I have been using paper clays for a few years now and I can definitely say that one type is different from another.
There is creative paperclay, premier, LaDoll, LaDollPremix, Darwi, FIMO Air, Sculpey Air, etc.
So, what is the difference?
The major factors I "judge" my clay by are the following:
1. Strength after drying
2. Weight (when dry)
3. Sanding properties (let's face it, if you want a smooth surface, you will have to sand this typeof clay and a lot!)
4. "Feel" of the clay. What i mean by that is that some clays are easier to sculpt with than others. Some have a very slippery, kind of soapy feel to them which can be tricky when you are trying to add pieces.
5. Another factor that cannot be ignored is the "accessibility". How easy it is to find locally? Is it worth ordering online and pay extra shipping cost or can you find it at your local craft store?
So here are my thoughts:
First I would love to ask you about YOUR favorite type of air
dry clay and your experience with it. Let me know what you tried, what you
liked about it and what you didn't. I am sure we all would appreciate your
opinion and point of view. There is so much your can learn from someone's
experience. Considering it all costs money and we only want to spend money on
good stuff, LOL, JUST KIDDING, experimenting is a part of learning!
1. The most commonly used in North America and most easily found
is Creative Paperclay,
japanese made. It is soft, very pliable, applies very easily and not too difficult
to sand.
When sanded with an extra fine sand paper it looks and feels like
porcelain. It is pretty strong after drying. Drying time depends on the
thickness, but usually your creation will be 90% dry the next day or 24 hours.
I find it is a bit coarse clay, especially when it dries. No matter how
smoothly you think you sculpt, it requires sanding, because when it is dry there
are tiny grains left on the surface, which in a way is its own charming quality.
I also find that it is very easy to use because the tiny granules in clay
let you “grab” it better and help your fingers not to “glide or even slide down”
from the surface of the clay. I personally like it a lot.
2. One of the other very popular clays is LaDoll. Also made in Japan. Very nice, professional grade clay. It
is strong and much smoother than Creative Paperclay. It sands a bit easier too.
Beautiful results! You will not going to be disappointed.
3. Now, please if you have a chance, try Premier. Also made in Japan. This clay is extremely light after it
dries and super bright white color. I find that it is a bit too slippery for
sculpting (hands slide too much), but it you get used to it, it is totally
worth it! It sands very easily and very strong after drying. The lightness of
this clay, when dry cannot be compared to anything else so far! I am talking
professional doll-grade quality clay. Try it, for sure. I love the finished
results with it – gorgeous clay and you can’t beat the lightness of the finished
and dried piece. It is more expensive than Creative Paperclay.
3. There is a mix of Premier and LaDoll clays, developed by
Hannie Sarris, called LaDoll PREMIX.
This is exactly it – a mix of the two clays. It is nice and strong. It is a bit
heavier than Premier and a touch lighter than LaDoll. In reality, I find it is
a bit closer to LaDoll by its nature. Which is a great thing. In a word – this
is a wonderful, professional quality clay and it is not surprising that entire
doll making community (working with air dry clays) know and praise it. It is
more expensive than Creative Paperclay.
4. Sculpey Air – this
is a new clay that I discovered a year or two ago and it is a great material
for playing around with and actually making a professional doll with. It is
pretty strong and easy to use. A little bit “soapy” for my liking and the only
drawback I discovered with it so far – it is heavier than all the clays I
listed above. It is also a touch cheaper than Japanese clays and because it is
an American product (by Sculpey) it is readily available in almost all craft
stores, including Michaels here, in North America.
5. Another one worth mentioning – DAS or PRANG (Prang bought Das clay). It is much heavier than
Creative Paperclay, but sands easer. It is also suitable for making dolls, but it
is not as strong as Paperclay, LaDoll, Premier and LaDoll Premix. However, if
you would like to try it, it is much cheaper and a good practice for make
something fun!
Let’s also clarify some things – what I call ”professional doll
clay” is the clay that can handle creation of tiny parts, like doll’s fingers. It
also should sand to an extremely smooth porcelain-like finish. Don’t bother
with other kid’s clays from Crayola, unless you are making a projects with and for
kids. My advice, if you are planning to sell your work or make it to enjoy
yourself for many years – stick with the professional type clays. You won’t
regret it.
There is another clay known in Europe – DARWI Classic and DARWI ROC. It is Belgium made. I have tried Darwi
Classic, and found it extremely heavy! I understand it is designed for working
mostly on ceramic repairs. However, there is something like DARWI Extra Light, but I haven’t seen
it in North America much, so therefore I don’t have much to say about it since
I haven’t used it. Darwi is mostly known to European doll makers. I assume they
use it partly because it is available to them (we all use what we can find,
right?).
However after trying other clays, I can definitely say there are
better clays out there for doll making. At the end of the day, when you have to
ship your sculpture to a client (which I do a lot and the weight of the piece
is very important to me), you really don’t want it to be weighing a ton J Sorry, Darwi J Some of my
students used Darwi before and like it, so again, experiment!
I also have a friend working exclusively in paperclay and
Premier and who used to work with DAS in the past, mentioned to me that during
transportation her figures made with DAS had breakage in the fingers and she
had to repair them. I am talking about an artist who travels a lot!
Another Japanese clay is known very well to European market is Artista FORMO. I have read that it is a
bit coarser clay than LaDoll. Again, I haven’t seen it here, in North America
and didn’t have a chance to try it.
Also, there is FIMO Air
Basic. I find it is a bit similar to DAS and Scupey Air. It is a bit heavy
for my liking, but works pretty well in a tight situation J I mean if you really really really need clay and nothing else
is available, you can do the work with FIMO Air, LOL.
Have fun experimenting! And I would love to hear from you about
your clay experiences.
