Clay sculpting, one of the oldest types of fine plastic art in history, is one of our personal favorites. This article is about the 4 best types of sculpting clay for beginners and will show how to make it affordable and enjoyable. This style of art is appropriate for people of all ages, including children and adults.
When you start with the right equipment, simple techniques, and, of course, with plenty of practice, you’ll be able to master sculpting in no time. Clay has endless possibilities. And it can be used to make a wide range of artistic creations, from pottery to jewelry and casting replicas. It’s easy to get lost in the beautiful world of clay.
This is because there are so many different kinds of clay to deal with the different types of art (and artists). As a result, we’ve put together a quick guide to the best clay for sculpting.
4 Best Types of Sculpting Clay for Beginners: Product Reviews
#1 Amaco Air Dry Clay
One of the finest and most malleable clays on the market today is the AMACO 25-pound air-dried clay. It’s an outstanding balance between being easy to dry. And allowing you enough time to mold it perfectly, it’s the best of all worlds.
The AMACO 25-pound clay is a great commodity, but we’ve come to expect that from AMACO. The clay is available in a variety of sizes. You can choose from it based on the nature and complexity of your project. Furthermore, since gray is a neutral color, you can paint it any color you like with paint and varnish.
Since it’s one of the softest clays around, it’s far simpler for anyone with smaller hands to build and mold their ideal forms. It’s perfect for use on the pottery wheel after adding a little water. As a result, you’ll be able to do bigger work with the same materials. Overall, it produces excellent clay.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Budget-friendly
- Highly durable
- Variety of sizes available
Cons
- The grey color might be dull for some time.
#2 Gray Air-Dry Clay from Remarkable
One of the most detail-oriented clays available in the market is the Monster premium quality clay. Unlike professional inconsistency as the others, it excels at retaining smaller specifics. This clay would be ideal as a secondary clay for perfecting the more delicate features.
As previously said, this clay is intended for a somewhat different use from the one for which it is on the list. You’ll think it’s not decent enough because of the almost ostentatious wrapping. However, like books and their covers, this clay has a lot of punch instead of other modeling clays.
Your specifics can last for longer than with regular clay. The versatility this clay offers is incredible, from small trinkets to bigger ones. Perhaps much scarier pieces, this clay can accommodate anything you can imagine. The color is a medium brown that you can paint and shellac if desired. The most significant disadvantage is that it only comes in 5-pound packets. It means you’ll have to order it in 5-pound increments over and over again.
Pros
- Detail-oriented clay
- Very firm
- Good packaging
- High durability
Cons
- It only comes in 5 Pound Packages.
#3 DAS Air-Hardening Modeling Clay
The DAS Air-Hardening Modeling Clay is a high-end tool. It can be used to make just about everything imaginable. Including pots, vases, and even full-fledged sculptures if you need specialized clay. It is also suitable for use by youngsters. So, pottery instructors can include it in their recommendations.
The clay is as close to excellent as we should have hoped for on a scale of “perfect” to “outstanding.” The unassuming grey color gives you a lot of leeway regarding what shades you choose to choose in the end. Furthermore, the clay can air dry, but this takes longer than merely cooking it.
This can handle as much shaping as you want from it if you want to make sculptures for special effects. Another factor we suggest for children is that it is very malleable and fluffy. It also doesn’t contain any potentially dangerous compounds. It comes in several sizes, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
Pros
- Holds shape very well
- Recommended for children
- Cooked or Dried
- Wide range of applications
Cons
- The smell is extremely strong.
#4 Polyform Sculpey Super Sculpturing Compound
This is one of the most well-known and original modeling clays available today. Sculpey from Polyform is a beige-brown-colored clay. This makes it much easier to paint over it or keep it alone. The beige looks very good. You can choose from an array of diverse sizes to fit your needs.
The Polyform Sculpey is explicitly made for modeling figures and sculptures. As a result, it is highly pliable. It even dries to a surface that is ideal for gluing objects to, such as the sculpture. As a result, you’re just constrained by your imagination! The clay is very flexible, making it suitable for both children and practitioners.
The clay’s finish is semi-translucent, so you can make glass-like pieces out of it if you want to. You may also take the more conventional, opaque way. Another widespread criticism about clays is that. They aren’t durable enough to last a long time, not so for this one! It is shatter-resistant and can last for a long time.
Pros
- Semi-translucent
- Shatter-resistant
- Suitable for children
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- Not suitable for large projects
4 Best Types of Sculpting Clay For Beginners – Things to Consider
Texture
Different forms of clay have different textures. But in general, air-dry clay is smoother than typical clay. Earthen clays are sticky and stiff right out of the box. But molding them softens them and makes them easy to deal with. When air-dry clay dries, it can produce a rougher texture.
Beginning with a medium sandpaper (60-120 grit) for coarser spots. And optimizing to fine (160-240 grit) or superfine (400-800 grit) to polish can be sanded to a more refined base. The feel of paper-based air-dry clays is soft as well as light. But there may be any leftover paper/cellulose fibers that need to be sanded out.
Color
Only natural colors, i.e., white, green, beige, and black, are available in earthen clay. Epoxy clay is available in a wide range of bright colors. And mixing different colored clays produces even more tones.
Air-dry clay should be painted after it has hardened. Use acrylic paint to add strength without warping. You can also glue decorative buttons or beads onto the hardened clay to enhance its overall look.
Workability
Since they’re softer by nature, many air-dry clays are simple to deal with right out of the box. Earthen clays are usually a little tougher when fresh. And they require a few minutes of practice with the user’s hands to become malleable. Many forms of air-dry clay become unworkable after they have dried.
Choose earthen clay for tasks that will take a few days. Cover the work-in-progress with a moist towel during sessions to keep it in a usable condition. To restore malleability, rub in a little water.
Check This Out: Super Easy DIY Clay Animal Ideas
4 Best Types of Sculpting Clay For Beginners Summary
The best kind of clay to use depends on the process you choose to use. (each type of clay is suitable for various purposes). And your budget. If you’re hunting for good air-dried clay, look no further. We suggest that you use AMACO Air Dry Clay.
Amaco is a highly pliable air-dry modeling clay. It can be worked in various ways, such as coiling, slab work, and sculpting. This clay is pre-mixed, non-toxic, and simple to deal with on small projects.
4 Best Types of Sculpting Clay for Beginners FAQs
What Are the Types of Clays?
Natural Clays
Water-based ‘air-dry’ clays are natural clays. If you don’t have an oven or kiln to bake your sculpture in, water-based clays can dry naturally. It’s also reusable. The disadvantage is that you must keep this clay saturated. Using water to prevent it from drying out and it also shrinks when dry. This clay is excellent for kids and beginners.
Synthetic Clays
Oil is used in all synthetic clays. Polymer clay, epoxy, and plasticine-type clay are only a few examples. These clay forms don’t dry out when exposed to air; in fact, you have to steam them up to make them pliable.
If you don’t complete a sculpture, you may leave it unfinished and return to it later. Any of them need a kiln or oven firing (depending on the type). These are used by more professional artists because they are particularly well suited to sculpting and molding.
What Kind of Clay Do Professional Sculptors Use?
The simple response is that practitioners use several clays based on the project at hand. Professionals typically use oil-based clays. Such as Monster clay, or firm polymer clays, such as firm Sculpey, retain a lot of detail. Earthenware clay is also common, but it requires kiln firing.