Best advice for a beginner getting into polymer clay sculpting?

[Nemesis]

I want to get into sculpting figurines and dolls from polymer clay. I have dabbled before, but mostly with adding accessories or details to custom dolls. I’m wondering if any pony people have opinions about the best way to learn this art? Books? Videos? Lessons?

Are there any tips or tricks to avoid beginner pitfalls? Any must have tools you wish you’d had when you started out?

Honestly, I’d just appreciate any advice at all on getting started. The internet is very overwhelming and there’s so much information overload that I’m not sure where to go for tutorials or even materials.

[BlackCurtains]

For supplies I like Blick Art Materials. Their clay is priced just right and they have lots of multi packs. I also recommend them for pastels and tools.

So let's see.

There are a lot of great artists on YouTube that have tutorials for whatever you might be looking for. For me, I mostly do miniature food and SugarCharmShop is/was my favorite (her videos are still up but she no longer makes new ones unfortunately). She did branch out to do other things, so I would recommend checking out her channel.

Starting out can be intimidating but polymer is a lot easier to work with than most people realize

Tis & Tricks. Alrighty. Go to Home Depot or some other store like that and get some ceramic floor tiles. They're fairly cheap if you're just buying a few, get some in different sizes. This is what you'll sculpt on. You can put it directly in the oven. No fuss! To avoid "shiny spots" that are in contact with the tile (usually the bottom of something, so not always a big deal) put down some cardstock.

Vegetable oil is your friend! Keep some nearby (I keep mine in a paint bottle) and brush it on unbaked clay to remove dust and fingerprints. It's also good for smoothing. A little goes a long way. It will burn off in the oven and leave no residue or marks.

Clay can be baked more than once.

Let it warm up with the oven.

Low temp and longer time is the secret. I usually go with 275 for a half hour. Yes, even with little miniature foods. You want to make certain that it's baked all the way through. With very thick items, this is where baking multiple times comes in handy.

Tools. Aluminum foil is good for armature and also texture. You'll want ball tools for sure. They're probably what you'll end up using the most. You know what? I'm gonna get out my stuff and take pics so you can see what I'm talking about.

I'll be back.

Post Merge: September 29, 2020, 02:28:54 PM

Okay, sorry for double posting but my pics wouldn't load otherwise.



visitors can't see pics , please register or login


These are the things I use the most. Everything is on my big ceramic tile. You've got an acrylic rolling pin (I really need a new one), two different kinds of cutters/scrapers, a needle tool that has a hook thingy on the other side (but the needle is the important part), exacto knife, ball tools of varying sizes, a cheap toothbrush for textures and finally a nice pair of tweezers.

Here's a close up of the ball tools, each one has a different size on either end. I also have two bigger ones.

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


I also recommend a pasta roller and when you get more into the hobby, a Dremel Micro.

To get started, I would honestly just poke around YouTube looking for different artists until you find one you like and who is doing what you yourself would like to do. Watch them for a while, get a feel for it, etc. Then start getting clay and some tools and start small.

Here is my first attempts at making cake.

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


I kept practicing, kept watching tutorials, got some better tools and made these MLP inspired cakes

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Then I got fancy (and smaller!)

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Before I knew it I was making things on my own without an accompanying tutorial:

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


visitors can't see pics , please register or login


visitors can't see pics , please register or login


And I've made lots of other things I don't have pics of. Like everything, practice, practice, practice! Thing will get easier the more you do them and then after you've followed along with others you'll start to see how to make things all on your own. I find sculpting miniatures especially relaxing and fulfilling. It's really nice to be able to get an idea, make it and see it finished in a day instead of some projects that take a long time (I'm pretty slow, so when I finish something I feel relived and happy).

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me anytime!

[Thimble]

One tip from me! Keep some hand wipes ready. Tiny, invisible bits of clay will stain your hands and tools, and then end up on the next piece of clay. White and pastel colors will be a messy rainbow before you know it!

The previous list of tools is really good. I also use an exacto blade for fine details, long metal pins for making beads and other hollow things, a non-stick working mat, and a fair bit of acrylic paints and glazes for effects. Liquid sculpey and similar products, while not necessary, will increase your  creative options! I'm more of a mixed media sculptor, so I like the variety of textures you can get with those.

Youtube is a gold mine of inspiration ideas and tutorials, and for books, "The Complete Book of Polymer Clay" by Lisa Pavelka is my favorite.

And of course, test your clays to see how they perform during baking. It really sucks to spend hours on a project, only to have it fail because of a new clay that did something weird.

[Nemesis]

BlackCurtains: Wow, thank you for all the info! I think I have most of the tools you mentioned, but I’ll have to double-check... I wouldn’t have thought of ceramic tiles or card-stock, though! Thanks for the suggestions! ^_^

Also, that mini rainbow cake is making me hungry...

Thimble: I never tried keeping wet wipes on hand—that’s a lifesaver, thanks! Those little crumbs of clay get everywhere...

I’ll check out that book! Like I said, I’ve only dabbled with sculpting in polymer for little details or costume accessories. Making whole pieces will be a new experience.

On the subject of trying new clays... Is there any particular brand or type that you guys would recommend? It’s been a while since I bought any, and I don’t know where to start anymore... there are so many options. O_O

[BlackCurtains]

I use Premo! by Sculpey if I want colored clay, otherwise I use Super Sculpey for 99% of things, like wings on custom ponies for example. Sculpey III is softer but can come in handy too. Then there's Sculpey Firm for things that need to be sturdier, like feet and hands if you're making a whole figure. For stuff like horns, I like Bake & Bend.

Cernit is nice too. They have the best white if you're looking for colored clay.

Living Doll is supposed to be very good for, well, dolls, but I've never tried it myself. It's pricier than the others.

[Thimble]

Same for me, but I've never tried cernit. I'm cheap, lol.
Bigger pieces with bits that stick out or up, or figures that stand up require inner or outer support no matter the brand, once you get beyond a certain size. So, i use all the clays  interchangeably. I would suggest avoiding the metallic and texture clays at first. They can be tricky to use. Transparent clays can burn if rebaked too much, or baked too long. So if you want delicate details using those, you may need to bake them separately. I ruined a gorgeous dragon's horns that way once.

And most clays mix just fine with any other brand of polymer clay. Just make sure to note down what you mixed in case you want to repeat it, lol. (Or not.) Be careful of baking times though. They tend to similar, but some are a bit different. They mix fine, but you'd need to take care if doing a big piece half in one brand and half in another that needs a different time.

The super cheap so-called polymer clay you see online sometimes is not pc at all. It's usually airdry. Be wary of unknown brands.

[RoseNoire]

BlackCurtains : I would die for your miniature food and tea set. These are so adorable and so well made, they spark my joy. ;w;

[Gator]

I watch Ace of Clay videos on youtube.  He sculpts figures.  He also has a facebook group.