Behind the Mud: Embracing the Mess on a Challenging Form
Every form you throw on the wheel brings its own set of rules. For this project, I wanted to step away from standard vertical cylinders and try a classic, flared latte cup.
It turns out that wide, sloping walls are a much tougher canvas. Carving and painting on an angle forces your hands to constantly adjust to the changing curve. But sticking with a wraparound design is always so much more interesting to me than leaving a blank space—it keeps the piece alive from every angle.
Wrestling with the Flared Slope
The flared shape of a latte cup means the canvas is constantly expanding as it moves toward the rim. Keeping the proportions of the RX-78-2 Gundam and the Zaku looking right while wrapping them around this slope was a real test of spontaneous relief carving.
I kept the lines loose, allowing the mechanical details to follow the natural, widening flow of the clay. Looking back, I am incredibly glad I didn’t plan on heavy sculpting for this shape. It allowed the piece to keep the clean, elegant silhouette of a true latte cup. When you’re carving a form like this, you’re always hyper-aware of the clay’s limits—one push too hard, and you’ll poke right through the wall, turning a coffee cup into a flower vase real quick!
Going Rustic: The Joy of a “Messy” Glaze
Once the cup was bisqued, I decided to use the glaze room to completely pivot away from clean illustration. I wanted to see what would happen if I went for a rustic, intentionally messy coloring style.
Instead of carefully map-painting inside the lines, I let the underglazes wash, blend, and bleed across the surface. I layered earthy tones, grittier grays, and the classic mecha colors with loose, energetic brushstrokes. Sinking a dark wash into the carved crevices tied it all together, giving the entire scene a heavily weathered, battle-worn appearance.
Finding Joy in the Imperfection
What I love most about this latte cup is how it breaks the mold of what “mechanical” art is supposed to look like. It’s gritty, it’s rustic, and you can see the raw texture of the handmade process everywhere.