Flower Mug Tutorial Pottery without a wheel

Hello! Thank you for being here. Today I want to show you how I make my flower mugs, and I'm going to be showing you the details from start to finish. To begin, I start with two slabs of clay, one rectangle and one circle. I score the edges of all the points that will touch, and add slip which works as glue to mend the joints together. With my fingers and different tools, I make sure all the connection points are strong and seamless. I finish off smoothing the base with a damp sponge. Then I cover the piece and leave it to dry slowly overnight. The following day, the piece is leather hard and easier to handle. This is when I start to add the flowers. Starting one petal at a time, I roll balls of clay and shape them organically. For the stems, I roll coils. The leaves are similar to the petals, just a little bigger in size. I score the back of each piece and add slip before connecting them to the mug. Once they're connected, I smooth out the details with a wet paintbrush. At this stage, I also connect the handle. Once all the pieces are attached, I cover the mug and let it sit for one more night. The following day, I carve the details into the flower petals and centers, and I add lines to the leaves using a dotting tool. It's easier to carve the piece once it's a little bit more on the dry side, but not flaky. I like to paint my pieces with underglaze before the initial firing. I use a mix of different underglazes and colors to create my own shades. Once the piece is dry and the flowers are painted, I bisque fire the mug at my community studio. After the bisque firing, I wash the dry porous piece and move on to glazing. I start by brushing the glaze onto the background, avoiding the flowers and stems. I paint on three coats, letting the glaze dry in between. Then, I apply three more coats of clear glaze to the flower details only. Lastly, I add small spots of another glaze and light flux to add more dimension to the background. Before firing, I always make sure the bottom of the piece is clean and doesn't have any accidental glaze on it. Then, I bring the mug back to the studio for the final glaze firing. It's a long process, but the results are ever so rewarding. Here's the final piece!