Clay is a multipurpose material that lends itself well for different uses. From sculpting and special effects to mold making, pottery and even other rudimentary applications – clay has a lot going for it.
This humble clay is ready to use and very versatile - it can be used for different purposes in artworks. The most popular application is obviously for clay modeling – from making sculptures, masks and even prototype models to special effects and animation too. Moreover, the clay can be used as it is for making basic molds for casting resins, rubbers or even metals. It does not require any weighing or mixing before use.
Ceramic clay is commonly used to make pottery. The earthenware is fired in a kiln and glazed to make it hard and durable.
Apart from this, clay also proves to be handy for other minor jobs. For instance, if a model has holes or spaces, it can interfere with the mold making process. Clay can be used to plug these gaps or even tunnels that run through the model. Then the mold can be made as usual, but with a different mold making material other than clay.
In fact, clay is often the material of choice for making a containment field around the model when making the mold. The clay can be built to the height and thickness as required. Even when using other materials to make the mold box, clay is commonly used to seal the edges so that the mold making material does not seep out from the gaps. It can also be applied around the edge of the base to fill the gap between the model and the base.
Types of clay
The regular water based clay is suitable for children’s art classes and playrooms only as it tends to dry and shrink quickly. The professional grade oil-based clays are preferred by artists around the world. They have the same flexibility as regular clay, but the oil content keeps it from drying or cracking even after being exposed to air. They are firmer, capture fine details and can hold the form better as well. Heating and cooling allows the artist to control its malleability. In fact, this clay can be remolded and is inherently reusable.
Another variant of non drying and oil based modeling clays ballistic clay. This is primarily used by government agencies to test body armor as it is considered to be of similar density and elasticity as live animal muscle tissue.
