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 PMOkay, sorry for double posting but my pics wouldn't load otherwise.
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loginThese 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.
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loginI 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.
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loginAnd 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!