How to Shape with Surety Mini-Lesson

Where your pot stops being a lump of clay, and starts becoming the form you imagined.

Shaping is the moment you move from “I can pull walls” to “I can actually make what I set out to make.” But it’s also where most people accidentally warp, twist, overwork, or collapse their piece. If you’ve ever tried to refine a form only to watch it slowly betray you… you’re not alone.

This lesson gives you the missing roadmap.

In Shaping With Surety, Will Donovan, production potter, studio owner, and ceramic artist with 15 years of experience, teaches you how to confidently manipulate your thrown form without compromising structure. You’ll learn how to support the clay from the inside, shape with both intention and restraint, and use ribs and tools to refine curves, angles, and silhouettes while keeping the pot stable.

This is the clarity that turns “accidental shapes” into purposeful design.

You’ll learn:

• How to shape any form without weakening your walls

• When to use hand shaping vs. tool shaping and why

• The proper use of ribs to refine curves, compress surfaces, and create consistent profiles

• How to avoid thinning, twisting, or collapsing your piece during refinement

• The timing cues that tell you when the clay is ready (or not ready) for shaping

This lesson brings confidence to one of the most creative (and nerve-wracking) parts of wheel throwing. Instead of hoping your form holds, you’ll know exactly how to guide it.

Download instantly after checkout and start shaping with precision, intention, and total control.