Got a 40% off coupon for hobby lobby, whats the best clay for sculpting?

hydin · Oct 2, 2011

Thinking of making a few runs this week to hobby lobby and using the 40% off coupon to grab some clay.

What's the overall "best" clay to use for sculpting stuff? Thinking of life size busts down to just random 1/6th scale people/things.

I am pretty much a virtual newbie when it comes to this, so I know the difference between wet clay and non water based clay... and that's kinda it.

So, guys who sculpt amazing things, what is the clay you use, and what would you recommend?

Chris

exoray · Oct 2, 2011

hydin said:
Thinking of making a few runs this week to hobby lobby and using the 40% off coupon to grab some clay.

FYI they offer those 40% off coupons usually 3 out of 4 weeks a month on the website, so don't feel limited to using it just once, print out a few and make a few trips...

Here is a direct link to this weeks (till October 8th) coupon, print off a few, it's like printing money, and only requires a separate trip through the checkout line...

http://www.hobbylobby.com/assets/dynamic/_weekly.coupon/2011_41_coupon.gif

No recommendations on clay for sculpting... My go to clay there is usually for mold build up and for that I use the 25lbs box of X-15 pottery WET clay, it would be vastly sub-par for sculpting vs other clays...

PepMaster · Oct 2, 2011

Well for non-oil based I use the same stuff exoray uses, it's cheap, affordable, etc. Like $15 for a 25lb box.
For the type of clay I use if I want a oil based clay I use Van Aken which most Hobby Lobby stores carry.
Btw Exoray, thanks for the coupon.

hydin · Oct 2, 2011

I am going to hit it a few times this week. Gotta get a new podium for a display, plus the clay as well.

I have something like 25# of Klean Klay that I tried to use for some sculpting a few years ago, and I made a decent Venom noggin, but its pretty soft and hard to get detailed.

It'd be a nightmare trying to do something smaller in scale than a life size.

Thinking roma plastina but they have a few options to pick from..

Chris

MrBarlow · Oct 2, 2011

Chavant NSP is highly recommended. Depending on what you are sculpting it comes in soft, medium and hard. It's used a lot in the makeup/creature effects profession.

hydin · Oct 5, 2011

They don't carry chavant

They have a plastalina clay that is supposed to be used for sculpting/mold making as it's sulphur free though.

I have a few sculpts in mind, and figure somewhere around 25# of it outta be enough for a life sized head anyway.

Appreciate the advice so far

Chris

thegreatgalling · Oct 5, 2011

I have had great results with A+B Apoxy Sculpt recently, but it starts drying within an hour by air. It is rock solid when it does dry, and with zero shrinkage, which is why I stopped using sculpey which remains "bouncy" when it dries. I have not tried to bag it to keep it wet, so I am not sure you can store it without it hardening once you mix A and B.

Some people might say it is nuts to work with clay with only a one hour working time, but for me, it completely eliminates the chance for major mistakes. What I mean by that is there is no undo button in life unfortunately, but you can take your time and build out the form, instead of keeping the whole thing wet and risking harming something you were happy with. If I am happy with the nose, then I just walk away for an hour and let it harden before I futz with it again. Hope that makes sense.

hydin · Oct 7, 2011

Makes great sense, and if I had talent I would use this stuff :lol

Gonna go on my great clay voyage today probably. Already gotta go buy the "good" cat food again, so I might as well throw in a few pounds of clay on the shopping list :lol

Dunno what they have in stock, but I do know they are next to a Casa Maria, and the pet store is down the street from a Texas Roadhouse, so today outta be a good day

Chris

hydin · Oct 7, 2011

well, crap.

They didn't have any sculpting clay, so I just got a 25# box of gray water based clay that I gotta keep covered.

I did get a foam noggin to sculpt on though.

chris

Maelstrom · Oct 7, 2011

I regularly "do over" Hobby Lobby with their 40% coupons. Never underestimate a man and his printer.

I got one of the foam heads there as well. Still trying to figure out what I'm gonna do with it. Just wanted one I guess. lol

By the end of the month we will have a Michael's in my town as well. Hobby Lobby does usually have the weird stuff I want when I want it, but I still like Michael's better. Plus HL being closed on Sunday is like "uggh!" That's about the only day of the week I don't work.

hydin · Oct 7, 2011

Sometimes Michaels has a 50$ off coupon for a single item

I thought about going to there today, but man it was WAY across town at 5oclock traffic. Igh...

Might go next week if there's a good coupon.
Chris

exoray · Oct 8, 2011

hydin said:
Sometimes Michaels has a 50$ off coupon for a single item

I thought about going to there today, but man it was WAY across town at 5oclock traffic. Igh...

Might go next week if there's a good coupon.
Chris

Michael's will honor the Hobby Lobby coupon, or a Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts coupon, and if you have a Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts they will honor the Hobby Lobby or Michael's coupons as well... Kind of a universal competitor coupons acceptance triangle between them...

Hobby Lobby on the other hand will not honor any competitors coupons

Maelstrom · Oct 8, 2011

exoray said:
Michael's will honor the Hobby Lobby coupon, or a Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts coupon, and if you have a Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts they will honor the Hobby Lobby or Michael's coupons as well... Kind of a universal competitor coupons acceptance triangle between them...

Hobby Lobby on the other hand will not honor any competitors coupons

Never knew about the Jo-Ann Fabrics being in the mix. Thanks for the heads up!:thumbsup

exoray · Oct 8, 2011

Maelstrom said:
Never knew about the Jo-Ann Fabrics being in the mix. Thanks for the heads up!:thumbsup

Just call first to confirm, I know the ones in my area honor competitors coupons but they might get picky on some items, especially for things like fabric, Hobby Lobby carries fabric so they should honor it for that, but if you say for example try to use a Michael's coupon for fabric they might not take it because Michael's doesn't sell fabric and thus is not a competitor...

Personally in my area I have never had an issue with the stuff I purchase, but my mom used to work at Jo-Ann in the framing department and said they were sometimes very anal on what coupons they would or wouldn't take...

hydin · Oct 9, 2011

Well, the clay is on sale this week, meaning that the coupon won't work.

BUT... dickblick.com has the clay on sale at a decent price, especially a bulk order of 4 or more boxes.

Comes out to pretty much the same thing, including gas money, for driving out to Hobby Lobby.

Now I just gotta find some coupons for dickblick :lol

Chris

Got a 40% off coupon for hobby lobby, whats the best clay for sculpting?

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