Ceramic Tile Making Course

A photo of four hexagonal ceramic tiles with a colourful, abstract pattern.

Friday 26th January – Friday 16th February 2024 | 18:30-20:30* | Glasgow Ceramic Studio, 77 Hanson Street, Glasgow, G31 2HF

Love tiles? Fancy the chance to create your own?

Tiles are a unique element of Glasgow’s built heritage which have adorned our closes and homes for centuries. 

Glasgow City Heritage Trust have teamed up with Glasgow Ceramic Studio and artist Alison Gray to deliver a practical course to to create your very own set of handmade tiles! The course will take place on a Friday evening for 4 weeks.

Join us for a chance to learn more about ceramic tiles as you experiment with colour, shape and surface treatment.

The cost of the 4 evening sessions is £150 per person. Price includes clay, glaze, plaster and two kiln firings. Space is limited to 10 places, booking essential.

We encourage you to bring along your own designs and materials for inspiration, or alternatively just have fun and experiment as you go!

Alison Gray, Glasgow Ceramic Studio, is a ceramic artist who has been working with clay for over twenty years. She has a long interest in tiles used in homes and Victorian buildings and has created tiles for kitchens and school wall plaques.

Breakdown of each week: 

Week 1: Friday 26th January, 18:30- 20:30 – Introduction and Learning
In this first session you will be introduced to Glasgow Ceramic Studio and start to get familiar with handling clay. We will take a look at some examples of how tiles have been used throughout history, with particular reference to Glasgow’s rich tile heritage. Then it’s time to experiment with a variety of different making techniques for cutting, creating images, surfaces and textures, to create your master tile ready for replication.

Week 2: Friday 2nd February, 18:30- 21:30* – Plaster Mould Making
This session will focus on creating a plaster mould of your tile design so that in week 3 we can produce multiple replicas ready for glazing and firing. Alison will guide you through the process of creating a frame and mixing the plaster prior to creating your very own tile mould.

*Please note the duration of this session will be up to 3 hours

Week 3: Friday 9th February, 18:30- 20:30 – Tile Reproduction
With plaster moulds created, it is now time to set the production line in motion to create your set of identical tiles. These will then be bisque fired ready for adding a colour in week 4.

Week 4: Friday 16th February, 18:30-20:30 – Decoration & Finishing
After a run through of some basic decorating techniques, now is the time to bring your tiles to life by adding some colour.  Once the tiles are decorated Alison will then glaze fire your pieces ready for collection at a later date.

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