Using Paper Clay In Your Ceramics

Ceramic artist lisa merida paytes has found paper clay to be a great tool with which to build her ceramic sculptures.

Using paper clay in your ceramics.

Use a wet fingertip to smooth rough edges while clay is still wet. One way to make paper clay is to do it yourself. Clay adheres to most surfaces with a dab or two of glue. If you re using paper fibers like newspaper or printer paper you will want to prevent mold from developing.

That s why you can also buy commercially pugged paper clay. Then you wedge this paper pulp into your clay. You select the right paper without shiny coatings for example soak the paper in water then use a paint mixer to blend the mixture into pulp. Pour three handfuls of your.

Made by mixing any type of clay body earthenware stoneware raku or porcelain with paper pulp paper clay improves joining capabilities and decreases warping and shrinkage all the while reducing the heft of the work. As a start you might add about 5 pulp by volume. You should make sure that you have the tools to shape the surface as well. Paper clay is an ideal solution for building complex or delicate ceramic sculpture.

You should get the clay rolled out to about a quarter of thickness or as much as you desire. Sound like a lot of work. But when it sits around it can get rather stinky. Here is a simple procedure to help you learn how to use paper clay.

Paper clay improves joining capabilities and decreases warping and shrinkage all the while reducing the heft of the work. This makes it ideal for building complex or delicate ceramic sculpture. Make your own paper clay you ll need clay slip and paper pulp. Generally you will need two gallons of recycled clay slip to make 10 to 15 pounds.