Sunday, September 19, 2010

Proportion and Scales

I got to thinking last night about size.
No, not the size you are thinking, whatever that may be, I was thinking about the size of the mugs I've been making.
Seems like they are either too big or too small, I just can't seem to get the size correct.
First of all, I don't drink hot beverages, so I have no experience in this area. I don't know what a makes a good cup.
By the way, here's the prototype Chain Mug, as I've started to call them:





The choice of colors is pretty much open, I may do them to order. These are just glazes that I had a lot of. I didn't even give it the full three coats.
So anyways, getting back to making cups, most of the making part comes by trial and error.
More on that later.
Here's a sample of cups I made, and a store bought coffee cup:




As you can see, I pretty much make them from small to large, not quite hitting what I assume is an industry standard.
So you, coffee drinkers of the interwebz, tell me what makes a good coffee cup?
I try to make the handles comfortable, so that when you hold the cup it doesn't cut off the circulation to your fingers.
I also try to attach the handle well below the lip, so it doesn't get in the way when you take a swig.
I remembered that on the second mug I made yesterday, you can see how the handle on the mug on right is way too close to the top. Also, the small gear is attached too high up, it gets in the way when you drink.
Errors since corrected.
Again, this is mostly about size.
Out of those four cups, which is the nicest size?
I sort of think the prototype Chain Mug is way too big.
Not sure about the other two though I'm thinking the blue mug is bordering on too small.
Or does it even matter?
Back in another life, when I enjoyed my favorite cold beverage, I used the biggest freakin cup I could find, but this is not quite the same thing.
If you know what I mean.
I also need to get me a scale so I can measure the clay out so all my cups will be a uniform size.
It appeals so my sense of symmetry, don't you know.
What makes a good cup?

4 comments:

Rat Trap Press said...

It looks like the unglazed mug is perfect. As for the red mug, we have mugs on our shelves that are about that size. I think it's better to go a little large on the mugs than to end up with one too small.

limom said...

Thanks RTP.
I'm from the bigger is better school too, it's just that the red prototype looked sort of Paul Bunyanish.

John Romeo Alpha said...

Count me in the bigger is better school. I end up not using the handle as a handle, but more as a stabilizer, thumb around the cup, index finger above the handle, other fingers on the cup inside it. So another factor for me is that the cup should not be too hot to hold when it contains hot coffee. I don't think I have any ceramic mugs where that's even close to a problem, though. Oh, and the the ever so slightly opening top of the red one looks perfect--the best coffee cups I have are like that. The ones that are open funnels on the top are too conical, and I have a couple where the top actually narrows, and those are just about useless for drinking hot coffee.

limom said...

JRA, when you say conical, you mean open or closed at the top? I was thinking slightly vee shaped.
I just had a thought about taller coffee mugs; I can increase the volume by going taller without affecting the surface area too much as opposed to increasing radius.
I think?
Tall and skinny vs. short and fat?