# Need Help with Air-Dry Clay Debacle!



## Terminal_Margaret (Jul 16, 2010)

Okay. So I bought some Crayola Air-Dry clay. I am making a Weeping Angel (from Doctor Who) statue mask using the instructions posted by penwiper337 on Livejournal. She made this awesome costume for a sci-fi con and I wanted to try and replicate it for my Halloween costume this year.

*This was my first time sculpting anything EVER* (unless you count pinch pots in kindergarten). When I was done, I was quite proud:










BUT, when I woke up this morning...I found my mask to look like this *hangs head in defeat* :
(Sorry the pic is sideways, btw!)










YEAH.

So all my hard work went down the tubes, as well as my confidence. The cracks themselves don't spoil the look entirely, but to be honest, if I am going to wear this mask...it's going to fall apart before I can even paint it let alone wear it all night.

Any suggestions to patch the cracks where the clay shrunk?

One suggestion someone had was to use Crayola's Model Magic clay and put it in the cracks. I know nothing about the clay, except that it too, is air-dry. I don't know if using MORE air-dry clay on the cracks will just make it worse, or if it might actually help patch it.

If I can create a liquid-y paste from the clay to sort of fill the cracks with...will that help seal it?

Or is there something else I can do? I appreciate any ideas or suggestions you may have! I would hate to have an entire days worth of sculpting go down the tubes!

Thanks!


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Did you sculpt that on top of a plastic mask?
In my experience, air dry clays will crack if one side dries out faster than the other. The Crayola air dry clays (this one and Model Magic, and pretty much any aire dry clay out there) are water based. The water needs to evaporate from the clay in order for it to harden. Now, as the water evaporates, the sculpt loses mass and shrinks. However, if something (plastic mask, skull, other armature) prevents the water from escaping evenly, one side (here, the face) will dry faster than the other, therefore shrinking faster than the other, and causing cracks.*

When I make heads in air dry clay, I cover my armature (either a skull or foam wig head) in aluminum foil so that as soon as the face is dry to the touch, I can remove it from the armature, peel off the foil, and allow the sculpture to dry thoroughly. Shortly thereafter, I give the whole thing a coat of latex-based paint, just in case, to hold the surface together should any cracking be tempted to ensue. It also helps to use a lot of water while sculpting both to smooth and to bond pieces of clay together (this may only apply to Model Magic, as I haven't tried the particular stuff you're using).

Now, as for a fix...
I would try filling in the cracks with a little caulk so that, should the cracks grow bigger, it can stretch with them.


*taken from the Chicken Encyclopedia of Hauntology. Accuracy not guaranteed.


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## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

I can't see the picture, but I would recommend filling the crays with clay that is dryer than normal. Let it sit for a bit, then cram it into the cracks, use a toothpick to pack it in. You want to use clay that's dryer than usual because you don't want this to shrink AGAIN. When the crack is full, use a finger wetted with water to smooth the new clay into the old clay.

there are other things you could do to make it more durable, but I'd have to see the mask to advise further.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

The cracks actually look pretty cool. They make the mask look more realistic. How about using the mask you have sculpted to create a mold and then pull latex or resin copies from the mold? Then you would have a more durable mask. I'm not a mold expert, but there are several sculpting and molding wizards here on the board that I am sure could help.


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## Terminal_Margaret (Jul 16, 2010)

Thanks to everyone who has given me some advice on this. Like I said, I have never sculpted anything before...so I am a total noob here, admittedly.

I am torn between using some more clay to fill the cracks and praying it won't crack some more (I like Devils_Chariot's idea of using some harder pieces of clay and smoothing it later), or using something completely different and trying to hold it together that way.

@ Mr. Chicken: Yes, I did sculpt it over a plastic mask. I was a bit worried about that to begin with, but I went ahead and tried it. *hides face* If I try to make another mask, do you have a suggestion of a better way to do it? Also, I would have never thought of using caulk for the cracks or painting it with latex paint. I may try the caulk, and after I'm done, paint the darn thing and pray it works! I had acrylic paint waiting in the wings to finish it off. Could I slather some latex on it and then do the finish work with acrylic?

@ Jaybo: Yeah, I am not bothered by the way the cracks look, really...I agree with you that they add to the creepiness, and since it's a statue, it could have cracked features. If they didn't compromise the actual structure of the mask I'd be all for leaving it be! Being new to sculpting and creating stuff, I am not sure I want to jump into mold making just yet, but I did actually think that this would make a cool mold if I knew how. I think once I can get past this point and get it painted, the cracks won't look too bad, really even if they are still visible. I just want to make it so that I can wear the mask without it falling to pieces!

I decided worst case scenario, I hold this thing together the best I can for a STATIC Weeping Angel prop for our Halloween party and/or yard haunt. Then I can try to make a new one using different clay or something. I'm going to somehow make the best of it!

*Thanks for all your suggestions, guys.* I don't have time to work on fixing her right now, but I will let you know when I do, what I try (tried), and if it worked. If anyone thinks of anything else, please go ahead and add your two cents...


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