Sculpey Question

[Naukhel]

So, after doing some decent hair in green stuff, I\'m getting bolder, and am going
to try to sculpt something original.
Using Sculpey... I have one question right now, and probably lots more to come...

When adding things on, do I bake the piece, add on, bake again, or do I have
to put it all together first, and then bake it?
Just how much baking can this stuff take before I\'ll be ruining my work?

Ok, that\'s two questions...

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by Naukhel
So, after doing some decent hair in green stuff, I\'m getting bolder, and am going
to try to sculpt something original. Using Sculpey...

Okay, tip #1: use an armature and do something to the wire to make it rough enough to have the Sculpey adhere.

Originally posted by Naukhel
When adding things on, do I bake the piece, add on, bake again, or do I have
to put it all together first, and then bake it?

Well in the spirit of \'too much wet putty is asking for a thumbprint\' I\'d advise working in stages, but it\'s not that simple with Sculpey and the like.

One of the major problems with Sculpey, SS and other polymer clays is in doing transitions from hardened clay to fresh clay. The diluents help in this, up to a point, but many sculptors resort to switching to two-part putties for minor revisions.

Tip #2: you can blend polymer clays with two-part putties to get something like the best of both worlds. It helps toughen up the baked clay for a start and although you get a looong working time you still get the stiffening up toward the end, that helps doing certain kinds of details. Personally I would use about a 1:1 blend to start with myself, see how you like it (used straight Sculpey\'s texture and feel is not something I\'m fond of, although obviously other people have no problems with it).

Originally posted by Naukhel
Just how much baking can this stuff take before I\'ll be ruining my work?

Keep the temperature carefully in check (bake at a lower temp, for longer) and you can bake more than a few times fairly safely.

Tip #3: you can harden these putties in boiling water if you want to, save the chance of scorching thin sections or protrusions.

Sculpting in polymer clays is one of those things that you really want to read tips on before you get started as it\'s quite easy to waste time doing something that won\'t work right (so don\'t try to reinvent the wheel). Thankfully there are a lot of resources out there, both in the mini world and in other areas.

Einion

 

[Naukhel]

Thanks a lot. I\'ll keep all in mind. And probably re-read several times before
getting it all stuck in my noodle properly.

 

[lono]

I have been using Super Sculpey quite a bit recently and have found it\'s better for doing stuff that is looser and less precise. It\'s great for smooth, flowing robes or building up musculature, but when it comes to smaller details the tackyness of GS and the fact it\'s a little less maliable once it\'s set a bit make it the better option.

As for getting Sculpey to stick to the armature, twist some thinner wire around the main armature wire, then add a layer of Green Stuff over that. While the Green Stuff is still wet add on the Sculpey and it will adhere perfectly.

And make sure you have a solid base to hold it by to keep your hands out of the way. It\'s all to easy to ruin something you\'ve finished but not baked because you have got so focused on the next bit.

For baking, I try to work it that:

All of the underlying form and musculature is completed before the first bake.
All of the basic clothing and armour shape is done before the second bake.
Head, hands, final details before the third bake.
Add any extras with GS or other sort of putty.