What comes to mind when you think about clay? Mud? Earth? Pottery? Heavy? Sticky? Yes, traditional clay is all of the above. But do you think of plaster, plastic, resin or paper mache? Probably not. What these clay alternatives have in common with traditional clay is that they start out in a malleable form and end up solid. So let’s take a tour of the different forms of traditional and nontraditional clays we will be exploring in this book.
This is the natural earthen clay that is typically yellow, red or gray in color and can be purchased in blocks. Traditionally clay is shaped into forms using hand building by slab or coil, sculpting, slip casting or throwing on a potter’s wheel, and it is fired at a high temperature in a kiln that removes all moisture content and transforms the shaped clay body into a permanent structure. Unlike the premium air-dry clays, traditional clay is very brittle and fragile in its bone-dry, unfired state. Since this book is a “no kilns allowed” zone, we will show you how to utilize this most traditional and basic of materials in completely nontraditional ways.
There are several different brands of air-dry clay on the market, but what they all have in common is the fact that all you will need is time and air to transform them from their flexible to their solid forms. In this book we will be using Critter Clay made by Aves Studio, which is a premium and very durable air-dry clay that can be used in any way you would use traditional clay. But unlike bisque-fired traditional clay, this self-hardening clay can be drilled or sanded after it cures. About the only disadvantage is that it is not waterproof and must be finished with a waterproof sealer if you want it to be waterproof. It accepts any kind of paint or finish beautifully.
In this book we are using Creative Paperclay. This lightweight air-hardening material is an extremely versatile clay alternative. In its moist form, it can be molded, shaped and used to cover armatures. This nontoxic material, composed of all-natural ingredients, is great for creating dolls, vessels, jewelry, relief images or sculpture. It has good self-adhesive properties and once it has dried it can be painted with any type of paint or finish. And of course, like all the clays we use in this book, it needs no baking or firing.
Two-part epoxy resin clay is becoming a more widely known art and craft medium. It has several unique advantages in the world of clay alternatives. We are using Apoxie Sculpt made by Aves Studio, which comes in a variety of colors, but you can create your own custom colors either by mixing existing colors or by kneading acrylic paint into the clay. Sculpt will harden in a few hours but takes 24 hours to fully cure to its rock-hard, final state. After kneading together equal amounts of the two components of resin clay, you get a sticky, thick putty that will adhere itself to anything except a silicone or Teflon surface. Used just as an adhesive, resin clay is indispensable, but it can also be used with press molds, as a modeling and sculpting material, to create jewelry elements or collage and assemblage embellishments and as a base for bead or other small object mosaics.
Traditional clay can be purchased in a powdered form, but after you mix it with water to form a clay, it has none of the advantages of the powdered ClayShay made by Aves Studio. ClayShay is a powdered clay/paper mache hybrid. It can be mixed to a thin consistency to use as a casting medium. Mixed to a slightly thicker consistency, it can be spread over and will self-adhere to any slightly roughed, nonslick surface or armature. Mixed to a very thick claylike consistency, it can be shaped and molded. All this versatility comes with minimal shrinkage, maximal durability and the option to be drilled, sanded, carved and painted after it sets.
As a clay substitute, paper mache is remarkable. In its powdered paper form, it already contains an adhesive that allows it to stick to any roughened or porous surface. It is particularly effective used over Styrofoam shapes. After it is spread over the surface of your choice, it can be smoothed with a wet finger and either stamped or embellished with any textural marks you can think of. After it dries it can be sanded, painted, drilled or carved, and it is extremely lightweight and durable.
Also known as drywall compound or mud, this inexpensive white substance is used primarily in building construction. Ready-mix lightweight joint compound is a premade form of joint compound designed for fast application and easy maintenance. The compound is a complex combination often including water, limestone, expanded perlite, acetate polymer and other ingredients. The delicate mixture of compounds gives it a creamy texture that spreads easily and hardens as the moisture evaporates. It is great for backgrounds and adding texture to surfaces.
As a casting medium, plaster offers almost instant gratification. Setup time is remarkably rapid. Plaster is easy to mix and inexpensive, and it has a look very similar to white porcelain. Dip almost any object in a plaster soup and you will completely change the character of that object. An old shoe dipped in plaster becomes a “porcelain” art object.
Plaster cloth (or gauze) comes in strips of an open-weave cloth impregnated with plaster. After plaster cloth is dipped in water, it has the amazing ability to conform to any shape you smooth it onto. When the plaster cloth sets, it can be lifted from the form and it will retain the shape of that form. Both plaster and plaster cloth can be painted with any kind of paint.
Venetian plaster is a wall and ceiling finish consisting of plaster mixed with marble dust and applied in thin, multiple layers, which are then burnished to create a smooth surface with the illusion of depth and texture. When left unburnished, Venetian plaster has a matte finish that is rough and stone-like to the touch. It can be colored with acrylic paint and other colorants.
This paste by Golden dries to the appearance of rough handmade paper. Skimming the product with a wet palette knife can make a smoother surface. When dry, it has an off-white color and is very absorbent, making it ideal for use with acrylic and watercolor washes or inks. It can also be colored with acrylic paint or inks before using. It can be sewn, shaped, embossed or used with a stencil.
We are using Friendly Plastic pellets and strips made by Amaco. The pellets are small, milky white, tiny beads that become clear and totally malleable when they are heated either in hot water or on a nonstick electric skillet or with a heat gun. They can be mixed in their melted state with a variety of different mediums to create color or accents, and they can be painted with acrylic paint after cooling. Plastic pellets are an extremely versatile modeling medium. Since the pellets hold their form after cooling, they can be used for sculptural modeling or with silicone press molds. They also make great beads and mixed-media art embellishments. Rolled into a slab, the softened pellets can be stamped with any texture, and if you are not pleased with your results with any of these procedures, just remelt them and start over!
Plastic designer strips are lightweight and flexible and come in a wide variety of shimmery metallic colors. The strips can be softened easily in hot water, on a nonstick electric skillet or with a heat gun. Using a variety of techniques, they can be shaped, molded, stamped, fused, cut, layered, melted into silicone molds or rolled. Combined with decorative paper, beads, wire or other embellishments, this is a wonderful medium for creating jewelry or mixed-media art components.