Sunday, January 26, 2014

Super Softened STAEDTLER Fimo: Filling a Textured Surface

I've been playing with a heap of new ideas the last little while and am excited to share what I've learned. I use super softened STAEDTLER fimo for a load if techniques and am pleased a punch at the results. This tutorial for filling a textured surface is the first of many tutorials using this  ultra soft clay mix. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.



Here's a video showing how I make the softened clay. It's not long and I'd love to hear your thoughts. I know the miniature food creators out there use softened clay to make whipped cream toppings and sauces for their teeny delectable. I use mine as a dimensional paint.

I've also been using it to fill textured surfaces. It gives a nice detailed pattern with a smooth as silk finished surface.
Here's a video demonstration of how I used the Super Softened STAEDTLER Fimo to fill a textured surface. It's only a few minutes long and might help explain things a bit better than the picture tutorial below.

I made a casting with STAEDTLER Fimo effect #306 Blue Ice Quartz and their heart push mold. This one has roses all over it and it's a great fill texture..... You'll see.
I baked the heart in a 230 degree oven on a parchment lined baking sheet for 20 minutes and allowed it to cool.


After the piece had completely cooled I used my super softened clay to fill in the texture. It's a messy process. I think using a spatula to spread the clay into the valleys works best. The piece can be smoothed out using corn starch or talc after the surface has been covered. You don't want to add the powder until the texture is all filled in because it will cause the soft clay not to stick to the already baked texture.

I'll be posting a video on the filling process later this week so stay tuned!

I baked the piece again in a preheated 230 degree oven for another 20 minutes and let it cool. Then I used a meduim grit sand paper to smooth out the surface and get the roses to peek through the white clay. I moved onto a very fine sand paper when I was happy with the shape and design of the piece. I wanted it to have a flawlessly smooth finish.


I dusted the piece off with a baby wipe and applied several coats of STAEDTLER gloss varnish, letting the layers dry between coats. I've used this technique with STAEDTLER's many texture sheets also and have had spectacular results. It's an interesting base to build on.

There will be more videos coming soon to show how to fill the textured surfaces and how I use the soft Fimo to paint roses and leaves. 

So stay tunes and let me know what you think or if you have any questions. 

See you soon!



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