Metal Clay Training
In this section you will find everything you need to know about the metal clay training available. All external links open in a new window.
The best place to start if you’re looking for a teacher is to think about what you want to do with metal clay. Consider the following questions…
Do you want to dip your toe in the water and see if you like working with metal clay? If so look for a teacher who offers taster sessions of maybe a few hours or half a day. By choosing a short taster you can find out if you like working with metal clay and also find out if you like the teachers' training style.
Do you want to jump right in and learn as much as possible in a weekend? There are lots of teachers offering weekend beginners courses. Have a look at our metal clay training pages page to see what’s available in your area.
Do you want to do a recognised certification or diploma training course? There are several ways of doing this; Art Clay Certification, PMC Certification or the Diploma in PMC Proficiency. Each of these courses have specific merits so read on to find out the one that’s right for you.
One other thing to bear in mind is that very few teachers delivering metal clay training have had any formal teacher training. This doesn't mean they're bad teachers though. The PMC Diploma includes a training module which teaches lesson planning and learning theory. It also requires the trainee teachers to plan and deliver a training session and only trainees who pass this are awarded the full Diploma.
You might want to ask the teacher what formal teacher training they've had before booking a course with them. Another way to find out the quality of the training is to ask other students who have trained with the teacher. A good teacher will be very happy to give you the names of others who have trained with them and should also have testimonials on their website from happy students.
Art Clay Certification has two levels. Level 1 Certification requires you to have some basic experience with metal clay, they don’t take complete beginners. It’s an intense course normally run over three days.
At Level 1, a number of projects have to be completed exactly as they are specified in the Art Clay Beginners Book. The focus is on technique, precision and finishing pieces to a consistently high standard. On this course there is no design freedom in the projects. One major advantage is that the course includes a very comprehensive toolkit and all the materials needed including silver findings.
Once Llevel 1 Certification is passed, holders can teach beginners Art Clay classes and normally get a small discount on buying Art Clay from the official distributors of Art Clay. Level 1 Certification holders can call themselves Art Clay Level 1 Instructors.
Level 2 Certification covers more advanced techniques and runs over four days. A number of pieces have to be completed during the course. Like the Level 1 Certification, the Level 2 projects have to be completed exactly as they are specified in the Art Clay Advanced Book. There is no design freedom on the pieces. There is a criterial list of all the skills and competencies the instructor is looking for and this has to be completed successfully for the certification to be awareded, together with three pieces made after the course which are submitted and evaluated by a panel.
Once these steps are passed the holder is qualified to teach beginners, Level 1 and Level 2 Certification classes. This qualification is based on the ability as an artisan, not the ability to teach. A bigger discount on buying Art Clay from the official distributors of Art Clay is an advantage of the qualification. Holders of Level 2 Certification become Senior Art Clay Instructors. Like the Level 1 Certification, the course includes more items to add to the toolkit and all the materials needed including silver findings.
PMC Certification classes are defined by the PMC Guild as 'a special kind of class that is based on projects made to conform to a specific and universal standard. The rigorous class covers a wide range of techniques, and includes information on forming, firing, and finishing. Upon successful completion of the three-day class, certified artisans are entitled to certain discounts at the sponsoring company.'
There are two main companies offerering PMC Certification training in the US; Rio Grande and PMC Connection. These links show you what's included in their training. The syllabus is different for each of them. They have been developed by these companies in conjunction with the manufacturer of PMC, Mitsubishi.
The PMC Connection training is divided into three segments. Part one is a two day class - click here to see what is covered in this class. Part two is a three day class of more advanced techniques - click here to see what's covered in this class. Part three is a two day class and covers even more advanced techniques.
The Rio Grande Certification is a three day class and covers advanced techniques through seven projects. The expectation is that the student for this class has already got quite a bit of experience with metal clay. Click here to find out more about it.
PMC Connection and Rio Grande only allow teachers who have gone through a rigorous selection process to give certification classes. Both PMC Connection and Rio Grande call these teachers senior teachers or instructors. When someone has been trained by these senior teachers they can train introductory or specialised PMC classes - like making rings, beads etc. They cannot certify students to get the discounts though, this can only be done by a senior teacher.
In the UK, certification is run by The PMC Studio. The syllabus is similar to the PMC Connection. It is structured at two levels. Level one and two are both three day courses. Click here for a pdf document showing the projects covered at both levels. This training is run by a senior teacher and does qualify for the successful students to get a discount on PMC bought from the PMC Studio.
The PMC Guild supports the development of Certification programmes. The following is taken from their website:-
"The PMC Guild is an international member-based organization whose mission is to promote, support, and encourage PMC activities. Consistent with its educational mission, the Guild has created this list of minimum requirements to help schools, teachers, and others develop certification programs. This list is offered as a starting point, with the assumption that companies and individuals will tailor their program to their specific market, perhaps adding additional items to this list. "
To see the PMC Guild's minimum requirements referred to above, click here. The Guild will recognise a teacher who is following these guidelines and they will be allowed to display the Guild logo on their marketing material and website. No formal teacher training is required to deliver this training.
This independent qualification is only run by the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery. It has no association with any supplier of PMC and also includes an element of silverwork, allowing students to make their own silver findings.
The course is recognised by the PMC Guild International and the grades of competency greatly exceed the minimum requirements suggested by the PMC Guild. Teachers training this Diploma all have formal teaching qualifications as well as many years of experience working with metal clay.
Competency Certificates are awarded at each grade to successful students. Once the student has passed all four grades, their name will be registered and displayed on the Diploma Graduates page of the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery website. Upon completion of all four grades, artists will be entitled to use the registered letters after their names. For example, Mary Maker, MCSJ Dip. PMC.
There are four grades which have to be completed to gain the full qualification. Grade 1 is for complete beginners and is a two day course covering the basics of working with PMC. Students make at least two pairs of earrings, two pendants, two beads and a shell charm.
Grade 2 is for intermediate level students and is three days. This covers more complex projects and students make at least two pendants, two rings, three pairs of earrings and a charm.
The Grade 3 class is two days and covers very advanced projects including three pairs of earrings, two brooches and a silver box.
Grade 4 is the teaching module. This two day class covers lesson planning, learning theory and what makes a good class. Essential business topics like insurance and health and safety are also discussed. Students have to prepare and deliver a short training session to allow the trainer to assess their training skills.
