Three-Week Improver Throwing Course: Forms & Decoration
Improvers & Intermediate
Progressing Skills
Duration: 3 Weeks (Monday–Friday, 10am–4pm)
Course Overview
This three-week course is written for improver potters looking to strengthen their throwing skills and explore surface decoration. In a group of 5 participants you will receive guidance from a different potter each week as they focus on the different elements of producing pottery – from preparation of clay to glazing. The course encourages a process-led approach to develop replicate-able skills, good practice and habits for participants.
Each week builds on the last, encouraging consistency, skill-building, and reflective practice.
Week 1: Form & Function
Focus: Leach Pottery boot camp with one of our experienced throwers.
Centering and pulling with increased control
Throwing cylinders, mugs, bowls and plates
Practice, practice, practice
Centering practice. Pulling practice. Handle practice. Trimming practice.
Exploring form: proportion, function, and repetition and working with larger weights of clay
Reflecting on forms through group feedback
The goal of this week is to level up participant’s skills without worrying about fired results.
Set aside one of each form to be bisque fired
Week 2:
Focus: Developing and refining more complex forms
Building on last weeks practice…
Mugs, jugs, and lidded pots
Throwing and fitting lids, galleries, and throwing to size
Combining thrown components (e.g. handles and knobs, pouring lips)
Potential for making two-part pots
Save quite a few pots to be used as blanks for decoration next week
Week 3: Surface & Expression
Focus: Surface decoration techniques on leather-hard and bisque work
Slip application and brushwork
Sgraffito, incising, carving, and texturing techniques
Use of resists and layering methods
Considering surface as part of form through faceting
Selecting and refining pieces for glazing
When: Monday 4 May – Friday 22 May 2026. Monday – Friday, across 3 weeks
Where: The Leach Pottery Learning & Production Studios
Places: 5 per course.
Course cost: £2200
Duration: 5 days. Core teaching hours: 10am - 4pm Monday - Thursday and 10am – 3.30pm on Friday of each week.
Please arrive at 9.30am on the first day of your course to take part in a course welcome session to hear about the history of the Leach Pottery
Equipment & materials: Clay and a basic tool kit is provided: we focus on building core skills and working directly with the clay to get the most from a central selection of tools. Please bring additional tools if you wish to use them along with an apron and hand towel
This course will: Teach you specific skills in throwing different forms and surface decoration
You will leave with: course participants will leave with 5 pots of up to 20 x 20 x 20cm that will be glazed and fired at the Leach Pottery and sent to you* up to 12 weeks after the course has finished. You are welcome to take one or two pieces of unfired work home if you wish. Please bring boxes and packaging for safe transport
Ability & Skill Level: Improver. You can read more about ability & skills levels here
These throwing courses are suitable for both improvers throwers As sessions are taught in small groups, the tutor is able to provide support to each participant, regardless of their skill level within the Improver and Intermediate criteria. Abilities are self-identified, so there may be a range of experience within the group—but everyone is supported at their own pace. (See here for explanation of skill level criteria)
*if the address that you would like your work posting to is non-UK, extra postage will apply.
We are delighted to offer one 10% discount in our Shop for the duration of your course.
Any questions? Please visit our FAQ page
Please be aware, only assistance dogs are allowed in the Learning spaces.
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