A few days ago I asked on social media what you wanted tips on when it came with working with polymer clay. Painting polymer clay with acrylics was the topic that was requested the most, so here are some tips that I hope you'll find helpful.
Always allow your polymer clay to cool down before painting it. If not, the paint will dry on the clay or on the brush before you get a chance to spread it, especially if the clay is textured. There is no way to fix paint getting into detailed texture, unless you can paint over it.
Diluted acrylic paint doesn't really stick to smooth clay, whereas textured clay welcomes this technique much better giving you more room to spread it and blend it.
You can paint polymer clay before baking it - whether it is cured or uncured. This technique will come in handy when you have to paint an external sculpture like a detail that you'll like to add onto your main sculpture but you don't want to risk getting paint on the main one. It will also come in handy when you need to add colour to a layer in your sculpture that's going to be partially covered by another layer, therefore making it harder for you to paint around it.
If you paint uncured clay, remember to be gentle with the brush so as not to distort the shape or the texture.
"Baking" the paint together with the clay will help it dry and it may sometimes cause the paint to get shinier. This varies from brand to brand and the type of paint you use (some are glossier than others).
Always protect your acrylic paint with varnish. This can be specifically designed for polymer clay - FIMO and Sculpey have varnishes in different finishes - or other water-based polyurethane varnishes. Of course, always allow the paint to dry before applying varnish. You can apply more layers of varnish, allowing it to dry between applications.
Do not use varnishes (especially sprays) that are not compatible with polymer clay, especially nail polish. I've seen some videos around on social media suggesting that you do this. But this is wrong. Nail polish and other solvent based varnishes will eat at your polymer clay in the long run.
I always recommend using professional brands of polymer clay such as Sculpey, FIMO, Cernit, etc. as they are specifically designed to work well in combination with specific paints and sealers. The same goes for acrylic paints. Try to use well known, good quality paint as cheaper alternatives might not bind well to polymer clay.
Issues with your acrylic paint?
If you're having issues with your paint not sticking to your polymer clay or if it's flaking off even after sealing it, there's 2 things I'd recommend you to look at:
Make sure there's no oily residue on your polymer clay before varnishing it. This oily layer could be from not conditioning your clay properly before sculpting, or even touching your piece with hand cream that's not properly absorbed yet or your own natural oils. If that's the case, you can use a little rubbing alcohol or acetone (be gentle with the acetone as this works by melting the clay - so it's not to be used on uncured, textured or coloured areas) Assuming you're washing your hands before working with polymer (and afterwards - and in between very contrasting colours), it's OK to then rub a little hand cream or hand oil on your hands. Polymer clay is oil based in its uncured stage. It's important that once baked, you minimize or avoid touching your piece to prevent paint or varnish not adhering properly.
Have a look at your inventory and make sure that you're using the correct products to paint and seal your polymer clay. If that's all OK, have a look at the brand of polymer clay you're using. If it's unbranded, I would recommend swapping it for branded clay as it will be better quality and it will work well in combination with acrylic paints and polyurethane varnishes.
I use Sculpey, FIMO, Cernit mostly, but there are other brands such as Kato, Papa's Clay, Das Smart, Pardo, To-Do YouClay! and many more I'm sure, a lot of which I may not even know. Some brands may be available only in some countries. Always read the instructions on your packet of clay to make sure you're baking it properly as temperatures slightly vary from brand to brand.
I hope you found this helpful and I'd love to know if you've encountered any other issues while painting your polymer clay that were not listed above.
There's a lot of trial and error when it comes to things like this, as we all use different brands of everything. Once you've worked with polymer clay for some time, and you discover your favourite ones, you'll get the hang of how they work and you'll learn to use them to suit your work.
Thank you so much for reading and I'll catch you next time,
Love, Mai
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