Posted by Steve | Posted in Modeling Materials and Techniques | Posted on 25-05-2010
Tags: das modeling clay drying time, modeling clay drying time
some questions on modeling clay..?
Okay I’ve got some clay, still in the packages, and I’m going to make some gifts for Chrismas, and paint them, 
So…
I wanted to know mostely,
1. Does clay go ‘off’ when it’s wet..? last time I had some, (ages ago) I came back to it, like maybe a day later… And they had these fungii growthes on them! (It was wrapped up, but not air tight in it’s packet.)
2. Will it look nice if I paint it? The paints are just wilkos … I couldn’t find anything else !! (There was no propper paint for clay)
And lastly do you have any advice so that my clay doesn’t look naff… How long till it dries and how to wrap it up, how to store it?
Lmao! Perhaps it wasn’t fungus!
It was like hairy fluffy white stuff… Ew!!!
It just says “new clay the clean clay” …
Not sure of a type it is…
I also don’t know what *type* of “clay” you have, though it sounds like one of the “air-dry” types. Never really heard of white fungi growing on even air-dry clays, but guess it would be possible in some situations with the ones made from grains, etc, or perhaps if there were something in the air or from your hands handling it that bloomed in those conditions.
Air-dry clays (whether made at home or purchased) should be kept air-tight unless you’re actively working on them because they will dry out (usually in about 24 hrs.). To keep air-dry clays workable, just keep them in a sturdy zip-top or other kind of plastic bag, tightly closed, or roll up in aluminum foil, or put into a plastic container with a lid, etc.
You can paint air-dry clays after they’ve dried or in most cases just mix the color from the paint into the clay before shaping. I don’t know what “Wilcos” are, but if they’re watercolors, you can use them but they won’t be permanent without being sealed. Of course, air-dry clays must be sealed anyway, or later moisture will begin to degrade them (or make the colors run). Generally, air-dry clays are painted with acrylic paints, but many types could be used.
If you’re using a *polymer clay* on the other hand, it will never dry out…. it must be baked (in a regular home oven, or other ways) to cure and harden it…. it can “firm up” a bit while sitting though. Polymer clays are brands like Fimo, Premo, Sculpey, Cernit, Kato. Polymer clays can also be painted on (with acrylic paints, after wiping with alcohol to degrease), but generally the color is already built into the clay.
(and “modeling clay” is something different from both in that it will never dry out, but if it’s heated, it will *melt*… that’s the kind of stuff that kids have used for 50 years or more)
If you want to make your own clay at home, then dry it , and paint it (and seal it), check out “bread clay” and “salt dough clay”:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLC,GGLC:1969-53,GGLC:en&q=%22bread+clay%22
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLC,GGLC:1969-53,GGLC:en&q=salt+dough+clay
HTH,
Diane B.
First attempt at latex and airbrush
