411: Polymer Clay Essentials

THE 411 on POLYMER CLAY

Sculpey Premo!

http://www.sculpey.com/

I prefer using Sculpey brand polymer clay because I have found it to be a very high quality grade medium which receives and holds detail very well. I grew up with this brand over twenty years ago and have found that the quality has only improved over time. Sculpey's site is great for choosing which line of polymer clay best fits your crafting purposes.

What is Polymer Clay?

Sculpey is NOT an actual clay that you would use for pottery or Play Dough. It cannot be made using regular household items (like air dry clay). Instead, polymer clay is similar to oil based polyvinyl chloride (similar to the PVC pipes used for plumbing) which cures when heated at a low grade temperature. Because it is oil based, Sculpey does not "dry" out like traditional clay and can be stored over long periods of time. However, due to its oil base, Sculpey can stain clothing and surfaces. Sculpey is waterproof when baked, does not shrink in size as it cures, and works well with both acrylic and oil based paints.

Is it toxic to use?

I believe that Sculpey's formula has been revised over the years so as to remove any toxins (HCl gas) that could be released during the baking process.

Who uses it?

Sculpey is used by special effects fabricators and other art industry professionals. The Premo! line is professional grade and has some flexibility and "give" once it is baked. This is a video of Adam Savage, industrial design/special effects fabricator, showing how the original Hologram Chess set from Star Wars was recreated for The Force Awakens using Sculpey, silicone, and 3D printing.

Where can I get it?
Sculpey is an Illinois based company but has international distributors. I know that Blick Art Materials carries only the Sculpey brand in their Chicago locations, but they might have more brands online. Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics carry both Sculpey and Fimo brands.

I always check the condition of Sculpey clay before purchasing it. Because Sculpey cures at a low temperature (275oF), clay that is transported in hot summer months can begin to cure if left in hot trucks or in the sun. Make sure that the Sculpey brick is still pliable. I usually try to buy my clay during the cooler months.

I like to store my opened clay in air tight Ziplock bags to prevent cross-contamination of colors and dirt.

How much does it cost?

Sculpey clay runs between $2.29 - $2.69/ 2oz blocks (at Blick Art). It may cost a little bit more at JoAnn Fabrics.

What product lines do I use?

I most often use the Premo and Premo Accents lines for the work I do, but everyone is different! I use Sculpey III for the Glow-in-the-Dark clay. I find this particular color to be extremely sticky and I often mix it with other colors of the Premo and Accents lines. In terms of "sticky," I mean that it literally sticks in clumps to my fingers when I am working with it. It is rather annoying, but I just deal with it if I want something to glow. I have to scrub my fingers with dish detergent to remove all the residue. The Sculpey III brand is not the best, but Glow-in-the-Dark is only available in this line.

White, Translucent, & Glow-In-The-Dark mixing experiments and blends

Sculpey also has special flesh tone clays that are sold by the pound (approximately $15 at Blicks). This is probably the nicest polymer clay I have used, and I hope to buy the other flesh tones soon.

Reviews on different polymer clays
From what I am told, Fimo brand polymer clay is softer to work with your hands. I know that there is clay conditioner that comes in a squeeze bottle and helps to soften clay. However, in the end, it depends on which brand is readily available in your area and what you like. Here is a great video by PolymerClayTutor channel (Cindy Lietz) comparing four brands of translucent polymer clay. I also added a second video of hers that discusses how and when to buy polymer clay. This is particularly useful for those of you who buy clay online. I love her YouTube channel because she has a very scientific and logical approach to her experiments and is very good at explaining the reasoning behind her findings. She has contributed quite a lot to the polymer clay knowledge pool! You go, girl!

 

SILICONE MOLD SUPPLIES & PLASTIC FABRICATION

In addition to sculpting by hand, many polymer clay artists create silicone molds of their creations in order to replicate their work. If you are looking to make your own molds, then you will need to buy silicone rubber. I go through Eager Polymers http://www.eagerplastics.com/ to buy all of my silicone and resin supplies. These guys are a Chicago based company located at 3350 W. 48th Place and offer shipping through USPS (which takes about 1 - 2 businesses to arrive if you are a Chicago local). They are super friendly and very knowledgeable, so I usually give them a call at 773-927-3484 before ordering a new product or if I need help knowing which products are compatible.

Here are two videos where I show you how to create a silicone mold and then make a cast from that mold.

Molds

I prefer to use their Mold Max 30 Silicone Rubber and Mold Max 30 Silicone Activator when I make my molds. This is a 10:1 ratio (10 parts rubber to 1 part activator) and normally takes 16 hours to cure. I use a catalyst to speed up the curing process to 30 minutes. This is compatible with Sculpey.

Plastic Fabrication

I use their Smooth Cast resins for plastic fabrication. This is a 1:1 ratio and begins to cure as soon as the two parts are mixed. The reaction results in the liquid heating up so caution should be used.

Casting Action Figures

I use EcoFlex 00-30 for movable action figures. This is also a 1:1 ratio and begins to cure within 4 hours. This should be cast around a metal armature. I can tint the clear silicone before I pour the cast or paint with Psycho Paints afterwards.

BASIC SHAPING TOOLS

Polymer clay artists all have their own favorite tools, but here are some of my absolute favorite.

-Needle Tool (substitute sewing needles, toothpicks, and awls)

-Ball Tool (substitute burnishing tool w/attachments)

-Razor

-Tweezers (I prefer needle nose tweezers)

-Ruler

-Coarse textured sandpaper (not pictured, but great for adding texture)

If you are thinking about doing anything with sculpting human or animal figures, then I would recommend investing in additional sculpting tools. These can be purchased through Blick Art Material or any art store and range between extremely inexpensive to expensive. The white sculpting tools are extremely inexpensive, some are double sided, and all of them were under $0.79 with my educator's discount. They are made out of plastic and offer no "give." The Wipe Out Tool by Kemper Tools was $5.99 and looks and feels like an eraser. It is more pliable and is great for working and smoothing clay in hard to reach places.

I swear by the clay shapers, size 0 by Royal Sovereign Ltd in the UK. I got mine in a package of 5 and they are great for sculpting human figures. I don't think that I would be able to make the mouth or smooth the sides of the nose of a human face if I didn't have these. The size 0 run approximately USD$29.00 online at Blick Art Material. In the store, they were listed as $35.00, but the cashier matched the online price for me so in the end it worked out to about $32.00 including tax. The larger size runs $47 in the store.

I also  just added an acrylic roller to my tool set! It cost USD$7.99 at Blick Art Materials and is made by Sculpey. In order to get a consistent thickness of clay, I place two wooden coffee stirrers on either side of the clay so that I won't go any thinner than the depth of the coffee stirrers!

If you are interested in making a lot of polymer clay Skinner blends, I would recommend getting the Amaco pasta machine or Sculpey clay conditioner machine - they are both the same thing and are around USD$26.00 max.

VARNISHES, ADHESIVES & PIGMENTS

-Translucent Liquid Sculpey

-Sculpey Gloss Glaze (I was using Liquidex at first, but it did not interact with the surface of the polymer as well as I thought it would, and the glaze felt tacky to the touch even after it had dried.)

-Sculpey Satin Glaze

-E-6000 Glue

So long as the varnish you use is acrylic based, you will be fine. Liquid polymer clay, or TLS, is great for frosting, sauces, and adhering clay parts to each other. Rubbing alcohol (91% - 99% Isopropyl alcohol) is okay for cleaning up dirt and small fuzz from the surface of unbaked clay. DO NOT USE ACETONE (nail polish remover or nail polish as it will degrade the clay)! I used to use this to clean tools and working surfaces before touching lighter color clays. Then I came across a better technique using baking soda on the raw clay and an original magic eraser. Here is the video I found. The YouTuber's name is Barbara and her channel is Fairysnmypond. Here she gives a great demonstration on how to use this technique (approximately first five minutes of video). Barbara makes the most beautiful dolls from polymer clay and she is very detail oriented in both her work and her explanations. I love her commentaries because she is not afraid to address mistakes or problems she has encountered and offers solutions as well as tips and tricks of the trade. She is very reassuring and makes the whole sculpting process seem less intimidating.

For adding pigment to TLS, use sidewalk chalk! Add decorative sand to add textures to TLS and can either be mixed in to the polymer or sprinkled on top to look like sugar!

Here are some pieces that I made that use sidewalk chalk and sand.

CRAFT OVENS

Any oven will do. Some ovens run "hot" or "cold," but Sculpey clay is somewhat forgiving when it comes to enduring slightly higher temperatures (I get away with temperatures slightly under 300oF). I just bought an oven thermometer for under $5.00 to avoid this guess work. I use a Waringo Pro TCO 6000 electric convection oven that I bought online from Office Depot for under $70. It does not heat up the entire house when I run it for long periods of time and it has a clear door which makes it easier to monitor the temperature on the thermometer. I can also fit a pan with a diameter of 12" into this oven which is great for larger projects! I know that Amaco also offers a similar oven but it is not as large as the Waringo Pro. It is a little cheaper though, and also available at Blicks at http://www.dickblick.com/products/amaco-polymer-clay-and-craft-oven/