This is a frequent question in the pottery world, especially for those just starting out. Before we get too deep into it, know that you can learn both. That said, we often get asked about the differences and what’s best for beginners, so here’s a quick side-by-side comparison that's designed to point you in the right direction.

The Wheel:

Likely when you envision yourself sculpting beautiful vases and bowls, you’re picturing yourself behind the pottery wheel. It’s that “I saw it in the movie ‘Ghost’ and it was so romantic” method that most often inspires grandiose visions of a new artistic life to come. But trust us when we say that it takes some serious dedication to get comfortable on the wheel.

A large part of wheel throwing is mastering two techniques know as “centering”, which is—as it sounds—getting the clay properly centered on the wheel, and “lifting” the clay so that it can be molded to your desires. Poorly centered clay will turn your Tower of Babel into the Tower of Pisa, just before it all melts into a large pile of wet clay and frustrations. A weak lift limits what you can do with your clay to begin with.

The time it takes to learn these two foundational skills means you likely won’t be going home with a finished piece on your first day. In fact, it might take weeks of study to get something you’re proud to show to mom (or at least not keep hidden away in the closet). We haven’t even mentioned controlling the speed of the wheel, the water you use, the hand and forearm strength and dexterity you’ll need… well, you get the idea.

That said, there's a certain holier-than-thou zen that accompanies sitting at the wheel, and there’s nothing like holding your first perfect plate aloft in triumph. If you’re the kind of person who has boundless amounts of patience and loves a challenge that's both mental and physical, the wheel might be your new best friend. Once you master it, you’ll be an unstoppable force of clay-throwing prowess.

Hand Building:

The less glamorous "parent" to wheel throwing, hand building involves learning a number of important basic principles in handling and forming clay with a variety of tools—and most importantly (you guessed it) with your hands.

Hand building is an ideal entrée to learning about clay. You'll get hands-on (pun intended) experience learning its properties and behaviors, and because it's more forgiving than wheel throwing, you'll be more likely to finish your first project to your satisfaction.

Many experts will tell you hand-building is great for gaining some fundamentals that will make wheel throwing easier for you, but there are plenty of people who get so into hand building that they never even bother with the wheel. And don’t let the ease-of-use factor fool you: You can make some astonishingly beautiful pieces while hand building.

So what’s right for you? Well, only you can decide that, but if you’re looking to cozy up to clay and test the waters, we think hand building pottery lessons might be a friendlier start. If you’re more interested in diving right in and seeing just how much natural talent you really have, or can’t stop thinking about the idea of a way-too-sexy art project, wheel throwing pottery classes might be just what you need. Don’t forget, you can always explore the other side!