Blog
Clay body combinations for marbling: everything I've tested
|Fran Aldea
The most useful thing I can tell you before anything else: when mixing two clay bodies for marbling, stay within the same supplier. A Standard stoneware with a Standard porcelain....
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How to Print Your Pottery Templates (So They Come Out the Right Size)
|Fran Aldea
Here’s the simple way to print your pottery templates at the right size, every time. A note on sizing: exact scale is essential for templates that hold liquids, like coffee...
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How to Calculate How Much Mason Stain to Add to Clay
|Fran Aldea
One of the most common questions I get from people who are new to working with colored clay is not which stain to use, but how much of it to...
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Clay Body Compatibility Guide
|Fran Aldea
This chart organizes the most common bodies from Standard Clay, Montesa, and SIO-2 into compatibility groups, so you can quickly see which ones can share a build. Use the tabs...
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Booklet Nº3: Three New Slab Building Pottery Templates for Vases
|Fran Aldea
The FromFran booklet series has a new installment, and this one is the most sculptural yet. Booklet Nº3 isn't a single product — it's a collection of three individual vessel...
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How to Make a Tea Cup
|Fran Aldea
Last week I showed the full build for the Daily Vessels tea cup, start to finish. This week: what happens after it dries. Bisque Firing Once the piece is bone...
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Pottery Template Booklet Nº1
|Fran Aldea
Are you a ceramics maker who loves handbuilding and work with slabs? Do you want pottery templates that feel intuitive, practical, and fun to use?
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How to Use Mason Stains in Ceramics?
|Fran Aldea
Are you looking to add vibrant, consistent colors to your ceramic projects? Mason stains are the perfect solution for potters of all skill levels. In this comprehensive guide, I'll walk...
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3 Ways to Add Color to Clay: Tint, Sgraffito, and Glaze
|Fran Aldea
When it comes to decorating clay, there is more than one way to bring your ideas to life. Some artists paint on the surface, others build color directly into the...
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How to Start Slab Built Mugs
|Fran Aldea
Before you start rolling out clay or cutting with a template, there are a few foundational steps that will make your slab-building process smoother and more enjoyable. This guide covers...
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Step-by-Step Guide: Making Mugs with Pottery Slab Templates
|Fran Aldea
A free tutorial, paired with my printable pottery templates. Every design I make follows the same three-step sequence: forming the Body, adding the Bottom, and attaching the Handle. Learn it...
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My Skutt Firebox 8×6 Mini-Kiln: Small But Mighty for Home Ceramic Studios
|Fran Aldea
As a ceramic artist juggling new motherhood and limited studio space in New York, finding the right kiln became essential to maintaining my creative practice. The Skutt Firebox 8×6 Mini-Kiln...
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How to Apply Underglaze Pencil Lines on Bisque
|Fran Aldea
If you love working with underglaze pencils (like my favorite Pasler!), you'll know sharp tips make all the difference. But keeping them smooth and smudge-free on bisque can be a...
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How To Use Wax Resist On Pottery Bisque?
|Fran Aldea
Today, we are going to learn how to use wax resist on pottery. What materials do you need? BrushBisqueWax resist Wax resist is a great material if you are planning...
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Pottery Classes NYC - Reviews and Recommendations
|Fran Aldea
I have been making ceramics in New York City for years, and in that time I have tried a lot of studios. Some were great, some were not. This is...
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Pottery Supplies Store NYC - Blick Art Materials
|Fran Aldea
I often get asked where to find pottery supplies in NYC when people come to visit. There are a few physical ceramic shops where you can find pottery supplies, but...
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How I Built 3 Pottery Tools with AI (Without Knowing How to Code)
|Fran Aldea
I'm excited to share how I recently created three specialized pottery tools using AI assistance, despite having zero coding experience. These tools have significantly streamlined my workflow and might help...
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How to Calculate Kiln Firing Time
|Fran Aldea
I get asked frequently about timing for bisque, glaze, and luster firings in my Skutt Firebox mini kiln. With my memory not being as reliable as it once was, I've...
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How I Made 400 Pottery Mugs per Month
|Fran Aldea
I still remember the feeling of relief when I first started using templates consistently. It wasn't just about making more, it was about enjoying the process again. At my busiest,...
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How To Apply Gold Luster?
|Fran Aldea
In this video, I will show you how to apply gold luster to an espresso cup and saucer. Have you ever wondered how some ceramics have gold on their surface?...
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Desmoldante Para Yeso
|Fran Aldea
A principios de año tuve que aprender a hacer moldes en 1 día. Tengo que confesar que nunca me había preocupado de esta parte del proceso y era completamente ignorante...
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Cursos de Cerámica en Santiago, Chile
|Fran Aldea
Antes de buscar clases de cerámica o taller de cerámica en Santiago es bueno saber que existen 3 técnicas de construcción: torno, modelado a mano y vaciado en moldes. Cada...
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AI Generated Experiment with Ceramics
|Fran Aldea
For the past few weeks, I have been isolated in my apartment with my husband. We moved from Santiago, Chile to New York three years ago, and we never had...
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