The Complete Potter's Companion [Paperback]

Tony Birks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

This all new, revised, and updated edition of Tony Birks's classic "Potter's Companion" includes:

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Revised and updated, this classic potter's volume explains everything from preparation through firing, with stops along the way for detailed coverage of working on the wheel; coiled, slab, and pinch pots; mold making; slip casting; and glazing and decorating. The comprehensive text ranges from basic (wedging and kneading, beginning wheelwork) to advanced (spray glazing, raku firing). The no-frills design of the book packs almost too much information on a page, but the instructions are clear and thorough, the photos (more than 450, all in color) are straightforward and helpful, and the stunning examples of work by contemporary potters provide additional inspiration. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Tony Birks is internationally renowned in the field. He writes for Ceramic Monthly and wrote Bernard Leach, Hamada and Their Circle, and The Complete Potter's Companion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch; Rev Sub edition (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821224956
• ISBN-13: 978-0821224953
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 0.8 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Wonderful Book!!, September 3, 2002

By 

spud256 "spud256" (Wendell, ID United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Potter's Companion (Paperback)

I purchased this book based on previous reviews and was not disappointed! I find this to be the easiest to read and most useful of all my pottery books. If you could only have one book on pottery, this would be a good choice. It is beautifully written and illustrated. I found the advise and methods in it extreamly sensible and user friendly. I have only been potting for a couple of years, and found much to learn. There are chapters on clay, glazing, decorating, method for wheel and hand building, and much more. The author de-mystifies glazing and gives several recipes for different cone temperatures that you could actually make yourself (and without even knowing the molecular weights!). I really appreciated the common sense, classroom approach and highly recommend this book to anyone interested in pottery.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a well written art book!, August 28, 2000

By 

Paul Stokstad (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Potter's Companion (Paperback)

I recently spent a long evening at the bookstore perusing all the ceramics instruction books, and this was the best of the batch. It is well laid-out and has beautiful photographs of techniques and finished projects, but what really sets it apart is the clear and elegant writing. An excellent book.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book gets my vote as best all-around text for students, September 17, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Lincoln, Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Potter's Companion (Paperback)

The image on the cover sets the tone here as Tony Birks lays out the basics of forming clay and developing beautiful, useful surfaces while inspiring us throughout with image after image of high aesthetic merit. Birks is an excellent writer and he presents information with clarity and colour in a simple and comprehensible manner (e.g. "Clay is weathered, decomposed granite and consists mainly of alumina and silica.") The written text is complemented with photographs of artworks, artists, and techniques, all produced in full color. There seems to be a "just right" amount of information provided in each section which motivates but doesn't overwhelm. Although not officially a text book (where's the section on hazardous wastes?), I recommend it to students since it is such a work of art itself. It's merits are underscored by a price which is half that of "official" but often less appealing ceramic texts