Using Paper Clay In Your Ceramics

Make your own paper clay you ll need clay slip and paper pulp.

Using paper clay in your ceramics.

You should get the clay rolled out to about a quarter of thickness or as much as you desire. If you re using paper fibers like newspaper or printer paper you will want to prevent mold from developing. Sound like a lot of work. As a start you might add about 5 pulp by volume.

Paper clay improves joining capabilities and decreases warping and shrinkage all the while reducing the heft of the work. One way to make paper clay is to do it yourself. Paper clay is an ideal solution for building complex or delicate ceramic sculpture. But when it sits around it can get rather stinky.

Use a wet fingertip to smooth rough edges while clay is still wet. 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. Clay adheres to most surfaces with a dab or two of glue. That s why you can also buy commercially pugged paper clay.

First wash your hands and make sure that the surface is clean. Ceramic artist lisa merida paytes has found paper clay to be a great tool with which to build her ceramic sculptures. Generally you will need two gallons of recycled clay slip to make 10 to 15 pounds. You should make sure that you have the tools to shape the surface as well.

This makes it ideal for building complex or delicate ceramic sculpture. Here is a simple procedure to help you learn how to use paper 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. You can cut this clay while still wet or when it has dried.