All polymer clays, even across different brands, can be intermixed (having basically the same ingredients) so that colour, pliability or strength can be altered. For example Super Sculpey can be combined with more opaque types (such as white ‘Sculpey Original’ or Super Sculpey Firm) to create a more ‘visible’ surface. It is best to make a few blending tests using different proportions because not only colour but the consistency will be changed.

Sculpting 101: Newbies with Super Sculpey Polymer Clay Sculpting 101: Newbies with Super Sculpey Polymer Clay

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Parchment paper will provide an extra protective layer for both your clay figures and your baking tray. You can also use wax paper to line your baking tray. [6] X Research sourceThere are plenty of polymer clay tools out there, and you want to leave enough money (and space) so that you can buy the things that will bring you the most enjoyment. So, what are the essentials? Here’s what I recommend to buy for your Polymer Clay Starter Kit. And when you do start buying tools, you can often find them quite cheaply when you start looking in creative places. Here’s more about finding cheap polymer clay tools. 9. Embedding Eyepins Without a Kink

Super Sculpey SOFT Grey Polymer Clay | Craftmill

Super Sculpey is popular in both the film and toy-making industries as a material for character maquettes. It is very even and fine-grained, suitable for fine detail and with careful working can be smoothed to an almost glass-like surface. But it can also be worked into a very soft state between the fingers so that it can be applied, much like fresh natural clay or soft modelling wax, in an almost smearing action. When I started working with polymer clay, I made a lot of mistakes. (I still do, by the way.) But experience has taught me a few things and here are some mistakes that I no longer make. (These tips apply to all brands of polymer clay, not just Sculpey. Read on if you use any oven-bake clay brand!) It is so sad to work hard creating something that breaks when it’s worn or used. It’s even more horrifying to realize that you’ve sold something that is made from weak clay and won’t be durable. Not all polymer clay brands are created equal and each has its uses and purposes. For making things that are thin or have areas that are thinner than 1/4″ (6mm), make sure that you’re using a strong clay such as Premo, Fimo, Pardo, Kato, Cernit, or Souffle. Sculpey III, Original Sculpey, Super Sculpey, and Bake Shop are all quite brittle after baking and should not be used, unsupported, in any area thinner than 1/4″ (6mm). These weaker brands do have their uses, however, so save them for other projects. Here’s more about choosing the best brand of polymer clay for your project. Let your clay cool for 10 minutes. Leave your figures on the baking tray and let them cool for about 10 minutes. They might still look soft when they are warm from the oven, but they will harden as they cool down. [10] X Research sourceSuperglue is magical and it can be an incredible glue in the right circumstance. But it’s not the best glue for polymer clay. At least not the usual inexpensive superglue that we all know and love/hate because the cap gets glued on (so frustrating). It is a very brittle glue and polymer clay is flexible, so when the clay flexes, the hardened glue will pop right off and the bond fails. It’s better to use a gel version such as Loctite Gel Contol or a higher end version such as Lisa Pavelka’s PolyBonder.

Avoid These 10 Sculpey Mistakes (and other clays, too!) Avoid These 10 Sculpey Mistakes (and other clays, too!)

The photo above shows the test I make after reconditioning any old Super Sculpey. I do this in 50g pieces, because I’ve found that I can comfortably enclose this amount in my hand. I usually keep the hardened/dried Sculpey in my closed hand for a few minutes first because this minimal heat will begin to soften it, at least enough to make rolling easier. I do the rolling on a clean polyethylene chopping board, first rolling out gradually into a thin string, winding this together again and repeating. The slight texture of the chopping board not only makes rolling easier but also contributes to the ‘tenderising’ process. If the Sculpey has become so pliable that it can be bent into this curve readily and without fracturing, and if I can ‘smear’ the other end with the fingertip evenly, the clay is ready to use. using Sculpey Diluent in the same way, which can usually be bought from suppliers of Sculpey and made for this purpose or for reviving desiccated Sculpey.

Translucent Liquid Sculpey 56g

using lighter fluid or white spirit, both distillations of petroleum. Similarly I’ve heard mineral oil, baby oil or even olive oil recommended. Super Sculpey is a very unique polymer clay, loved by artists, dollmakers & animation studios alike. Because of the fine tooling and detailing characteristics of Super Sculpey, it is frequently the chosen clay for making prototypes from which moulds are made from the Super Sculpey sculptures; then reproductions are made using the molds. Additionally, artists are producing finely detailed finished sculptures using Super Sculpey.