Tips for beginners: how to work with polymer clay. Required materials and tools, work technique

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

One of the popular materials for creativity is polymer clay. Jewelry, souvenirs, toys, etc. are created from it. To master the technique of working with polymer clay, you need to consider the advice of experienced craftsmen. There are many subtleties and nuances, knowledge of which will allow you to avoid serious mistakes. Next, consider which masters give advice to beginners and how to work with polymer clay.

Material features

What is polymer clay and how to work with it? This material was invented only half a century ago. Today it is used for both home and professional creativity. Today, plastic can be purchased at almost any art store. Polymer clay is a plastic mass that is used for sculpting decorative figures and jewelry. It is used to create souvenirs, dolls, jewelry. From plastic, spectacular floralcompositions, sculptures and more.

There are two main types of plastics: baked and self-hardening polymer clay. How to work with it is indicated by the manufacturer on the package. Self-hardening compounds become strong within a few hours (or even days) upon contact with air. The curing speed depends on the size of the product. This material is stored in sealed packaging.

Self-hardening clays are divided into heavy and light. The first of these varieties in consistency resembles ordinary clay. It gets dirty when it's wet. If you overdry heavy clay, it will crumble. Products made of such plastic look like pottery. They have a matte surface, rough to the touch. If desired, it can be sanded, painted and varnished.

One of the most popular modeling materials is light polymer clay. How to work with her? The consistency of this material resembles a marshmallow. Clay can be rolled into the thinnest layers. Therefore, it is often used to create floral and natural compositions. Products made from such material are very light after hardening.

Self-hardening cold porcelain stands out in a separate group. It is intended exclusively for the manufacture of flowers. They come out very naturalistic and flexible.

Bake recipes

Baked polymer clay is very popular. How to work with her? First, different figures are created from the material. They are then baked attemperature 110-130 ºС. To do this, use a conventional oven or microwave with a grill function. You can also weld the workpiece in pure water.

Baked plastics are made from PVC. The plasticity of the material is given by special additives. They evaporate completely when the composition is heated. In operation, thermoplastic is similar to plasticine. Clay at first easily kneads in the hands. Then different figures are created from it.

When working with baked plastics, it is advisable to be in a warm room. If it's cold, it will take some effort to stretch the polymer clay. If you work with the material for too long, it will become less elastic. At the same time, it will crumble, it is difficult to soften. The presented type of plastic should be stored away from the stove or battery. The clay is wrapped in polyethylene if the package has been opened.

Sometimes special compounds are used to soften. It can be a special liquid plastic or vegetable oil (for example, almond oil, which is sold in a pharmacy).

What are the rules for working with polymer clay? Beginners should be aware that baked plastics make durable products. If you roll out a very thin layer, then the material after heat treatment will be very flexible. So, for example, a sheet of clay that has been rolled very thin (0.8 mm) can be almost completely bent. When the product is straightened, it will retain its original shape, there will be no damage on it.

Polymer clay of thisvariety is divided into several types:

• Plain. On sale it is presented in the form of bars of different colors. After heating, does not change color, has a matte surface.
• Liquid. Sold as a colorless or white gel.
• Translucent. Colorless or tinted. The second type of material becomes more saturated after firing.
• With fillers. Imitates metal, stone, may have a glitter structure.

You can mix different types of clay. It is better to use materials from one manufacturer for this.

Overview of plastic manufacturers for beginners

How to get started with polymer clay? You need to choose plastic from a well-known manufacturer. It is not recommended to use Chinese-made materials purchased online. Their quality does not meet the established requirements. The most popular, well-known manufacturers are:

• Fimo. German manufacturer. Almost every experienced craftsman knows how to work with Fimo polymer clay. It is one of the most popular and one of the best polymer clays on the market today. A wide palette of shades, the presence of materials with different effects and ease of use make this plastic popular. For beginners, Fimo Soft is suitable. The Professional and Kids series can create some difficulties when working. The professional series may seem too rough, while the children's series, on the contrary, is too soft.
• Sculpey, Premo. US manufacturers are also known for their high quality. They have a rich palette, bright, saturated colors. In the work of plastic of these manufacturers does not cause difficulties. The disadvantage is a slight change in shade after heat treatment.
• Cernit. Belgian polymer clay is plastic, durable after baking. But under the influence of high temperature, the material may change color.
• "Sonnet", "Artifact". Domestic manufacturers produce the best plastic for beginners. The cost of materials is low, and the palette is rich. You can purchase kits that include several specially selected colors.
• Darwi, Fimo Air, ClayCraft. This is polymer clay that hardens when exposed to air. Such materials are not designed to create thin, fine details.

Additional materials

What do you need to work with polymer clay? In addition to the plastic itself, you will need to purchase a number of additional materials. The main ones are:

• Liquid softeners. It is not necessary for a novice master to use such compositions. But over time, you can experiment. Softeners help to bond some parts prior to heat treatment, making the clay more pliable, down to a creamy texture. This preserves the shade of the material.
• Baked hot melt adhesive. Allows you to connect different parts. May not be needed at all if softeners are used.
• Lacquer. It is used during the finishing of the workpiece. Buyits optional. You need to buy varnish for polymer clay. Acrylic compositions in this case will not work. Over time, they will begin to stick, and the product will be damaged.
• Tinting composition. Some techniques for working with polymer clay involve the use of such compounds. This, for example, can be a dry pastel of a suitable color.
• Acrylic paint. Allows you to tone the material.

Experienced craftsmen recommend using several varieties of colored clay. The mistake of beginners is to purchase white or transparent plastic, which is subsequently painted with acrylic paints. The result may not be satisfactory. Over time, the paint will begin to stick, leaving streaks and lint from the brush on it. You also need a special varnish. Acrylic paints tint the composition, but do not cover the surface of the product after baking.

Tools

Before you start, you need to purchase tools for working with polymer clay. A set of improvised means can be very different. You can purchase special art tools that are used for sculpting. Improvised tools are also quite suitable for creating a variety of shapes and textures. These can be needles, toothpicks, tools from a manicure set, etc.

It is worth noting a few main devices that are recommended for a beginner to purchase at the initial stage:

• scalpel knife;
• universal stack with two ends (ball and thick awl);
• silicone brush set (according towish).

You can make the rest of the tools necessary for the job yourself. You can show imagination and make them from a variety of things that are at hand. Experts do not recommend using plastic tools during work, as they are practically useless.

Considering the recommendations on how to work with polymer clay, it is worth noting that in addition to the basic tools at hand, you will need various auxiliary devices. To roll out layers of material, you can use an ordinary metal can of deodorant or hairspray.

You need to prepare the surface for creativity. It should be smooth and rigid, not absorbing the polymer composition. You can use molds (special silicone molds) to create different shapes. With the help of boats, different figures are cut out, as when using cookie cutters. It is better to work with gloves, and you need to have wet wipes on hand.

A few tips from the pros

Experienced craftsmen give some tips for beginners on how to work with polymer clay. It is worth considering that packages with similar compositions may not have an expiration date. But for some reason, plastic can still become unusable. For example, it should not be transported at low temperatures, the packaging should not be depressurized. In order not to be disappointed in your purchase, you need to take the material from the counter in your hands, squeezing it with two fingers. It should not be hard if the store is warm. It is also unacceptable for plastic to have cracks.

Parquet lacquers are well suited for coating the finished product made of polymer clay. They are water-based, so they do not have an unpleasant odor. But when using varnish, it is impossible to achieve a perfectly matte texture. Any such composition has a small amount of gloss.

Clay has a chemical composition, so when baked, it can emit an unpleasant odor. The material is not recommended for children under 8 years of age. Dishes, tools that have come into contact with plastic, even after washing, cannot be used to store food.

Considering the technique of working with polymer clay, it is worth noting that you should not mix compositions of different brands with each other. The result may be unpredictable. To tint clay with acrylic, you need silicone brushes, and for pastels - natural soft ones.

You can not lower the temperature of plastic baking. In this case, the product will be fragile. To get a perfectly white color without impurities, you need to work with gloves, rolling the material on the glass. At the same time, there should be no lint on the clothes.

How to work with plastic?

To create the desired product, you need to consider the technique of work. How to work with polymer clay? For beginners, every nuance is important, so read and remember! First, the material is kneaded in the hands. It is better that they are warm, and the room was not cold. This procedure must be performed with high quality, otherwise bubbles will be released from the plastic during baking, it will be fragile.

If polymer clay is hard, it can be softened with a special compound. One of the most effective options is the Moldmaker plasticizer. You can also simply mix soft and hard plastic, knead it well. But it is important to observe such a proportion in which the clay will not stick to your hands.

If the material is too soft, you need to leave a small amount in the air for 1.5-2 hours. It is laid out on white paper. When the sheet becomes greasy under the plastic, you can use it for sculpting. This means that excess plasticizer has come out of the material.

When learning the basic guidelines for how to work with polymer clay for beginners, you need to pay attention to the fact that it can be mixed. In this case, it turns out to set not only the consistency, but also the shade of the material. When the product is created, it is placed in a preheated oven. To avoid the spread of an unpleasant odor throughout the apartment, turn on the hood, and put the workpiece in the sleeve.

Kane

One of the interesting techniques for working with plasticity is the creation of canes. Consider their manufacture using the example of blanks in the form of orange slices. To do this, prepare orange, yellow and white polymer clay. It is kneaded and sausages are made from two colors. The yellow and orange plastic is put together and rolled out again in the form of a sausage. Its size along the entire length should be the same. There will be a yellow spot in the center, which will go around the orange plastic from almost all sides.

White clayrolled out in a thin layer. An orange-yellow blank is wrapped with such a sheet. The sausage is bent, creating an acute angle on one side. You should get 8 identical long blanks, which are folded together in a circle (with an acute angle to the center). Then they are wrapped again with a white sheet of plastic. From the orange material, a layer is rolled out a little thicker. They also wrap the workpiece on top. Having formed an even cylinder with the same section size along the entire length, it is cut with a knife. It turns out circles resembling an orange in the context. They can be cut in half or left as is.

Molds

One of the popular techniques is the use of special silicone molds. They are called molds. They allow you to create volumetric blanks. How to work with molds for polymer clay? You need to purchase a mold with which you can create the desired product.

For example, it could be a cupcake. The form has two sections. The first creates the base of the cake, and the second creates the creamy top. For manufacturing, you need two corresponding shades of plastic. This is a broad and relatively shallow form. It is necessary to compact the clay well. The excess on top is cut off with a knife so that the material is exactly flush with the mold. Next, the silicone mold is bent and the workpiece is laid on a hard surface. You can tint the ribbed edge of the cupcake base with dry pastel.

If the form is deep, clay cannot be removed from it before baking. Inside, the material is laid down gradually, from pieces. Only after heat treatmentcan be removed from the mold.

Polishing

To give the surface of the finished product a shine, it can be polished. The procedure is carried out under water. You can polish the product directly under the flowing jet of the tap. You can also draw water into a basin and dilute a little soap in it. If the irregularities are significant, sandpaper size No. 220 is needed. If there are small scratches or fingerprints on the surface, size No. 400 will do. Small bumps are sanded with sandpaper No. 800-1000. Then you can varnish the product.