10 Pottery Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs

Drawing from her extensive experience as a studio artist and educator, Julia Claire Weber crafted this guide to demystify the pottery wheel for newcomers. You’ll learn essential skills like clay selection, centering techniques, and crafting basic forms such as cups and bowls, with clear chapters on trimming and handle attachment. The book’s standout feature is its detailed decal workshop, which opens creative possibilities beyond just shaping clay. If you’re starting out or returning to ceramics, this book offers a patient, skill-focused path that helps you gain confidence without overwhelming you.

Ben Carter's years as an accomplished ceramic artist and educator shine through in this guide to wheel-throwing. You’ll begin with the basics—centering clay and forming foundational shapes—before diving into advanced techniques like throwing large vessels and creative alterations such as darting and paddling. The book also includes galleries showcasing contemporary potters, providing both inspiration and concrete examples of diverse styles. Whether you're refining your craft or exploring new forms, this book offers detailed insights that suit potters ready to push their skills beyond the beginner stage.

This tailored book explores the art and craft of pottery with a focus on your unique journey. It covers essential techniques from wheel throwing to handbuilding, glazing, and firing, all tailored to match your background, skill level, and creative goals. By synthesizing collective ceramic knowledge, it reveals a personalized pathway through the complexities of pottery, enabling you to deepen your skills effectively. Whether you seek to refine foundational methods or experiment with innovative forms, this guide addresses your specific interests and challenges. With this personalized book, you engage in a learning experience that reflects your pace and priorities, making the rich tradition of pottery accessible and inspiring as you develop mastery over your craft.

What started as Deb Schwartzkopf's deep immersion in diverse ceramic traditions evolved into this guide for potters seeking creative growth. You’ll explore how to break free from basic forms by mastering techniques like throwing bottomless cylinders and altering shapes to craft pieces such as asymmetrical plates and teapots. Schwartzkopf’s chapters invite you to experiment with bisque molds and layering complexity, empowering you to push boundaries in both wheel-throwing and handbuilding. Whether you want to refine fundamental skills or venture into inventive design, this book suits potters ready to unlock new possibilities in their work.

When Jacqui Atkin developed her approach to pottery, she focused on marrying aesthetics with daily functionality. You’ll learn how to create ceramic pieces that truly fit your lifestyle — from plates that stack neatly in your cabinets to mugs with handles designed for comfort. Atkin walks you through selecting the right clay, choosing food-safe glazes, and mastering construction techniques like throwing and slabbing, with chapters dedicated to perfecting spouts and lids that actually fit. Whether you want to craft casserole dishes or delicate saucers, this book’s design insights help you build pottery that’s both beautiful and practical. It’s especially suited if you’re refining your skills beyond beginner basics and want to deepen your craftsmanship.

Jacqui Atkin brings her extensive studio ceramicist experience and editorial insight to this approachable exploration of pinch pottery. You learn how to form a variety of objects using this direct, hands-on technique, from functional pieces to decorative sculptures, with detailed guidance on clay selection, decoration, and firing methods. The book’s 35 projects offer diverse styles and encourage experimenting with surface treatments, making it suitable whether you're just starting ceramics or seeking fresh inspiration. This is not about advanced wheel-throwing skills but about rediscovering clay’s tactile possibilities through pinching, making it a great fit for creative hobbyists and makers intrigued by handbuilding methods.

This tailored book explores focused strategies to elevate your pottery skills within a 30-day span. It covers essential techniques and creative exercises designed to accelerate your craftsmanship, matching your background and addressing your specific goals. Through a personalized pathway, the book examines foundational practices alongside targeted skill-development, ensuring a balanced and engaging learning experience. You'll explore wheel throwing nuances, handbuilding methods, and surface finishing tailored to your interests. This approach allows you to progress efficiently by concentrating on what matters most to your pottery journey, blending expert knowledge with your unique creative expression. Such a personalized guide transforms complex content into achievable steps for rapid improvement.

Sunshine Cobb brings her extensive experience as a ceramic artist and educator to this guide, designed specifically for those eager to explore hand building in pottery. You’ll dive into foundational skills like clay preparation and body mechanics, then move toward creating both functional pieces, such as a coffee pour-over vessel, and sculptural projects like miniature animals. The book also includes mixed media ideas and features inspiring gallery work from contemporary artists, making it a hands-on resource that balances technique with creative exploration. It's particularly suited for beginners or those returning to ceramics, offering a clear path to develop your craftsmanship and artistic voice.

What started as Kara Leigh Ford's personal exploration into functional pottery quickly evolved into a guide designed to demystify ceramics for beginners. Drawing from her experience building an online pottery community and working in her Somerset studio, Ford breaks down essential techniques—from hand building simple items like mugs and soap dishes to mastering the wheel for bowls and vases. You’ll learn not only clay types and workspace setup but also glazing and firing methods that bring your creations to life. This book suits anyone eager to move beyond curiosity to crafting tangible, beautiful ceramic pieces with confidence.

Matt Levy, a ceramics expert with years of experience in sourcing natural materials, teams up with Takuro and Hitomi Shibata to explore the art of using wild clay in pottery. You’ll learn how to find clay in the environment, test its properties like shrinkage and plasticity, and adapt it for diverse uses—from sculpture to glaze application. The book offers detailed guidance on blending materials and understanding clay behavior, with rich illustrations and examples from international potters. If you're aiming to deepen your connection to your materials and innovate with natural resources, this book provides practical insights suited to novices and seasoned artisans alike.

Jon Schmidt's experience as a potter and entrepreneur shines through in this hands-on guide that goes beyond basic pottery techniques. You learn how to throw, hand-build, and glaze functional pieces like mugs, plates, and bowls, with detailed projects that encourage you to develop skills incrementally. The book also ventures into the business side, offering practical advice on marketing and selling your handmade ceramics, which is ideal if you want to turn a hobby into income. Whether you're just starting or looking to refine your craft with an eye toward profit, this book serves as a clear roadmap with concrete examples, such as glazing tips in chapter 7 and sales strategies in the final section.

What started as Florian Gadsby's personal journey through apprenticeships in England, Ireland, and Japan became a vivid exploration of pottery as a disciplined craft. You gain insight into traditional and contemporary techniques, such as raw glazing, soda firing, and the use of a kick wheel, illustrated by specific examples like the creation of the Japanese yunomi teacup. The book invites you into the meditative aspects of pottery and the philosophy behind dedicating yourself to handmade objects that enrich daily life. If you're drawn to both the tactile and conceptual sides of ceramics, this memoir offers a unique blend of artistic growth and practical knowledge, though it’s less a technical manual and more a reflective narrative.