There are three types of Sculpey currently sold.
"Sculpey" is white and comes packaged in two-pound boxes. It is the cheapest of the three, and is not recommended for exclusive use, as it doesn't have the structural strength of the other types. It does have it's uses, as we shall see. I will refer to this compound as "Regular Sculpey," just to avoid confusion.
"Super Sculpey" is flesh colored and is sold in one pound packages for about the same price as "Regular Sculpey". It is a much stiffer material than "Regular," and is very strong when cured.
"Super Sculpey" has a slightly translucent quality on it's surface which can make discerning surface details difficult. More on this later.
Then there's "Sculpey III," which is a little more pliable than "Super Sculpey." What makes it different is that it is packaged in vivid colors, making it very useful for crafters who want solid, rich colors without the muss and fuss of painting. It is very opaque, and is sold in small bricks for
approximately a dollar and a half. Clearly not as economical as the other two, but just as strong as "Super Sculpey."
Packaged Sculpey is divided into "bars" about one-half inch thick. I mix three bars of "Super Sculpey" with two bars of "Regular Sculpey." This helps extend the "Super Sculpey" and solves the translucency problem, as "Regular Sculpey" is quite opaque. Mixing in colored "Sculpey III" will serve the same purpose.
Before working, I take a small amount of mixed Sculpey and knead it until it becomes pliable. This softened compound can be easily worked, and stiffens if left overnight.
To harden Sculpey, bake it in an oven at 225 degrees for 15 minutes for every half-inch thickness of Sculpey. A toaster oven works fine if the piece you're working on is small enough, the kitchen oven is better for large pieces. Just remember to remove it well before dinner time!
Sculpey can also be hardened by boiling it in water. This works great if an oven isn't available, but a pan and hot plate or stove are. Another advantage of boiling over baking is that the pieces never scorch or become discolored from too much heat. Boiling works best on a solid Sculpey piece. If you are boiling a piece that has an armature and foil filler, care must be taken that no cracks develop on the piece, as water can leak into the piece and cause potential problems.
Once Sculpey has been baked, you may find that getting unbaked Sculpey to adhere to it is difficult. This problem is easily solved by coating the baked Sculpey with a thin coat of petroleum jelly. According to Dan Platt of Solid Image Arts, this happens because the petroleum jelly seals the surface. Believe me, it works!
To prevent unbaked Sculpey from sticking to baked Sculpey, use a fine talcum powder to coat the baked Sculpey. The compound can then be shaped over the baked piece and gently removed.
Once a piece has been completely sculpted, you may notice fingerprints, tool marks or other imperfections on the sculpture's surface. These can be smoothed over using isopropyl alcohol applied with a small brush. The alcohol dissolves the surface and allows the marks to be brushed away.
