Needlework is one of the most common types of hobbies. Modeling is especially popular among both adults and children. Cold porcelain has been widely used recently to create various figurines and decor elements. Features of this material, as well as the intricacies of working with it will be discussed in more detail in this article.
What kind of material is this?
Cold porcelain is a sculpting mixture. Such material is malleable when working with it and has the property of hardening in air for 24 hours. In a plastic state, it resembles clay or clay in texture. Figures made of cold porcelain can be decorated with various elements from other materials, as well as painted and varnished.
It is believed that cold porcelain appeared in the early 19th century. Argentina is considered its homeland, but there is no exact data on the origin of the material. In Russia, the appearance of the first products from cold porcelain also dates from the 19th century. Decorative crafts were designed to decorate containers for toilet water.
You can make a mixture for sculpting at home. This process does not take much time and does not require large investments. A properly prepared mixture will be uniform, elastic and smooth. The material is great for beginners, whether it be a child or an adult.
How to make it?
Cold porcelain can usually be purchased at handicraft stores. However, it will be faster and cheaper to make the material yourself. In the manufacture of a number of points must be taken into account.
- You can find options for preparing a mixture of both corn and potato starch. It is best to use the first option, since potato starch negatively affects the properties of the resulting mass: the material is more dense and will have an ugly grayish or yellow hue.
- Another main component for making cold porcelain is PVA glue. It is worth remembering that adhesive mixtures can also vary in quality and properties.
The most suitable option in this case is carpentry glue. However, it must first be diluted with water.
- Painting porcelain products is optional after sculpting. You can initially give the material the desired shade by introducing dyes into the mixture at the stage of its manufacture.
There are several simple recipes that will allow you to get a mixture for sculpting high quality. One of the easiest options involves the use of the following components:
- 400 g of PVA adhesive mixture;
- 400 grams of corn starch;
- 2 large spoons of a cosmetic oil product, the basis of which should be petroleum jelly;
- 2 large spoons of cologne.
The amount of ingredients can be changed in accordance with the proportions depending on how much cold porcelain you need to get. The components are thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained. The prepared composition must be placed in a plastic bag, tied tightly and set aside for a while. If during operation the mass begins to crumble, you need to introduce a little hand cream into it and once again mix well.
Another simple way to prepare the material involves mixing PVA glue and any starch. (one glass each). The main components are administered 2 large tablespoons of glycerin and 1 tablespoon of baby cream. This method will require additional efforts, since in the cooking process you need to resort to cooking the composition.
An adhesive mixture is poured into a container of metal and put on a small fire. The cream is first introduced into the glue, and after thorough mixing, glycerin is added. Last of all, starch is poured. The resulting composition may seem heterogeneous, but as it dries, the mass will take the desired shape.
Spread the finished mixture best on a greased surface. When the mass has cooled to room temperature, you need to start mixing until a homogeneous composition suitable for modeling is obtained. If you do not plan to immediately start working with cooked cold porcelain, then the mass must be placed in a hermetically sealed container. Keep it in the refrigerator.
Necessary tools
To create beautiful products from cold porcelain, you need to choose the right tools. It is not necessary to purchase special equipment, since all devices can be found at home. Very often, cold porcelain is used for sculpting flowers. In order for the stems to better keep their shape, a wire of various diameters is taken as the basis.
To create the petals usually use special devices - molds. They are casts with the imprint of real petals and leaves. You can replace this item with natural flowers or make an analogue of plasticine and epoxy.
Another professional tool you need to work with cold porcelain is stacks and cutters. Stacks are a kind of spokes with balls of different diameters at the ends. Such a device is necessary for rolling and shaping various small details. You can replace the stacks with toothpicks with beads strung on them.
As cutters, you can use small knives or a scalpel. To roll out large pieces of porcelain, you can use an ordinary rolling pin, a glass bottle or a jar.
Work rules
To sculpt various figures from cold porcelain, you do not need to own any special techniques.If you correctly select the necessary equipment and prepare quality mass, then it will be quite simple to work with it. Despite the ease of use, the work and handling of this material require compliance with certain rules.
Before starting work, it is recommended to lubricate the hands with baby cream. In the room where the molding will be done, it should not be too hot or cold. Any figure can be made from correctly prepared material - it all depends on the imagination of the master.
If low-quality components were used in the manufacture of porcelain or mistakes were made, then working with the finished material will be problematic. A mass of poor quality can stick to your hands, have a heterogeneous consistency, and hold a shape badly. In this case, you need to try to change the finished mixture by adding certain components to it, or else make the material anew.
Processing and storage of finished products
Finished jewelry and decor items made of cold porcelain must be dried and painted if necessary. If you do not create the correct storage conditions, then the products will crack when dried. Drying should be done at room temperature for at least 24 hours.
It is not necessary to bake finished products. However, to speed up the process, you can use the oven. To do this, heat the oven slightly and turn off the heat.
It is possible to dry the figures in the oven only for a short time - about 2-3 minutes.
The products will not dry completely, but the total drying time will be reduced. If the items are dried in the usual way, then do not forget to periodically turn them over. If necessary, paint is applied to the finished figures. Painting on dried cold porcelain is carried out using conventional paint brushes.
After applying the coloring composition to the product, it is recommended to hold it over steam for some time. This is necessary so that the paint is better absorbed into the material.
It is best to use oil formulations for staining.
It is recommended to store ready-made figures from cold porcelain in a dry place. It is also advisable that the product does not fall into direct sunlight. Using varnish, you can create an additional protective coating for crafts, thereby extending their service life.
See how to cook cold porcelain without heat treatment in the next video.
