Doll making clays to use and not to use

[DollyKim]

I have had my hands in or on all of these brands and shall update as I open them. Reviews are very basic according to how useful they are to general doll making, how well they hold details for things such as facial features or don't.

Air dry water base clays

Sculpt-A-Mold/paper mache paste- good for making bases and cores, easy to carve away.

Creative Paperclay- has chunks when wet, has a fairly smooth finish when dry, blends seams and wet to dry well, I suggest an armature for things like limbs and fingers, had a figure fall and break it's arms, not the easiest repair to hide without paint and sealer.

LaDoll- a stone clay, smooth when wet, very smooth when dry, blends seams and wet to dry well. Holds details well. Armature for fingers and small arms and legs suggested. 1/4" or more thickness quite strong especially when hollow.

Premiere- a stone clay, lighter and drier than Ladoll when wet, very smooth when dry, blends seams and wet to dry well. Holds details well. Armature for fingers and small arms and legs suggested. 1/4" or more thickness quite strong especially when hollow.

Fimo Model Air Light- behaves like a stone or paper clay, smooth when wet, blends wet seams well, holds details. Not as smooth as La Doll or Premiere. Dries very light, an armature is recommended for fingers. Surface scratches easy might not be the best to hold up under the stresses of bodies but okay for small heads or where you need to bulk up for light weight. Somewhat carve able.

Fimo Air Basic- like a paper clay, although the package says 7% shrinkage initial work on a styrofoam and drinking straw base did well. There are fine cracks in some places as one would expect from an air dry. The flesh color lightens out to a lovely skin tone. Work is on going to see how well it takes wet to dry and other common doll making techniques.

Polyform Model Air by Sculpey- smooth like a stone clay when wet but has a powdery finish when dry more like pottery clay. Wet seams smooth easily, wet to dry adds easily. Quite strong. A good "cheap" clay for experiments or bulking up. Finished work somewhat heavy. Very powdery when sanded, can flake when cut but holds up well in general. I would upgrade to a stone clay for final doll work because the surface isn't that smooth.

Prang DAS- smooth like a stone clay when wet but has a powdery finish when dry more like pottery clay. Wet seams smooth easily, wet to dry adds easily. Quite strong. A good "cheap" clay for experiments or bulking up. I would upgrade to a stone clay for final doll work.

Activa Plus- not the best for final doll work, okay for some experimenting or bulking out but very heavy. Not the best for taking wet to dry for adding things, can crack and fall apart where joined. Works best if you can make the form in one piece. Can flake when being cut or carved. Is fairly strong when thick enough. The black dries a dark grey and turns your hands, tools, and anything you touch black until given a good wash.

Javi Patwood- Not recommended for dolls, has a cedar smell if you want to make moth balls. Doesn't like to stick to its self, hard to smooth out and make a skin out of. Waiting to see how wet sticks to dry.

Two part compounds

Aves Apoxie Sculpt- takes fine details and textures very well, blends wet seams well and wet to dry. Good for small parts but can get heavy for larger projects. Good for fingers with or without armature.

Polymer clays
In general they all behave roughly the same. All stand up to repeat baking as long as you don't go over the recommended baking temperature. All do well holding fine details and for fingers but better with a wire armature.

Sculpey Living Doll- has a bit of a tooth to the finish like porcelain, dull and matte.

Super Sculpey- has a slight glow when cured.

Kato Polyclay- has a smooth almost waxy finish when cured. My example was baked twice on a wooden base and cracked. Will try a different base next time.

Not happy with these clays

Pluffy polymer- very soft when uncured and hard to blend seams. Does not hold details. Might have a use if you need to bulk up a large polymer piece with something light weight. Did not do a strength test. Generally avoid.

Cloud Clay air dry- has a strong odor. Use with wet fingers but if it gets too wet it will turn in to taffy. I bought a sample pack and ended up using it as a "glue" to hold template forms together. When dry the surface is very smooth, doesn't really hold details, feels a bit rubbery. Generally avoid.

Delight by Paperclay air dry- soft and foam like, hard to blend seams unless very wet Dries very light almost like styrofoam. Not best for things like fingers. Does not cut easily, squishes instead like foam. Other clays do not stick to it. The only use I can see is making something like a reusable core for a large piece like a body but you would have to cut the body form apart to remove the Delight, you can't scoop or sand it out. Generally avoid.

[SoapBubbles]

Ooh, this is awesome. Always nice to see reviews on art material. Thank you for taking the time to write all this. I really want to get my hands on the Sculpey Living Doll and try it out. How heavy would you say the Sculpey Living Doll is compared to other polymer clays?

[DollyKim]

All the polymer clays I've tried weigh the same, the difference has been in the surface when cured. Living Doll has a slight tooth when compared to the average polymer and is noticeable when touched.

Only Mold Maker, rubbery, and eraser clays are very different when cured.

[SoapBubbles]

Okay, thank you for the info, I really appreciate it!

[OkamiKodomo]

DK, I've also used Marblex air-dry stone clays. I can send you a review via PM once I've settled into my new place, if you'd like. Otherwise, maybe you could give it a shot yourself? They're not half bad.

[DollyKim]

Can this get pinned please? I'm getting in to some more brands that could be helpful.

[Rajendora]

I've got a packet of LaDoll and wanted to try making a new elbow joint or even a head, but wasn't sure it would take the pressure of being strung into an existing doll. Anyone do something like that yet? I was thinking if I put a metal washer in the clay at the neckline it would be safer for a head made of the LaDoll, but for the replacement elbow peanut, not so sure.

[DollyKim]

LaDoll is what a lot of ball joint art doll makers use and it should hold up to a lot of stress. 5mm or around 1/4 of an inch is the recommended minimum thickness for the sturdier parts. It should make the elbow too. Just seal them both because LaDoll shouldn't get wet when you're finished sculpting. I had to take a hammer to some hollow LaDoll pieces to break them up.

Apoxie Sculpt or similar Milliput might be another option for the elbow but it is heavy for a head.

[Rajendora]

LaDoll is what a lot of ball joint art doll makers use and it should hold up to a lot of stress. 5mm or around 1/4 of an inch is the recommended minimum thickness for the sturdier parts. It should make the elbow too. Just seal them both because LaDoll shouldn't get wet when you're finished sculpting. I had to take a hammer to some hollow LaDoll pieces to break them up.

Apoxie Sculpt or similar Milliput might be another option for the elbow but it is heavy for a head.

I thought I thanked you in a response earlier, but it seems to have been lost? O_o Thank you for the reminder to seal the clay. I have the Milliput, just bought some after reading all the reviews, but only for re-inforcing a cracked neck. Id didn't think it would do for whole parts. I wonder if that might be better for the elbow and then the LaDoll for the arm?

My experience with Sculpy is 'never happy' I could back that stuff until the end of the year and it still wouldn't dry.

[DollyKim]

You're welcome. Milliput would be better for the elbow, just make sure you put the string channel in while you're working so you don't have to drill after.

My best results with polymer clays have been when I've used a craft oven and I leave the piece in there to cool. I haven't made a big doll but I've done a 1/6 scale one and some heads.