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[AveIArts]

I'm assuming its practical and inexpensive using polymer clay rather than my PS metal clay to gain the necessary skills. Any thoughts?

[irockhound]

Total different animals.  Not much in common.  You could use the polymer clay to work out shape ideas but that's about where it ends.  Polymer isn't hydration based so pull it out of the bag and you're on a timer and if it starts drying out you need to add water to keep it pliable and avoid cracking.  Polymer you can take it out and come back 6 months later and still use it.  Be great if you could but really nothing in common other than both are pliable like clay.

[AveIArts]

Total different animals.  Not much in common.  You could use the polymer clay to work out shape ideas but that's about where it ends.  Polymer isn't hydration based so pull it out of the bag and you're on a timer and if it starts drying out you need to add water to keep it pliable and avoid cracking.  Polymer you can take it out and come back 6 months later and still use it.  Be great if you could but really nothing in common other than both are pliable like clay.

Ok, I'm a little confused.....Please see the picture below or attached picture and maybe we'll all understand. I have the metal clay kit on the right, should I purchase the left clay kit (valued about $35) to practice with? I do know that the metal clay,15 Grams ($49 or more), depending on where you get it and is more costly, so that's my reasoning for geting the cheap stuff until I know what I'm doing.

Again any and all thoughts and advice are welcomed! :)

[irockhound]

Okay, I'll try again.  Polymer clay is fun and very easy to work with and if you are asking should you try polymer to learn how to sculpt then yes it is MUCH more forgiving than PMC or any metal clay.  As I mentioned you can take a block of polymer clay out and leave it laying there for months and come back and it will be the same as when you left it.

With Metal clay it is based off being hydrated and only acts like clay as long as you have the moisture in the clay.  The challenge is that because Metal clay is still mostly metal and then the small amount of hydration is what lets you sculpt with it is that when it loses moisture it becomes unworkable and we are talking 5 minutes and then you have lost enough moisture that the clay is cracking as you are trying to work with it.  Because of that you need to know what you are doing with the clay before you start and then work diligently and as it is being worked often you need to add small amounts of moisture to keep it in that clay workable range.

That is why I say the are completely different.  One has months of workable time and one minutes.

A common thing to do is take out the metal clay you need and then spritz the remaining clay with a bit of water and wrap it back up and seal it back in the moisture tight container.  As you're working your metal clay you are spritzing the clay every now and then to keep it's workability up.

[AveIArts]

Okay, I'll try again.  Polymer clay is fun and very easy to work with and if you are asking should you try polymer to learn how to sculpt then yes it is MUCH more forgiving than PMC or any metal clay.  As I mentioned you can take a block of polymer clay out and leave it laying there for months and come back and it will be the same as when you left it.

With Metal clay it is based off being hydrated and only acts like clay as long as you have the moisture in the clay.  The challenge is that because Metal clay is still mostly metal and then the small amount of hydration is what lets you sculpt with it is that when it loses moisture it becomes unworkable and we are talking 5 minutes and then you have lost enough moisture that the clay is cracking as you are trying to work with it.  Because of that you need to know what you are doing with the clay before you start and then work diligently and as it is being worked often you need to add small amounts of moisture to keep it in that clay workable range.

That is why I say the are completely different.  One has months of workable time and one minutes.

A common thing to do is take out the metal clay you need and then spritz the remaining clay with a bit of water and wrap it back up and seal it back in the moisture tight container.  As you're working your metal clay you are spritzing the clay every now and then to keep it's workability up.

Hey Thank you......Ok, got it!  Makes much more sense now. I'm probably gonna get some cheap clay, some templates, etc and figure out some designs and textures and go from there.

[Enchantra]

Always best to practice on cheap stuff first as a rule.
Leave the expensive stuff for when you have the idea for a concept nailed down and you want to bring it to life as a work of art.