100% found this document useful (2 votes)
1K views6 pages

Pottery

The document provides information about the requirements and steps to earn the Boy Scouts of America Pottery merit badge. It explains various pottery terms and techniques required to complete assignments to throw, sculpt, and decorate different types of pottery. Resources for further learning about pottery, related career opportunities, and organizations are also listed.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
100% found this document useful (2 votes)
1K views6 pages

Pottery

The document provides information about the requirements and steps to earn the Boy Scouts of America Pottery merit badge. It explains various pottery terms and techniques required to complete assignments to throw, sculpt, and decorate different types of pottery. Resources for further learning about pottery, related career opportunities, and organizations are also listed.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

POTTERY

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA


MERIT BADGE SERIES

POTTERY

“Enhancing our youths’ competitive edge through merit badges”


Requirements
1. Explain to your counselor the precautions that must be
followed for the safe use and operation of a potter’s tools,
equipment, and other materials.
2. Do the following:
a. Explain the properties and ingredients of a good clay
body for the following:
(1) Making sculpture
(2) Throwing on the wheel
b. Tell how three different kinds of potter’s wheels work.
3. Make two drawings of pottery forms, each on an 8 1⁄2-by-
11-inch sheet of paper. One must be a historical pottery
style. The other must be of your own design.

35934
ISBN 978-0-8395-3314-6
©2008 Boy Scouts of America
2015 Printing
4. Explain the meaning of the following pottery terms: bat,
wedging, throwing, leather hard, bone dry, greenware,
bisque, terra-cotta, grog, slip, score, earthenware, stoneware,
porcelain, pyrometric cone, and glaze.
5. Do the following. Each piece
is to be painted, glazed, or
otherwise decorated by you:
a. Make a slab pot, a coil pot,
and a pinch pot.
b. Make a human or animal
figurine or decorative sculpture.
c. Throw a functional form on a
potter’s wheel.
d. Help to fire a kiln.
6. Explain the scope of the ceramic
industry in the United States.
Tell some things made other than
craft pottery.
7. With your parent’s permission
and your counselor’s approval,
do ONE of the following:
a. Visit the kiln yard at a local
college or other craft school.
Learn how the different kinds of kilns work, including
low fire electric, gas or propane high fire, wood or
salt/soda, and raku.
b. Visit a museum, art exhibit, art gallery, artists’ co-op, or
artist’s studio that features pottery. After your visit, share
with your counselor what you have learned.
c. Using resources from the library, magazines, the Internet
(with your parent’s permission), and other outlets, learn
about the historical and cultural importance of pottery.
Share what you discover with your counselor.
8. Find out about career opportunities in pottery. Pick one
and find out the education, training, and experience
required for this profession. Discuss this with your coun-
selor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

POTTERY    3
Pottery Resources.

Pottery Resources
Scouting Literature Books
Archaeology, Art, and Sculpture merit Andrews, Tim. Raku. KP Books, 2005.
badge pamphlets
Atkin, Jacqui. Pottery Basics: Everything
You Need to Know to Start Making
With your parent’s permission,
Beautiful Ceramics. Barron’s, 2005.
visit the Boy Scouts of America’s
official retail Web site at Birks, Tony. The Complete Potter’s
Companion. Bulfinch, 1998.
http://www.scoutstuff.org for
a complete listing of all merit Brommer, Gerald F., and Joseph A.
badge pamphlets and other Gatto. Careers in Art: An Illustrated
helpful Scouting materials Guide, 2nd ed. Sterling, 1999.
and supplies. Burleson, Mark. The Ceramic Glaze
Handbook: Materials, Techniques,
Formulas. Sterling, 2003.
Periodicals
Cooney, Nicky. Decorating Ceramics:
Ceramics Monthly Over 300 Easy-to-Paint Patterns.
Toll-free telephone: 800-342-3594 Sterling, 1999.
Web site: http://ceramicsmonthly.org
Cosentino, Peter. The Encyclopedia of
Popular Ceramics Pottery Techniques: A Comprehensive
Toll-free telephone: 800-331-0038 Visual Guide to Traditional
Web site: and Contemporary Techniques.
http://www.popularceramics.com Sterling, 2002.
Pottery Making Illustrated Daly, Greg. Glazes and Glazing
Toll-free telephone: 800-340-6532 Techniques. Gentle Breeze
Web site: http://www.potterymaking.org Publishing, 1996.
Gibson, John. Pottery Decoration:
Contemporary Approaches.
Overlook, 1997.

94    POTTERY
.Pottery Resources

Hamer, Frank, and Janet Hamer. Organizations and Associations


The Potter’s Dictionary of Materials American Art Pottery Association
and Techniques. University of P.O. Box 834
Pennsylvania Press, 2004. Westport, MA 02790-0697
Hopper, Robin. Functional Pottery: Form Web site: http://www.amartpot.org
and Aesthetic in Pots of Purpose. The American Ceramic Society
KP Books, 2000. P.O. Box 6136
———. Making Marks: Discovering the Westerville, OH 43086-6136
Ceramic Surface. KP Books, 2004. Web site: http://www.ceramics.org
Illian, Clary. A Potter’s Workbook. The Pottery Studio
University of Iowa Press, 2003. Web site: http://www.studiopottery.com
Mattison, Steve. The Complete Potter.
Barron’s, 2003. Acknowledgments
Nelson, Glenn C. Ceramics: A Potter’s The Boy Scouts of America gives
Handbook. Wadsworth, 2001. special thanks to pottery expert Louise
Peterson, Susan. The Craft and Art of Rosenfield for her gracious and enthusi-
Clay: A Complete Potter’s Handbook. astic gift of time, expertise, and resources
Overlook, 2003. for the production of this edition of the
Pottery merit badge pamphlet.
Speight, Charlotte, and John Toki.
The BSA is grateful to artisan potter
Hands in Clay. McGraw-Hill, 2003.
Mark Hewitt of W. M. Hewitt Pottery,
Triplett, Kathy. Handbuilt Ceramics: Pittsboro, North Carolina, for hosting
Pinching, Coiling, Extruding, a photo shoot at his fascinating studio.
Molding, Slip Casting, Slab Work. Some of the photos in this pamphlet
Lark, 2000. feature his immense, 900-cubic-foot kiln,
Van Gilder, Bill. Wheel-Thrown Pottery: which he describes as “the size of a
An Illustrated Guide of Basic school bus.” This renowned potter spe-
Techniques. Lark Books, 2006. cializes in very large vessels, many of
which are exhibited around the world.
Warshaw, Josie. Handbuilding Pottery:
Thanks also to the Craft Guild of
Practical Art Handbook. Anness
Dallas and its staff for so generously
Publishing, 2005.
allowing us the use of their facilities for
Wensley, Doug. Pottery: The Essential a photo shoot. For more than 50 years
Manual. Crowood, 2002. the Craft Guild has served as a meeting
Zakin, Richard. Ceramics: Mastering the place for hobbyists and artists, and as a
Craft. KP Books, 2001. showplace for their works of art.
The BSA thanks members of Troop
———. Electric Kiln Ceramics. KP 93, Pittsboro, North Carolina, and
Books, 2004. Troop 890, Circle Ten Council, Dallas,
Zamek, Jeff. Safety in the Ceramics Texas, for their assistance with photos.
Studio. KP Books, 2002.

POTTERY    95

You might also like