Das Air Drying Clay - Pro Terrain Tips & Tricks 

OK, that's what I've got tip wise, anything to add folks?

he gives me favorite art teacher vibes

I was worried like "oh I might have some bad clay" but then I saw you had the exact same clay as me and I thought : oh that's good

This has probably been said but don't throw away any small parts of dried air dry, add them to a tub of water and mix them to make slip. Slip basically glues the clay better than plain water and adding a light layer to a piece before drying can avoid cracking.

I use air dry clay a lot. I always have a small spray bottle filled with water whenever I work with it. I realized it's better to start with a thin layer of airdry clay in making sculptures let it dry and re apply another layer, building up. Sometimes I mixed airdry clay and more water to turn it into a paste and I use it in filling cracks or as a adhesive whenever I apply a new clay over a dried up clay.

0:00 intro 1:10 dark clay and light clay 4:46 wrap/seal your clay 5:46 tools 7:30 clay fall of surface? 11:11 clay cracking ? 17:50 can i use it in molds? 24:00 tips on using different tools 28:26 adding additives 29:11 mixing das with pva 32:29 quick recap 34:10 outro

I've been in a kinda of hole for a while and have been avoiding everything I've ever enjoyed, including art. I'm trying to get better and your video is the start, thank you for motivating me enough to try again

Man , I love this guys energy!

I just bought my first pack of air dry clay, planning to make some tiny pins, and found this whole freaking masterclass. Thank you so much for the whole-hearted instructions!

I love how you actually take the time to explain everything. Thank you so much! Some people just show you how to work with materials for a specific purpose, but you give a very basic understanding, assuming we know nothing. So helpful!

I have been using air dry clay for many years in Western Canada which is a very dry climate. One idea that I use to keep my clay from drying too quickly is to take a bit of a sponge, soak it, wring it gently & place next to the clay. Cover all with cellophane wrap. I do this when working on large pieces that take several days to complete as well as when I am finished to prevent cracking.

I have added veg oil and linseed to my air drying in small amounts which seems to help prevent cracking, probably by slowing the drying time quite a lot

This is the best 30+ min video I’ve seen in the past 2 years on RU-vid

I'm a digital 3D artist, I work in the interior design field but I wanted to model organic things like animals and such, so for my birthday my girlfriend got me DAS + sculpting kit with all of the tools, I'm very glad to see such a wonderful tutorial with tips and tricks too, you show a lot of enthusiasm for what you're doing and you transmit passion to the listener. I wish more videos on youtube were like this one. Instantly subscribed! Love from Italy

the way i just smiled when he started talking like i already know that im gonna learn sumn from him

he makes me feel like i’m actually there, this is super helpful. i just bought this clay knowing almost nothing about it and now i do thanks to you!

The kind of teacher I'd like to have when I was at school ...he explains it so easily and makes a joke too that brings you in to learn

Just starting my clay modelling journey. This guy is fab !

As a long-term user of DAS to make wargame terrain, I use it in a slightly different way. 1 - I add DAS over a thin layer of dilute PVA glue 2 - I score the base material either MDF or plastic card with a scalpel. Criss-crossing across the surface to produce a 'key' for the DAS to grip to. 3 - I bake my DAS in the oven short bursts of about 10 minutes at low temperature. 4 - When fully set I seal the DAS with a dilute PVA and water wash. I have not had any problems with cracking or lifting. If I need to add a thick layer, I will apply the DAS in two or three thinner layers or use Balsawood or foam as a bulking up product and apply DAS over the top. Finally, I prefer DAS Terracotta (I think it is is finer) , but use DAS White as it does not stain. Just my technique. Tony

I was not prepared for this level of enthusiasm at this time of the morning 😅

Legend. Your timing is perfect! I nearly bought some today but was worried about how much i could do to it after it dried.... excellent i just add a bit of water back into it! Thanks brother

as we’re in lockdown now i’ve had a super hard time with sculpting (i don’t have a kiln as i rely on my school for sculpture) so this saved my life! thank you!

FINALLY answer on some question and problems I have! Just started to work with clay like this and have been searching and only find useless videos. Thank you!! Also, you seem to be a really awesome guy with a really nice energy, love listening to you explaining stuff! :)

I learned more in this video than 3 weeks of university classes. You just saved my semester thank you

Haha, it's fun to look where the union jack mug moves to throughout your video

A good tutorial! I use DAS for crafting and find Titebond quick & thick glue sticks it well, dusting silicone moulds with corn starch enables flipping out immediately when making multiples, scrape a knife over mould to remove (and reuse) excess before flipping out shapes and repair small cracks with some DAS in a little water to make liquid and brush gently into cracks to fill them. Happy modelling!

I so appreciate your placement of ads in natural breaks rather than mid sentence. Great content too. Thank you. (Typo edit.)

Best DAS video out there! Well done! One correction though. Scratching the surface will actually prevent cracking. In the old times, farmers in my area used to put a clay mix as plaster on barns and houses walls. They used to scratch the clay after sticking it to the wall surface to prevent the clay from cracking and falling off.

Although you've made this 5 years ago, this is Exactly what I've been looking for, mate! Brilliant! Thank you immensely. I've subscribed to your RU-vid to say the least!

I’m expecting my first delivery of Das clay today, I’m so glad I found your videos, so many fantastic tips! Thank you so much ❤️

Sooo helpful. I bought a block of DAS, which is labeled in German and no training provided. Your tutorials are thorough and understandable. I have watched many of your tutorials and am amazed by your skills as an artist and as one who pursues the why's and the science. Thanks.

This was great, I'm from Nicaragua and there is not that many sculping materials here, I was not sure how to use it but now it's clear, thank you so much

I like this guy. He's fun, honest and straight to the point.

Oh dear this is so relieving to watch someone who works as I do! Until now I have only seen "beige" aesthetically correct videos (no critic, they are very agreeable to the eye) where everything is perfect, no mess .. which is very hard to understand for a crazy artist like me ha ha.. Just starting with air drying clay, so I really enjoy your videos, thanks and greetings from Denmark :-)

Hi! I enjoyed your video. I'm a crafter and I work with Das clay a lot. I do 3D effects on glass mason jars. It works great for that. I love this clay. I have had some trouble with cracking though, so your video gave me some solutions for that. I actually demold immediately, form the clay to the jar and let it dry there, so it captures the shape of the jar. I've found that if you brush some corn starch in the mold, it comes out easily while wet. Thanks for all the helpful information! Happy holidays to you and your family.

I'm a ceramic artist and there are times I'd really like to use air dry DAS for pieces because I want something not as heavy as ceramic. I can't tell you how much air dry I've thrown away bcz it dried in the package! I wish I had seen this tutorial. So many things are similar to how you deal with ceramic clay. I had no idea. I'm excited to try our dry again! THANK YOU!

Love this! My hobby is doing stuff with, or sewing for, dolls. Currently turning a Barbie into a valkyrie and wanted something lightweight to make feathers for her headpiece. I was hesitant to use DAS, but after watching this I think it will be perfect.

Thank you. I am new to clay use and was having great difficulty. I feel I have learned a lot from you today.

I bought some of this a while back but have never used it yet. So glad you made this video before I use it, especially with the adhering tip. I would have never thought about that

I thought when its dry it will harden like forever. So air dry clay can reactive if you put in the water when it's already dry? Ohhh i learn something

I put Saran Wrap over my air dry clay. It takes longer to dry but it works great for me.

I've just started using DAS. Thank you so much for these tips. I really appreciated it!

I just bought two lbs of DAS to add some embellishments to frames so I'll be using moulds - love the little tips about that!

We watched this prior to art project. Excellent tutorial, delivered brilliantly. Thank you.

OK, I'm 2 seconds into this video and his accent has me totally captivated....after that, the great content keep my attention! You know a video is great when the creator that is teaching you, makes you feel as though you're in the studio with them .!

I made a mask once with air dry clay and its sides cracked and warped, then i just filled in the cracks with pva glue and it worked. Thanks for tips also :)

I wasn't sure if it could be used and today when I found my pack almost dried out, I was making a campfire so I used wet hands and broke up the block, textured the lumps to look like rocks and it looks pretty good even unpainted. I am non too bothered if it changes shape but it's always good to know these things Mel. Keep safe everyone! Those silicone shaper brushes are great for epoxy clay and this!

I usually rub some lotion on my hands before dealing with this clay, works to keep off any cake.

This is great. I recently bought some air dry clay and have started experimenting with using it for terrain and other wargaming applications. While I have experience with polymer clay, it was a long time ago and I have very little with airdry clay. This was really informative and I have already used some of these techniques when I stopped halfway through the video to go try stuff out before continuing. I feel like I have a bit better understanding of the material now. Thank you.

This is what happens when I don't Read the instructions on the package lmao, great video

Coolest art teacher ever....period!

Thank you so much for explaining the relationship between water and the DAS clay. I have a love-hate relationship with DAS, but I’m starting to get the hang of it a little with your help! :)

I don’t know if you will see this but thanks to you my creative juices begin to flow and motivates me to get into building dioramas and eventually my HO scale model railroad layout. Right now it’s in my head and I’m ready to get it on paper and then getting all of the materials. Wish me luck.

If you want to stick DAS onto plastic card or other smooth surfaces, scratch it up with the back of your Xacto blade and put a coat of PVA on it. Then apply the DAS. It will warp as it dries, but thats ok, just let it. When all dry, you can bend it back straight again and the DAS will develop "micro cracks" to relieve the stress. I put it under a magnifying glass and still couldnt see them well. A coat of paint covered them all up just fine. Thats the way I made my first thatched roof, worked great.

I know this is an older video but this was so fun to watch. You have such a great energy. I think for me and my love of air dry clay, if I was to use a mold of some sort, I might only put it in for a couple of hours and then would take it out to finish drying in a regular temp room. Additionally, in case others new to air dry clay are curious, I just tested out drying in my oven at a low temp and it worked beautifully! Keep in mind, these were for flat about 1/8 to 1/4 inch pieces that I am using for earrings. I still let them sit overnight before sanding, painting, and priming. Air dry clay is hands down my favorite. Polymer clay is nice but having to knead and prepare it to even use, is not for me. I'm pretty impatient and when I want to create, I want to do it right then. LOL!

This dudes vibes are amazin

"let's start dealing with issues" that lowkey hit a bullet in me

This video is what i was looking for: i had exactly those problems with das and i wanted a clear and simple solution (such “adding water”) thank you!

I wish I knew this before I started my project

I honestly loved how many times he said "yeah". Had great energy in the video, yeah.

this was the most comprehensive tutorial on air dry clay! thank you!

Brilliant Mel, thanks for this video, I have learnt so much from it. Fan-DAS-tic.

This is the video I've been looking for. This has all my questions answered. I can't thank you enough for making this video. I have no idea how it appeared on my feed, but I'm subscribed now and very grateful ☺️💖

For molds, I use a dental plaster. It is extremely strong and cures quite quick compared to plaster.

Your channel is an institution for the hobby, thank you!

You're a hoot! Thank you for taking the time to make this video with oodles of information to share with everyone! I've started playing with air dry clay (Jovi brand, made in Spain) after feeling lost craft-wise. I was making brooches (1/4" thick) for my son's kindergarten teachers. After 2 days of curing in non-humid cool weather then dry heat under the shade the next day for a few hours outside, it felt all solid and dry... but without much effort, the broke in half so easily!! Feeling a bit disheartened but I shall give it a try and make it a bit thicker and see how we go from there!

loved the tips about water and talcum and the moist cloth.

This was a great tutorial and I learned a lot about how to work with Das. Thanks for sharing this.

Never subbed to someone so fast, you remind me of a good friend I made that owned a bar outside of Leeds

What a masterclass! This is extremely useful, thank you so much good sir!

The detail on the pro terrain tips is amazing Mel.

Wow! This helped me so much, my Skill has Improved about tenfold since I've watched it! Thank You.

I just started on clay today, but after this video I think I already have the confidence that I'll be good at it.

If you want a dry river bed put down das put loads of water on it with a sponge so its a bit slushy, then put it somewhere warm like an airing cupboard. Dry river bed or desert pools instantly. Different thickness and more or less sludge changes the pattern. You can use over wet plaster and pva instead.

im from the future and i found out i have lot to learn from the past. if you are still up and shaking, thanks a lot for the tips.

Perfect timing Mel! just started building some terrain for a Felucia styled board for SW Legion and I'm using Das for some of those giant flowers :D This will definitely help!

bless you steven!! I've been dancing around working with das for decades!! yes, decades, over 30 years! your vid is so useful, and professional, and covers so many basic and important points from where to buy the stuff (and how much of it), through how clean up, all the way to how to make it stick to other materials. I'm not creating exclusively with das, is just a material that would give me easy custom elements for my main work, so all these tips you've given me, moreover explaining why the bad stuff happens, is more than enough to make me confident in using das for the elements I need. I'd love a vid about different producers of air dry clay - if you have more than one in UK. we also have crayola and kraft in Israel, and the prices are different enough to matter which one you use. thanks for sharing!

I wish I found this video when I had to throw out my das clay! I thought it was done! DAMN!!

thank you for the video...about to start a project as a newbie. the water on the fiberboard is what i needed as well as the damp towel to allow proper drying.

Just found you! Impressive! Great teaching style! I’m interested in trying air dry clay to create some projects and wanted to learn more about it…..thank you for all the helpful tips!

Found this video today it was really useful and I enjoy your teaching techniques thank you

Small note on keeping the clay soft: based on your language accent, I assume - you live in Britain - in climate with high moisture air; I live in Western Canada and we have here very dry air and in my aria the same type of clay hardens very quickly - so I prefer keeping it tight cover or in plastic film.

Some of the best tips I’ve ever heard thank you so much

Iwish I had this tutorial when I started making my art dolls 👏🎀🏆

I love mixing cheap ass white pva mixed with just water very thinly as a base coat down on my surface before I put that Das clay down! What a difference it makes

Reminds me of Art Attack lol. Very helpful!

you are my new favourite person to watch on here

Thanks for your help, love hearing you talk and yes, I can understand you! I subscribed.

Great tips. Thank you!

When first began I used cake decorating tools for details, they're about a pound for a set

Thank you for this entire mastervideo! I recently bought some das clay so I can make some figurines, and this videos has been super helpful :)

ah cool i just bought DAS clay and it's my first time using it. Thanks alot for the great tips :D

I've been using Das in molds for a long time. Don't let it dry in the mold! Take it out of the mold, place in a cool place, covered with a damp cloth. Perfect!

Say Mel, what IS this Das made of anyway? It looks like paper pulp with some kind thinned down clay added. It has some kind of fiberous texture if you break it in two. Oh BTW, there is an advantage in using Das in your silicone molds: It will be a heck of a lot lighter than Crysta-cal would be. Better for transporting around.

This is an excellent video and I love air dry clay.

You are so hyper-funny and thank you for the entertaining information bloke! ha, US here and not sure if I did that correctly!

You are absolutely brilliant, sir!

Make dried up Das clay editable again is not easy, but possible. What i did was, cut it in small pieces. wrap in a wet cloth, place the cloth with the clay in a soup plate, and put more water in it, to the edge of the soup plate. Then leave it for a while. Then you put all the pieces in a mixing bowl, and crush them with a fork. For me this was not easy, the clay was still pretty hard. Then repeat step 1. Then you make a ball, and you roll the last hard pieces out with the roller and some flour. You need the flower, otherwise the clay will glide under your roller. I still had half a pack, and here Das is pretty expensive, so I did not want to throw it away.

I love your passion. I am going to go grab my Das clay now and experiment with some creations. Thank you

Hi Mel, Great video! Can you suggest a varnish or other way to make the Terracotta DAS seems as wet (but not glossy) after it dries? Are there any differences between the Scola clay and DAS? Thanks!