Sculpey

Sculpey (often misspelled as "Sculpy") is the brand name for a type of polymer clay that can be molded and put into a conventional oven to harden, as opposed to typical modelling clays, which require a much hotter oven, such as a kiln. Until it is baked, Sculpey has a consistency somewhat like Plasticine. It is sold in many colors, though it can also be painted once fired. It has become popular with modelling artists. It is also sometimes used for claymation.

Sculpey closely resembles the better-known Fimo, another brand of polymer clay. Sculpey is a less rigid composition which better suits modelling, while Fimo is better suited for twisting into cane and bead making because the colors do not blend together as readily. The plasticity is controlled by the amount of oil suspending the polymers in the "clay". Sculpey is also usually less expensive than Fimo.

Techniques

Many techniques exist for working with polymer clay.

culpture

Sculpture is one of many techniques used for working with polymer clay. It involves creating detailed representations of objects.

Caning

This technique was borrowed from glass artisans, who would know it as millefiori, meaning "a thousand flowers". It involves making a picture from thick pieces of polymer clay, which is then extruded so the picture becomes smaller and it becomes thicker, until it is longer than it is high. The cane has the original picture running right through it, although smaller. It can then be sliced, with the slices used to cover other objects or blobs of scrap polymer clay.

Marbling

Marbling is one of the simplest techniques used with polymer clay. It involves mixing different colours of polymer clay together to form a pattern. As the clay is mixed, the pattern becomes smaller and smaller, until the two colours are completely blended.

Mokume Gane

Mokume Gane is a technique borrowed from metalworking. It involves placing several sheets of clay on top of each other and then pushing an object through it.

Types of sculpey

Sculpey is usually available in 2 oz squares, but can be purchased in 1lb blocks. There are a variety of clays available.

Classic

There are several types of Sculpey available, Sculpey III, Premo!, Super Sculpey and Original Sculpey. The clay is available in a wide range of colors including 'Pearl' which shines after glazing. The clay is soft and pliable from the packaging and does not dry out. The clays harden after baking.

Translucent

As the name implies, this clay becomes partially transparent when baked. Colours can be added to it, creating effects such as that in this picture.

tone Effect

Granitex contains tiny fibers which create a stone effect. It is not suitable for making canes as the particles cause the image to become blurred.

Flexible Clay

The Amazing Eraser Clay functions as an eraser after it is baked. The array of colours available from this range is limited when compared to that of the classic range. This clay is generally sold in packs of five differently coloured half-blocks.

Sculpey also offers a super flexible clay called Bake & Bend which acts like rubber after baking.

Glow in the dark

Glow-in-the-Dark clay is by far the most dazzling, this sculpey variety comes in 4 colors and when a bright light is shined on theclay before or after it is baked your creation will illuminate for a short time. The bright green and blue shine most brightly.

trivia

The professional version Super Sculpey was used in the production of the "The Lord of the Rings" movies to sculpt test armor and the character Gollum.

External links

* [http://www.sculpey.com/ Sculpey]