firing 17:00 Heraldic Symbols and Freehand Painting 19:00 Final Thoughts — Useless Pots and Creative Freedom #pottery #ceramicart #slipdecoration #creativeprocess #handmadepottery #potteryvideo #ceramics #makingof #bonsaipottery #artistlife #medievalstyle #handbuiltceramics