Out of all the polymer clays that I have used thus far Super Sculpey is by far my favorite. It is a huge improvement over the original Sculpey which in my opinion is way too soft for detailed sculpting. Super Sculpey offers the best of both worlds by being firm enough to sculpt a high level of details but also soft enough to manipulate the clay with ease.
If there is one disadvantage or downfall with Super Sculpey it is that the color has a tendency to make it harder to see things like fingerprints in the clay. The light beige color is translucent and after hours of sculpting it can put a strain on your eyes (or at least mine). There are ways around this and the easiest fix is to mix Super Sculpey with another colored polymer clay like Fimo or Premo. I’ve done this many times and the color that I like to best work with is a medium shade of gray. Gray is easier on my eyes and makes it to see all of the details, including the unwanted fingerprints.
Another way to work around the fingerprints issue is to spray the sculpture with a gray primer after it has been baked. The gray primer picks up all the subtle details and makes it easy to find any mistakes that were made. Anything that needs to be fixed can be done so by adding a little Vaseline and new fresh clay (that will need to be cured once the fixes are complete).
However although the color at times is a disadvantage, I also like to use it as an advantage. The translucent clay has almost a flesh color in appearance when you work with it and it really brings a piece to life when you are sculpting the human figure. I still sculpt a lot of my figures with the light beige color and just go back later on to fix any mistakes using the primer steps that I noted above.
Anyone that has worked with polymer clay before is already more than aware of the great benefits it has to offer. I’ve been working with polymer clays for a few years now and outlined below are a few of the highlighted features that I have discovered in my sculpting journey:
- Can be curred in any over or toaster oven by baking at low temperatures
- Produce a long lasting sculpture at a fraction of the cost for having to create expensive molds
- Can mix with other polymer clays to create different colors, firmness, etc.
- New clay can be added to backed clay by just adding a little Vaseline
- Can be sanded and polished
- Can be primed and painted as a final piece.
Where to Purchase
Super Sculpey is easily available through most arts and crafts stores. For those that do not have access to a Hobby Lobby other art store, Super Sculpey can be purchased from many online art related websites. Dick Blick’s website currently is currently selling Super Sculpey at a cheaper price than I have been able to find at my local hobby store. They give you the option to purchase the clay in one pound or eight pound packs and I have included a link to their Super Sculpey pages below.
Keep in mind that the current prices may change over time. As of this writing Dick Blick is offering the following deals.
1 pound -Super Sculpey (around $8.35)
8 pound -Super Sculpey (around $64.74)
Click here for the latest deals offered for Super Sculpey
All the best,
Gerald
Hi! I love super sculpey ever since I used it, but I have a few questions for you about baking it, because I already tried it and kinda burnt it a couple of times now:
What temperature and time is best for curing it without making it red or black (sorry, I’m new to this)? Can I bake it completely using a heat gun only? How can I make a mold from a super sculpey piece that has already been baked?
Thank you for your time.
Xaverivs,
I usually bake mine at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. For example I will back my sculptures at around 220 degrees for around 30 minutes. Some polymer clay artist will bake there sculptures in stages over a period of hours (increasing the temperature over time). I haven’t tested this method enough to give you a good break down on the heat and times to use. However, the 220 degrees at 30 minutes works well with me (The key is to not have the clay too thick when you bake it, it is best to bake it in stages if you are building it out)
If the clay is not too thick you can use a heat gun to bake it but it does take a lot longer to do it this way. I’ve had pieces where I have done this. The key is to make sure the heat gun setting is not too high and that you move it around the area instead of just focusing on one spot. If it gets too hot you could see little bubbles form in the clay.
If you plan to make a mold of your sculpture then you will need to have it already cured (baked). Otherwise there is a chance that you will mess up the details when you pour the silicone over your sculpture. Complex sculptures need to be cut up into pieces and Super Sculpey is no exception to that rule. I’ll be building out a tutorial in the future on cutting up a sculpture for making a mold.
Hope that helps,
Gerald
I hate to I disagree. Maybe because I prefer using the color of the clay but when it comes to flesh, I prefer Prosculpt. It’s much smoother, firmer and about the same price as SuperSculpy. It doesn’t darken and the texture is smoother
JMHO
No problem Susan, Prosculpt is also an excellent product. Thanks for your comments.
Gerald
Hi all! I have a super sculpey box for a year now, but it became kinda dry and stiff. Is there anything I can do to restore it’s softness? Thanks!!
Hey, i’ve been looking through your stuff for quite a while, and a lot of your info has helped me! i love sculpting, and i’d love to make it a hobby of mine.
the only thing that holds me back is i can never find enough super sculpty in bulk. i tend to go hogwild with my sculptures, planning every detail, but loose interest when i have to keep going back to the store or the internet to buy it. i don’t have enough money at one time to stock up on each store run, and it really frustrates me.
i don’t use that much clay over my armatures, i use just enough to get the look and shape i want. if you could give me any advice on how to spread out my clay usage or really anything, i’d really appreciate it since i’m starting another project in the next month or so ^^.
Hi,
First of all, I must congratulate You por You passion for art, and make such a useful website like this, Im new to the sculpting world, Im about to bouy polymer clay cuz I want to make an sculpt.
But reading You intro, I want to know how You make it to creat a gray clay ideal for sculpting.
And what I what proportions i have to mix them up the other firmo and Premo clays with the supersculpey to get the perfect consistency and color?
Thanks You very much.