What Kind of clay do you use?

The clay I use will depend on the project. For large pieces that I can’t fit in an oven to bake, I will use Apoxie Sculpt. The majority of my projects, though, are made from Polymer Clay. I love Sculpey brand and Cosclay and use them in almost every sculpt.

What kind of paints do you use?

I use acrylic paints, FolkArt brand is my favorite. Sometimes I will dive into professional paints like WarPaints.

Do you paint your sculpture before or after you bake it?

I paint it after I bake it.

How many times can you “pre-bake” a sculpture?

Personally, I pre-bake as many times I need to and at the full time and temperature recommended by the manufacturer on my box of clay. I don’t think I have ever baked a sculpture more than five times though.

For how long and at what temperature do you bake your sculpture?

For everything I make from Super Sculpey or Cosclay, I bake it for 30-45 minutes at 275º F in my home oven. The bigger the sculpt or the thicker pieces of clay it has, the longer I will bake it. I never exceed 45 minutes.

Do you varnish your sculptures when you’re done painting?

No, acrylic paint does not need to be varnished; however, if you want a little extra protection theres no harm in using an acrylic BRUSH ON varnish. I do not recommend any aerosol varnishes. ModPodge WILL stay sticky forever.

Do you take commissions?

Currently I am not taking commissions.

Do you sell the sculptures you make on YouTube?

Yes! My new pop-up shop features new YouTube sculpts sporadically. Keep checking back for updates. If you see something you want, get it while you can because they go fast!

My sculptures keep cracking, what am I doing wrong?

This could be caused by a few different things. The most common being air trapped beneath the surface of the clay, baking at too high of a temperature or for too long, or not having an armature that can properly support the clay. If you have any cracks after your final bake, you can fill them with Apoxie sculpt and it will be like nothing ever happened! Only do this if you’re not baking again.

How can I fix a sculpture that cracked in the oven?

This can be tricky, but it’s not the end of the world! Typically the cracks will appear as the sculpture cools after being separated from the heat. This is when the air is trying to escape if there was any inside and it will get out by any means possible, even if it means cracking your hard work.

To repair these types of cracks, I recommend (believe it or not) cracking away more clay from around the crack and then filling the cavity with bake and bond or liquid clay and then patching everything and re-sculpting with more clay. This is super annoying to have to do, but 9/10 times everything goes smoothly. Just make sure you’re not leaving any air inside or else it will crack again and maybe even worse than the first time or in a different location.

How can I prevent cracking?

If you really want to play it safe and ensure your sculpt won’t crack, poke a hole in an inconspicuous area on your sculpture that goes all the way through to the core. A pin tool works great for this. If you have different sections of your piece that have completely separate cores/cavities or aren’t connected by armature, you will need to poke a hole in each one. Any trapped air will escape through the hole that you can patch with Apoxie Sculpt or air dry clay after your final bake and paint like it was never there in the first place.

I keep burning my sculptures, what am I doing wrong?

Always follow the instructions provided by the clay manufacturer on the back of your box to clay. Baking at a higher temperature than what is suggested will result in scorching the clay 99.9999% of the time. Baking for too long can also burn your clay.

I’ve tried contacting you and I haven’t heard a response. Is there a better way to get ahold of you?

Due to the extremely high volume of messages and emails I receive daily, it is virtually impossible for me to respond to them all. I am a one-man show juggling everything. If you really need my attention, you can purchase a meeting with me via Own It here: https://ownnit.com/o/aceofclay/

I know this sounds like a cash grab, but I have to limit these meetings due to my busy schedule. I do periodically give them away for free so keep an eye out for that. I try my best to respond to everyone!