Today's Focus:Learning the fundamental techniques for working with air dry clay
What You'll Practice:Hand molding, creating slip, scoring and attaching, building armatures, and applying clay sheets
Important:This is a PRACTICE session using scrap grey clay. You are NOT creating your final surrealist sculpture today - that comes later!
The Big Idea:Clay sculptures are NOT solid clay - they would be too heavy and waste material. Instead, we build an armature (skeleton) and "skin" it with thin sheets of clay!
What is Air Dry Clay?
Air dry clay is similar to pottery clay, but it doesn't need to be fired in a kiln. Instead, it dries and hardens on its own over 24-48 hours. This makes it perfect for our classroom projects!
The Brand We're Using: Das Air Hardening Modeling Clay
This clay has paper fibers that create an internal mesh, making it stronger and less likely to break once dry. It's affordable, widely available, and great for beginners!
📹 Watch: Introduction to Air Dry Clay
Before we start sculpting, watch this tutorial to learn the basics of working with air dry clay:
Pay special attention to making slip, scoring and attaching, building armatures, and applying clay sheets over the armature.
🎯 Why Are We Practicing?
Before creating your final surrealist sculpture, you need to master these essential techniques:
Understanding Clay: How it feels, moves, and behaves
Armature Building: Creating a strong internal structure
Skinning Technique: Covering the armature with thin, even sheets of clay
Joining Methods: Using slip and scoring to attach pieces securely
Remember: Today is all about experimentation and learning. Make mistakes! That's how you learn!
📦 Materials for Practice Session
Armature Materials
Paper (newspaper, scrap paper)
Masking tape
Popsicle sticks
Optional: aluminum foil
Clay & Supplies
Scrap grey clay (potter's clay for practice)
Water cup with water
Small container for slip
Plastic or baking paper (workspace cover)
Damp paper towels
Plastic wrap or bag
Sculpting Tools
Loop tool (for carving/removing clay)
Rounded metal tool or spoon end
Soft brush
Popsicle stick (can carve into custom tools)
Fork (for scoring)
Remember
Today is PRACTICE ONLY
Use scrap grey potter's clay
Focus on learning techniques
Don't worry about perfection
🎨 Practice Exercises
1 Hand Molding Practice
Take a small piece of grey practice clay (about the size of a tennis ball) and explore:
Roll it into a ball: Use your palms in circular motions
Flatten it into a pancake: Press with your palm or roll with a bottle
Roll it into a snake/coil: Roll back and forth on the table
Pinch it: Create texture and shape by pinching with fingers
Press patterns: Use your fingers, tools, or found objects to make impressions
💡 Feel the Clay: Your hands are your best tools! Notice how the clay responds to pressure, warmth, and moisture. It should be slightly moist and pliable.
2 Making Slip
Slip is your clay "glue" - it's essential for attaching pieces together!
What is slip? A mixture of clay and water with a smooth, yogurt-like consistency.
Take small scraps of clay and place in your container
Add water a little at a time
Mix with your finger or a tool until smooth
Keep adjusting - add more clay if too watery, more water if too thick
Final consistency should be like Greek yogurt or pudding
💡 Save Your Slip: Store leftover slip in an airtight container with a lid. You can reuse it for future projects! Add water if it dries out.
3 Scoring & Attaching Practice
Clay pieces will NOT stick together by just pressing them - you MUST score and use slip!
Why? Because clay shrinks as it dries. Without scoring and slip, pieces will fall apart.
The Attach Process (MEMORIZE THIS!):
Score: Use a tool or fork to scratch crosshatch lines (like a tic-tac-toe grid) on BOTH surfaces you want to join
Apply Slip: Paint slip onto BOTH scored surfaces with your finger or brush
Press Together: Firmly press the two pieces together
Blend the Seam: Use your finger or tool with water to smooth where they meet, blending clay from both sides
Practice Exercise:
Make two clay balls
Try joining them WITHOUT scoring or slip - see how they don't stick well?
Now make two more balls and join them properly with scoring and slip
Feel the difference in how secure the connection is!
⚠️ Critical: Seams are the weakest points and most likely to crack or fall apart. NEVER skip scoring and slip! This is THE most important technique you'll learn today.
4 Building a Simple Practice Armature
What is an armature? It's the "skeleton" inside your sculpture that provides support and structure.
Why use an armature? Without it, sculptures would be solid clay - way too heavy, use too much material, and take forever to dry (plus they'd likely crack!)
Today's Simple Practice Armature:
Build a simple shape - maybe a basic animal or creature (doesn't need to be perfect!):
Crumple paper: Form newspaper or scrap paper into a basic body shape (oval, egg shape, etc.)
Wrap with tape: Cover the paper ball with masking tape to hold it together firmly
Add extensions: Use popsicle sticks taped on for legs, neck, tail, or any protruding parts
Tape everything securely: Make sure nothing wiggles - it needs to be sturdy!
Keep it small: About the size of your fist or smaller for practice
💡 Think Light but Strong: You want the armature to be lightweight (mostly air inside) but sturdy enough that it won't collapse when you add clay.
5 Skinning with Clay Sheets
This is the core technique! You're not building with solid clay - you're covering (skinning) the armature with thin sheets of clay.
The Skinning Process:
Prepare workspace: Lay down plastic or baking paper
Roll out clay: Take a piece of clay and flatten it into a sheet about ¼ inch thick (thickness of a pencil)
Use your hands or roll with a bottle/rolling pin
Try to keep it roughly even throughout
Cut or tear pieces: You'll probably need several pieces to cover your armature
Drape over armature: Gently place clay sheets over your armature
Press and smooth: Press the clay onto the armature, smoothing it down
Join seams: Where clay sheets meet, remember to SCORE and SLIP!
Blend seams: Use water and tools to smooth where sheets meet so you can't see the lines
💡 Even Coverage: Aim for about ¼ inch thickness all over. Not too thin (will crack) and not too thick (won't dry properly, wastes clay).
💡 Use Water Wisely: Dip your tools or fingers in water to smooth the clay. Don't pour water directly on your sculpture - too much water weakens the clay!
6 Adding Details & Textures
Once your armature is skinned, practice adding details and textures:
Carving: Use loop tool to remove clay and create details
Adding pieces: Make small clay shapes (ears, tail, limbs) and attach with score and slip
Textures: Press tools, forks, or found objects into the clay
Smoothing: Use rounded tool or damp brush to smooth surfaces
💡 Experiment: Try different tools and techniques. See what marks they make. This is practice - have fun with it!
🌟 Key Takeaways from Today
✓ The Essential Rule
NEVER make sculptures from solid clay! Always build an armature first, then skin it with thin sheets of clay (about ¼ inch thick).
🔧 The Three Critical Techniques
Making Slip: Clay + water = yogurt consistency = your glue
Scoring: Crosshatch scratches on surfaces you want to join
Attaching: Score BOTH surfaces → Apply slip to BOTH → Press together → Blend the seam
💡 Why This Matters
When you create your final surrealist sculpture, you'll use these exact techniques. The difference? Your final piece will be carefully planned based on your Dream Object sketch. Today was about building muscle memory and understanding how clay behaves!
🎨 What's Next?
In an upcoming lesson, you'll apply these skills to create your final surrealist sculpture - transforming your Dream Object sketch into a 3D artwork. But first, you needed to master the fundamentals!
📋 Today's Practice Checklist
By the end of class, you should have practiced:
✓ Hand molding - rolling, flattening, coiling, pinching
✓ Making slip with the correct yogurt-like consistency
✓ Scoring surfaces with crosshatch marks
✓ Attaching clay pieces using score and slip method
✓ Building a simple armature from paper, tape, and popsicle sticks
✓ Rolling clay into sheets about ¼ inch thick
✓ Skinning an armature by covering it with clay sheets
✓ Using tools to add details and textures
Remember: This practice sculpture doesn't need to be perfect or look like anything specific. The goal is to learn the TECHNIQUES!
🎓 Standards Connection
This practice session helps you develop skills for these Art Around the World standards:
VA:Cr2.1.7 - Practice and keep working to improve art skills and techniques
VA:Cr1.1.7 - Use different methods to come up with new ideas and push past creative blocks