A Slamming-Slab Technique for Handbuilding with Texture Learn this unusual slab technique to add some flare to your work! Jeremy Randall

Jeremy Randall has a fun and interesting slab technique that is extremely entertaining to watch. Rather than stamping or rolling various texture tools to add texture to his soft slabs, Jeremy’s slab technique uses gravity and found textured mats.

After compressing the surface of his slabs, Jeremy picks them up and then slams them down on his texture mats. In today’s video clip, an excerpt from Slabs, Templates, Texture, & Terra Sigillata, you’ll see this slab technique, plus how he slams the soft slabs onto a plaster hump mold so that they hug every contour. –Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

PS. Check out this video to learn how to mix plaster so you can make your own plaster hump molds!

This clip was excerpted from Slabs, Templates, Texture, & Terra Sigillata, which is available in the CAN Shop!

More Fun Slab Techniques to Try

The sky's the limit for what you can make with soft slabs, but it can be a little tricky to get the hang of. Check out this video to pick up more great tips on working with soft slabs! After that, check out this great project on making a hand built plate.

If you find that using soft slab techniques is a little too challenging, try working with slightly stiffer slabs. Here is a great project that utilizes stiffer slabs and textured slab templates! Stiffer slabs can be a bit more forgiving, but you will definitely need to pay attention to the joints when you are drying your pieces. A good rule to follow with any project with lots of joints, is to let the pieces dry slowly under plastic.

To learn more about Jeremy Randall or to see more images of his work, please visit http://jeremyrandallceramics.com/.

**First published in 2015.