Would you like to know what I done gone and made next? Then read this.

I didn't really like the origami idea that much because i was worried it looked and bit too pinterest and there wasn't much scope for development or complexity (it would have been complex for me yes, but wouldn't have looked like it in the end and really whats the point in doing something hard like that if you cant show off about how clever you are afterwards) so I decided to scrap that idea and just go for the toy boat thing. I liked my first experiments with slab building but they were really very good so I set out trying to make better ones and seeing what aspects and details I needed to include to make it more visually exciting and lifelike, without taking away from the simplified aesthetic that I want to achieve.

First I made this one, which instantly looks miles better than my first one. I added the spine (AKA the keel in boat speak) as well as the rudder bit which adds a lot more character and identity to the form and begins to separate it a fishing vessel rather than a rowing boat. I also managed to round the stern of the boat off so its not square like in the first model and I curved the hull more too so it looks like a real boat and not amateur deal. The cabin on this model is also much more detailed and i added the two masts and a chimney which work really well as details however both masts were broken (as well as that stand its sat on) before the boat even got to the kiln partially out of clumsiness and mostly because they're weak and honestly just had it coming to them.

Next I went and made another one (in the photo above you can see the previous boat in the background missing its masts) which was even better. the hull was essentially the same as the last one except I made the profile at the front more flat which I sort of like but wont do on every boat I make. One of the aspects of this model that makes it much better is the addition of a rim round the edge; it compliments the keel really well and just seems to frame and balance out the form of the hull really well like a border or forehead or something. I also like the cabin and crane design on this boat however I am extremely apprehensive about whether or not it will survive my clumsiness.

After this I made another boat (third? fourth? I'm not sure) but I forgot to take any photos and quite honestly it had nothing useful to contribute. It was way to short and fat and just generally a bit ugly. I used a clay with less grit in it which felt nice to work with but I didn't really like the smooth texture aesthetically.

I also made that tiny boat you can see in the photo above out of scrap clay to glaze test with. It looks like it was bodged together in under five minutes and it was but it has a charm to it in a way.