This occupation was not only an excellent type of recreation, but also a manifestation of creative abilities. Clay is the noblest material. This gift of nature has served people for thousands of years. In ancient times, a man noticed that it's easy to work with clay, and the material is even easier to produce. The cheapest building material is used everywhere. From clay almost everything is created: from household utensils to large buildings.
Now, for modeling, polymer clay is used. Professionals are advised to begin classes on modeling with polymer clay. Because unlike ordinary clay, it is much easier to work with polymer material. Usually, amateurs begin to sculpt small things with many small details. Such details are obtained more precisely from polymer clay. This can not be done by beginners from ordinary material. In addition, polymer clay is much easier to treat. Products made of polymer clay quickly dried. They can be dried even at home. During drying, no special technology is required, and after drying, cracks or bubbles do not appear on the thing.
The usual clay, like all natural materials, has a limited range of colors. Polymer clay has the widest choice of color scales and shades. This makes it possible to receive the brightest crafts. The finished product does not even need to be painted. The molding of clay begins with the manufacture of simple shapes. Naturally, in addition to polymer clay, a number of tools will be required. Such tools can be found in the art salon. The following items should be included in the list of necessary tools for molding from polymer clay:
- Polymer clay;
- Collet knife with a set of replaceable blades;
- Awl;
- A knife for cutting cardboard;
- Press marble or metal for the manufacture of small parts;
- Metal or marble roller;
- Tweezers;
- Wooden pins and wooden toothpicks;
- Clay "Moment";
- Ruler with holes;
- A wooden board with a thickness of approximately 2, 5 cm.
The first lesson of modeling can begin with creating the simplest geometric objects, for example, a ball, a cylinder and a cube. First, a small piece of clay is taken and rolled. To make the cylinder, the polymer clay is rolled between the palms. In this case, the movements must be in a reciprocating direction. In the process of rolling clay between the palms, a piece of clay becomes thinner and longer, getting the shape of a cylinder. It is easiest to roll a ball out of polymer clay. It is obtained by rubbing clay between the palms of the circular actions. During the movement of hands, it is impossible to squeeze strongly the polymer clay. Movements should be smooth and unhurried.
The shape of the cube is obtained from the ball. First, a piece of polymer clay rolls into a sphere, then the sides are squeezed by the fingers, while the faces of the cube are formed. The same actions are repeated with the other sides of the form. Cube is obtained by uniformly squeezing a piece of clay with two fingers. If you apply more force while forming the faces of the cube, you can form another form, for example, a parallelepiped.
A ball, cube or cylinder is the geometric basis for the creation of almost all artifacts of polymer clay.
The list of necessary tools for modeling is included and glue. Why is it needed? Some parts of complex figures are made by separate elements and are fired in the furnace separately. Only after firing they are glued together. Therefore, you need to acquire strong and reliable polymer adhesives that glue the different parts in no more than thirty seconds. The creation of the final image of the figure helps to get the most spectacular position of the ready figures. The method of gluing parts is also used to create complex compositions with many details and shapes.
In the process of sculpting products from polymer clay, one of the most important stages is firing. Incorrect firing of a piece or part can completely ruin any artifact. In the industry, for firing clay products, special furnaces are used, and at home, this process is carried out in a conventional oven of a gas or electric furnace. Before baking polymer materials, preheat the oven to about 275 degrees. Only after this the product is placed in the oven. The time of the firing process is determined from the following calculation: for every 6 mm of the thickness of the product, approximately 20 minutes of roasting takes place. The level of the firing temperature of the polymer material is determined based on the values indicated in the polymer clay packing. Remember, each polymer material has individual requirements for setting the temperature of the firing process.
Lepke can be learned independently, but it is better to attend training courses on modeling at first. Teaching in general courses not only disciplines, but also helps to gain communication skills with other creative personalities. You can learn how to mold with other family members. Molding of soft polymer clay with a child will help to introduce children to creativity and develop artistic taste in them. Molding can be an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to your child that he can do something himself. Such an occupation, no doubt, will interest the child. In addition, while doing modeling of polymer clay, the child does not get dirty. The process of working with polymer clay is very similar to the molding of plasticine.
The first result of joint creativity can be small figures, equipped with magnets and attached to the refrigerator. Offer the child to make such a trinket. After the completion of the work, fixing the figure on the refrigerator, you can always admire the family masterpiece. This way you can further stimulate your child's desire to create products with their own hands and engage in useful things. In the future, it will be possible to sculpt a polymer for clay, a pencil cup, a vase for wildflowers or another gift for a specific significant date. Molding from clay will help to strengthen in the minds of young children the notion that one can also create the most beautiful and useful objects with his own hands. The modeling of polymer clay can also become an excellent educational factor for the child.