Sculpting Tips Most Likely
To Bring You Success
Sculpting Tips for clay sculpture:
On this page: TIPS PAGE 1: Know Your Choice of Raw Materials (clays)or go to:
TIPS PAGE 2: How To Manage Your Raw Materials (clays)
The best sculpting tips should launch your success more quickly. So the first thing you should know about is your raw material - modeling clay. Without the right knowledge in this area, success could be a long time coming. As you already know, you have choices, folks. The main 4 are: Ceramic Clay Plasteline Polymer Clays
Air Drying Clay
has its own page featuring
Cold Porcelain
and other types of clays.
SCULPTING TIPS 1: Your Choice of Raw Materials
I have used the first three types of clay professionally, but never used air-drying clays. I would appreciate your help by giving your experiences by
clicking on this link
. Personally, I favor ceramic ('earth') clay for my figurines and dolls, though the work will never be fired (molds are taken for production). However, the earth clay I use could be fired and a 'one-off' piece made if necessary. Why do I favor ceramic clay? Its easier to work, more natural and less expensive. For types of ceramic modeling clay see 'ceramic modeling clay' section. How is it easier to work? No armatures required (well, occasionally - see 'armature' page). Its easier in that there is no having to put it in the microwave to soften. Earth clay starts soft and pliable then stiffens to be workable and smoothable. Once started, your design can be modified and corrected infinitely. If you want a finished product you just
hollow
dry and fire.
Plasteline
is the choice of film studio and fantasy artists. Why? It never dries out and can be endlessly detailed. It is expensive, and requires armatures (inflexible for modifying your design). It can't be fired so it needs a silicone mold taken. The end product can therefore normally only be plastic, resin or bronze. Cost, cost and more cost (have you seen the price of silicone molds?). Be sure to read through all of these sculpting tips before deciding which raw material to use for your work.
Polymer clays
are a mix of plastic and resin (PVC resin, plasticizer, and color pigments as well as other fillers including mica). The key to polymer clays are they can be 'fired' in the oven at medium temperatures. They tend to be great for hand made jewelry and small items. Figurine sculpts can be done (as wonderfully shown by my 'Wetcanvas.com' friend, Dorothy Pitzutti below). However, the finished piece can be more brittle than you would like for a sculpt. However, its a great material for making maquettes ('try outs' or experimental pieces).
Best Value Buy Online For Super Sculpey Here
You can get an idea of fimo online prices
by glancing at the auction price guide below
or for a full list of what is available on ebay, click on the Fimo image above
Polymer clay
is a popular choice because it can be oven fired. Bingo, you have a finished product.
We're talking Sculpey, Fimo and various other brands. For a full rundown of the brands you can go to
Katherine Dewey's
fabulous site which specializes in sculpting tips on how to work with polymer clays for small projects. She gives great sculpting tips too! Again, expensive unless you're doing tiny pieces. I find it hard to smooth (horrible chemicals involved). Sculpey is kind of springy and soft which makes it hard to detail properly, unless you bake and add more. Then you can get cracks & discoloration. You can mix small bits of Fimo to color sculpey for great effect, but more of this in
TIP 2 (clay management).
For more
how to sculpt
tips
click here -
SCULPTING TIPS 2: Manage Your Raw Materials
If you would rather go back to the general
clay sculpting
page or the
homepage
not to forget there is also the
sculpting tutorials
, the
sculpture lesson
, the
sculpture technique basics
and the
clay modeling tools
section.
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