Learning Pottery with Keith Brymer Jones & The Great Pottery Throw Down

If there is one television show that has helped bring pottery back into the spotlight for a whole new generation, it has to be The Great Pottery Throw Down.

Since first appearing on television in 2015, the show has introduced so many people to the wonderful world of clay — showing not only the skill involved in making ceramics, but also the creativity, experimentation, occasional disasters and sheer joy that come with it.

And, of course, there is Keith Brymer Jones.

A Potter to Aspire To

Keith is an incredible potter, but what I particularly love about watching him is just how much he genuinely cares about pottery.

Anyone who watches The Great Pottery Throw Down will know exactly what I mean. Keith has become rather famous for getting emotional when a particularly beautiful or meaningful piece of pottery comes out of the kiln.

Personally, I aspire to be like Keith one day.

I too would like to cry over some beautiful pots.

There's something wonderful about seeing someone with decades of experience who can still be so moved by what people create from a lump of clay. It's a lovely reminder that pottery isn't just about learning techniques or making something technically perfect — it's about making things that have personality, meaning and a little bit of ourselves in them.

Learning to Throw with Keith

Luckily for those of us who would like to learn from him, Keith has also shared some incredibly helpful pottery demonstrations online.

In the video below, you can watch Keith's approach to some of the fundamental skills involved in throwing on the pottery wheel, including centering the clay and pulling up the walls.

One of the things I love about watching experienced potters like Keith is seeing how their techniques differ.

There isn't necessarily one single "correct" way to throw a pot. Different potters develop different hand positions, movements, rhythms and habits over many years at the wheel. Watching someone with Keith's experience is a fantastic opportunity to see another way of working and perhaps pick up a few ideas to try yourself.

As always, if you're learning in our studio, start with the techniques you've been shown in class and ask the people around you for help. Then use resources like this to broaden your knowledge and see how other potters approach the same fundamental skills.

The Great Pottery Throw Down Book

If you've fallen in love with the show — or you're simply looking for another resource to help you learn — there's also the official The Great Pottery Throw Down book.

It's a great companion for beginner and developing potters, covering the basics of throwing and handbuilding before taking you through a collection of pottery projects inspired by challenges from the show.

I personally have a copy, and there's also one here in the studio, so if you're curious, have a look through it next time you're in.

It's particularly nice to have something physical you can flick through when you're looking for inspiration, trying to understand a technique or wondering what on earth you should make next.

Watch, Learn, Make — and Maybe Cry a Little

One of the wonderful things about learning pottery today is just how many places there are to find inspiration.

You can learn in class, ask another member in the studio, watch an experienced potter demonstrate something online, pick up a book, or simply sit at the wheel and work something out through trial and error.

The Great Pottery Throw Down has done an amazing job of showing a much wider audience just how creative, challenging, frustrating and rewarding pottery can be.

So watch Keith throw. Learn a few things. Get back on the wheel and make some pots.

And hopefully, one day, we'll make something beautiful enough to have a proper Keith Brymer Jones cry over.