If someone could help me out or point me to a document or a book that explains all this, I'd surely appreciate it.

My plan is to make multicolor mosaic sculptures with one of these products, using air dry clay for the grout.

Thanks,
Eriv

I think Donna Kato's book "The Art of Polymer Clay" explains the differences between the major clay brands best. The only change would be to substitute Premo for Promat. (Both made by Polyform - Premo replaced Promat, which is no longer made.)

Yes, there are air-dried clays - check www.dickblick.com - they carry several.

There's another alternative for the grout - use one of the liquid Sculpey colors - I think there's black, silver, gold, red, translucent - there's probably more, I'm just not sure. All those they sell right here at PCE.

By the way, the Kato book is also very good for technique - and so is the book "Polymer Clay Techniques" by Sue Heaser.

If your sculptures are to have vertical surfaces to be tiled, may I offer some advice? (I've learned this the hard way.) Cure the tiles first, and apply to the uncured base form. Unless you make extremely large tiles to be placed over a curved surface, this would work. You could cure the base piece first; then place it on its' side and apply the uncured tiles to as level a surface as you can get. I think it takes longer this way, but that would be a matter of personal preference and the dictates of the form.

Well, I hope this helps. Check into the books I mentioned - they're both excellent. Have fun with your art - a post pics for the group when you're done.

Welcome to the board and congratulations on the new baby!

I'll paste in a comparison of clays from a handout I wrote for my classes, below. Hope it's helpful!

This site currently has only LaDoll air-dry clay on it, but I will soon be adding a page that has six different air-dries including Formo, Plus, Premier and Flumo air-dry slip.

Happy Fourth of July!
Elizabeth

Clays:

Cernit - the strongest clay on the market. Beautiful colors, semi-translucent, very soft, sticky when warm - doesn't blend easily in sculpting.

FIMO Classic - very strong, holds fine detail in canework, more difficult to ‘condition’ than others. Liquid form also available - "Fimo Decorating Gel" cures very clear and rubbery.

FIMO Soft - firm, easily conditioned. Great for detailed canework. Powerful colors. Semi - translucent.

Premo! Sculpey - firm to soft, very strong and flexible when cured. Saturated colors, mostly opaque in appearance.

Sculpey III - soft, beautifully colored, and low in cost. Cured finish is matte. Brittle - support appendages well or use in items which have no projections.

Super Sculpey - pinkish-beige clay - stronger than S3, more fragile than Premo, prone to “plaquing." Add at least 10% Premo white to mask the plaquing and more white to make the clay more flexible. Add up to 50% Super Flex for the clay that you will use for doll hands and your dolls fingers won't break off as easily.

Sculpey (white only, 1, 2, 8 & 24# boxes) Inexpensive. Chalky, fragile.

Kato Polyclay - newest polymer clay. Strong, beautiful colors, very flexible when cured. Curing creates a shinier surface than the other clays. Difficult to sand, strong vinyl odor. Liquid polymer medium also available - very clear, rubbery when cured.

Liquid Sculpey - very clear, versatile - can be tinted, used to attach two parts to each other, to smooth surfaces, and has many applications in the creation of faux materials. Also comes in opaque white, black and four pearl colors.