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The short answer is, you can do both but painting the polymer clay before baking it may cause some problems if not all of the water from the paint evaporated completely. The better and safer way is to paint the clay after baking when it is completely cooled down and hardened.
Do I paint polymer clay before or after baking?
Polymer clay doesn’t shrink or expand as it cures, meaning you can paint it before you bake. Unbaked clay may create a better bond with paint as it cures.
How do you color polymer clay before baking?
Yes, you can. You can use alcohol-based colors, powder pigments or crayon shavings to color your polymer clay. Acrylic color and other water-based colors can be used as well but the water within these colors has to evaporate from the clay before you bake it.
Do you paint Sculpey before baking?
Yes! Oven-bake clay can be painted after curing. We recommend using water based acrylic paints. If you seal the piece with 2 or 3 thin layers of Sculpey Glaze, you can use any type of paint.
Do you paint clay before or after drying?
Sealing air-dry clay before painting it is not necessary. It will actually make it harder to paint the clay after sealing it. So Paint the clay with water-based color first and then seal it with acrylic sealer or varnish to protect the colors from water, sun, or scratches.
What do you seal polymer clay with?
How to seal polymer clay jewellery with a gloss varnish. A gloss varnish will help you to protect any effects you’ve created on the surface of your piece, helping to reduce any damage caused when the piece is worn. However, gloss varnishes are notorious for reacting with polymer clay so take care when using them.
How long should you cook polymer clay?
Bake — You only need a toaster oven or household oven to bake your creation. The clay packaging will give you precise baking instructions, but to give you an idea of what to expect, most polymer clays bake at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 30 minutes. BAKING TIME VARIES WITH THE THICKNESS OF YOUR CREATION.
Can you sand polymer clay after baking?
Sandpaper is used to sand your clay after it has been baked, however you must make sure that you are using Wet/Dry Sandpaper so that you can keep the polymer dust out of the air and use it with water. Start out with the more COARSE grits of sandpaper and than use a very FINE grit of sandpaper.
Can I use clear nail polish on polymer clay?
It seems like such a simple solution to use nail polish to accent your polymer clay creations. Or use clear nail polish as a glaze. Don’t do it. The solvent in nail polish will begin to soften and dissolve your polymer clay, even baked clay, making it sticky and gooey over time.
Do I need to seal acrylic paint on polymer clay?
Polymer clay’s natural qualities make it perfect for sculpting this style of sculpture. No varnish or sealer is needed, just a strong brand of clay (such as Premo) and your imagination.
What paint do you use on Sculpey?
Craft Paints (and the supplies that go with it) are a must have for most polymer clay artists. I prefer acrylic paints and in many cases “heavy body” acrylic paints, but any type of acrylic craft paint is safe to use directly on polymer clay. You can use acrylic paints before baking OR after baking your clay.
Can you bake Sculpey twice?
As long as you’re following the package instructions — and using an oven thermometer to maintain the proper temperature — you can bake polymer clay multiple times and complete a complicated piece in multiple steps.
Does Sculpey shrink when baked?
Polymer clay does not shrink or expand. So if you are worried your polymer clay frog figurine will shrink to the size of a pea in the oven, have no fear. Your froggy figure will stay whatever size you made it and will look adorable in your garden.
How long do you have to wait to paint clay?
Clay needs to be left to dry completely before painting, the length of time it takes will depend on the size and thickness of your project, usually between 24-72 hours. Try not to speed up the drying process by heating the clay, as this will lead to cracks forming in the surface.
Do you need to seal air dry clay?
Air-Dry Clay absorbs moisture and will become soft again when it comes into contact with water. That is why Air-Dry Clay should be sealed once the sculpture is done and Air-Dry Clay should be stored in airtight containers when it is not used.
Can you mix paint into air dry clay?
The best paint to color air dry clay is tempera. It’s easy to incorporate into the clay and gives rich color. The only reason I picked tempera and not acrylic paint is being washable. Acrylic paints are as good as tempera, but make sure you protect your clothes, table, and hands.
Can you use Modge Podge to seal polymer clay?
Mod Podge is a decoupage medium that paper crafters use as a “sealer”. Therefore new polymer clayers sometimes advocate its use as a glaze, sealer and varnish as well. But Mod Podge does not make a good polymer clay glaze or varnish. It is very difficult to apply without obvious brush strokes.
How do you connect two pieces of polymer clay?
To bond uncured polymer clay to another piece, it’s best to use liquid clay or other bakeable glue such as Kato Poly Paste or Sculpey Bake and Bond. To bond two pieces of cured polymer clay that will not be baked again, use a flexible superglue such as Loctite Gel Control, Zap-a-Gap, or Gorilla Glue GEL Superglue.
How do you seal polymer clay after baking?
You can use a Wax, Acrylic Sealer, Varnish or Liquid Epoxy. If you want a smooth finish, then use sandpaper and wax to seal your Polymer Clay and if you painted your clay, then you should seal it with an Acrylic Sealer or Varnish.
