Air Drying Clays

How to Work With Air Drying Clays
Easy to use air drying clays are made of earth or paper. This type of clay is fine grained and requires no firing in a kiln. Additional clay can be added to pieces even after they have dried. Crafters of all ages thoroughly enjoy working with air drying clays. Most of the traditional techniques of using clay work well with air drying clay. Creative possibilities are unlimited. Rolling, coiling and pinching as well as other techniques allow for many pieces to be made.

Activa Air Dry Clay		Activa La Doll Premier Air-Dry Clay		Activa La Doll Satin Smooth Air-Dry Clay		Alex Clay Fun Activity Kit
Price: $12 - $20		Price: $9		Price: $9		Price: $13
Brand: Activa		Brand: Activa		Brand: Activa		Brand: Alex
Activa Air Dry Clay is a dense, durable, and responsive fine-grain, self-hardening clay.		La Doll Premier is an advanced formula, like La Doll Satin Smooth, but with a finer body, allowing for greater detail, exceptional strength, ultra-lightweight pieces, and a bright white finish.		Molded, sculpted, stamped or carved, La Doll is the clay of choice for doll artists worldwide.		Alex's Clay Activity Kit is a wonderful introduction to sculpture, giving the young artist an open-ended adventure in creativity.
Amaco Marblex Gray Clay		Amaco Mexican Pottery Clay		Amaco Self Hardening Clays		Amaco Stonex White Clay
Price: $23 - $32		Price: $23 - $36		Price: $36		Price: $35 - $38
Brand: Amaco		Brand: Amaco		Brand: Amaco		Brand: Amaco
Marblex is a moist, ready-to-use, air-drying gray clay.		Objects modeled of Mexican Pottery Clay air-harden without firing to a rich red color similar to Mexican or Indian pottery and need little or no decorating.		Supplied in moist form, these ready-to-use Amaco clays can be shaped by hand or thrown on a wheel.		Objects modeled from Stonex White Clay air-harden without firing or baking.
Assorted Colors		Assorted Naturals		Assorted Neon		Bucket of White
Price: $14 - $28		Price: $14 - $25		Price: $14 - $21		Price: $16 - $27
Brand: Crayola		Brand: Crayola		Brand: Crayola		Brand: Crayola
A 2 lb bucket containing four 8 oz (227 g) pouches of modeling compound: Blue, Red, Yellow, and White.		A 2 lb bucket containing four 8 oz (227 g) pouches of modeling compound: Bisque, Earth Tone, Terra Cotta, and White.		A 2 lb bucket containing four 8 oz (227 g) pouches of modeling compound: Laser Lemon, Radical Red, Shocking Pink, and Yellow Green.		A 2 lb bucket containing four 8 oz (227 g) pouches of White.

In the following, you will find some tips and suggestions on how to work with air drying clays.

• When making figurines of any kind, you can add wire to arms and other limbs to help in strengthening. After drying, wires are undetectable. Even figures on tiny bases will gain stability.
• Always store your air drying clays in air tight containers. If clays become dry, add a bit of water and microwave for several seconds until it becomes warm. Never overheat.
• You must thoroughly need air drying clays. Knead until they become easy to work and soft.
• Always keep your hands wet when working with clay. This makes the clay much easier to handle. You can add a bit of water if the clay begins to dry out.
• Different colors can be created by mixing colors of clay. Stain or paint can be used to gain colors after pieces have dried. To mix colors, you must simply need colors together.
• Many standard clay working tools are used in working with air drying clay. Professional and beginners use steel scraper, potters rib, loop, sponge, steel scraper, wire cutters and other modeling tools. These tools allow you to create unique effects for beautiful pieces. Dried clay pieces can be drilled, carved and sanded. Staining, painting and shading with chalk can be done to clay items as well.