I have been working with polymer clay for just about seventeen years now, and primarily use it to create Japanese anime/manga-style figures of my own characters. They are usually fun (though time-consuming) projects, and can also double as a maquette when I'm finished. Like many artists I also enjoy drawing, and it's very handy to have a 3D representation of a character I want to draw ready at a glance. I have a full 360 degree view of all the outfit details, accessories, hairstyle and whatever, anytime. I can compare the heights and builds of two characters and see if I've drawn someone too tall, short, thick, or thin. I mostly work on my own creations, but here's an example shot of a small figure I made of Yotsuba from the manga Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma. You can click on the photo for a larger view (sorry in advance about the poor quality lighting).
Yotsuba is (c) Kiyohiko Azuma. This figure is roughly eight inches high (which is small compared to my usual work size). I may create a future page going into greater detail about the process, as well as snap a new photo or two of the finished sculpture since the one on the end is so poorly lit. This project went fairly quickly since the character is small and doesn't have many details to worry about. My average project size is around 16 inches tall, like this:
The Captain is (c) me. Click the photo for a larger view (after that, right click the larger view photo and choose "view image"; sometimes this site doesn't show at full size even when it says it's full size). This project took several weeks (interruptions kept putting it on the sidelines) but she was eventually completed. The base is a simple piece of wood with a hole for a wire running through the foot to settle into. The head is removable, which made for much easier painting.
If you're just getting into polymer clays, feel free to read onward; old pros will probably not find much that they weren't already aware of, but you never know. I'm always discovering new things, so you might, too.
Super Sculpey, for those who don't regularly haunt art/craft stores, is a polymer clay which can be shaped into whatever you like, then baked in a conventional oven to harden instead of inside an expensive kiln. It's not wet and muddy like traditional pottery-making clay, and it is certainly light years beyond Play-Doh and other cheap modeling clays (no offense to Play-Doh, you helped make my childhood an adventure old pal). It can be sanded, painted, and glazed, and it's really very versatile. The majority of the figures I've made are made of Super Sculpey, but that is not the only variety.
Let's take a brief look at them (and some other things), shall we?
(Not pictured) Original Sculpey (it comes in white and terra cotta; I'm only writing about white since I've never bought terra cotta) is cheaper than Super, but it has enough shortcomings to counteract the attractive price. It is much more malleable, which makes it tougher for me to use; I tend to damage areas on the figure as I'm sculpting something else. Being so much softer really gets in my way as I try to complete work, especially small details. I do, however, recommend Original for making bases for a figure to stand/sit/etc. on. It's cheaper, and you can create an interesting scene for your figure to be a part of instead of using a simple flat base (or no base at all). Make a chair for them to sit on, a little grassy patch with flowers, some dank old swamp, whatever you like. Since Super is about $14-$15 a pound and Original runs about $10-$11 per pound, the beginner might simply say "why pay more for my first try?" and walk out with Original Sculpey. My recommendation is not to do this. Original has its uses, but overall it is the inferior Sculpey product.
1. - Super Sculpey is less malleable than Original, and much more malleable than Firm, giving it a nice overall balance.
2. - Super Sculpey Firm is the latest addition. The clay is dark gray, and when they say Firm they mean it. I have not yet used the brick I bought last year, but from my time playing around with it, I can see why professionals use it. It has the opposite effect of Original - you won't have to worry nearly as much about wrecking completed portions while working on other areas of the figure. A little jab from a finger won't demolish three hours of work in a heartbeat with this stuff.
3. - Sculpey III is more or less Super Sculpey, but in a variety of different colors. I do not use this clay, since I paint everything I sculpt, and also it is quite expensive. A 2 oz. block is around $2, so a pound of the stuff is roughly $16. It's about the same as a pound of Super, so why am I complaining? Well, when you take a look at the overall figure and how many ounces of certain colors you're going to need, it can really start adding up. You may need, say, 10 packages of beige for an outfit, on top of all the other colors you'd need to buy just to use small amounts. You're either buying a ton of one color, or buying a a pack of a color you only need a tiny amount of (and may have no future need for). It's not a bad product, but the cons out weight the pros in my book. Painting with acrylics is fine for me, and hopefully you'll give it a try.
4. - Sculpey Glaze can be used after you've finished your figure. I use it after painting (depending on the figure), but I've seen some people use it without painting at all (I've never done this). It gives, as you might imagine, a glossy finish to the surface you brush it onto. I do not recommend Glaze if you're planning on airbrushing your sculptures! The Glaze simply destroys airbrushed paint, so be warned.
5. - Simple wooden tools useful for shaping and smoothing clay. You can find them in pretty much any art store, and they will quickly become your go-to tools.
6. - It never hurts to have something pointy laying around; this tool can be used for tiny detail work, and is essentially a long needle. I've seen many other sculptors use dental tools for their detail work (those awful things they scrape your teeth with, that's them), but I've never explored the option of purchasing any at this time. This tool has its uses, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was called. I found it in an arts and crafts shop, then sharpened it to a much finer point with a file.
7. - Another old favorite, an Xacto knife with an extremely dulled blade. This is my all-purpose cutting tool and it allows me to precisely shape the Sculpey into anthing with an angle. It is also useful for stripping clay from an overly bulky area.I don't recommend using a new Xacto blade; you might cut yourself or your work area, or even wind up slicing into your base foil, which can cause all sorts of troubles. To dull an Xacto blade, simply grab a piece of styrofoam and continually run the blade through it until it won't even slice a piece of paper. Nothing dulls a sharp blade like styrofoam; anyone who has ever worked with foamcore will tell you. My blade is so dulled that it has no hope of breaking my skin, but it still slices through Sculpey just right.
8. - Another useful tool to have at your disposal is an engraving pen. Like the sharp pokey needle thing listed at #6, an engraving pen can be used to dig fine lines and details into the clay without gouging it to bits. It is also useful for poking holes, which I'm sure you've already guessed by now.
9. - Another package of wooden tools like the ones in #5, but I'd like to direct your attention to the three metal tools with ring-like shapes on top. These tools are used for scraping over bulky areas in order to reshape them strip by strip. You are essentially shaving the clay away with each pass of the tool. These can be fairly useful, but I haven't had much luck with them when working with Firm; it's so firm that it bends the heads of the tools! I probably just bought cheap ones, but it's worth mentioning so you don't rush in and snap something in half.
Your next best friends are various tools, some wire, and tinfoil.
1. - Many art stores sell flexible armature wire for use in sculpting, and while it can be nice to work with, it is out-of-control overpriced. Your armature shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Some people even use wire coat hangers, but that should probably be avoided. What do I use? 12 Gauge Ceiling Tile Hanger Wire from Home Depot. It's twenty five cents per wire, and you get about ten feet of it. It lasts me so long that I usually just buy a dollar's worth at a time and don't run out for years. The wire is tough, will keep its shape, and can be bent any way you need with pliers and snipped through with the average pair of handheld wire cutters. You can also get a 100 foot roll of the stuff for around $7, but that's a lot of wire.
2. - I always keep a small, lightweight hammer on hand when I'm building an armature, because it lets me easily shape the heavy-duty tinfoil. Once you've put on your foil, you may want to hammer it into a better shape instead of leaving a craggy mass of foil to sculpt on top of. On the other hand, flattening and smoothing the foil entirely can also lead to problems; the clay might slip if it's too smooth. You just need to experiment and find a proper balance. It will come along easily enough.
3. - Heavy-duty tinfoil is a great way to use up less of that expensive box of clay you just dragged home. By filling out most areas on your armature with tinfoil, you can then sculpt right on top of it with clay and it will stay put with no worries. Heavy duty is recommended over normal foil because it will have a much more difficult time being crushed as you work on your figure. Normal foil tends to flatten and can ruin things in a hurry. Heavy duty can be shaped with a hammer if need be; you can really create a sturdy bulk to rest beneath your clay that will retain the shape you want no matter what.
4. - Common pliers are great for building an armature. The Ceiling Tile Hanger Wire is stiff, and you could probably bend it with your hands easily enough, but why not save yourself the trouble and use the right tool for the job? Also great for bending hard angles.
5. - A common wire cutter will need to be at your side when building an armature, but you can safely put it away afterward completion. In a pinch, you can use it to completely snip through clay, foil, and wire all in one shot, but that really shouldn't need to happen in the first place! When building an armature, a beautiful inside leads to a beautiful outside, so don't rush through it in order to get right into the clay.
6. + 7. - When building your armature, you'll need thinner wire to hold it together. I use 18 gauge and 24 gauge wire. 24 gauge is the utility wire for wrapping pieces together. 18 is useful for inserting into parts, or bracing things like fingers so they'll have less of a chance of snapping off.
8. - Sandpaper (not pictured) is a must for after you've baked your sculpture. Fine and Very Fine sandpaper can help smooth out your piece and give it a more complete look. I can't tell you how hard I cringe whenever I see a photo of a sculpture that has been painted but not sanded. Fingerprints all over the clay do not get covered up by paint! You need to sand them off beforehand. Sanding can be obnoxious, but it's almost always necessary. Also necessary is a common sanding mask to help keep the wafting flecks out of your body. I have a dremel for sanding, but don't use it anymore since it generally did more damage than good.
Sanding can be a hassle, but 91% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol can reduce the need for it. By painting it onto the Super Sculpey with a small brush (before the clay has been baked), you dissolve a small layer, which can eliminate fingerprints and such. Be careful around small details, though; you may need to reshape them after using the Alcohol. Also (obviously) make sure the Alcohol has completely evaporated before baking!
Well, that's all for now. I'll try to get some photos in here soon, along with a few step-by-step examples of the process.
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