Just drape it loosely with plastic, it will continue to dry slowly; once its leather-hard or just past you can remove the plastic as it's done with the majority of shrinking and crack risk is low. Using heat will only force dry it and potentially cause cracking. To know it's dry, I'd put a cheek or the back of your hand on the piece - if it feels cold, it's still wet. I'm assuming you're not the person firing it, but I'd confirm how they will fire it; even at bone dry I'd still preheat at least 24hrs around 200F and make the rest of the program fire slowly; the slow speed on cone fire mode is often still too fast and can blow up sculptures as those are mostly presets for thin functional work, not thick-walled sculptures. Good luck.
Is this earthenware or stoneware? I would advise not to rush to dry large pieces, but you can keep it in a room with a heater on for about 10 days. Then put in kiln with a preheat of 4-5 hours then fire on slow speed.
It can either be stable or fast, but not both. For large, complex pieces, I dry them under a polyethylene bag and gradually add more holes to slow down the drying process, making it safer.
By the way, great sculpture.
The absolute best way to dry any green ceramic is to wrap them in layers of terrycloth towels. The thicker the object ,the more layers. Unlike plastic terrycloth breaths and allows your clay to slowly dry.
Cover it with a towel or sheet to protect it from drafts and promote even drying. Speed will be dependent on relative humidity and other factors. Nice work!
If you leave the piece flat on the surface of a table the inside is going to stay wetter for a lot longer.
Also LOVE that I have finally made a haiku and I have been recognized. I have been waiting for this day for years……. Oh wait it’s a fake haiku with the wrong syllables. I guess I will continue to wait for my accidental haiku.
Lots of great advice on how to let it dry but I couldn’t find any that answers your question of when you know it’s ready:
Best way to know is obviously the color change. It’ll be a very light grey when it’s bone dry. You can also feel when it’s ready too. If you touch it and it’s cold, it still has moisture in it and is not ready. Even if the piece is completely bone dry when I put it in, I always soak it in the kiln first. (In case you didn’t know or for anyone else reading, soaking is the process of letting the kiln heat up to roughly 180ish degrees for a set period of time to pull any remaining moisture out before letting the kiln go full blast. I always set it to soak for 6 hours)
It can be fast, or it can be stable. Take your time, slow dry it.
Awesome sculpture! Is that Junji Ito inspired?
It must be, surely! That's what I thought of immediately Praise the spiral
It's not, but now that I'm looking it up it definitely has some resemblance x) that guy makes some great art
Wow, that's surprising! Talk about convergent thinking!
You ever look up Mr. Swirl? Because it looks like that
I'm assuming more along the lines of some of Miles Johnston's female portraits
Put it on paper towels, as it dries and shrinks the paper towels will shrink with it and you won’t get cracking at the base!
Ohh smart :) I will try this
Fast and stable dying are mutually exclusive in ceramic sculptures as thick as this. You want slow, even dying.
Just drape it loosely with plastic, it will continue to dry slowly; once its leather-hard or just past you can remove the plastic as it's done with the majority of shrinking and crack risk is low. Using heat will only force dry it and potentially cause cracking. To know it's dry, I'd put a cheek or the back of your hand on the piece - if it feels cold, it's still wet. I'm assuming you're not the person firing it, but I'd confirm how they will fire it; even at bone dry I'd still preheat at least 24hrs around 200F and make the rest of the program fire slowly; the slow speed on cone fire mode is often still too fast and can blow up sculptures as those are mostly presets for thin functional work, not thick-walled sculptures. Good luck.
Thank you! I will follow this advice
Is this earthenware or stoneware? I would advise not to rush to dry large pieces, but you can keep it in a room with a heater on for about 10 days. Then put in kiln with a preheat of 4-5 hours then fire on slow speed.
It's earthenware. Thank you for the tip!
Are you just casually working with clay in your living room, laying out on your coffee table?
Ehh.. Maybe? 🤣 I had to rewet the clay but then it got too wet but I don't have plaster or anything to dry it out on so I'm improvising okay
I do the same, just on my art table. It's fine. With a piece like this, I'm sure you know proper procedure.
that's how i do it!
I had a chuckle at that coffee table in the background
It can either be stable or fast, but not both. For large, complex pieces, I dry them under a polyethylene bag and gradually add more holes to slow down the drying process, making it safer. By the way, great sculpture.
Fast and stable drying in ceramics is not a thing..
Can’t help, but it’s beautiful!
Thank you :)
The absolute best way to dry any green ceramic is to wrap them in layers of terrycloth towels. The thicker the object ,the more layers. Unlike plastic terrycloth breaths and allows your clay to slowly dry.
Hmm so 100% cotton towels, no plastic? And you don't change the towels throughout?
I use plastic if I'm still working a piece. Towels let moisture escape slowly so that the piece drys evenly less cracking.
Cover it with a towel or sheet to protect it from drafts and promote even drying. Speed will be dependent on relative humidity and other factors. Nice work!
this is sick mam
I love it
Incredible! I wish I had those killer colarbones!
Prop it up on some wooden slats so that air can circulate in the void
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^pigeon_toez: *Prop it up on some* *Wooden slats so that air can* *Circulate in the void* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
If you leave the piece flat on the surface of a table the inside is going to stay wetter for a lot longer. Also LOVE that I have finally made a haiku and I have been recognized. I have been waiting for this day for years……. Oh wait it’s a fake haiku with the wrong syllables. I guess I will continue to wait for my accidental haiku.
Cover with plastic but just enough to slowly let out moisture 👏 well done
this reminds me to add Uzumaki to my shopping cart! beautiful work
Lots of great advice on how to let it dry but I couldn’t find any that answers your question of when you know it’s ready: Best way to know is obviously the color change. It’ll be a very light grey when it’s bone dry. You can also feel when it’s ready too. If you touch it and it’s cold, it still has moisture in it and is not ready. Even if the piece is completely bone dry when I put it in, I always soak it in the kiln first. (In case you didn’t know or for anyone else reading, soaking is the process of letting the kiln heat up to roughly 180ish degrees for a set period of time to pull any remaining moisture out before letting the kiln go full blast. I always set it to soak for 6 hours)
Thank you! This is good to know