Comparing clay for figure sculpting
I’ve noticed it’s really hard to find reviews for polymer clays from a figure sculpting standpoint. It’s usually always for jewelry, bead making, and caning. So as a sculptor, I will be comparing clays I’ve tried based on how well they hold up for sculpting detailed figures. I hope this review can help someone!
Of course, this review is based on my own working preference. I still encourage everyone to work with as many clays as you want and find out what you like! :D This guide will be for clay I’ve tried up to this point.
CLAYS I’VE USED: - Super Sculpey, Sculpey Firm, Sculpey Medium, Kato Polyclay, Premo!, Sculpey Souffle, Sculpey III, Sculpey Original. - Blended mixes: 1:1 super sculpey and sculpey firm, 1:1 Premo! and sculpey souffle. - Fimo and Cernit from the 80’s, so I will not include them in this review as they’re far dated.
TEXTURE:
Super Sculpey, Sculpey Firm, and the blend of both: All 3 have comparable texture and work-ability. Very smooth yet firm, holds its shape well and doesn’t become mushy with body heat. I personally slightly prefer the texture of Super Sculpey more than Firm, since Firm is more, well, firm. The blend gives the best of both worlds and keeps the clay grey so it’s easier to spot mistakes.
Sculpey Medium: The factory-blend version of Super Sculpey and Firm, it’s noticeably softer than my at-home blend. Very smooth and still has good texture for figure sculpting, but I personally prefer the at-home blend. I had to leach mine a bit before I was comfortable working with it.
Kato Polyclay: Very hard, firm, not easy to work. Outermost layer is soft and tacky-like, and had a tendency to warp figures with hand-heat. Leaves fingerprints and textures that touch it. Wax-like texture.
Premo!: A more firm and sturdy texture, much like SS and SF. Feels smooth and plastic-like, while still softer and less tendency to “crumb”.
Sculpey Souffle: Soft right off the block, but not mushy. Lighter weight, but not foamy or spongy. Holds shape delightfully. Rolled in thin sheets, it almost feels like those craft foam sheets.
Souffle and Premo! blend: Softer than Premo!, more firm than Souffle. Lighter weight than Premo!, and seems to take more surface-feeling from Souffle.
Sculpey III: Very soft, has a tendency to slump over time or with hand heat.
Sculpey Original: Far too soft for my liking, very mushy. Texture almost like silly putty, very hard to detail.
DETAILING ABILITY:
SS, SF, SM, and at-home blend: 5/5 Designed for figure sculpting and detail work, they all take to detail beautifully. Holds shape, scribes well (slight tendency to crumb while scribing), carves well, and adheres/smooths into itself beautifully.
Kato Polyclay: 2/5 Does not detail easily. Difficulty holding shape after a while of handling, does not scribe well (more so pushes the clay), carves decently, adheres to itself extremely well, but does not blend or smooth into itself easily. Very difficult to smooth out imperfections or blend limbs to the body.
Premo!: 4/5 Holds shape, scribes well without crumbing, not the best with carving, adheres and smooths into itself pretty easily.
Sculpey Souffle: 5/5 Surprising results, Souffle holds its shape and weight, scribes well without crumbing, carves well, and adheres and smooths into itself well. I thought the softness would be a flaw for detailing, but it has pleasantly surprised me.
Souffle and Premo! blend: 5/5 Does well on all points as its parent-clays, smooths slightly easier than Souffle and carves better than Premo.
Sculpey III: 4/5 Does not hold shape well, scribes well with a tendency to crumb, carves decently, adheres and smooths into itself well.
Sculpey Original: 1/5 Does not hold shape well, does not scribe well, carves decently, adheres to itself decently, does not smooth into itself easily.
WARPING DURING BAKING:
SS, SF, SM, and at-home blend: Thin and extruding parts will likely need support. Figure itself does not tend to warp when properly supported. Slight warps can be tweaked while sculpture is still warm (but not too much, very little!)
Kato Polyclay: Every piece I have ever baked in Kato has warped, even when properly supported. If baked supported on polyfil, the texture will bake into the figure. If you try to slightly tweak warps after baking, it will rip.
Premo!: Warped a little after baking on a thin area, attempts to correct broke the piece.
Souffle: Very slight shifting on a thin object, attempts to correct were successful.
Souffle and Premo! blend: TO BE ADDED
Sculpey III: Definitely need support, has a tendency to slump during baking. Holds up decently with proper support, attempting to tweak warps after baking will likely break the figure.
Sculpey Original: Very likely to slump or warp during baking, needs proper support and may still warp in thin or extruding areas. Can be slightly tweaked while still warm.
FRAGILITY AFTER BAKING: As a sculptor, fragility is a huge factor in what clay to choose, especially if you intend to ship the figure.
SS, SF, SM, and blend: Meant for display purposes only, this clay is stronger than original or sculpey III, but will break if handled roughly. No elasticity, so cannot bend small or thin bits.
Kato Polyclay: Bakes strong less tendency to break if handled. Slight elasticity so it can slightly bend, but too rough with it and it will break. Thin parts are more likely to break when handled.
Premo!, Souffle, and blend: TO BE ADDED (but I have high hopes)
Sculpey III: Notoriously brittle, sculpey III is very likely to break if handled. No elasticity, so any attempt to bend will break the figure. Should be for display ONLY, not recommended for shipping.
Sculpey Original: Almost guaranteed to break unless the figure is very thick and compact. Brittle, no elasticity. NOT recommended for detail work or shipping.
OVERVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION: Go forth and try different clays, find what you like. :D Though based on my own sculpting preference for figure sculpting, I will say the following about each:
SS, SF, SM, and blend: Definitely recommend. A+ PROS: Fabulous performance during the sculpting process, and my personal favorite. I love the texture, work-ability, everything. Really well-rounded clay that excels in every aspect of figure sculpting. CONS: Fragile, for display pieces ONLY. No elasticity, which puts small/thin areas more at risk for cracking or breaking. Tendency to leave “moons” (small white flecks on the surface) after baking, but if you paint it, it’s not a problem.
Kato Polyclay: Do not recommend. D- PROS: Fantastic for bead work and caning. Very hard after baking, leaves a lovely semi-glossy shine on the sculpture after baking. CONS: Poor for figure sculpting work, very difficult to condition and detail. Texture of whatever it’s sitting on will likely show up on the clay after baking.
Premo!, Souffle, and blend: MORE TESTING NEEDED.
Sculpey III: Do not recommend. D PROS: Details well, easy to work with. Carves and smooths very well. CONS: Notoriously brittle. Figures made with sculpey III are likely to break. Too soft for some people’s liking. Has a tendency to become mushy or warp over time and during baking.
Sculpey Original: Definitely do not recommend. F PROS: Cheap, readily available. Can work for thick/compact objects, decent for molds. CONS: Extremely brittle. Too soft and gooey textured for detail work, similar to putty. Tendency to slump over time and during baking. Not easy to work with, can be a bit sticky.
