Cosclay
by
Zara K Henry
Cosclay, my Polymer Hero
Cosclay is still quite a new kid on the block when it comes to polymer clay, but for those artists who started their journey with other clays, it can be one that's difficult to get used to or even try to begin with. For this article, I will be discussing why I love Cosclay and why its unusual and sometimes disliked properties are worth persevering with.
I started sculpting just over one and a half years ago after losing my Mom. I have been a portrait, animal, and seascape painter for 30 years, and had good training with facial structure and anatomy. But there was something missing, I had a void along with a grief I couldn't shake, and painting just wasn't taking my mind away from the day-to-day. My Husband suggested that I try sculpting. He was researching different polymer clays and came across Cosclay. He phoned around different retailers to enquire about how it differs from other clays and had concerns about its stickiness before and after baking. Our concerns were put to rest (albeit briefly) so I decided to invest in a few sculpting tools and a pack of medium firm Cosclay.
I was completely new to polymer, new to sculpting, and so I actually didn't know other polymer clays aren't sticky or on the crumbly side, which Cosclay was at the time. So little rooky me busts open my first ever pack of Cosclay and begins slicing it into manageable rectangles to put through my very basic pasta roller.
Cosclay does need more conditioning than other clays, but recently, compared to when I first started, it isn't crumbly anymore. I still like to put the clay through the roller at least four times, this makes the clay so very easy to handle and sorts out 98% of any troublesome air bubbles. I then roll the clay into balls and warm it up a little. Cosclay behaves well when it's warm, but if it's too warm it can be difficult to create fine detail. When it's cold, it doesn't like to do much of anything.