Handbuilding vs. Wheel Throwing: Which Pottery Technique is Right for You?

Pottery is as old as civilization itself, yet the joy of working with clay remains as fun, fresh, and as personal as ever. Whether you're new to the world of ceramics or an experienced potter looking to try new techniques or styles, handbuilding and wheel throwing are the fundamental ways to shape your clay. 

Both of these methods offer unique creative possibilities, but they require different mindsets, skills, and tools. Let’s dive into the differences, when and why you might choose one over the other, and what essential tools will help bring your creative vision to life.

Handbuilding

As the name implies, handbuilding is the process of shaping clay and creating pottery with your hands and simple tools. There’s no pottery wheel needed. There are three main handbuilding techniques — pinching, coiling, and slab building. 

• Pinching is where you start with a ball of clay and use your fingers to pinch and manipulate it into the desired shape. 

• Coiling is a popular handbuilding technique where you roll long ropes of clay and stack them together to build unique forms.

• Slab Building is the process of assembling flat sheets of clay together to create the desired shape, sort of like connecting puzzle pieces. 

Why Artists Enjoy Handbuilding

• Beginner-friendly: If you’re new to the world of ceramic arts, handbuilding is a great place to start. There’s no special machinery needed, which many beginners find much more approachable from a cost and experience perspective.
  

• Textural Expression: Because you’re using your hands, you have total control over the design and can imprint, carve, and manipulate surfaces with ease. A lot of artists like the extra tactile experience and the unique textures they can create in their art. 

• Creative Freedom: Handbuilding requires minimal, if any, tools, which means you’re really only limited by your imagination and the amount of clay you have at your disposal. You can create sculptures, asymmetrical pieces, functional pottery, and more. 

Essential Handbuilding Tools

While your main tools are your hands, there are a few other handbuilding tools that can come in handy. While not 100% necessary, these handbuilding tools can make the process easier and help you achieve the desired results more efficiently. Whether you're pinching a cup or coiling a vase, having the right tools within arm’s reach can make all the difference. 

Ribs

Ribs come in handy when shaping, smoothing, and compressing clay. Metal or wood ribs offer excellent flexibility and control to reduce cracking and help you get the perfect smooth look and shape you want. 

Sculpting Stylus Tools

Sculpting stylus tools come in a variety of tips and edges for refining curves and adding fine details to your pottery. They’re perfect when handbuilding intricate textures or altering thrown forms. We offer four stylus designs to meet your creative vision. 

Wire Tools

Wire tools make it easy to slice and separate big chunks of clay, so they’re especially helpful in handbuilding. The ability to quickly cut the right amount of clay helps to save you time and minimizes excess waste, so it’s a must-have tool for any ceramic artist. 

Pottery Sponges

Sponges help you control moisture, clean surfaces, or smooth out different forms. They’re great for refining surfaces and keeping your clay moist and malleable while handbuilding.

Pottery Multi-Tool

The pottery multi-tool gives you a whole arsenal of tools in one to take your handbuilding to the next level. With options for cutting, shaping, and scraping, it’s one tool that you’ll always want on hand for every project. 

Arc Shaver

The stainless-steel arc shaver is perfect for quickly shaving down leather-hard clay and refining curves. This handbuilding tool is especially helpful when you're adjusting the contour of a bowl or smoothing a slab-built surface, allowing you to apply controlled, even pressure.

Wheel Throwing

Wheel throwing involves using a pottery wheel to spin the clay while shaping it with your hands or a specific tool. The wheel helps add control and symmetry for creating rounded shapes. This is what most people think of when they think of making pottery.

Why Artists Enjoy Wheel Throwing

• Functional Creations: Wheel throwing is ideal for creating functional ware like bowls, mugs, and vases that you can use as part of your daily routine. The fast-pace of the wheel allows you to make these items quickly and keep them more uniform than if creating by hand.
  

• Symmetry and Balance: The wheel makes it easier to form perfectly round and balanced shapes. It encourages elegance and flowing shapes that are hard to replicate by hand. If you want a set of mugs or bowls that perfectly match, wheel throwing is the way to go.
  

• Fun and Relaxing: While art in and of itself is a fun endeavor, many artists specifically enjoy the continuous motion and repetitiveness of a pottery wheel. The motion is relaxing and helps to calm their mind and relieve stress.  

Essential Tools for Wheel Throwing

Wheel throwing calls for precision, control, and the right set of pottery tools to shape, refine, and finish your pieces on the wheel. Whether you're using a pottery wheel for the first time or a seasoned potter throwing complex forms, these tools can be your trusted companions in the studio. 

Pottery Sponges

Pottery sponges allow you to keep your wheel and clay moist, making it easy to smooth out your surfaces and prevent slippage. A good throwing sponge is absorbent yet firm enough to help guide your hand.

Ribs

Wood ribs are ideal for shaping and compressing clay while you’re working with it on the wheel. Use them to smooth out the curves and refine the profile of your rounded or cylindrical pieces without marking up the surface. 

Trimming Spinners

Trimming spinners are a simple tool but a secret weapon when wheel throwing. These discs help stabilize your pottery while trimming, allowing you to apply downward pressure without deforming the pot’s shape. 

Needle Tool

Pottery needle tools are a classic for a reason. Use your needle tool to check wall thickness, level your piece while throwing, or mark reference points. You can also use it to score sections when adding handles or other attachments to your pot or mug. 

Wire Tools

When wheel throwing, wire tools are used for slicing clay off the block and cutting your finished works off the wheel. A well-made wire helps minimize warping or distortion with clean, even cuts. 

Sticky Pads

Our sticky pads grip your piece and make it easy to cleanly remove material, whether you’re trimming with a bat on a wheelhead or carving with the pad on a banding wheel. Ideal for beginners, these pottery gripping pads add stability and include centering rings to make sure you place the piece in just the right spot. 

Which Technique is Right for You?

The choice between handbuilding and wheel throwing often comes down to intent and style. There’s really no right or wrong here. In fact, many potters combine both techniques, starting on the wheel and then making alterations or adding slab elements. 

Whatever technique you’re using, consider your pottery tools as your creative partner. The right tools make all the difference, serving as extensions of your hand or wheel. 

Whether you build by hand or throw on the wheel, we believe every artist deserves tools that are as passionate and creative as you. We have a variety of high-quality pottery tools that are useful for both techniques. 

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