We had great feedback from our last series that featured the main different types of clay. Today we are focusing on just the PolyForm products. These are the products that can be found in most basic craft and art supply stores (sometimes even at WalMart)!
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE TYPES FROM THIS LIST
& WHAT DO YOU MAKE WITH THEM?!
Original Sculpey - is just that, the original clay from Polyform Products. Sculpey is soft and pliable, works and feels like ceramic clay, but will dry out when exposed to air. It is available in white and the new Terra Cotta, and will have a bisque finish. It is used in classrooms and is the most economical choice. It is recommended for bulkier projects and may become brittle in thin areas after curing.
Super Sculpey - is a more durable development of the Original Sculpey, and can be "carved" and used for projects requiring fine details. Beige-pink in color, it is easy to condition, maintains fine tooling and detailing and will have a matte, slightly translucent finish. It is used for mold-making, by movie studios and professionals world wide and is a favorite with doll-makers, having a finished porcelain look to it.
Sculpey III - is popular for its softness, finish, and variety of vivid colors. Sculpey III has won parenting awards and is easy to condition and use, making it the perfect clay for children as well as adults. Once cured, Sculpey III bakes hard and takes on a matte, bisque type finish. Sculpey III maintains tooling and details and can be used for figurines, jewelry, home decor and millefiore canes. Sculpey III can be easily mixed to form your own custom palette and can be mixed with other polymers such as Prēmo! Sculpey and Granitex.
Premo! Sculpey - is a popular choice for its strength and beautiful colors. It was developed as a result of artists' ideas of the perfect polymer clay. Although it may seem stiff at first, it is easy to use and stronger than the Sculpey III. It holds sculpting lines well and also is used as a "backing" with other clays. It comes in an array of colors, including metallics and pearlescents, making it a beautiful choice for jewelry. Its colors are based on the Grumbacher color line, making it possible to mix like paint. It finishes as a natural, satin look that can be sanded to a semi-gloss.
Granitex - bakes to a speckled stone look. It is available in a range of pastel colors, and is great for use with stamping or to make "denim". It is not recommended with caning, as the colors can blur.
Sculpey Super Flex Bake & Bend - is the make it and play with it clay. It is a great new clay that stays bendable after baking. This clay little stiffer than the other clays, but warming it under a light bulb will ease the conditioning process. Once softened, this clay is easy to work with. Its bendability after baking makes it perfect for figures and dolls that can be posed and flexible jewelry.
Amazing Eraser Clay - is the clay that bakes into usable erasers! It can be make for pencil toppers, erasers or durable toys for children. It is available in a multipack kit or in bright colors. It is soft and similar to the Sculpey III to work with, and sculpts well, or molded with the push molds or texture sheets. Care must be taken when baking so that it does not overbake and lose its degradibility, essential to erasing.
EZ Shape Modeling Clay - is a kid-friendly, non-toxic clay that remains permanently pliable and will never harden. It has a smooth consistency and comes in bright and classic colors.
Sculpey Ultra Light - is a new clay by Sculpey that boasts a light weight, ease to handle and strength after baking. This clay even floats-making it perfect for projects like bath toys or floating candle holders. It also ideal for paper crafts, and keeping jewelry and ornaments light.
Transclucent Liquid Sculpey(TLS) - is a pourable clay that becomes translucent with baking. Colors can be made by mixing it with paints and powders. It is essential as an adhesive between clays or clays and other surfaces. It is perfect for transfers, "stained glass", or adhering clay to jewelry findings.
This post was originally published by Katie Oskin on the PCETeam Blog on 4/15/11.
2 comments:
I didn't know there were that many types of clay, even.
There's MANY MORE Linda!!!! This is just the products made by ONE of the clay companies!!!
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