Day I & II

1 ) Create cylinders.

    Create one small and one large cylinder. The large cylinder will dry a little while we use the small one.

2) Carve, press & stamp on small cylinders.

     The first small cylinder  is a place to explore your tools.  Try pressing, dragging, poking, gouging, and scraping with different objects. Keep your image simple.  Ideas for keeping it simple: Draw large geometric forms. ie triangles, circles, squares... and fill each shape with a different texture; Draw stick figures doing your favorite daily task.

3) Wrap, tack,  and trace drawings onto  a  larger cylinder.

     Be sure to pick a photocopy or a drawing you are willing to damage. Trim your drawing so it fits the cylinder.  Use tacks to hold drawing onto the drier cylinder. Now trace your drawing by pressing firmly with a working  pen.  It will be easier to drag your pen than pushing. Trace entire image.

4) Remove traced image and begin carving detail

    The detail you put in, is the detail you get out. You will need to carve all of your lines deeper than the original trace.   The reward comes in the printing, and attention to detail while carving pays in the long run.  Pointers:  Put in “background” textures first. Start shallow work in slowly, you might want to go over part or all  of the drawing many times. Try to remember to poke vent holes in the deep areas. Use paint brush to remove crumbs .

5) Test print with leather hard cylinder.

    Use care when printing with a bone dry cylinders, cracks that can break your cylinder.  You can also press small bits of clay to get an idea of how you carving is going.

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Day  II & III

 

1) Methods for making slabs

    Gauging Sticks, pounding, rolling pins, throwing, or slab roller
    Clean and prepare slab surface and edging

2) Different methods for printing with cylinders

    Partial prints/ sprigs, even thickness prints, free form printing

3) Critique drawing and cylinders

    Compare notes on what carvings/textures get exciting results.

3) Finished Slab handling

    Shaping, drying, storing and moving

4) Discuss and demo some of the possibilities  of Printing cylinder results

    Attach prints to pottery,
    Build with Printed slabs
    Create 2nd generation cylinder from printed slab

Day IV

1) Print images on t-shirts

    Bring fabric or clothing you’d like to print on so we can have a paint bonanza

2) Share cylinders.  

     As a class we will create a fabric print that will include an image from every student’s cylinder in the class, so we can begin to see the possibilities of creating compositions with multiple cylinders.

To schedule a workshop at your institution c all 831-462-6265, or s end e -mail to gnicastro@yahoo.com.  (Please be sure to include "Drawing Upon Clay"in your e-mail subject line to help Geof distinguish it from spam.)

Thank you for your interest in my workshop. I look forward to working with you soon.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey K Nicastro