Cheap vs Expensive: Trying Pottery Wheels for the First Time

Guys… I spent SO long on that first paint job, I really tried 😭 but so much happier with the second design, what do you think? If you want another 23 minutes of us talking about this project check out our aftershow on Patreon or YouTube Membership: 👉 patreon.com/evanandkatelyn 👉 youtube.com/evanandkatelyn/join (plus 100’s of other members-only videos and behind the scenes pos

as someone who throws pottery, this made my whole day watching you two struggle then succeed with this, it reminds me back when I first started!

Evan did great at centring on that cheap wheel, they aren't great! You both did so good for your first try! To centre, wedge your elbow into your hip and lock your wrist to the splash tray. Push forward with the palm of your dominant hand and use your other hand to keep it steady and then engage your bicep. Full speed for centring, then go slower the taller and wider it gets. And make sure your hands stay wet or the clay will stick to them.

"Is that centered?" One of my instructors always said "If you have to ask, it's not." It took me years to understand what he meant, because (1) it took years to really achieve true centering and (2) when you've actually got a centered piece there's no doubt it's centered. You two did great. What a fun video.

This is the most R-rated E&K episode I've ever seen. Also, it seems you both have learned the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi. This is the concept of accepting the impermanence and imperfection of things. Well done!

as someone who's done ceramics for a few years but only started throwing last year, you guys seriously did really good!!! it looked as though evan's clay was too soft and katelyn's too hard. if you wanted to do this again, here are some tips I've gathered from my teachers! - getting the clay ready to be thrown is called wedging, and though the movements are similar to kneading, you're actually trying to do the opposite! wedging is to get any air pockets out of the clay, but since you guys are using air-dry, and brand-new-from-the-bag clay, there shouldn't be any air bubbles, and won't make your pieces explode :D - when throwing, remember to brace yourself firmly! plant your elbows into your thighs and don't let them move, especially when centering at the beginning! if you aren't rooted firmly, the clay will be moving you instead of you moving the clay. - it's ok if its not perfectly centered! it will probably get a bit off-center as you shape it anyhow. eventually, you will get it "good enough" to move on :) - keep the clay wet at all times, and having your hands coated in slip (the "gooey") isn't a bad thing! if the clay surface isn't coated in water while you're shaping it, the friction will throw it off-balance and make it much more difficult to do what you want it to. - re-centering it after you've opened it, like what katelyn did, is called collaring, and is essential! - and the faster the wheel is spinning, the bigger adjustments you will make. so when centering, the wheel should be spinning as fast as possible, and then you can slow it down once you open it up. generally try to avoid touching your piece if the wheel isn't spinning <3 - sometimes our pinkies just aren't strong enough to help with centering, especially with us small-handed folks, so kick em out! like you're sipping tea in polite society, stick them out and let the strong fingers do the hard work! seriously y'all did SO GOOD for your first time ever with barely any guidance!!

"Don't let the clay boss you around" was the first thing my instructor told us when I started pottery on the wheel. I'm not kidding, word for word.

As a professional potter this made my week! Y’all did great for a first try! Your clay was probably not wet enough to start though. You have to wedge water into it (and that is long before you bring it to the wheel. That step makes a huge difference). I’d love to see you try again sometime! 😁

katelyn is literally me in my first semester of ceramics absolutely struggling to center the clay with my noodle arms

My friend who makes stuff out of clay professionally said it had taken her a year to learn to property center things on the wheel, but here's Katelyn being shocked and appalled she can't do it in an hour. 🤣

The amount of dirty jokes + the price being 69 leads me to think this was set up 😂 it’s too perfect

Evan's pot being higher on one side was actually perfect for the design. It's like a loafing cat!

oh my goodness Katelyn you did such a good job of editing, the piece at the end is amazing 🤩

THE END EDIT/SONG IS SO AMAZING!!!!! Made me laugh so much while also being very impressed by the editing skills!

sees Evan and Katelyn posted and gets excited Sees it's almost 40 mins long and gets even more excited

Throwing on a wheel is actually super hard if you're a beginner, so you did really well for your first time! The only tip I'll give you is that centering isn't just getting it in the center of the wheel. It also applies to how the clay moves when on the wheel. If your clay is wobbling when the wheel is on, it's not centered. My teacher taught us to center by cupping the side of the clay with one hand, and cupping the top with your palm. Elbows should be locked and on your knees. I'm really small, so I had to lean over my clay and use my body weight to center. Some people make it look really easy, but if you don't have the muscles, the clay will kick your butt. I am so proud of how well your pieces turned out! You guys did great! I hope you guys do more, even if it's not for a video.

As someone who took 3 years of sculpture in high school you did really well!! It surprised me how well Evan centered the clay on that tiny cheep wheel. Good job!! Would love to see more clay content :D

Kaitlyn's frustration with not being able to do it even after watching tutorials is so relatable! I always think I can do something after I've put in the YouTube hours

I love these Cheap vs Expensive videos! Can’t wait to see how everything turns out.

this reminded me of my final clay project in 6th grade. i made a ball, gave it eyes and ears and little buttcheeks and turned it in titled "Rodney". i not only got an A but the class voted mine as the "winner" in the art competition for our class. i lost rodney in a corn maze later that year, but I like to think he's out there on some fascinated Archeologists shelf while they ponder what ancient people worshipped this mysterious god. more likely it got crushed by a harvester but I can dream.