Ceramics Two Books In One: Projects to Adapt to Suit Your Own Designs

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Layout!
Review: I got this book when I was taking a beginning pottery class. I found it to be extremely informative, inspiring and easy to use by the way it was organized. The top half of the book is organized by project and the bottom half of the book is organized by technique. Since I was just starting out, I had A LOT of technique to learn. My hands were already full; so it really helped to not be flipping back and forth so much. Each project lists the materials and techniques to be used and where to find them.

Rating:
Summary: Confused focus, but good designs & technique descriptions
Review: I'm not sure who this book is geared toward, since it provides instruction on some very basic pottery techniques, together with some step-by-step project ideas. However, the way it's worded, it implies that the reader has any variety of equipment, clays and glazes available, and is able to set their own kiln temperatures, and so on. (Which, of course, is only the case for professional potters working in their own studios).

That little blunderous fact aside, this is a pretty good book. It is formatted such that each page is cut in half horizontally, with the top half of the book giving step-by-step project walkthroughs, and the bottom half providing visual instruction on the techniques used in the projects. The plethora of pictures help a lot, and some of the project ideas are really great.

Rating:
Summary: Confused focus, but good designs & technique descriptions
Review: I'm not sure who this book is geared toward, since it provides instruction on some very basic pottery techniques, together with some step-by-step project ideas. However, the way it's worded, it implies that the reader has any variety of equipment, clays and glazes available, and is able to set their own kiln temperatures, and so on. (Which, of course, is only the case for professional potters working in their own studios).

That little blunderous fact aside, this is a pretty good book. It is formatted such that each page is cut in half horizontally, with the top half of the book giving step-by-step project walkthroughs, and the bottom half providing visual instruction on the techniques used in the projects. The plethora of pictures help a lot, and some of the project ideas are really great.