sculpey or kneadatite?

[C.H.O.A.M.]

I'm about to take a crack at sculpting. (uh oh!)
At first I thought sculpey was the way to go, but after reading about some meltdowns in the oven I found this kneadatite stuff.
My concerns are painting it. Will the green color of kneadatite be a problem?
Sculpey comes in different colors. Let's say I wanted a red sculpt- would I be ok with red sculpey or would I probably wind up painting it anyway?
That's a lot of questions! Thanks.

[Bizarro Amy]

If you're going to sculpt a Mego head for a custom, you should make a cast anyway. It won't matter what color clay you use. Does Kneadatite have to be baked? The problem with Sculpey is that once baked, it can become brittle, so you even have to be careful using it to modify resin heads. I usually use whatever I have lying around and make a resin cast. But for modifying resin heads, I like to use Magic-Sculp.

[C.H.O.A.M.]

I was going to start small and make a few goblin pumpkin bombs.
I've never used either, so I don't know if the orange sculpey will change color after baking.
Kneadatite cures after a few hours without heat. But it will be green, and might need a few coats of orange.
Next I might try a mego head for a custom moon knight (should be pretty easy- no facial features!)

[Boris71]

the only trouble I have had with sculpy and simillar clays is that I find them soft to work with and anything but the lightest touch causes nightmares, the one analagy I have heard is that it is like sculpting with chewing gum

[jessica]

Never worked with Kneadatite. Make sure the texture is fine grain. I once tried JB weld or something to that effect and was disappointed with the grainy texture. Plus it was way stinky.

[LAST SON OF KRYPTON]

If you are planning to paint it,no need to get a colored clay ,also if you wanted to mold it and make castings.
Try using Super Sculpey Firm (gray color),this is much easier to work with and will not have the softy feel that you're afraid when an accidental bump to the clay will easily dis-formed it,you can carved it also for detailing.
Knead the clay first,you could use an old rolling pin to evenly knead the clay.
I use a different kind of polymer clay ,It's my own mixture and gives a semi waxy feel and hardens easily and can be controlled (softening) but exposing to a 100 watts light bulb or by blowing hot air from a heat gun.
Use sculpting tools that you think can work best for your project.You could get them at Art Supplies,for me I also use dental tools,If you could find in flea markets/used ones (much cheaper) for my detailing( on hair texture,eyes shaping,etc.).
These are stainless steel and you can modify the tip and shape to conform to your needs.
Also a tip when smoothing the clay surface you could use a sheer fabric to smoothen it out by just rubbing the cloth gently on the surface.
Normally when carving and shaping the clay there are small tiny bits of clay material attaching to the surface,this will help get rid of it.
Follow the baking instructions,you could use a oven toaster so you would not mess up your conventional oven at home.
Last tip,If you are using Sculpey,it could work also on skin texturing,to achieve a texture like skin pores.
Use a cosmetic sponge and a heat gun,stick the sponge to the clay and heat it up with a heat gun and let it cool down a little before you pull out the sponge.Be careful when using the heat gun and avoid pointing the direction of the hot air to your fingers or skin.
You can hold or press the sponge using a flat stick.
I use this technique on sculpting heads for 1/6 figures.But still practising and mastering the technique.
Normally around 270 F in about 20-25 minutes ( Mego head size) will cure the clay.
Hope this will help you on your attempt in sculpting on your own.

[johnmiic]

You can also boil sculpey if you are careful with it. I bought a small sauce pot that I use for boiling sculpey only-never use it for food. I usually set it down on the neck base and fill it with water and then carefully place it on the stove. The water heats up slowly so it hardens before the water becomes too bubbly. Sometimes I mount heads on a dowel and hold them in the hot water until they are hard enough to let them sit in the pot with out deforming as well.

[C.H.O.A.M.]

good tips everybody!
again, if my dabbling isn't too awful, I will post some pics.