Help me choose a sculpting medium!

The following list is for people who are looking for information on purchasing sculpting supplies... there is no need to have exactly what is listed here! I hope this is helpful!

CHOOSING A SCULPTING MEDIUM:

CLAY:
a natural product consisting of rock fragments and water. Excellent to work with! Requires firing in a kiln for permanence. (In your school's kiln, if you don't have access to a kiln, see air-dry clay.) Join clay pieces using water or slip (runny clay) and by scoring and blending. I use this during the year in my handbuilding classes... it's very inexpensive (about $20 for 44lbs) It shrinks about 10% as it dries. (Recommend Plainsman M-340 clay from Greenbarn Potters Supply)

AIR-DRY CLAY:
a clay with glue added (or possibly a chemical based) modelling medium that when left in the air hardens to a semi-permanent state. (Not for use with water or heat!) It doesn't become as hard as fired clay but it is much more break resistant that unfired natural clay. A white clay and a red clay are available at OPUS for about $15 for a 5lb block - (also available in larger packages). For 30 children to create a small animal you should order between 5 and 10 pounds (depending on the weight of the medium). If you'd like larger sculptures, order more! Some shrinking occurs as it dries... if forms are used they need to be flexible! Other stores sell different (but similar) products... check for prices and please get instructions for whatever medium you choose!

WET-SET CLAY:
a chemical product... interesting to work with... it hardens in several hours... under water! Joining is accomplished by scoring, blending and using additional clay at joints... not the easiest thing in world to work with! The results are very nice. It holds very fine detail and has a smooth consistency... hardens nearly white. You can paint it once it's hard. Not good for things like vases and it's flammable, so no candleholders!

PLASTICENE:
an oil based medium that does not dry. Good for small sculptures and for temporary work! You can use it over and over! Wire forms can be used inside clay.

PLAY DOUGH:
buy it or make it yourself! It's easy, non-toxic and inexpensive. Make several colours or just leave it white for a more "artsy" look. If you make it fairly stiff, it can be sculpted to quite fine detail... if you leave it soft, it's easier to manipulate but harder to keep forms in place. Play dough will dry... it stays slightly brittle but can be sturdy if sculptures are build thickly. It has the added advantage of not shrinking as it dries... so added "extras" will stay put!

PLAYDOUGH RECIPE
Approx. 4 cups flour, 1 cup salt, a little water, a tiny bit of vegetable oil, a little cream of tartar (and colour if desired)... mix... I "bake" mine in the microwave! It's so easy and quick... just remember to kneed it well every minute or so or it will cook hard in places! Put it in a platic bag and refrigerate! Make it at least a day before... it softens over night... check the consistancy the next day. Kneed it... bake it some more if required! It'll keep for months if sealed.

Preparing DESKS & CLASSROOMS:
The best thing to sculpt on is plywood (best covered with fabric - stretched firmly and glued or stapled to the back), If you have small chalkboards those work really well! If not, please cover desks with sturdy paper. Remember that most moist sculpting media will STICK to anything very smooth... this is very important if rolling the clay is part of the project! (small 3D forms can be hand-formed with just a piece of scrap paper on the desk.) Floors will sometimes get dirty (depends on the students & the medium), if you're concerned, please cover the floor with newspaper or tarps. (clay vacuums up once it's dry... oil based media may be harder to clean!)

TOOLS:
Use of basic tools is included. If you'd like to gather a class set of tools, you can buy sets of sculpting tools (they're wonderful but fairly expensive) or you can collect interesting things to use as tools: popsicle sticks, skewers, buttons with patterns, fabric or plastic doilies or lace, sea shells, spoons, forks, knives and so on, be creative!

EXTRAS:
If you would like to add "extras" to your sculpture, like feathers, wire, shells, etc... glue to your sculpture once it's dry!