Sculpey

Original Sculpey is a soft modelling clay that comes in large boxes. It only comes in white or terra cotta. It is mainly used for sculpting or making keepsakes, fairy doors etc. It is quite brittle when cured so armatures are needed for sculpting. It has a biscuit like snap when cured and will snap if the pieces are too thin. This clay will take acrylic paint well making it a good alternative to buying lots of coloured clay brands. It is not suitable for fine sculptures and certainly not for jewellery because of its tendency to break. It can be a good clay to start with because its price point is lower.

Premo comes in 2oz, 8oz and 1lb blocks as well as 1oz sampler packs. There is a full spectrum of colours with true colours that lend themselves to colour blending beautifully opening a whole new colour palette. There is a range of metallic, pearl, and translucent Premo lines called Premo Accents these include glow in the dark and fluorescent clays. 

It is an excellent all-rounder for most techniques from jewellery to sculpting. For many people it is the clay that they progress to after they dip their toes into their polymer clay world.

When its fresh it is easy to condition, as it ages it firms up and can take a while longer to condition (this is true for most clay). It is strong and flexible after baking. I particularly love how it can be sande and polished to a glass like finish, especially if there is translucent in the mix (Quick tip, if I want a high shine on my sanded pieces, I mix my metallic and pearl clays with translucent, this guarantees a wonderful shine.)

Pros: Good all-rounder. Strong and flexible when cured correctly. Produces a high shine with sanding and polishing.

Cons: Can get a “moon” effect with translucent blends. Colours are frequently discontinued and/or change slightly.

This comes in small 2 oz packets in a range of colours that include metallics, pearls, and translucent. Some of the colours are also available in 8 oz and 1lb blocks as well as 1 oz mixed starter packs.

This brand of clay is often the first choice of beginners because it tends to be cheaper and is often stocked by the big craft stores, but soon disappoints those who try to emulate their inspirational artists and are disappointed to find that their projects break easily. This clay does not have the strength or flexibility most projects require.

Pros: Good for techniques such as Sutton slice, polymer painting, smearing or as a base for your beads.

A good starting point for making basic beads and simple structures.

It is also a great, soft clay, ideal for children to use to make figures.

Cons: Breaks easily. Sticky to work with. Shows fingerprints. Too soft for caning.

Picks up a lot of dirt and lint.

This is only available in 2 oz blocks. Souffle polymer clay is like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. It is one of the most flexible and strong polymer clays on the market. It is soft and easy to handle. The colours are quite muted. It has a matte suede like finish. This hides the fingerprints well, but it does mean you cannot get a high shine with it, so lots of artists use resin to achieve the polished look. Because of the suede nature there are no translucent, metallic, or pearl colours. It is a very lightweight clay once cured, lending itself well to earring making. It even floats!

This clay lends itself to jewellery projects, particularly cuffs and bangles due to the strength and flex of the clay. Many people question why their clay is so bendy, this is one of the main qualities of this clay. If you want less flex, make the piece thicker. This flexibility also makes it an excellent clay for sculptures where you need thin bendy, tails, wings, coils, and springs.

Pros:Soft to work with. Good for those with weak hands or arthritis. Can be easily mixed with Premo. Good for mokume gane patterns because there is little distortion. Strong and flexible once cured.

Cons: Too soft for caning. Matte finish. Can be too bendy. Colours are drab and do not colour blend well.

This is Sculpey’s professional sculpting clay and comes in large boxes in a light flesh tone medium soft consistency or in a grey toned firm clay. The flesh-coloured clay is slightly translucent and makes a nice doll skin tone, but it often darkens during baking. It can be mixed with Premo white to lighten the tone. Many people paint their creations to achieve the desired finish. The grey firm clay is a much stiffer sculpting medium. If your sculpture needs to be strong after baking or will be handled a lot, try using one of the flexible sculpting clays such as Cos Clay or Papas Clay.

Pros: This bakes extremely hard and you can easily add clay over the top of a preliminary bake.

Cons: The flesh colour suffers from plaquing due to its translucency.

This clay only comes in grey or flesh tones and will always need painted post baking.

Ultralight clay ~ a white lightweight clay.

Bake and Bend is flexible bendy clay.

Eraser Clay to makes erasers.

Glow in the Dark clays for glow in the dark projects

Mold Maker used for making molds and softening old clay.

Liquid bake and bond. 

TLS translucent liquid clays in a variety of colours as well as clear