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Softening
Super Sculpey
I like sculpting in softer, more pliable Super Sculpey, but since Sculpey is sold in non-airtight boxes, it can become very firm when sitting on the shelf in an art supply store. How do you soften this stiffer sculpey so it's workable? First off, when at the store, I'd advise you to open each box of Super Sculpey and check to see which is the softest of the bunch. The fresher stuff will be much softer. If none of them are soft enough for you, get the softest one and also buy a small bottle of Sculpey Dilutent. This is a clear, oily liquid that is the liquid binder for the microscopic sculpey particles. Sculpey dilutent is tailor-made for softening stiff sculpey. To use it, take a small piece of the stiff sculpey (about 1 1/2 inches square), flatten it and drip four to six drops of dilutent on it. Then knead it well with your fingers until the liquid is incorporated and the clay has a softer consistency.. Some sculptors prefer sculpting in stiffer Super Sculpey, and you might be one of them. You should experiment early on to see which consistency you like best. If you're a firm sculpey devotee, and you want to stiffen up the softer stuff, there are a couple of avenues open to you. One is to mix in a few bars of a stiff clay like Fimo or Promat. This will make the Sculpey stiffer. You can also roll the soft clay out into thin sheets, and press each sheet between two layers of non-glossy paper (such as typing paper). Stack alternating layers of sculpey and paper and then top the stack off with a book or other weight. Then let the sculpey sit for several days to two weeks. The paper will absorb the liquid in the sculpey and make it firmer. Don't use cloth or paper towels, as these will get all kinds of fibers into your sculpey. For some excellent advice on sculpting in this firmer grade of super sculpey, check out Dan Platt's Solid Image Arts website (see my Links page). As for me, I'll stick with the softer stuff! . |
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