Coiled Face Jugs
Assignment
Your assignment is to create a coiled face jug. Your jug needs to be inspired by an exaggerated facial expression and include detailed facial features.
Objectives:
I can design an exaggerated facial expression based on the history of face jugs.
I can roll even coils.
I can score and slip.
I can control the coiling to allow the vase to expand and to create a closure.
I can use hand building to form facial features out of clay.
I can use the additive and subtractive process to create details and add dimension to my face.
I can pull handles
I can glaze my ceramics piece.
Art Inspiration
Art History:
The making of southern face jugs is a ceramic tradition that has been dated back to the 1840's. Sometimes known as "ugly or grotesque jugs" face jugs were thought to have begun in Edgefield county South Carolina by African slaves who worked on the plantations as potters.
Folklore handed down generation to generation told that slaves made ugly jugs to distinguish the different liquids inside. Jugs with faces were for the ones you couldn’t drink, like ones filled with kerosene. According to family folklore, ugly jugs were also used by slaves as grave markers, made ugly to scare the devil away.
Watch this video:
Contemporary Artist: Jim McDowell
Review the website page of Jim McDowell.
Read through his Bio and artist statement.
Contemporary Artist: Mitchell Grafton
Other Examples:
Planning & Design Assignment
Create 2 sketches of face jugs. Consider: Shape of jug and facial expression.
Consider extra details and what you will place on the backside of the jug.
Color your face jugs with colored pencil to determine the glaze you will use
Gather reference photos of expressive faces or objects to use as inspiration.
Do not replicate a face jug that already exists but create your own.
10 points
Skill Building
Make a pinch pot mug
Objectives:
I want you to learn how to pull a handle that you can potentially use in your face jug design.
Directions:
Using the article and videos linked in the article, make a pinch pot mug with a handle.
Make a pinch pot cup
Add height to the cup with a slab
Blend, shape, and add a foot if desired.
Pull a handle, form, and attach to the mug.
Constructing the Base of the Jug
CoilVaseBase.MOV1. Roll a slab and cut out the shape and size of your base.
2. Roll your first coil and score and slip to the base of your jug.
3. Continue rolling coils and attaching them to the previous coil by scoring and slipping.
4. Blend the outside of your coils together. Support the clay with other hand as you blend.
5. Control the size and placement of the coil to make vase wider or more narrow.
Jug should be 12" tall!
Constructing the Face
Think of the structure of the face. What areas pop out the most on the human skull?
Using pieces of wedged clay, score and slip clay onto the forehead, cheekbones, nose and lips.
Of course, all of your designs may not be built the same. Adjust the clay to suit your design.
Sculpting the face
*Start at min 3*
1. Sketch out proportions of the face. Where are the eyes, nose, and mouth.
2. Build up facial structure and blend.
3. Add small pieces of clay and continue to build up features.
Constructing the eye:
Sculpting Eyes
Constructing the nose:
Constructing the mouth:
Constructing an ear:
cut out an oval
Create a coil and score on the edge
Create Texture
Not a lot of texture vs. More texture
Additive texture:
Video about creating texture by attaching additional pieces of clay.
Don't forget to score and slip!
Subtractive textures:
Stamping
Carving