So Many Types of Polymer Clay -
What a Dilema!

Trying to figure out which one of the many types of polymer clay YOU should use can be such a trial! You have a look at the websites for each brand to try and find useful information, but of course, every company thinks its own brand of clay is the best!

So what should you do?

Weigh up the pros and cons reported by someone who has used all of these types of clay. The information below are the opinions of Doll Maker Amanda DeVirgilio. She has been sculpting dolls for over 7 years.

Polymer Clays

Cernit: Dolls Collection

Cernit is one of the stronger types of clay compared with some of it’s competitors. For the doll maker it is one of the best polymer clays to use. It lends to being sculpted in fine detail yet is still very sturdy. Delicate features such as fingers tend not to shatter as easy as some other brands of clay. It is not as flexible as some clays, so it can still break if fine details are bent.

Fresh out of the packet, Cernit can be very firm and sometimes even a bit crumbly. However, with some kneading and working of the clay, it becomes very pliable and stretchy which is a great asset when sculpting a doll. It can be shaped with ease, and can be flattened or rolled very thin and still hold relative strength. It’s great for making impressions and stamps as the finished product is very smooth and strong. Further surface smoothing can be achieved by rubbing cool water over it- reducing fingerprints.

Cernit needs to be kept very clean as black smudges seem to be more apparent in this brand, especially when blending a slightly dirty piece of clay into a clean piece.

Cernit for Doll Making comes in a large variety of skin tones: Almond, Biscuit, Caramel, Flesh, Nougat, Suntan and White. Great for any nationality.

Cernit is cured at 265 degrees Fahrenheit, or 130 degrees Celsius. Do not exceed these temperatures or it may cause harmful fumes. Always bake in a well ventilated room. Although polymer clay won’t release harmful fumes unless burned, it can still have an unpleasant odor during the baking process. This odor dissipates once the clay has cooled.

Cernit Doll-Making Clay Favored by professional doll-makers for its fine, translucent, porcelain-like finish and excellent color range, Cernit oven-dry polymer doll-making modeling clay is now phthalate-free. It is extremely malleable right out of the package, yet even the thinnest pieces possess high tensile strength. Cernit Doll-Making Clay cures quickly to a flexible finish in 15–30 minutes at 265°F, and can be sanded, carved, filed, or even added to after baking, provided it has not been painted or varnished. It remains workable for more than a year, even out of the package.

FIMO: Puppen

Puppen is one of the more flexible types of clay even after baking. This has the advantage of not snapping as soon as fine details are bumped or bent.

You can achieve ultra fine detail; however it’s translucency can make it difficult to spot mistakes or flaws in the clay. It is a very soft clay and is not recommended if you have to work in a hot environment as the clay becomes like a marshmallow and details can be easily ruined. This can be mostly remedied by using some special sculpting techniques to ensure you never actually hold on the doll while sculpting it.

Puppen Fimo does not get smudges as easily as other types of clays but it still can collect a lot of fluff. Take precautions to ensure your clay does not collect too much dirt.

Puppen comes in 3 different skin tones: Natural, Porcelain and Rose.

Puppen Fimo is cured at 230 degrees Fahrenheit, or 110 degrees Celsius. Do not exceed these temperatures or it may cause harmful fumes. Always bake in a well ventilated room. Although polymer clay won’t release harmful fumes unless burned, it can still have an unpleasant odor during the baking process. This odor dissipates once the clay has cooled.

Staedtler Fimo Puppen Polymer Clay Puppen (the German word for "doll") is made especially for modeling dolls, small figures, and other detailed creations. This extremely soft polymer clay also keeps its shape, making it ideal for detailed work. Puppen is particularly suited for creating expressive facial features because of its beautiful porcelain shimmer. It can be mixed with Fimo Soft, Fimo Classic, and Fimo Effect clays. It can also be sanded, and painted with acrylic paints. It hardens in a household oven at 230°F.

Super Sculpey

Sculpey has a nice skin appearance, not holding shine like some polymer clays. It tends to look very realistic. People tend to use Super Sculpey when sculpting something thicker, larger or more simple as fine details tend to break. It is easy to knead and manipulate making it easier on delicate hands.

Super Sculpey has a tendency to get gray smudges on the surface and can collect a lot of fluff. Take precautions to ensure your clay does not collect too much dirt.

Super Sculpey is cured at 130 degrees Celsius or 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes per 6mm (1/4") of thickness. Do not exceed these temperatures or it may cause harmful fumes. Always bake in a well ventilated room. Although polymer clay won’t release harmful fumes unless burned, it can still have an unpleasant odor during the baking process. This odor dissipates once the clay has cooled.

Some artist bake Super Sculpey at 129 degrees Celsius or 265 degrees Fahrenheit and leave it in the oven for 10 minutes longer. This is because when baked at recommended specifications, the Super Sculpey tends to darken or sometimes scorch. Baking the clay at the lower temperature tends to improve this problem. Always test a piece of clay before experimenting with temperature changes as it may compromise the strength.

Super Sculpey Super Sculpey is a ceramic-like sculpting compound that is easy to work with and oven-bakeable — no kiln needed! This semi-translucent , beige-pink clay is excellent for creating prototypes and sculptures that require fine details. Super Sculpey may be carved, sanded, and drilled after baking. It is shatter-resistant and chip-resistant . Bake Super Sculpey at 275°F (130°C) for 15 minutes per ¼" (6 mm) of thickness. Once the piece is cool, it can be painted with acrylics or glazed with Sculpey Glaze. Store Super Sculpey in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. If stored properly, it will keep almost indefinitely.

Prosculpt

The consistency of the recipe is to be debated as some artists report the clay as being firm to the touch, or terribly soft. It is popular with many doll makers, however if you intend to ship overseas its fragility levels aren’t ideal. The skin tones are very beautiful, giving off a very realistic effect.

KATO Polyclay

Kato does not offer a lot of variety regarding flesh tones, but I have seen it used and look extremely effective. Kato often comes in small packs, so it tends to be more ideal for jewelry makers rather than doll makers.

It can be very difficult to knead or condition; most artists pass it through a pasta machine to try and get it workable. Not recommended to people with delicate hands. Most artists tend to mix Kato in with another clay to strengthen an otherwise fragile clay. Be careful doing this however, always test pieces before sculpting a whole doll out of combination clays.

It bakes at 135 degrees Celsius 275 degrees Fahrenheit 30 minutes per 1/4" (5mm) thickness. Do not exceed these temperatures or it may cause harmful fumes. Always bake in a well ventilated room. Although polymer clay won’t release harmful fumes unless burned, it can still have an unpleasant odor during the baking process. This odor dissipates once the clay has cooled.

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