🎧 Bone-Dry Construction Tyler Quintin

Appears in the February 2025 issue of Ceramics Monthly.

The audio file for this article was produced by the Ceramic Arts Network staff and not read by the author.

My work focuses on identity, specifically the internet’s role in navigating and defining it. I am a gay, Korean American with a culturally American upbringing. The internet allows me to learn about my cultural heritage and provides me with platforms to enter into queer spaces and communities. 

With this connection to digital spaces in mind, my vessels and figures are often fragmented with areas of wire-frame structures. Originally, my vessels were comprised almost entirely of these structures, creating artworks that were shaped in traditional, recognizable shapes without any surface area for conventional patterns or imagery. I created an allegory for a Korean body that lacked the language, culture, and familial heritage. I now engulf these structural vessels in diaphanous cloud forms that give way to surfaces covered in my personal imagery and narratives. Within a figurative work, these exposed wire frames and selective fragmentation of the body engage artificiality, missing information, and the potential for further rendering. 

Background 

Each of us working in clay has at least one story of learning something highly influential to our current practice from a fellow ceramic artist. For me, one of these moments was in 2017 when I took a workshop with Lauren Gallaspy. The focus of the workshop was on china painting and over-glazing, though, she also gave us a brief handbuilding demo. Using bone-dry clay and slip, Gallaspy explained that ceramics has traditionally been taught in a very sequential way (wet, leather hard, bone dry, bisque, glaze, finish) to streamline the process of teaching. But clay is a medium with countless possibilities, and just because it has been taught this way should not limit the possibilities we could achieve. Watching this demo of bone-dry clay and slip, I realized I had previously observed this phenomenon when I had dry trimmings on the wheel that had been splashed with slip; the wet slip meeting the bone-dry clay caused them to fuse together. Ever since, I have made a more conscious effort to be a better observer of what clay does while making, expanding my technical toolbox of processes in my practice. 

Since that workshop, I have been experimenting with bone-dry clay. I have played with the shape and size of my extrusions, the different ways in which I can arrange structures and attach pieces to base forms, and the types of clay (with their distinct qualities) that best lend themselves to this process. 

Preparation and Material 

To begin (1), I prepare the dried material in advance. To do this, I extrude coils using a small hand-held extruder (2) and then lay them out flat. When you use an extruder, you’ll notice that the coils come out twisting and curling. Due to the memory of clay, if you simply lay the coil out flat, it will still curl back up when it dries. To dry my coils as straight as possible, I press one end flat on my drying surface. I will then lightly drag one finger across the top of the coil as I lay it out straight (3). This action slightly compresses the coil to help minimize the curling. If the coil is long, I will press it to my surface about every six to eight inches, as shorter lengths are less prone to curling. Once dry, I will break off the pressed bits and collect the sticks in lidded containers for later use (4). 

The hand extruder I use can be purchased in the polymer clay section of your local craft store and comes with a variety of dies. In the past, I have explored using other shaped dies to make extrusions for more architectural-looking components, but I primarily utilize the multi-holed dies for round coils. 

The characteristics of your clay are important. The reason that bone-dry construction works is due to the scale of the bone-dry pieces you are building with. Since we want to work with fine extrusions, it is important that your clay body has finer particles and does not contain large chunks of material such as sand. A large inclusion in a thin stick will create areas of weakness. When a thin stick of clay comes into contact with your slip, it immediately starts to absorb the moisture, rehydrating evenly due to the fineness of the clay. I have successfully utilized this process working with earthenwares and stonewares (with low to no grog content), and porcelain. This process will work with paper clay and will even allow you to build with a larger diameter of extrusion. However, I try to avoid using paper clay in my extrusions because when snapping the sticks to the needed length, the fibers connecting the two severed pieces must also be torn.

Slip consistency is incredibly important in this process. You want the slip fluid enough that you can dip a stick of clay in it and not have it break, but thick enough that when you lift the stick out of the slip with a scooping motion, there is a decent glob at the end of the stick. The consistency of sour cream is a good comparison. If I need to start a slip container, I will cut up fresh clay into small chunks and dry it completely. Then submerge the dry clay in a container of water until it completely breaks down and pour off nearly all of the standing water. Blend with an immersion blender until the slip is smooth and then blend in more water (if needed) until the right consistency is achieved. Because I build base forms with paper clay, the slip that I use for bone-dry building often becomes paper clay through reclaiming. It’s hard to say if paper clay slip has any significant advantage in the process, but I have not observed any drawbacks. 

Building Process 

The structural components of my work are most often built from a base clay object that is in a leather-hard state. This is ideal because you want the base form to absorb moisture so the slipped stick extrusion readily sticks to the surface. This process can work on fresh, wet clay; if you are working on building horizontally, however, the lack of absorption will cause the attachment to sag. A bone-dry base form absorbs moisture too quickly and causes cracking at the attachment. If you are interested in building a structural form using this process and not having it attached to a base form, I recommend assembling on newsprint, which will move while the piece shrinks to minimize cracking. 

When I assemble a structural vessel, I know that I am going to need many sticks of clay of the same length. For efficiency, I pre-break my material. Using the printed grid on a self-healing cutting mat, I will place a strip of tape to mark my stick size on the grid. I then use this measurement and an X-Acto knife to accurately cut the dry sticks (5).

For slip application (6), although you can dip your sticks to build up slip for attachments (7), my preference is to use a paintbrush. I load a paintbrush with slip (8), then press the end of a stick of clay against the loaded bristles and give the stick a twist (9). I find that this motion gives the stick the ideal slip buildup and adds more flexibility in your slip consistency, as dipping is more unforgiving. 

To make an attachment after the slip is applied, press the slipped end against the base form. You’ll feel a slight resistance when the stick has made its connection to the surface. You should be able to let go and, depending on the angle and gravity, the stick should stay in place. This successful attachment is due to the dry stick absorbing the slip’s moisture and creating a suction-like effect. When met with a leather-hard clay surface that is also absorbent, the two readily connect. Having a buildup of slip at the attachment with good consistency also allows for a grace period to adjust the angle of the stick. If I attach two sticks to a base and want them connected at the ends, I will position them so the tips touch and then apply slip with my loaded brush to make the connection. I will also use my brush to shape the slip at the attachments I’ve already made. Having the slip taper out from the stick and blend into the base form will minimize the chances of cracking (10). 

Vessel forms are assembled one level at a time and with no wait time in between levels, so long as the angles are not fighting gravity. I tend to build my structures double layered with small sticks of clay attaching the two layers throughout (11–20). The double layer provides more structural integrity and lowers the chances of slumping when fired at high temperatures. You can cut a template to your ideal vessel’s silhouette out of cardboard and hold it up to your piece for reference, though, I just eyeball my angles. I construct my vessels on banding wheels. With the piece centered, I’ll hold the handle of a brush so that it is parallel to the previously added structure, capturing the correct angle. While still holding my brush I then rotate the banding wheel so my brush is next to a newly added structure. I then compare the two angles and adjust, taking full advantage of the grace period the slip provides, before setting up. When the structures have dried, because I want a clean look, I take a wet round sponge and, with minimal pressure, smooth out lumps at the connections (21, 22).

Cracking 

Cracking can and likely will happen as you explore this technique. Sometimes taking a brush loaded with slip and applying it to the cracked area will be enough to fix it. If not, glaze can be used to reinforce the cracked area later. I recommend glazing your assembled structures as an additional layer of material can add to the strength of these delicate additions. 

When I add structures to a piece, I plan beforehand where the piece can be handled. Although these structures are in many ways stronger than they appear, it is best to minimize handling until they have been fired. Depending on the density of connections, once fully vitrified, these structures can be very strong. I’ve utilized this process to make fully functional handles on mugs and teapots. That being said, this material is ceramic and, like all ceramics, can be broken if handled poorly. When moving or shipping this work, I always make sure the base clay object is secured in place and that the structures are isolated in an air pocket, not at risk of knocking into anything. 

the author Tyler Quintin is a ceramic artist from Topeka, Kansas, currently residing in Red Lodge, Montana, as a long-term artist in residence at Red Lodge Clay Center. To learn more, follow him on Instagram: @tyler_quintin_arts or visit his website: tylerquintin.com.