Mix n' Match Mediums - Tori's Tip for December

Wondering if you can use a certain type of paint, crayons or markers on Creative Paperclay®?  Here's my tip - If you can use the medium on paper or wood, then it's okay to use on the clay.  The "secret" is in the prep work.  The assortment in the photo above contains just a few of the many artistic mediums I've used with this amazing modeling material!

- acrylics, watercolors and other water-based media can be painted directly onto the clay without any prep work.  The paint will be absorbed into the clay up to a point, but if you get it too wet you will start removing it rather than adding it, so let the paint dry between coats or washes.  The paint will also be absorbed differently in areas that are left just as the clay dried, and those that have been sanded.  These absorption rates can be used to your advantage to enhance textures, etc.  These media can also be used over gesso.

- pencils, crayons, chalk & oil pastels can also be used directly onto the clay as it dried.  Again, you can take advantage of the texture of the material, leaving more "tooth" for the mediums to grab on to, or sanding the clay smooth.  With pencils, you can either use a light touch to keep the pigment on top of the clay, or use a heavier touch and actually change the surface for texture and 3-D effects.  (Plus, the crayons can be melted onto the clay too! - you can see some of the effects here)

- oils, oil pastels, markers and spray paint, are best used on a surface that has been prepared with gesso, in the same way you would prepare a wood panel.

- inks & dyes also work well with the clay, and it's a great surface for stamping onto with rubber stamps and stands up well to embossing, layering and texture effects.

I suggest making up some samples of dry clay and having a fun day of just playing with different media and prep techniques with no objective in mind other than exploration.  It's a great way to get some inspiration and new ideas!  You might try making up a bunch of 1 or 2 inch square "tiles", using those to practice and play with various mediums, then putting them all together for a unique art piece. (What about a play date with your artsy friends?!) Thanks for joining me here, I'll close with my usual advice - Play, Experiment, and Have Fun!

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