How to choose clay for modeling?

Many kids find that modeling clay is an enjoyable and creative hobby. However, it can be difficult to choose the best kind of clay for your child when there are so many varieties available. Selecting the appropriate clay can have a significant impact on their experience, regardless of whether they are novices or seeking to try something different.

Every type of clay, including polymer and air-dry clay, has unique qualities and might be more appropriate for a given project than another. Before making a decision, it’s crucial to take into account elements like texture, drying time, and ease of use.

This post will discuss the various kinds of clay and what to consider when selecting the ideal one for your child’s modeling endeavors.

Advantages

Obviously, the clay from which our distant ancestors molded household utensils is not exactly the same clay used for creativity, at least not for children. More accurately, although it has long been the primary component, natural clay may still be present in the mixture. Thanks to a number of additions, the mixture—now known as clay for modeling—has entirely new qualities and a peculiar look. Modeling clay could be considered a form of plasticine as well, since even modern plasticine does not always follow the original formulas. However, modeling clay is typically made to solve practical issues and, when used properly, can be used to create works of true art.

• Wider opportunities. Nobody argues that such material is not necessary for beginners, but if the child squeezes the maximum out of plasticine, and he clearly likes modeling, it is necessary to switch to clay in childhood. Plasticine, as a rule, always visually remains plasticine, but modern polymer clays in a hardened form can resemble almost any other material. It is possible that at a certain stage such a children"s hobby will be able not only to feed a grown-up child, but also to make him famous, allowing him to earn decent amounts of money with his favorite activity.
• Efficient storage of figurines. Even if a child will never do this professionally, but makes some progress in modeling, you really want to save some of his creations – at least as a keepsake for parents. Most other plastics are designed for relatively short shelf lives, and only clay, if handled with care, can hold its shape for decades.

• Increased plasticity in orientation towards children. Plasticine is often criticized for being quite hard – they say that while a child kneads it, he may completely lose the desire to actually sculpt. For preschoolers, pieces of domestically produced plasticine may seem completely invincible, and against their background, clay for modeling seems incredibly soft, because even the consistency of toothpaste is not fantastic for it.

Furthermore, some manufacturers create kid-specific sets, and these mixtures don’t necessarily indicate that issues will arise at first.

Of course, a child attending such a mass is also completely safe. Although there are dishonest producers who may include toxic ingredients in their products that are beneficial for viscosity or plasticity, products from reputable brands are unquestionably safe.

The age of the child, the project you’re working on, and the properties of the clay should all be taken into account when selecting clay for modeling. The best clay for younger children is softer, non-toxic clay because it is safe and easy to mold. Due to its strength and ability to harden, polymer or air-dry clay might be a better option for older kids or more complex projects. To guarantee that your child has an enjoyable, creative experience, choose a type that corresponds with the abilities and objectives of the task.

Composition

The vast diversity of contemporary polymer clays is evident in their compositions, leading one to conclude with confidence that, although the term "clay" is used rather symbolically in the name due to the general similarity of properties, either very little or no real natural clay is present in the composition.

Polyvinyl chloride is the fundamental component of most mixtures, though other comparable polymers can also be used as bases. Special plasticizers are used to give the mass plasticity.

Are employed, both synthetic and organic (wax, for example).

The components that determine the appearance of the mass also play a very important role. Depending on the properties of the plasticizers, the method of hardening the future mixture is determined: the plasticizers either evaporate in the open air, leaving only a solid base, or they themselves lose plasticity under the influence of high temperatures during baking. In colorless clay, there may not be any at all, but, as a rule, at least pigments are added to the mixture, which are responsible for giving the clay a certain color A small amount of kaolin or white porcelain. can even give the mixture transparency, at least partial In addition, glitter, tiny metal chips or other additives are added to the mass, helping to imitate a wide variety of materials in a solidified form.

Types

These days, polymer clays come in so many different forms that it is hard to find professionals who have tried them all. To select a material that is appropriate, you must, nevertheless, have a basic understanding of them.

Clay can be made to be fired or self-hardening, to start with.

With the first option, the material hardens by simply drying in the open air. This process doesn’t involve any technological tricks, but it takes a very long time—the products dry out by no more than a centimeter per day—so it’s practical to use this material only for flat figures.

Heat treatment is necessary for clay intended for firing, and it expedites the hardening process considerably. However, the instructions must be strictly followed, especially about keeping the temperature as specified on the package. Natural ceramic clay, which is still utilized by fans of timeless classics, is another ingredient in baking masses.

Any clay needs to be kneaded, but during the process, tiny air bubbles enter the mixture and don’t help the final products become stronger. While most amateurs cannot afford the expensive equipment needed to knead the mass with air suction, vacuum clay is readily available in stores, making even novices able to benefit from all of its advantages.

Generally speaking, the mass is made for a single product formation so that it can be hardened later to keep its shape. But, if the child is new to modeling, this may not be totally feasible. In this sense, children’s reusable clay—also called clay-plasticine—is created. It can be reshaped multiple times before baking, or it can be baked without baking at all.

Additionally, the consistency of clay can vary greatly. Although plastic mass can be difficult to use for holding complex shapes, children require a softer, more flexible material. Ordinary mass typically has a consistency similar to gruel or plasticine, but it is also available as dry clay in powder form, where the customer can choose how much plasticizer to add to get the right consistency. The opposite is also present—a fully liquid mixture is utilized as glue for clay components that are solid.

The criteria for selecting clay can also take into account the intended use for it. For instance, specific types are used to sculpt flowers because, despite having extremely thin petals, they can bend and then return to their original shape when baked. This makes the finished product resemble flowers rather than clay.

Naturally, tableware doesn’t require these qualities—strength is more crucial there, so organic or any other straightforward clay will do.

Every variety of clay has unique qualities of its own. For instance, the so-called "cold porcelain," which is actually an imitation of this material despite not being one, can be used to make tableware. Similarly, Cambrian (blue) clay, which was created as an enhanced form of natural clay, is also useful for making tableware and traditional folk figurines.

Ultimately, a great deal of clay comes in single pieces rather than sets. Most of the time, materials are sold separately even if they are painted a particular color or made to resemble another material as closely as possible. However, colorful sets are made for kids by using plasticine as an analogy because kids are often drawn to modeling because of how colorful and picturesque the finished product can be.

Colors

When it comes to encouraging children’s creativity with coloring clay, there are two essentially different methods. Pre-colored material is the easier option, since every mass already has a specific color. The colors that are most frequently seen in children’s sets are red, blue, and green, but there are 24 other options. It’s possible that colored clay will be offered for sale separately, allowing you to purchase just the colors required for the project you have in mind.

If you need a specific shade that isn’t offered in ready-made form, white or transparent colorless clay will come in handy. Watercolor paints are typically used to mix most mixtures, and they can be mixed in different ways to achieve different tones.

You can attain the perfect balance of color, brightness, and contrast by hand-mixing the resulting dye with the purchased mass in the prescribed proportions.

Multicolored clay works well in scenarios where every single detail of the figurine is composed of a different color, but it is not possible to create intricate works of art with intricate color filling in this manner. It is simpler to create them from a single-color mass that will be painted over the hardened surface with regular acrylic paints.

It is important to keep in mind that not all materials permit this kind of processing, so particular clay must be chosen in order to color it after baking.

Watch the following video to learn how to apply vibrant paints to white polymer clay.

Your child’s age, skill level, and the kinds of projects they wish to make will all play a role in selecting the best modeling clay. It’s critical to take into account elements like durability, usability, and safety of the finished products.

Softer, non-toxic clays that are simple to mold are best for younger kids. For more intricate projects, older children might prefer more sophisticated options like air-dry clay or polymer, which offer greater versatility.

The best clay is ultimately the one that inspires creativity and gives your child a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment from the modeling process.

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