Introduction to Clay Bodies by Ceramic Materials Workshop

Introduction to Clay Bodies is a self-paced online course from Ceramic Materials Workshop, taught by Matt Katz, on the clay itself rather than the glaze on top. Across 14 on-demand lectures of one to two hours each, it covers the origins, chemical composition, properties and function of earthenware, stoneware and porcelain, and how to process, use and analyse clay formulas. Optional labs, a live weekly Q&A and course discussion pages support the lectures. You can start at any time, access is lifetime, and the course costs $600, with a payment plan available.

Many potters treat clay as something that simply arrives in a bag. When a pot cracks, warps or shrinks unevenly, though, the cause usually sits in the clay body. This course gives you the vocabulary and chemistry to understand those problems and, if you want, to mix your own bodies. Within the Ceramic Materials Workshop catalogue it complements the glaze course Making Glazes, Make Sense: one covers the surface, this one covers what lies beneath.

What You Will Learn

The course teaches you how clay bodies work and why they behave differently in the studio and the kiln. The official page lists these topics:

• Studio performance, including clay mineralogy and the main clay types
• Clay chemistry: fluxes, fillers and how to select materials
• Rheology, drying and shrinkage
• The role of fluxes, flint and quartz
• Mixing clay bodies and making casting slips
• Firing, in two parts, including heat work
• Clay flaws and defects, and where they come from
• Dispersants, density, calculators and low-temperature bodies

Who Is Introduction to Clay Bodies For?

It suits potters who want to understand their materials, including those who buy commercial clay but want to know why it behaves as it does. Slip casters, studio technicians, ceramics teachers and anyone thinking of mixing their own clay bodies will find the chemistry directly useful.

The official page does not state a level for this course, so check it if you are completely new to ceramics. If you have never worked with clay at all, a hands-on beginners' class will probably serve you better first, because the lectures assume you have seen clay dry, shrink and fire.

Course Structure

The course is built around 14 recorded lectures, each one to two hours long. They move roughly from what clay is, through chemistry and processing, to firing and fault-finding. Around the lectures, Ceramic Materials Workshop provides:

• Optional labs: hands-on experiments to test what the lectures describe
• Live weekly online Q&A: a session with Matt and other students; sessions are recorded, so attendance is optional
• Course discussion pages: a place to ask questions and share results between sessions
• Captions: closed captions in English on the lectures

Because the course is self-paced, you can watch the lectures in order or jump to a specific subject, such as drying and shrinkage, when a problem shows up in your own work.

Price and Access

Introduction to Clay Bodies costs $600, and a payment plan is available. You get immediate access when you enrol, can start whenever you like and keep lifetime access to the lectures and lab materials. Refund terms are not part of the facts we checked, so read them on the official page before buying.

About the Instructor

Matt Katz co-founded Ceramic Materials Workshop with Rose Katz in 2016. Between them they have more than 40 years of combined experience with ceramic materials in the field and the classroom, and the workshop also offers consulting on clay and glaze chemistry.

Things to Consider

• Time: 14 lectures of one to two hours is roughly 14 to 28 hours of video, before any lab work.
• Studio access: the labs are optional, but test bars and firings make the chemistry far easier to understand.
• Materials: if you take part in the labs, budget for raw materials and kiln time on top of the course fee.
• Equipment: you need a reliable internet connection and a device for the lectures and Q&A.
• Feedback: questions go to the weekly live Q&A or the discussion pages; there is no fixed assignment marking listed.
• Next steps: pair this course with Making Glazes, Make Sense if you want to understand the whole pot, body and surface.

Start the Course

Interested in learning with Ceramic Materials Workshop?

Start Introduction to Clay Bodies

For the full syllabus and pricing, visit the official Ceramic Materials Workshop website.

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Last verified: November 12, 2026