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Pottery Wheel Tips & Tricks

ceramic pottery teacher, yolanda, throwing at the wheel at zurich db pottery studio

Pottery Wheel Tips & Tricks

Yolanda, Leiterin des Töpferkurses bei db pottery in Zürich, sitzt an der Töpferscheibe und zentriert Ton.

Hello, I’m Yolanda and I lead intensive courses and intensive weeks on the pottery wheel at db pottery in Zurich. I really enjoy guiding people as they gain confidence step by step and create their first pieces of handmade ceramics.

I simply love everything about pottery. A small note at the beginning: Unlike “classic” learning, this isn’t about theory or memorization, but about practice, muscle memory, and developing a feel for the clay. “Binge-learning” doesn’t work – what matters is consistency.

To help you enjoy the pottery wheel even more, I’m sharing my best tips & tricks and showing you common mistakes that many beginners make.

1. Preparation – Getting Off to the Right Start

  • Let go of expectations for a specific shape or size. Focus on the process first, not the outcome.
  • Short nails are helpful (we have nail clippers at the studio 😉).
  • Please tie back long hair.
  • Wear clothes that can handle a few clay splashes – even though we of course provide aprons. And don’t worry: clay washes out easily.

2. The Six Contact Points for More Stability

For steady hands and more precise work:

  • (2 points) Legs gently brace the wheel
  • (2 points) Forearms are supported
  • (1 point) Abdomen rests against the wheel
  • (1 point) Hands are joined

These six contact points give you security and stability. It’s best to practice them a bit so that your brain triggers a sort of alert whenever you lose a contact point.

3. The Right Lump of Clay

Waage mit 600 Gramm Ton darauf.

It’s better to start with a smaller piece of clay, even if you lose a lot at first. It gives you more control and helps you learn the technique more cleanly. You can increase the size later.

Here you’ll find a great source for recommendations on suitable clay weight for specific shapes.

4. Centering – Half the Battle

Großaufnahme einer Person an der Töpferscheibe, die die Formen einer Wand formt.

  • You can pull the clay toward you, push it away or do both at the same time (“squishing” – my favorite).
  • Use closed palms, not individual fingers.
  • If the clay wobbles a lot: stop briefly and realign.
  • Take your time – well-centered clay is the foundation for everything.

5. The Right Speed on the Pottery Wheel

  • Centering & Opening: Full speed, lots of force, constant pressure.

  • Pulling Up the Walls: Slow down; the thinner and taller the wall, the slower.

  • Tip: Set the pedal to full speed when centering and push it away if you tend to constantly change the speed.

6. From Force to Finesse

  • Centering = Force, whole hand.
  • Pulling up the walls = Sensitivity, less force, slower speed.

7. Understanding “Pulling Up”

Actually, we don’t pull the clay up; instead, we push it from the OUTSIDE, from bottom to top. From the inside, you simply stabilize and guide it. Important: keep your hands joined and use the contact points.

8. Shaping – Now Work from the Inside

 Once you’ve made a cylinder, you can apply pressure from the inside and shape the form.

  • Join several fingers to form a surface and press the wall from the inside out.
  • Die Außenhand verbindet sich mit der Innennhand, wobei die Aussenhand nur locker an deinem Gefäss liegt und Stabilität gibt, aber keinen Druck!
  • A mirror helps you keep an eye on the outer shape.

9. Avoid S-Cracks

Keramikschale, die biskuitgebrannt wurde und einen S-förmigen Riss am Boden aufweist.To prevent cracks in the base, compress the bottom before pulling up the walls:

  • Massage the base, flatten it, and work with pressure.
  • Best at high speed – I like to use the sponge for this.

Conclusion: Learning Pottery at db Pottery in Zurich

Pottery is a wonderful combination of technique, feeling, and patience. Those who practice regularly will see progress quickly.

Our intensive courses and intensive weeks in Zurich are the perfect opportunity to get to know the pottery wheel, improve your technique, and create your own pieces of handmade ceramics.

👉 Got inspired?
 Then sign up for one of our many pottery courses and dive into the fascinating world of ceramics.

🧡 We look forward to seeing you!

Ton zentrieren auf der Drehscheibe – DB-Pottery

Beginner Pottery Wheel Course

The hands of a participant who is taking a pottery wheel course at db pottery studio in Zurich. The persons hands is working on the form and pulling up the walls of their vessel.

Intensive Pottery Wheel Course

Blog Author
yolanda db pottery Zurich Töpferlehrerin
Yolanda
Studio Manager and Pottery Instructor

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