In this tutorial I am demonstrating some of the ways I use soft pastels on UNBAKED polymer clay. Soft pastels do need to be fixed with a sealer but the lovely subtle effects they give, make them a must for polymer clay artists.
Unruly Housewife hi ... wonderful and very inspiring video :) . I really want to try in using the chalk pastels to the raw clay but i'm afraid that it reduces the clay elasticity. So , will the clay crumble more easily if i mix it with chalk pastels ?
What sealant do you recommend? I see a lot of crafters use mr super clear. Would that be recommended or do you have another (more affordable) recommendation?
As always so very entertaining and informative. Rather than purchasing finger cots I cut the fingers off disposable rubber gloves and roll them on the fingers I use to apply soft pastels. That way I have ten options before I need more. I purchase the gloves at Dollar Tree, I don't know if that store operates in other countries but I always seem to find so many items for polymer clay on each visit. When I saw your tutorial covering items you use for creating with clay I remembered the many adorable glass (and a some metal), items sold at Dollar Tree. If you ever again visit the USA you might want to visit a Dollar Tree store, I have 3 within less than 4 miles from where I live.
I'm 40 this year but them finger protectors had me giggling like a school boy thinking what they would of been called if we had them in senior school art classes 😂.
Do you know if you can apply the pastel dust to your sculpture once it is baked? Or does it need to be when the clay is unbaked, because I have a pice that I made in multiple firings that I was going to finish with chalk pastel but wasn't sure if it would adhere. Thanks!
I have never applied soft pastels to fired clay but I Googled around a bit... It does sound tricky! People seem to be suggesting you could mix it in with your sealant and paint it on... I'd try it on a bit of spare baked clay first! xx
Mary Lou what is sealant? Is it like a spray on thing? Also I thought I'd mention someone said that they were able to brush on chalk pastels to baked clay after they applied gesso. Have you tried this?
Hint/tip/FYI - for those who want to know before they spend the money... Pan Pastels are (to me) virtually identical to soft pastels, but they come in neat little round cases and they include little eye shadow wands and sponges (although they call them something else, which I can't remember since they look the like the same thing I got at the dollar store!). Yes I bought them, but I already had a good inexpensive set of soft pastels from Michaels, low cost. I did get the metallics, but I expected more from them, and was disappointed with the buildup I saw on RU-vid. So if you want to try soft pastels and are tempted to get pan pastels, first get the inexpensive soft pastels and see how much you actually will use them. You won't use them more just because of those neat little cases, trust me.
I think you did a wonderful job! A tip for keeping fingers cleaner: on places where you use your fingers as a tool - try soft silicon nail art tools. you can find them cheap on eBay.
I think it looks good. Iv only tried it by using a brush without much going on, didn’t realise I should scrap a bit off, thank you. You used liquid clay with them it looked good but how do you clean your brush after using the clay, please anyone
I love how you put on the finger cots, then dusted the last bit on with the finger that didn't have one on! haha! Sorry, but that's just so the sort of thing I do. I just seem to be attracted to mess. You are truly lovely to watch whatever you do :)
I know! haha! I watched Ludmilla wear them and she makes it look like an art. When I wear them they don't help me look or act in the least bit artistic! I usually end up ragging them off :)
Valerie, is it best to use these on unbaked clay? Do they set with baking? If you use them on baked clay would you have to seal them somehow? Thanks! (I love the little bun! 😊)
Yes, the colours need to be applied to RAW clay. I wasn't clear enough. I've changed the title and description now but it takes a while for links to catch up! Sorry. Once they are baked on they need to be sealed. xx
I use Americana DuraClear Gloss but I think there are other (possibly better) options if you are in America... Check out a website called The Blue Bottle Tree - it answers all of your technical claying questions!
Kathleen Townsend Ooh, I really have no idea! If you are on FaceBook I recommend joining the group HOP! Hooked On Polymer, because they are really kind and have a wealth of knowledge. xx
You know, I've wondered if anyone ever remembers to change those dirty/clean magnets on the dishwasher. So I never bothered to make one. Yours is adorable, though!
Lovely video 😊 Do you apply a protective varnish or polycrylic for your finished pieces? If so does the pastel smear? How do you make sure the color stays on? Tell me your secrets! :)
Varnish is good and it doesn't have to be shiny. If you want to find out the best varnish for your clay, check out the Blue Bottle Tree website. Mine hasn't smeared, just bake it on and maybe dust it gently before varnishing.
Do you have advice on how to stop clay from breaking. I was told that I need to condition the clay more. I tried that and baked a couple of cuff bracelets. They all broke.
GAH! Poor you! OK, here's what I do... I use a strong clay (Fimo, Premo, NOT Sculpey III). I condition well, I pre-heat my oven, I use an over thermometer (very important). When the clay is in the oven I wait until the thermometer reaches the correct temp, THEN I turn on the timer. I never let the clay go below the recommended temp and there is a little wriggle room above, so err on that side (with caution). I bake longer for stronger. Packets tend to say 30 mins or something but I do at least 45 mins, some bake for an hour. This is just what I do - not Fimo policy. I let the clay cool down completely, once out of the oven. HOPEFULLY it should be OK to use by then. xx
Thanks so much! The clay I used was Sculpey. I will try one of the other clays next time and purchase an oven thermometer. I watched people on videos bend their clay bangles without breaking them and I barely took mine off the form and they broke. Trial and error I guess. Have a great day!
I use Americana DuraClear Gloss Varnish. If you are in America, you could use Varathane... The best place to Google for technical advice is the Blue Bottle Tree website. :D xx
Oh no now I have to make baked bean juice just because I can !!!!. You are so right Valerie they are really messy. I made my Son in law a treat jar for xmas and made a wall of graffiti I was quite glad when I finished it and could scrub my hands.Also you have a much larger set than I do I am quite jealous lol.xxx
I know, it looked so funny how little I was using. I did change the title to emphasise that my examples were raw clay - Fimo looks pretty firm and was giving the wrong idea! xx
Sorry it has taken so long to reply. I mean add a layer of varnish to it. I used DuraClear Gloss Varnish on my Fimo but recently changed to Premo and have been experimenting with Pearl Ex Varnish. xx
The Blue Bottle Tree website has good information on sealants - including brand specific advice. Bake the pastels on and gently dust off any loose bits, before sealing. I'm originally from the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent. It's an island in the Thames Estuary - hence my "Estuary English" accent. 😂
@@UnrulyHousewife We Yanks really can't tell the difference in regional accents. I was quite surprised by this, when I was there. To us, if you sound English, we like you, period. :)
I bought a package of better clay!! I'm planning on making some decorated pieces and attach them to some pins. I want them to kind of look like Girl Scout patches. Do you guys have Girl Scouts over there? Maybe you don't know what I mean. I think it'd be cute to make up some sort of "award" pins that say things like "I adulted today" I'll show you when I come up with something I like. I've been off Facebook for a few years now...I may go back to it to join your group. I really enjoy your videos. You are so creative and funny. Thank you for making and posting your videos.
I haven't studied that but the clay is fine and you only need a minuscule amount of pastels. I only use my food oven to bake in and we are still here. ;)
As they are marketed without a health warning, I assume not. But as with all substances that are used powdered (as I do with these), I'd recommend wearing a dust mask. xx
