Plastic clay is a material for creativity, for which the craftswomen and needlewomen of the whole world are ready to say: "Thank you!" Clay is indispensable when creating jewelry, sculptures and dolls. Of the plastic mass, you can even make mugs and plates.
But before succumbing to enthusiasm and begin to create, you should familiarize yourself with the available varieties of clay.
Types of Polymer Clay
Polymer clay is a thermoplastic material, so the whole variety of its options can be roughly divided into two categories:
- clay hardening in air (air dry);
- baked polymer clay (thermoplastics).
The hardening clay dries in the air within a few hours. Then the product can be safely painted and work with it further. Thermoplastics require heat treatment, it is necessary to heat it to 110-130 degrees. The baked clay is presented in the form of a gel or bars of plastic mass, various impurities can also be added to it to imitate natural stones or metal, and special translucent or transparent plastic is sold to create dolls . The color scheme of self-hardening and baked clay is very rich. Bars of different colors can be mixed and get unique shades, such as, for example, at the work presented below.
Plastic Clay Manufacturers
The countries producing the most popular clay brands are the USA and Germany. Also on the market there are brands and Russian production. It is clear that even if there is a noticeable difference in the quality of the material, buyers are more interested in how much polymer clay of Russian and foreign origin costs. US Polymer Clay is produced under the general name Sculptury. In the series there is a huge list of types of plastic for various purposes. The material is packed in 56 g briquettes, but there are packages and more by weight. The average price of a bag ranges from 150 to 180 rubles.
Among domestic manufacturers, clay of the Artifact and Sonnet series can be noted. Both brands produce not only ordinary matte clay, but also plastic with additives in the form of sparkles and fluorescent paints. Also provided ready-made kits for creativity. The products from Artifact developed a line of pearlescent colors, metallic and translucent clay in different colors. The mass of briquettes is standard and equal to 56 g, but Sonnet produces ordinary white clay and in packs of 250 g. The price of domestic products is more than affordable and rarely exceeds 110 rubles per briquette.
German products are marketed by Cernit and Fimo clays. Cernit is a very high-quality, but moody work material. Craftswomen note that working with him is difficult because of the excessive softness of the mass. Although the variety of colors of clay brand is impressive. Clay is more suitable for creating dolls and sculptures than decorations. The cost of a plastic bag starts from 170 rubles. But the most recognized German clay from the brand Fimo. Fimo is a self-hardening clay, packaged in briquettes of 56 g. It is used mainly for creating beads and flowers for jewelry.
Answering the question of how much polymer clay from Fimo costs is not so simple. Fimo provides a huge number of series with a variety of packaging plastic mass. The cost of the classic matte clay "Fimo" in a package of 56 g starts from 150 rubles.
The palette of the Fimo line is probably the richest and most thoughtful. The colors of Fimo clay themselves are saturated. Finished products from Fimo do not fade in the sun and do not lose the brightness of colors over time.
Classic: Fimo clay series
A wide variety of clay options is confusing for beginners. Getting acquainted with the series is necessary with the classics. Three classics of material can be attributed to the Fimo clay classics:
- Fimo classic
- Fimo soft
- Fimo effect.
All types of clay were produced in briquettes of 56 g. Below is a photograph of series samples.
Fimo classic is the most common opaque matte clay. Fimo soft differs in very soft structure, viscous and plastic. The palette of the line is represented by 24 colors.
Fimo effect - a line of clay with various fillers, creating an imitation of natural materials. The series includes such Fimo clays: with sparkles, light-accumulating, imitating natural stones and metals, clay in pastel shades.
The Professional series for sculptors is also very popular. Fimo proffesional differs in packing, briquettes are from 85 to 350 g. Also in the line there is a special plastic for working on Fimo professional doll art dolls. Examples of clay are presented in the photo below.
Ready-made kits for creativity
Fimo offers parents a wide selection of ready-made kits for children's creativity. The kits include not only clay of various colors, but also detailed instructions for creating products, necessary tools and additional items (laces, buttons, pieces of fabric, eyes - beads). The cost of such sets is quite high, but the result will please not only the child, but also the parents.