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Has anyone had good experiences with sculpt it? I bought it at Michaels and where as I enjoy using it, aside from the shrinking material, I am afraid to paint what I have sculpted because I once dripped water on a fully hardened piece of sculpt it and the piece that got wet returned to a malleable state. Has any one else had this problem or painted sculpt it with ease?

A quick look says its supposed to dry on its own accord. If you got it wet shortly after sculpting that will happen, give it time to set up. Also i would make something simple as a test piece, let it dry then give it a basecoat with your preferred product, paint it and see how it turns out.

Warning: This is all conjecture. I've worked with various plasters and air-dry clays, before, but never Sculpt It, specifically.

With any water-based "air dry" product, the longer it has to dry out, the less any reintroduction of water will affect its structure. For thicker pieces, especially in colder, damper climates, this can take days (remember that it will dry from the outside in, so a piece that looks dry may still be a less than fully cured). That said, most of those clay- or plaster-like materials will absorb at least some water, if given the chance, but that can actually work in your favor. Thin some PVA glue down with water and brush it lightly over the surface. As the material absorbs the liquid, it settles in the pores and effectively plasticizes the surface. As long as you don't overwork any areas while they're wet, you shouldn't damage the finish. After a few coats, it's stronger than ever, sealed against further moisture absorption, and all without any significant buildup ruining the texture (since it partially enters the material, the coats stay thin).

Granted, the PVA impregnation is a bit of extra work. If you give the piece enough time to set up properly, you'd probably be fine brushing on a basecoat. If you're still worried, you can always just spray your paint, knowing that you may have to add an extra coat or two for solid coverage, thanks to the absorbent surface.

I found Sculpey (or other 'bake-dry) products to be more useful. There's no worry about water-based paints ruining the work.

Thank you for the ideas. I will try that watered down glue trick.

Watered down glue is a plasterers trick for sealing bare plaster. If youve got it, matt varnish spray would work just aswell. Matt being better than glossy as its supposed to be ready to accept layers of paint and gloss resists this a bit.