Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for arc.

Wonderful book and I tried a couple on my potters wheel. Lots of fun

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This was a great book for people who like to do pottery. I still think I won't be able to throw clay at all but books like this make me believe I can someday.

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Pinch Your Pottery is the perfect introductory guidebook to learning hand building ceramics. Combining precise step-by-step instructions with clear, soul-soothing photos, this book shows you how easy it is to create pottery for around the house. I cannot wait to start making my own pottery projects!

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Pinch Your Pottery The Art & Craft of Making Pinch Pots - 35 Beautiful Projects to Hand-form from Clay by Jacqui Atkin is a lovely compendium of pinch pot techniques and projects. From the very basics of working with clay for beginners (or those who want to begin) to more advanced techniques for the experienced potter, there is something in this book for everyone.

The step by step instructions and clear photographs make the art of pottery approachable for anyone. I especially liked the sections on slip trailing and making marks on clay but felt like I learned something on every page of this book. And best of all, the author sparks the reader’s imagination and gives them the tools to execute. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.). This is one book that every potter should have on their shelf.

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When most people think of pottery, the think of throwing pots on a wheel - it is, for some, the ultimate in making pots. In fact, a well made pinch pot is so much more artistically pleasing and original. Skillfully made, can impart a lot about the potter skill, knowledge and design ability.
I love this book, as a potter I learnt by making pinch pots, ( and it was a long time before I was allowed to go onto a pottery wheel ) and this book goes back to basisc and makes the would be potter understand the property of clay and of design. A great book with lots of project, all illustrated and explained and enhanced with fabulous glazing.

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This title was wonderfully informative and went outside of the normal elementary pinch pots. I learned a lot about techniques and types of clay without feeling bogged down by the information. I highly reccomend this book to anyone interested in getting into pottery.

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Although at first I thought this’d be too advanced for a beginner, I learnt a lot from this book. Lots of the terminology and techniques that puzzled me during the projects , are clearly explained in the first or final chapters.
The projects have step-by-step photos and instructions , and are mostly useful items with a contemporary look .Many of the projects, such as the footed dessert bowl and the pouring bowls on the cover, are quite simple designs yet look stunning. There are also some great , fun projects, such as the chicken egg cups.
I don’t have a kiln and, although this is really aimed at proper potters who can fire and glaze proper clay, I still found it quite inspiring for using air-dry clay and I think some of the simpler projects could be achieved with this.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

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Comes straight to the point: a lump of clay, a hand to cradle it, a thumb to hollow it out. Features a good range of interesting projects, not too taxing, but also not condescending.
Great that each project comes with dimensions and the required amount of clay.
The step-by-step images are clear and instructive, showing relevant tools and templates.
The 20 pages of decorating techniques at the end of the book might be too sparse for a beginner, but are a great aide-memoire to all others.
All in all, an excellent compendium for a budding potter.

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This is a great introduction to the art of pottery, full of interesting projects with detailed instructions and photographs. It is an informative book and reference guide to the different techniques and materials required for the enthusiastic potter. Highly recommended.

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A really good, accessible introduction to pinch pottery. These projects can be done at home with very little space or equipment, making them perfect for beginners who want to try pottery without a large investment in equipment. Regular readers of ClayCraft magazine will recognize several projects. Highly recommended for library collections.

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A wonderful guide to the art of making pottery.Step by step,Directions that are easy to follow beautiful pictures.I really enjoyed this guide full of instructions to the art of pottery.

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NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

A great addition to any potter's collection. I enjoyed the photos and explanation from the author. It seems to be geared more towards intermediate to professional potters but beginners can try the creations as well.

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Pottery is fun and can be so addictive! This book has some simple but nice designs for the beginner and/or intermediate hobbyist to try.

I liked the clear step by step pictorial instructions. The core making techniques would certainly come in handy to build up skills for pinching. I also liked that you don’t need a lot of tools for this technique.

I often say that videos rather than books may be better for teaching some crafts, and pottery is one of them. But the instructions seem to be adequate here and they allow the reader to pinch at their own slow pace if needed!

I look forward to pinching some air-dry clay creations with the help of this book.

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I love this book. I’m an amateur potter who prefers hand building techniques to throwing. I’ve always felt that this limited what I could make and the finish I could achieve. This book showed me otherwise. The instructions and accompanying step-by-step illustrations are clear and helpful. I actually feel like I could attempt these projects. The range of projects is excellent and many of the ideas could easily be adapted. The additional section on decorating techniques is equally clear and useful. I can’t wait to get my hands on some clay to start pinching.

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Pinch Your Pottery is a wonderful instructional book with a variety of gorgeous projects. It gives detailed project instructions with step-by-step instructions and photographs. A perfect guide for artists looking to expand their skill set!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

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