Buy this course

Production throwing with Sofie Goethals

In this course you will learn how to efficiently and consistenly throw a series of similar shapes. You’ll learn to build muscle memory, perform only the necessary movements and therefore work faster when throwing a set of cups, bowls, plates or mugs. By weighing, measuring, throwing with precision and above all a lot of practice, you will be able to create the most beautiful sets of tableware before you know it.

Average

level

lessons

€350

0 minutes

lesson material

Lifetime

access

Learn to throw multiples

Do you already have some experience with wheel throwing, and would you like to take it a step further? Do you want to learn to make virtually identical bowls, mugs, cups, plates and bowls? Do you dream of a multi-part, uniform set of dinnerware?
Sofie Goethals of SOGO keramiek is the right person to teach you the ropes of production throwing. She has already thrown thousands of plates, cups and bowls used on a daily basis in restaurants, bars and in people’s homes. Step by step, she explains how to make sure the clay does what you want it to, and how to smoothly and efficiently throw uniform shapes. With practical tips, detailed images and step-by-step instructions to accomplish your dream dinnerware set.
Production throwing is all about making speed, cutting out unnecessary actions and building muscle memory. You’ll learn it all in this course!

Buy this course

Immediate and lifelong access to the course ‘Production throwing with Sofie Goethals’

€ 350,00

Buy this course

How does it work?

The course is conducted entirely online. After purchase, you will receive a confirmation email with your personal login information within 10 minutes. With that, you can log in to our course platform. That’s the place where you can find all your purchased online courses.
On the course platform you will find all video lessons, accompanying texts and pdf documents with overviews, step-by-step plans and lists. That way you can start learning right away. You don’t have to be at your computer at a specific time, all material is continuously available.
You take classes from home, with your own tools, at your own pace, when it suits you. No spare time for a while? Or would you like to revisit the lessons again (and again) at a later time? No problem! The course remains available for life. You can read about the benefits of an online course here.
Don’t have all the materials at home? Each course includes a detailed materials list of things you will use during the course. You’ll find a list of ceramic stores here.
No ceramic kiln? No problem. Here you will find a comprehensive list of addresses of ceramics studios and individuals who fire work for third parties for a fee. You can probably find an address near you!

The course program

The full online video course with 9 modules, 59 video lessons with 4 hours 25 min. of video material
Accompanying pdf documents with step-by-step plans, overviews and lists
Questions are bundled and answered in detail in the course

Module 1

Preparation

In the first module, we fly right in with Sofie's ten golden tips for production throwing. She will show you how to speed up with the technique of spiral wedging and explain what materials you need for throwing and trimming.

Module 2

A series of cups

You will learn to thrown mutliples of the first shape: tight, tapered cups (or mugs). Sofie shows you how to efficiently center, open, pull up, finish, and set up your measuring gauge to begin throwing your series. Finally, you will learn how to trim on a chuck.

Module 3

A series of bowls

Module 3 is devoted to making a series of bowls with a foot. Sofie demonstrates how to throw the bowls, how to get the curve nice and even, and how to accomplish uniform feet on all your bowls. Each module also includes a real-time demo.

Module 4

A series of breakfast bowls

Before throwing a series of breakfast bowls, Sofie shows how she uses bats and fastens them with clay. We will work with 750 grams of clay in this module, throwing a uniformly elegant series of breakfast bowls.

Module 5

A series of dessert plates

In this module, it is the plates' turn. Sofie uses a very unique technique to shape and finish the rim of the plates. She also gives you a bunch of tips on how to make your plates without hurting your back and shoulders, and how to make a nice foot on your plates. Ragingly interesting!

Module 6

A series of large plates

The big plates are the real deal. In this module we work on large bats with 1300 grams of clay per plate. Sofie shows you how measuring and continuing to measure are incredibly important to achieve a uniform set. She also centers larger weights of clay in a different way.

Module 7

A series of pasta plates

In the seventh module we will work on pasta plates. The more weight you work with, the slower your wheel should turn. Sofie shows it from start to finish, and gives you a bunch of tips in between.

Module 8

A series of espresso cups of the hump

Throwing espresso cups is best done from off the hump. The amount of clay is too small to center properly. Sofie demonstrates how to throw similar forms of the hump as well, and how to make sure your espresso cups turn out nearly identical.

Module 9

In conclusion

In the final module, you will learn how to be more efficient even when stacking your work in the kiln. Sofie shows you how she fires cups and plates, and how she attaches handles on her cups.

What our students say

Everything is explained very clearly and simply! I wish I had taken my first throwing course with Sofie, it would have saved me a lot of plodding....

This is a super good course with very clear images, and lots of new info! Such as throwing a chuck, using a small tool to throw a foot, etc... Sofie explains a lot and it is well structured. I gained most of my ceramics knowledge through Cursist's online courses, all of them truly informative gems. This one is also of a very high standard!

A great guide and beautifully structured! I would definitely recommend this course also because Sofie is clear in explanation and approach.

Since I took the course, I can finally make similar pots. As well as variations on the jars shown. I now have a much better understanding of production throwing. Also, my plates are now finally similar. Also nice that I can keep coming back to the classes. You keep learning new things when you rewatch the lessons.

Your expert

Sofie Goethals

Sofie Goethals has worked full-time as a ceramicist since 2021. She enjoys sitting behind her potter’s wheel immensely and makes mostly made-to-order dinnerware for both individuals and corporate clients. Her great passions are production throwing and glaze chemistry. In her workshops, she enjoys sharing her knowledge of clay and glaze with both beginners and advanced students.

Specialty

Production throwing
Glaze chemistry
Throwing for beginners and advanced students

Experience

Expert production thrower and glaze chemistry expert

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about this course

What is included in this course?

The full video course with 9 modules, 59 video lessons, 4 hours and 25 min. of video material
Accompanying pdf documents with step-by-step plans, overviews and lists
Questions are bundled and answered in detail in the course
Access to the closed Facebook group for alumni of the Cursist online courses
Lifetime access to the course program

What is included in this course?

The full video course with 9 modules, 59 video lessons, 4 hours and 25 min. of video material
Accompanying pdf documents with step-by-step plans, overviews and lists
Questions are bundled and answered in detail in the course
Access to the closed Facebook group for alumni of the Cursist online courses
Lifetime access to the course program

What do I need to take this course?

Included in the course is a clear materials list of what you need to start production throwing. In addition to standard throwing equipment, you will need a measuring gauge. You can buy one at a ceramics store, or you can opt for a DIY version with skewers and a ball of clay. For further questions on materials and ceramics matters, we are at your service.

What if I don't have (access to) a ceramic kiln?

No problem at all! A ceramic kiln is a big investment you don’t make lightly. We have compiled a comprehensive list of addresses of ceramics studios and individuals who fire work for third parties for a fee. You can probably find an address near you!

Can I take this course as a beginner?

Experience on the potter’s wheel is required to take this course. You must be able to center and pull up smoothly and master the clay. Being able to handle large weights is certainly not necessary, tableware is usually thrown with a maximum of 1.3 kg of clay. Most pieces are made with much less clay. The course is excellent for semi-advanced or advanced students. Even the most advanced ceramists will undoubtedly learn a lot.

When does the course start, and how long will I have access?

Once you have purchased the course, you can log in and get started. You have lifetime access. You start and stop whenever you want, the course adapts to your schedule.

Questions about learning online

How does an online course work exactly?

The course is conducted entirely online. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email with your personal login information for the course platform within half an hour. On that course platform you will find all video lessons, accompanying texts and pdf documents with overviews, step-by-step plans and lists. That way you can start learning right away. You take classes from home, with your own materials, at your own pace, when it’s convenient for you. No spare time for a while? Or you would like to retake the lessons later? No problem, the course remains available to you for life. You can read about the benefits of an online course here.

How does an online course work exactly?

I'm not good with computers, will I be okay?

The online learning platform is simple and works very intuitively. You’ll get plenty of practical emails explaining in minute detail how the course platform works. If something doesn’t quite work out, we’ll help you. Nele is at your service to resolve all technical issues.

What if I don't have enough time to watch classes regularly?

No problem at all. You have lifetime access to the online course. More so, if we update, modify or add to the course, you’ll get those updates included anyway.

Where can I go if I have questions about the course?

in every Cursist course you have the opportunity to ask questions. After all, we think it’s important that you receive guidance when taking an online course so that you can move forward. You can submit your questions via an online questionnaire. The questions and answers are added to the course each time so that your fellow students can follow along as well. In addition, you can always join the Facebook group for ideas and feedback from fellow students.

Learning ceramics online, is it possible?

Initially, I had my own doubts. Cursist began as an experiment. In 2019, I got the idea to create an online video course about pottery. Pretty daring, since this didn’t exist yet in Belgium or the Netherlands. I was used to seeing students filming with their phones during pottery workshops: wobbly images, bad audio….

As a professional videographer, I thought: we can do better! A few months later, the first Dutch-language online video course on pottery throwing was a reality. 95 enthusiastic students signed up for the first edition of the course, from pure beginners to those with some throwing experience.

After focusing on throwing courses for beginners and advanced students, we have expanded the offerings to include more courses on even more topics with different instructors. Meanwhile, more than 1,300 students have already completed one of our online courses…. The feedback we get is overwhelmingly clear: learning pottery online, it works!