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A friend wants a modelling clay to make a large (9" plus), detailed sculpture.
She wants one that won't flake, shrink or crack, that can air or oven dry, and that remains pliable for quite a long time (or that can be kept damp/pliable - I think you get the idea).

Can anyone recommend something that would be suitable?

Cheers

You can re-wet Das to get it back to malleable status, it's not VERY slow drying but it works reasonably well in my experience. It does suffer from some shrinkage, but I don't think you'll find an air drying clay that doesn't.

Super Sculpey. It doesn't air dry, it oven dries, but it's an excellent product. I'd go so far as to say that if you can't make do with it, you're being too picky.

A second for Sculpey. I've used it for making parts where converting them simply would not be an option. You literally have all the time in the world to work it. I had some leftover bits I rolled into a ball and two years later it was still pliable and useable.

Grrrr i saw a clay in the hobby shop that exactly matches what you want but forgot the name...

Basically it remain malleable until its baked.

Maybe its my status as a mid teenage male but i found it amusing that your female friend wanted a detailed "sculpture" that is 9" or over that doesnt crack/flake and remains pliable for a long long time

Sculpey sounds pretty good stuff

Grim, would have thought air drying clay should be fine for a day or two if treated like normal clay.
Usually it is dampened with a spray and carefully wrapped in a damp cloth then polythene.

should keep unfinished work from drying out

corpsesarefun wrote:Maybe its my status as a mid teenage male but i found it amusing that your female friend wanted a detailed "sculpture" that is 9" or over that doesnt crack/flake and remains pliable for a long long time

Oh wow @_@

I would look in to do it in Terracotta Clay & then have it baked by a potter.
Check out courses at your local schools doing classes in pottery & the like.

Sculpy or Fimo are both modelling clays that are oven baked.

DAS/DAS pronto are air drying "clays" (it's more fibrous than clay, and does shrink a little, but if kept moist during shaping, doesn't crack.)

Sculpey comes in all kinds of fluoro colours too.

Super Sculpey, or Sculpey Firm (for more detailed areas) are going to be the way that your friend is going to want to go. Make sure to use a metal armature (skeleton) inside the sculpture for strength and ease of use.

If the sculpture is going to have large areas of bulk, use tin foil to make up the majority of that bulk and attach that to your armature. Sculpey (both kinds) has a hard time drying in the oven if there is a lot of it.

There are several good sculpting forums out there, like theclubhouse1.net so check those out.

captain.gordino wrote:Super Sculpey. It doesn't air dry, it oven dries, but it's an excellent product. I'd go so far as to say that if you can't make do with it, you're being too picky.

QFT. For what you are doing polymer clay like Super Sculpey is the way to go. If it's too soft try Super Sculpey Firm which is harder and hold detail much better and is gray in color. I was formulated specifically for modelers. I love it

Just keep re wetting any clay

GrimTeef wrote:If the sculpture is going to have large areas of bulk, use tin foil to make up the majority of that bulk and attach that to your armature. Sculpey (both kinds) has a hard time drying in the oven if there is a lot of it.

Is that instead of the wire mesh stuff? If so, great hint

She says that this scultpure will be far too pointy for the other use suggested above, although you're welcome to try

Thanks for the recomendations of Sculpey