SURFACE DECORATION CARVING OR INCISING

You will need:

■ The teapot from project 3 – firmed to leather hard

■ Porcelain slabs – min 5mm thick, cut into tiles to practice on. Dry them out completely between boards to keep them flat

■ Tracing paper – optional

■ Pencil

■ Reference books with images you like – or look online for simple images and print off

■ Carving tools – readily available from ceramic suppliers in many forms

■ Bowl with water and a natural sponge

■ Soft, large-headed mop brush

■ Dust mask

DIFFICULTY RATING

A note about carving tools before you begin:

You will need sharp, fine-headed tools in a selection of sizes and shapes for this technique. They can be loop tools or blades like those shown – Xiem tools make a good selection – available from your pottery supplier, along with others suitable for fine carving.

The bladed tools used here were