This intensive May course is designed as a complete immersion into ceramics, combining technique, material and artistic language.
Throughout the program you will work across the key areas of ceramic practice:
- Pottery wheel (beginner to intermediate)
- Handbuilding
- Porcelain on the wheel
- High-temperature glaze research
This is not a collection of workshops.
It is a structured journey where each part builds on the previous one.
You will start with strong foundations on the wheel, explore handbuilding, understand the demanding nature of porcelain, and finish by learning how to create surfaces with intention.
The goal is clear: to give you a complete understanding of ceramics, both technically and creatively.
Why you should take this course
Many courses teach techniques.
Few show how everything connects.
This program is designed to give you that:
- understand clay through different making processes
- work on both form and surface
- see how materials behave across techniques
- move beyond recipes and start making decisions
It is a way to progress months —even years— in just a few weeks.
This is not just learning ceramics.
It is changing how you approach it.
Who this course is for
This course is ideal for:
- People looking for a complete ceramics training
- Ceramicists who want to connect technique and artistic language
- Students who want to learn wheel + handbuilding + glazes
- Those looking for an intensive immersion
- Ceramicists who want to accelerate their learning
No previous experience is required (except for the porcelain workshop, which requires centering skills).
What you will learn
Throughout the course you will learn:
✅ Wheel (module I + II):
- Centering clay
- Throwing cylinders, bowls and complex forms
- Trimming pieces
- Working with lids, necks and closed forms
- Handling larger amounts of clay
✅ Handbuilding:
- Slab and coil techniques
- Functional pieces (cup, bowl, plate)
- Volume building (vase)
✅ Porcelain on the wheel:
- Adapting technique to porcelain
- Control of gesture and water
- Understanding differences with stoneware
✅ Decoration: Photoceramics onto clay:
- Photocopy transfers on raw clay and engobed clay surfaces
- Image transfers using laser printing and toner-based iron oxide transfers
- Application of digital ceramic decals
- Photoceramic processes using gum bichromate techniques
- Ceramic photograms using natural and artificial light
- Creating and applying handmade decals
- Pronto plate engraving technique applied to leather-hard stoneware slabs
✅ Final glazing:
- Applying glazes
- Completing the ceramic process
This course includes
- Materials (stoneware, porcelain, glazes)
- Tools
- Firing of selected pieces
- Access to studio facilities (as per program)
Doesn’t include
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Additional firings outside the program
Dates: from May 4th to 31st.
🔶 Wheel module I: Monday May 4 to Thursday May 7, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
🔶 Decoration: Photoceramics Workshop: Saturday May 9th and Sunday 10th, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
🔶 Wheel module II: Monday May 11 to Wednesday May 13, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
🔶 Wheel module III – Porcelain: Saturday May 16 and Sunday May 17, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
🔶 Handbuilding weekend: Saturday May 23 and Sunday May 24, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
🔶 Glazing class: Thursday May 28, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
🔶 Access to the studio facilities for practice: from Monday May 4 to Friday May 29, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
If you would like to fire any pieces made during your practice hours, we will calculate the corresponding cost.
Do you like the program? Contact us at eltorn@eltornbarcelona.com and we will tell you how to register.
For better personal tutoring we admit max. 6 students per class. The courses will take place with a minimum of 4 students. If you have signed up and paid and the course doesn’t take place, we’ll refund you the total amount paid. ElTornBarcelona cannot be responsible for procurement or losses incurred on travel arrangements. **Please take this into consideration when booking your flights and accommodation.
