Books on Metal Clay

Metal Clay can be intimidating - and if you can't get to a class - buy a book. It's actually very easy to use, once you learn a few tricks (like - the stuff sticks to you unless you rub your hands with a light coat of olive oil.)

Some of the books that cover Art Clay Silver are Japanese instruction books. This is a class of book unto itself. If you are familiar with them, 'nuff said. If you are not, you should know that each step is illustrated in such a way to make language redundant. Step by step photographs and coloured, line-drawings illustrate each step in blinding clarity. Frequently, there is a project name in English (Romaji), and the rest of the text is in Kanji (Japanese language written in characters.) The numbers, i.e. firing temperatures are usually written as numbers as we are used to (Romaji). However, there is no significant amount of English in them - so it helps if you know a little bit about what you are doing before reading one. That said - they are exquisite - beautiful books with gorgeous illustrations, fabulously presented - which is why they have developed a cult following.