Do you have polymer clay, and want to colorize it? If yes, then stay with us. Because today we will learn how to color polymer clay with acrylic paint in the right way. And answer a few questions like, how to avoid bubbles, how to remove soil brittleness, how to paint it, how to make the color more durable, how to seal it properly when making polymer clay suitable for your work, and how the waterproof paint is very significant too.
Can I Use Spray Paint to Color Polymer Clay Instead of Acrylic Paint?
Yes, you can use toprated spray paint to color polymer clay instead of acrylic paint. However, it’s important to ensure proper ventilation and avoid spraying too close to the clay to prevent any drips or runs. Additionally, make sure to seal the painted clay with a clear varnish for durability.
Ways of Coloring Polymer Clay
There are many ways of dying polymer clay. You need to try these ways step by step. First, when baking the clay, remove the water from the clay to avoid bubbles. I will suggest you use alcohol-based paints, color pigments, fabric dyes to keep your polymer clay water-free. If you want to use acrylic, remove the water from the clay before baking it.
The ideal method to dye polymer clay is to apply alcohol paint or powder paint with polymer clay.
Method 1 – Use Alcohol-Based Colors to Color the Clay
Despite being expensive, good results are obtained from alcohol paints. Liquid or powder both types of paint are available. I would personally advise you to use powder paint.
Firstly, make a combination of fabric paint with rubbing alcohol to make the color yourself. You can also directly purchase the readymade dye from the market. If you want to use the cheap one you can try Alcohol Inks also.
Secondly, color your polymer clay perfectly. You should try to use less ink when drawing your clay. It is very easy to dye white clay but more color is needed to get a new color of pre-painted clay.
Mix the dye in a proper ratio with the clay you have collected. After that mix, the polymer clay well with the dye until the dye blends properly with the clay. You will get the correct instructions for mixing on the color packet. You can use some more drops of dye to make it colorful.
Do the same process repeatedly until you got your desired colored clay.
last but not the least, before baking the clay, is to let the clay alcohol evaporate. Do not bake while mixing colors in the clay. Baking the clay immediately can cause some problems.
Ensure that there is no alcohol remains inside the clay while you are baking it. Leave the clay out for 4 to 6 hours for the alcohol to vaporize before you start to bake. When the alcohol in your clay is evaporated properly, you can start baking activities.
Method 2 – Apply Pigment for Colors
I have already said, it is my favorite way to paint clay. There will be no possibility of water or alcohol getting stuck in the process. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways of coloring Polymer clay with powdered dry paint.
Buy colored pigment powder from a local market. It can be expensive for you depending on the manufacturer. However, it is very useful for your project. It takes less in quantity.
I would recommend using a good brand of pigment to dye polymer clay. Because these are of very high quality.
Method 3 – Using Acrylic or Water-Based Colors
The least common way to color polymer clay is to use acrylic paint or water-based paint. This method is not very effective enough. But if you do it with care, you will get close results.
Apply a few drops of acrylic paint or water-based paint on the polymer clay and mix it properly. Avoid giving too much color in this mixture. Otherwise, the amount of water in the clay will increase which will create bubbles.
Once you get a satisfactory color, leave the clay in the open place to evaporate.
Water-based paint requires more time to evaporate than alcohol-based paints. So you should leave the clay in an open place for at least 48 to 72 hours.
Is It Okay to Paint White Polymer Clay before Baking?
You can use alcohol paints, powder dye, or water-based paints on your polymer clay if you wish. But before you do this you need to make sure that there is no alcohol or water in the clay before baking.
Your results will depend on which method you are applying. If you use alcohol paint, the color of your clay will be less vibrant and less strong. But again if you use pigment color then your clay color will be quite vibrant and strong.
You need to remember it before starting your project.
Can Paint Be Mixed in Polymer Clay?
Yes, you can mix the color of your choice with the polymer clay. But for this, you have to leave the clay in the open for a few days so that the clay can evaporate water or alcohol.
As I said before, how long the clay has to be left in the open place to evaporate depends entirely on what kind of paint you are using. If alcohol or water does not evaporate before the clay is baked, bubbles or other problems may occur during baking.
So before baking the clay, make sure that it has evaporated properly. If you are hesitant to use any kind of color in your polymer clay, then re-read my article. If you want to get it done at a low cost then using alcohol or acrylic paint is the best option for you. But if you don’t think about the cost, I’d say use powder colors on your clay.
Is It Okay to Mix Polymer Clay Color with Food Coloring?
You can use food coloring with your polymer clay but I don’t think it would be wise. Because it will not work properly. It may contain sugar, oil, water, and other chemicals that will prevent your clay from hardening. Moreover, food colors are cheap and not. you know, there are many better, safer, and easier methods of coloring polymer clay than using food colors.
One of the reasons for not using food coloring for polymer clay is the presence of sugar and water in it.
Which interferes with the hardening of the polymer clay after baking. This can make your clay brittle which is not suitable for making your sculptor.
