Beginner's Guide to Hand Building

Quarry Books
Beginner's Guide to Hand Building

If you've ever wanted to try hand building with clay, or if you have ever taken a class and walked away wishing you knew more, it's time to step into the studio with Sunshine

In The Beginner's Guide to Hand Building, beloved ceramics teacher and best-selling author of Mastering Hand Building, Sunshine Cobb, offers her friendly support and expert instruction on how to create your own handbuilt pottery. You'll start at the beginning of the process with a tour through a typical ceramics studio, a discussion of the best clays for hand building, as well as a variety of helpful tips for keeping your body and mind ready to work. Then pick the path that's right for you in the chapters that follow.

Develop new skills and unlock your own creativity as you explore:


  • Sculptural projects like flora, fauna, wall tiles, animals, and hanging clouds.
  • Functional items like spoons/scoops, a citrus reamer, butter dish, tapas plates, and a coffee pour-over vessel.
  • Mixed media projects including a candlestick holder, mobiles, and a soap dish.
  • And of course, everything you need to finish your project, with a variety of surface decoration options.


Throughout the book, skill-building is front and center, with tips and tricks to help you crack the code and make pieces you're proud of. Gallery workfrom some of today's top artists are sure to inspire potters of all levels. What will you make first?