Materials Air dry clays?

i believe air dry clay should be covered in plastic to keep it from drying out.

 

I was sculpting my boy (was being the key word) in air-dry "marble clay" (I also don't like poly clay for much besides jewelry -_-) which I don't reccomend- there's a lot of shrinkage and cracking, it's not the sturdiest. It's good for practice though, you can get it cheaper at some places- anyway, what I did was keep him in a tuperware container and sprayed a little water on him and set in a few moist towels, that way nothing could mess him up and he would stay pretty fresh. Air does get in and such, so the moisture has to be maintained, but it worked pretty well. I also kept smaller pieces in cool whip containers and those kept their water very well and hardly needed to be refreshed at all, suprisingly. I think plastic bags/wrap is a good idea too, but I liked the support that the box offered.

 

I don't like polymer clay (I used fimo) for the exact same reason: it's really difficult to work with once it gets warm.

Being not very patient, I got myself the cheapest kind of white clay I could find, Panduro's "hobby clay". The head I'm sculpting is almost done, and my experience so far tell me that maybe it's better to work with a less brittle clay? I'm thinking a "heavier", "finer" or "harder" clay is more suitable for dolls then "regular" clay. The clay I'm using is really easy to sand, which also make it a bit... too easy to sand! ops: Of course, I'm a newbie, so I don't really know what I'm talking about anyway. Just some random thoughts that may be helpful for someone.

As for keeping air drying clay from drying? The advice I got was to wrap it up in a wet tissue, and then put it in two air tight plastic bags. Apparently it stays soft for months that way, but do pay attention to the tissue, it can start moulding....

 

I'm using Paperclay for a head, actually... I'm not sure how durable it is, so I wouldn't suggest it without asking around, but my friend got me two packs of it; might as well use it if it's there.

It has wood pulp in it though, so the sanding is interesting. Sometimes it'll tear off in pieces.

 

I want to know more about it too. Ladoll clay is paperclay, right? I remember in shuen's thread she gives her method of making the mold, and she made it from ladoll clay with a coat of Mr. White. Surfacer on top. Is Mr. White Surfacer also paper clay, or is it something else?

Also, slightly OT, but can something like Mr. White. Surfacer be used on normal clay after it's been fired in the kiln?

 

I recommend Ladoll. Out of all the air dry clays I've tried... and I've tried a few, this seems the most versatile. It's also light weight, the smell isn't horrific, and it blends well with other air dry clays, as far as I've seen.

There have been other forums that discuss where one might purchase La Doll, so I won't repeat them here, I'll just go into how I handle it.

Fortunately Ladoll, as I said, is very verstatile. you can add addtional clay, after it's already been dried... but be careful... wet and score such an area, or you'll end up with what I called "biscuiting".... it's like... the layers are seperating from each other. Gets irritating, and can sometimes cause problematic bubbles later.

I keep mine in a ziploc bag after I open it.... I haven't had to add any additional moisture, as it seems to weep from the clay to the side of the bag, and keep itself moist. Wetting a lump of it, if it seems to stiff is easy enough too... I just kinda dunk it in water, roll it around, and repeat until it's at the desired consistency. ... it does NOT turn into a putty or paste well at all, unless I just did it all wrong. But, I don't think making it into a slip is possible, or even desireable.

Fortunately, La doll isn't extremely messy at all. Sure, your palms will get caked with it after prolonged use, and it's kinda slimy to wash off, but it's not like mud... actually, it's kinda flakey. Regular La Doll has a.. mm... slightly gritty and heavy texture.. it feels thick, compared to the stronger, Red Label Premiere (related). RL Premiere has a rather waxy feel, is extremely malliable, and probably ideal for shaping to large, rather features less areas (dome of head?) It doesn't hold exgtremely fine detail QUITE as well as La-Doll, but we're talking rather fine details.

Green Label Premiere... uhm... if anyone can figure out how to shape this stuff, lemme know... it is STRONG... I've tried pounding it into submission with little success.. ^^'

I really do enjoy La Doll, and would highly recommend it. It can be pricey, (about 11$ a block, on average?) and you might use a block or two on a SD sized head, depending on how efficient a sculpter you are.... but it is easy to fix mistakes.. unlike Sculply.. just wet, score, add more, resculpt, and it responds BEAUTIFULLY to sanding. It's just awsome stuff, and I'm rather besotted with it. The downside I'll have will be finding a water proofing sealant, and I'm not sure how sturdy it is after prolonged play... I'd probably leather joints, if I get that far, any time soon.

Just random notes on it's make up, varies from either you're using regular La Doll to either Premiere, I think.. The contents of La Doll are primarily pumice, talk, with some paper clay and other organic binders. I have't noticed signifigant shrinking and cracking, probably from the fine grade of the stuff, but it's easy enough to fix when you do... just add a bit of wet clay, work into and over the crack, dry, smooth.

Hope this was helpful?

 

^^ heh, and sorry.. To answer your question, no. Ladoll is considered a "Stone Clay", though what the difference is EXACTLY I'm not sure. Ladoll DOES have paperclay as a form of organic binder, but the primary substance is, as I mentioned, Pumice, a pourous volcanic rock, and Talc, like baby powder. ^^'... I'm fairly sure you knew which were, but just incase, eh?

 

I haven't posted anything around here yet because I haven't had much time to work on my dragon head but I have been making one out of white clay which is an air dry clay which if you want ti finialize you stick it in a kiln. Its very sturdy but also VERY heavy. I have a 25 pound box of it sitting under my art table. Its very good about being sanded though and it very easy to mold... I love it it's my personal choice because I can't stand sculpey.

 

I have the opposite problem with sculpty... My hands aren't warm enough to warm the sculpty so I have to sit there, warming the sculpty for about thirty minutes, and its still not soft enough to mold. XP
The only thing with clay, of any type, is can be very fragile. Especially the little parts (obviously)- I had a thin part break off one of my sculptures because I accidently bumped it with my sleeve. Now granted, that was porcelin clay, but you still have to be careful.

 

USE das it's air drying pretty reasonably price and great to work with and sand and sculpt after it's all dry. It's what I use in my sculpture classes and I found it at my university book store, though with that you probably want to buy some sculpting tools...b/c you really work on it the most after it's dry since it never finishes smooth, but it's really fun to work with too.

http://www.yorkshireartstore.co.uk/clay.htm
http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=2100
some on sale...
http://www.in2art.com/art-supplies/das-pronto-clay

 

The trouble with air dry clays is, when you're working with a tiny amount, for say a nose, quite often it can dry out before it even hits the face, it's also not that great to shaving and drilling etc (though I hear good for sanding?)

For polymer clays regular sculpy and Fimo won't cut it, they are just too soft really, BUT! For those who find Super Sculpey isn;t quite cutting it either, they have brought out a Firm Super Sculpy, that along with freezer time can sort the problem out?

 

If you have trouble softening it up, a work light like you can get from home depot does the trick.

I found that out after taking photos of my un baked head, she got really soft.

 

I can't stand using sculpty either - it has that weird greasy feel and anything I make just melts and deforms in my hands unless I constantly freeze it. Bleh. It's heavy and lumpy and hard to sand and it stinks when you bake it. I've been working on a doll made from "Creative Paperclay", which is easy to sculpt if you add a bit of water. It sands very nicely and is fairly sturdy for pieces that you intend to cast in resin later, but I wouldn't play with a doll made from it because the fingers can break and it's easily dented. Since paperclay can be expensive, I used a cheap mixture of plaster and rough shredded paper clay to make an armature. Since the plaster sets very fast but takes a long time to dry, you can let the paperclay outside layer dry and then scrape out the damp plaster insides with a screwdriver. Ladoll or Premier clays are probably better than paperclay because they're made with talc or some other crushed stone so the texture is extremely fine, but they're harder to find in stores. I've used Premier and it has basically the same problems as Creative Paperclay - fingers can snap (but that's what superglue is for) and if you accidentally hit it against something, it will dent. So paperclays are really only good for dolls that you want to cast in resin.

 

This a real well of information, thanks guys. I've just bought myself a small pack of DAS air-dry clay. I'll be starting a face this week, so I'll report back with how it went.

 

I'm using LaDoll Premire right now and while I haven't finished and dried anything just yet, it must have one CRAZY long window where you can work it. My parts were a bit too wet when I started this evening. I fiddled with them for a bit, gave up, went outside for an hour. When I got back they were almost as damp as when I left them. I would point out that I live in Arizona and it's quite dry here.

 

For the record, (this is going ot be so obvious) don't use Crayola Air Dry for ANYTHING, not even armatures. >< I had a hoice between Scupley and Crayola at the same price, 1 pound difference... man, Crayola sucks. XD
*insert loud DUH from everyone else*

On a side note- I had read the Noah's doll tut... where do you buy stoneclay? I had found an air dry clay that seemed like it would do...
http://www.pearlpaint.com Sculpting>Air Dry Clays>Boneware/clay
This is what I had been looking at-- I don't know how good it is. I researched it and it was hailed as a non-crumbler and non-shrinker.

Fimo, from what I heard was the stuff to use. A friend of a friend makes character models, and his got dropped from about 5 feet and didn't chip. But you guys say it was too soft to work with? Hm.

I've convinced my art teacher to let me work on this project in class- making a doll you know- and she's going to buy Sculpey. She can only order from the supplier the school provides her, so any common/cheaper ideas that would work? You guys said Sculpey was too soft too- I mention using Scupley and she said it was a crumbler. . . >< Knowing her she heated it wrong or something.

Anywho! Hope your works are going great!

 

hey guys - Fimo classic is not soft at all. Don't use the new soft Fimo - its also very weak. Sculpey is too soft , supersculpey is a bit better- but some wonderful dollmakers use sculpey III with great results. Strongest I've heard of so far (besides cernit that melts in many people's hands like butter) is Premo.

you can bake premo repeatedly - it can be carved, it can be added more onto and it is very sturdy.
you can get it from Sculpey - see
http://www.sculpey.com/Products/products_poly_premosculp.htm

or buy it online at
http://www.clayalley.com/premo.htm

the people who make garage kit models and such - often use supersculpey cause its cheap - but are also using the grey firm sculpy - which should be great for th ings you are going to mold. haven't tried it yet myself.

personally I love premiere paper/stone clay and diamond paperclays...

best of luck

 

If you're using a sculpey product to make a strung doll--use Super Sculpy, and make sure it bakes according to the package directions.

You can add onto Super Sculpy, after it is baked, though it's a bit of a pain. And little paper tents over tips of noses and ears will help keep those areas from scorching.

Ann in cT

 

Do you just mean fold a small piece of paper in half and drape it over the nose? Can you describe it better or show a photo? *is a little confused*

Thanks,
~Sarah~

 

i always got the impression that air dried clays were a lot more fragile.

As for super sculpey being too soft...stick in the freezer whenever you feel it starts getting mushy. Thats what i do, it takes longer, but its sturdier. I usually carve it after it comes out of the freezer rather than molding it (unless i'm adding bits on). It also makes hollowing out the head etc...easier.

 

There are several air drying/oven bake clays that are the consistency of natural clay and won't melt in your hands. I don't the brand right off, but quite a few art stores seem to carry them. I used to work in natural clay a lot, so I have some experience with it. You do store it in a plastic bag to keep it fresh and soft, and you can put some damp paper towels over the exposed areas in the bag to give them extra protection from drying out. When your are working with it, and you want to take a break, you can just wrap the project in damp (key in on damp, not wet! it will turn your project to mush!) paper towels and wrap a plastic shopping or garbage bag around it and it will stay nice and pliable.

I naturally have really cold hands, so I prefer polymer, but both clays have their pros and cons. I know a lot more people who prefer natural clays to polymers. For me, there are a lot more pros for polymer clay. Natural clays tend to crumble quickly, and without experience, many people don't know how to keep them moist enough, and either let it get to a leatherhard stage when trying to work with it; or use too much water and when they let it dry, it shrinks and cracks. Another downside is that once it's dry, while you are able to sand it, you can't really add on to it. You also have a greater chance of it exploding in the kiln because of air bubbles (although I am not completely sure that applies to natural oven bake clays. Natural clays are also very weighty, and hard to sand once fired (I had a helluva time sanding my dolls, I actually killed my dremel). I prefer natural clay for pottery instead of dolls.

Paperclay on the other hand, might just be for you. You do have to worry about shrinkage when using it, but you can add on when it is dry, and it is very easy to fix things and to sand; plus, it is very lightweight. If you were to use it I'd recommend making a rough paper-mache armature first (all you would need is glue, water and newspaper), then sculpting over top of it. The only real downside besides shrinkage is that you need to seal it afterwards--I'd go with a type of putty or apoxy. When I used it, I wrapped it in a damp paper towel and put it in a tupperware container (since it usually comes in small amounts), but I'm pretty sure you could store it just like natural clay.

Hope that helps

 

I just got my laDoll today. It seems to spread really well, and I like working with it alot more than I like working with the sculpy, though I use the sculpy as armiture because it won't dry out and I can hack it out later. What's the dry time for LaDoll? I've let mine dry for about four hours in a TN winter and it's still all squishy. I'm about ready to take a hairdryer to it. ><

 

I use Creative Paperclay. I'm not sure about Ladoll, but I speed up the drying process by putting it in the oven at 250 degrees for about 30 or so. Actually, it takes several trips to the oven for something like a hollow MSD torso to dry completely. But I don't want it in for too long at a time, just in case.

While Creative Paperclay when dry can be dented and such, I loooove the look and feel of it when sanded. It's a lovely texture.

 

that's going to be useful for when i get more confident in sculpting and use sculpy.

as for paperclay, i use DAS for all the large areas like the skull shape and then i use another paperclay of a finer texture : Efaplast for the features as it is also whiter, less mushy, smells less and takes detail better. it is half the block size of das but the same price, well worth it.
does anyone else use 2 together ?

 

I just went to the craft store here in Holland and the problem i found out here that the only NOT air dry clay is Fimo that’s not that bade of course i like fimo but they only sell it here in the 100 gram packages

So i looked at all the air dry clay and took home a pack of FormoFit i don't know if anybody knows about this clay but it says on the package that it won't shrink and it won't dry to fast in the air and won't dry if you keep it in a air sealed container so i'm going to try and see how this works out.

 

I'm back, and I bring fangirl ness. Lol. OMG! I LOVE LADOLL! I've got three quarters of a doll head done. in a day. it takes a long time to dry, but because of that it give you a good working time. I'm so excited. I should have most of my doll finished by the time I'm off of break.

 

Back in my freshman year in high school I helped a friend make a mask out of plaster. She gave it to me when she moved and it's pretty sturdy stuff. I'm attempting to make a head out is plaster right now andn so far so good. It also air dries pretty fast...But its not clay, I dont know how most would feel about that.

 

Funny you should mention air dry clays because the two heads i sculpted (which are in this forum) were made from Das modelling air-dry clay.

I found the stuff stiff but not too much and fairly workable, and it tends to stay smooth even when you're working with it. My one complaint so far is that it dries out really, really fast (faster that what I am used to) so you have to keep the surfaces moist and re-wet them often to keep them from drying out or wrinkling/cracking while you work, but not so wet that it'll crack when it dries.

It also seems to dry in a peculiar fashion (or maybe because of all the extra moisture I had to keep adding), because you might find the moisture settles towards the bottom of whatever you're sculpting when you leave it to dry, which makes for a rather mushy stand that refuses to dry left on its own. I guess leaving it to dry on an absorbent surface might help, though I haven't tried that yet.

Another thing I'll add is that if you're using it to work on fine details like separated fingers, find something to keep those fingers separated while it drys or they'll meld and stick together.

Das clay also seems to be resoluable after it dries--I took the sanded bits and wet them back into a workable clay, though the consistency was more like uneven cement until I kneaded it out.

I reccently picked up something called Plus/Sio-2 because I couldn't find any more Das clay (it had been a present). I haven't touched it yet, but it feels to be the same consistancy as the Das clay and came in different colors, including regular white.

 

I picked up a 10 lb. box of cheap (8$) air dry clay from Michael's the other day, just to play with, since I've never sculpted before, and wanted to have fun with it without worrying about wasting expensive clay. It's... Amaco air modeling clay, in white, and that's the only brand/type marking on it. But I like it.

It dries kind of quickly, but I just keep a spray bottle of water on hand, as I remember reading somewhere that you should. I think it was on the forum, but I can't remember. It works -great-. Granted, I'm not making a doll head (yet), just some kitty ears for a boy I'm going to be getting, but I still like it. Part broke off when I tried to put holes through it (I filled them in, as they were too close to the edge), but I got it and the broken parts wet, kneaded the broken parts until they were usable again, and then just stuck it all back together. And it sands -so- well.

As for when it's dry... I don't know if anybody finds this helpful, but it's just a little softer than pottery greenware from the mold, if not the same. It's been awhile since I've done pottery.

 

i tried to reply to this earlier, and my internet ate it T_T

there's this awesome, strong, dark brown air-dry clay that they buy in these huge 7 or 8 kilo bags at our school. could be 10 kilo, they're heavy and that's all i know XD

this stuff dries solid without cracking, and you can buff the surface to give it a bit of a shine. it's as heavy as normal kiln-fire clay, but it only ever requires air-drying.

i don't know if it's called paper clay, but it should be in most ceramic supply stores, in with the other clay.

i highly recommend it, it's awesome

 

haha x'D I was using Crayola air-dray clay [for kids... god i'm such a nerd].

I don't recommend using it... it's more for making pretty things with jewels in it for your mom than an asian ball-jointed doll. x'D

 

DEATHS TO CRAYOLA AIR DRY CLAY!! *stab stab stab* >>; Sorry.

Psycholily, would you be able to find the name? I'm not familiar with clays, so I'd like to know! ^__^

 

So I'm sculting my own doll and I'm thinking of uing Creative Paper clay for the basic structure and then covering over it with a layer of super sculpey, How well will this work does anyone know?

 

I'd think you'd do it the other way-- SS for a hard core and then CPC for the outer-- I don't know how well the CPC bakes. .___;

 

<--- Super Sculpey Whore (XD)

I always found it hard to get the details I want with air-dry clays, as they will crack on me if I try to put on pieces / get details smaller than like 1/4 inch...and I don't like to feel 'timed' when working on something (I know you can always keep water/paper clays wet with water but then they always feel so 'squishy' no matter how small an amount I add). THAT and the shrinkage problems...

I guess we all have out perferred mediums.

That and my hands are naturally cold. XDD *laugh*

And I never had a problem with sticking it in the fridge for a few minutes. For those who are finding polymer clays too 'squishy' even using the fridge method, you can also bake one doll part and then FIT the matching still unbaked part (Like, make the upper arm, bake, then work on fitting the lower arm) to it so then they will fit together like a glove and you are not smushing one while trying to work eith the other. Then bake them as a unit.

 

I've worked in Plaster when I was in my sculpting class in college. It is nice and sturdy as long as you don't try to sand or cut into it. Once the exterior surface is gone, it will constantly shed plaster powder, and it's rediculously prone to chipping. It also takes a wee bit of finesse to mix the stuff, and it's very very VERY messy.
However, it's very easy to sand/shave, and I'm sure a polymer sealent spray will cut down on the powder issue. It might not be a bad medium to finish a doll in, provided you were casting into rubber or silicon molds. Hmm.

 

sure I would! I'll have to write it on my hand or something to remember though XD

They should have some at my TAFE, so while I'm there today I'll go have a look for it.

edit: i've PM'ed you ^_^

 

A website I was looking at said that you could mix Premier and LaDoll together. Premier gives the doll more strength and LaDoll sands to a smoother finish. Has anyone tried this and what percentages of each? I'm also thinking I might try Premier around the core and LaDoll on top of it after letting the Premier dry.

 

*Bump* I'm bumping this because I'd really like to know if anyone has tried mixing Premier and LaDoll together and what results you've had.

 

I use Premier air doll clay (same company as LaDoll) and I love it. I used to be a wood carver and had used it to fix mistakes but now I use it to sculpt my original, then cover it with several layers o Mr. White Surfacer then a coat or two of Mr. Super clear flat (makes it nice matte and water proofish for casting). I had thought about later airbrushing a flesh color on it but I might not get to it. Anyway this clay is very strong, a lot stronger than most air dry clay, and it can be smoothed to a silky finish with water. It's easy to sand.

One of my favorite doll artist in Japan, Ryo Yoshida, uses it (I had bought his book and learned a lot) with some unbelievable results. Also, it CONTAINS NO SULFUR for anyone interested in casting with it. My avatar is the first head I cast from this air dry clay head. I also made a small boy from Premier clay in Mr. Yoshida's style for practice (pictures of him are at www.dollist.deviantart.com ).

 

Hey, glad to see you finally posting here! Love your work, can't wait to see your dolls cast in resin!

 

I can't believe I didn't join this place sooner! Can talk about dolls to people who actually want to hear about dolls!

 

I have some tips for keeping airdrying clay (specifically DAS)- I keep mine in those plastic airtight food tubs that people keep leftovers in. They work, seriously- the clay is EXACTLY how I leave it every time. And no, I don't keep food in there afterwards

Also, a hairdryer is good for drying the surface of a recently added lump 'o DAS to add details to it as the clay dries better in hot conditions than cold (so no leaving it on windowsills on rainy nights!), but I'd only recommend this if you're in a real hurry, because too much pressure on it afterwards will make it crack.

But, I'm also a n00b to airdrying clays in general. This thread has been very informative to me, too!

 

Can anyone tell me anything about DAS? What are it's quirks? Anything difficult about it? What do you like? Not like?

Thank You!
Keanna

 

I've worked with Das! Here are my experiences with it :

Size: The first thing that struck me was the amount included. There's about about a kilogram (or 2.2 lbs) in one package and it's fairly heavy! It's much more thick than Creative Paperclay.

Look and Feel: I bought "White" or "normal" clay to work on th basic sculpt of a head I was making, so I used a sizeable amount. This is where I ran into some problems:

-"White" Das clay is in fact very dark gray color while fresh (It turns a light gray when it dries).
-Separating the clay into a even mass was a huge hassle. Much to my disappointment, the thickness of Das clay is largely due to the fact that it is unrefined.
It is held together in large, corrugated chunks that lack the smoothness of other paperclays I've used.

***(NB: The clay also has a VERY pungent chemical smell- very similar to unprocessed newspaper and school glue. The the back of the package is labeled "non-toxic", but it still made me dizzy to inhale the smell for long periods of time. Work in a well-ventilated area!)***

-Water is crucial to keeping Das workable, so keep it on-hand! It dries very quickly. Within 10 minutes of working on my project, it had the leathery consistency of greenware pottery.

Tools: Regular clay working tools will be fine with this clay. Plastics are
recommeneded though, because Das can get clingy when extremely wet.
A rolling pin and some form of cutting implement (like a clay slicer) will help tremendously.

Skill: I've worked with a lot of different doll-making materials, but this clay had oddest learning curve because of it's properties. It absolutely refuses to lie smooth when kneaded or carved and fairly brittle while fresh.
I found it was easier to work with larger amounts of clay as small detailing is almost impossible.

Drying and Finish: If left in a dry place at room temperature, Das will cure very fast. It takes about.. 38 hours(?) for it to reach maximum hardness and strength.
-Once completely dry, it is rock solid. There was very little shrinkage to be noted (a little under a millimeter, much like Creative Paperclay).
It is very hard to dent or scratch and has a dull sheen to it.
-It still retains vague traces of the toxic smell, though..
-Sanding Das clay is tough. Use a very low grit sandpaper- 300-ish, maybe even 100? It is not as malleable as Creative Paperclay, so there wasn't much dust from the sanding. However, I still recommend using a protective mask (for the smell ALONE, if nothing else!).


**Overall Rating: Not Recommended. ****
I bought this clay on sale at a local art store, and despite is tough properties and price, I really would not recommend this clay for even basic sculpting.
It's unrefined state keeps it from being malleable and its quick turnover rate makes it impossible to work with without drying out.
Basically useless for sculpting- try another brand.

I hope this helps?

 

IT helps very, very much! Thank you!

 

Sorry to double post--

I had been thinking- has anyone tried to refine DAS? Like stick it in a food processor or anything like that? Has anyone tried anything like that??

 

I wouldn't recommend ruining an expensive food processor just to soften or remix art supplies. What some people do is buy a hand-cranked pasta roller specifically for their clay, some people use hand-cranked meat grinders. Some people just mix by hand. I don't have a lot of experience with air-dry clays, but I know a lot of sculpey users need a bit of help reconditioning older clay into a more workable consistancy.

 

I've actually taken a hand at playing with Das-- I don't mind it at all. It doesnt seem as unrefined as I thought. It makes a good base, but like Aamir kindly pointed out, it won't hold tons of detailing well. However, it is good for soft features like muscle, but not for defined anatomy such as veins.

 

even tho ths thread is knda old...I had some ?'s of my own to add.

after making the doll/sanding and all that, whats next i mean what do you put on the air dry clay before priming it?

i just wanna know if i got this straight....do i use gesso then primer?
or am i supposed to use putty then gesso then primer?

i'm so confused right now...
@_@;;;

 

Riven - What clay would you be using?

 

creative paperclay of course :P

 

Hi~ everyone ^^. I also have a question-- for those using LaDoll or Premier, how many blocks do you go through for a MSD-sized doll? And for an SD-sized doll? Thanks in advance

 

I think I used 2 packs for MSD sized, and 3 packs for SD. I'm almost done my SD doll, and I'm half way into my 3rd pack. Just have hands and feet to sculpt
Of course it depends on how much clay you use(how thick the pieces are, mistakes, etc)

 

http://paperclay.com/ this is what the machina are sculpted from originally. It's extremely easy to sculpt with, but you aren't going to get a direct sculpt from them. You're going to have to sand and refine to get your details. You can speed up the drying process by popping it in the oven at 200 and turning th epieces every half hour- or if it's a small edit you can use a heat gun or blow dryer.

It is NOT durable. While it's okay to cast from, I wouldn't recommend making something you intend to play with a lot from it. You have to string with much less tension than you do with a regular doll, and just the friction can cause small parts to break over time.

So... in short it's great to sculpt with, but not so great for a ooak doll you want to play with. I broke the machina's fingers three times just from handling and casting. :/

 

Hey Batchix, Do you think if you used a stronger clay, such as DAS, for structure and strength, and creative paperclay for all detailing, it would help the durability at all? Also, have you ever used the Delight paperclay brand? Does it hold detail better or worse than it's heavier cousin?

My friend and I are going to start a sculpting project, so we are doing some research on the clays beforehand, but we are almost indefinetly going air-dry and not sculpey..

Sculpey is alright, it has it's advantages, but it has disadvantages too.. and somehow air-dry clay just feels better to work with.

 

Ah, I seeee. Thanks for your answer!