Aside from baking and clearcoats, the most common questions I am asked have to do with painting polymer clay. Everyone wants to know why they’re getting bad results. They want to know if they should “seal” the paint. But the biggest question is, “What paint should I use to paint polymer clay?” It’s a really hard question to answer in a quick comment, so for a long time I’ve just said, “It depends.” Depends on what? Well…it’s a long story, and after you take all of it into consideration, you may want to rethink using paints on your polymer clay project. Here goes.
(BTW, looking for what happens when you mix paint INTO polymer clay? You might like this article.)
Problems with Painting on Polymer Clay
You’d think that painting on polymer clay would be simple, right? Just like painting your nails or a wall. Just dab it on and be done, right? Oh boy. If only. Here are some common problems that people run into when they try it.
Stickiness
Most paints are designed to work well on paper or wood. Most online information about painting assumes you’ll be using paper or wood as a substrate (base). But painting on polymer clay is a whole different game.
Polymer clay is a plasticized vinyl that can have a chemical reaction with the products used on it. If the paint contains plastic (and most acrylic paints do), the plasticizer that makes the polymer clay flexible can also soften the paint, making it sticky. Different brands of polymer clay and different brands of paint can have completely different interactions. A paint that works well for Sculpey III might be a sticky mess on Fimo. Always test the paint you want to use on a baked sample of the brand of clay that you want to use. Always. (Did I say always? Yes. Believe me on this.)
By the way, oil-based or water-based is irrelevant. Either type of paint can work well…or not. Test them.
Also, you can sometimes remove sticky paint by using isopropyl alcohol. If it’s only a tiny bit sticky, a coat of clay-safe varnish can sometimes cover up the problem and cover the stickiness.
Poor Coverage
Some paints are opaque and will cover a surface with one coat. Other paints are more translucent and you’ll see through it, often with obvious brush strokes. Coverage is due to the density of pigment, but pigment is the most expensive part of any paint formulation. In addition, most paints are designed to work well on absorbent materials like paper, wood, and fabric. When applied to polymer clay, less paint is used and therefore there is poorer coverage. Inexpensive craft or hobby paints will often require many coats to give full coverage and this many coats makes a paint gloppy and uneven. Very few brands of acrylic paint give complete, opaque coverage in one coat.
Peeling, Chipping, Scratching Off
Polymer clay is vinyl plastic and therefore paint can’t absorb into the material the way it does with paper, wood, and cloth. It sits on top. And that means that paint on polymer clay is very likely to peel, chip, and scratch off with wear. Some brands of polymer clay will allow better adhesion than others. Generally, paints stick well to Souffle, Sculpey Ultralight, Sculpey III while they tend to stick poorly to Kato Polyclay. Adhesion is always better (with any brand) if you first sand the surface very lightly with high-grit sandpaper (such as 400 or 600).
Paint will often bond better to polymer clay if applied to raw polymer clay and then baked together. Yes, you can easily bake paint onto polymer clay in most cases. It seldom bubbles or burns, but some paints will change color with the heat, especially if they contain a dye.
Can you protect fragile paint by sealing it with a clay-safe varnish? (If you’re looking for a good varnish, check out this article.) Yes, it can sometimes work. Varnish can reinforce the thin skin of paint over your polymer creation. But if this only works if the varnish, itself, is strong. Varnishes are susceptible to many of the same issues we’re discussing here in regard to paint on polymer. And no varnish will stabilize a paint that is peeling from the polymer. A bond is only as strong as the first layer!
You could use UV or epoxy resin as a protective clearcoat, too. But if you have a solid layer of fragile, peeling paint, resin will only stick to the paint and easily peel off. Here’s more about using resin with polymer clay.
Bleeding
Some pigments in some brands of paint will bleed into the clay during baking. This is because the pigments are really a dye that is soluble in the oils and plasticizers of the polymer, allowing it to bleed. You can read more about this here.
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Paint Fades over Time
While paints containing pigments are far more color-fast than paints containing dyes, pigments can and do fade in the sun. In fact, that’s why we have to paint our houses again and again!
But be aware that it’s not uncommon for craft paints to be colored using dyes (Unicorn Spit is an example). Over time (years), the color can appear to fade as the dye diffuses through the body of clay. I’ve had this happen with beads stored away in a dark box, so I know it’s not due to light exposure. Unfortunately, the product label won’t reveal the colorant used in a product so you won’t always know.
Painting is a Different Skillset
Sculpting is hard enough, but painting requires an entirely different set of skills. Paint selection is only the beginning. You still have to develop the skills required to create the type of finish you want. Many (if not most) newbies struggle with creating the type of neat finish they hope to achieve.
Lack of Consistent Terminology and Brands Worldwide
Things used to be simple. There was one type of paint for specific things. House paint for outdoors. Wall paint for inside your house. Enamel for painting metal things. Nail polish for your nails. Fabric paint. You get the idea. But now paint companies have blurred the lines between categories of products. Enamel no longer means a glossy oil-based paint. It can now be a bottle of water-based acrylic craft paint. So getting info in public forums can be quite perilous. If someone recommends “a good enamel”, what do you buy?
In addition to this, terminology and brands differ in various countries. Ask an American what “emulsion” is and they cock their head like a confused puppy. But a Brit will do the same when you tell them to buy “latex paint”. (Spoiler….there is no latex in latex paint.) Paint, chemical, and craft companies tend to distribute their products only within a certain country or region, so brand names are far from universal.
All of this means that it can be (as my British husband says) “next to nigh near impossible” to find the products that people recommend in online groups and forums.
Types of Painting on Polymer Clay
There can never be one simple paint to buy because there is not just one type of painting polymer clay. Each type requires a different process, type of paint, application, and strategy. It’s just not as simple as slathering some paint on a polymer clay project and being done with it.
Cartoon Style Creations
Wildly popular right now is a type of graphic art sculpture that originally came out of Japanese anime films and has now extended into our movies, our heroes, and our graphic arts. Little chubby characters with big eyes and rounded features are all the rage and they’re made with large expanses of plain color. This style requires a paint that has good coverage and can be applied with precision. This style of painting is very unforgiving and it can be the most difficult to accomplish. Many newbies assume these creations are painted, but few are. In fact, it’s far easier to use colored polymer clay when making this style, as you’ll see here and here. Polymer clay’s natural qualities make it perfect for sculpting this style of sculpture. No varnish or sealer is needed, just a strong brand of clay (such as Premo) and your imagination.
Layers of Color
Just like traditional oil painting, many sculptures are painted with many layers of translucent paint that build up to create a rich dimensional effect. This also requires a lot of skill but can be more forgiving than the flat cartoon style of painting. Be aware that this type of paint effect requires many thin layers and can take a long time to create. While any type of paint can be used, artist’s oil paints are a favorite. This type of surface can sometimes be created with layers of colored liquid clay, so don’t always assume an item that you see has been painted with paint.
Antiquing
Antiques are often naturally lighter on the worn areas and darker in the areas where dirt and oils collect, right? That’s why the term “antiquing” is given to the practice of applying a dark-colored paint into the crevices and recesses of a textured item. This practice gives an item richness (and makes it look less cartoon-like) and so is often used to make a polymer clay piece feel more substantial and aged. This is the easiest way to use paint with polymer clay. Just rub in the paint and remove the excess with a paper towel. Because this is an irregular process, there’s no much skill or neatness required. And the paint is protected in the low areas of the item, so there are generally no worries about the color being scratched off. Just about any dark paint can be used, from artist’s oils to acrylics.
Highlighting
The opposite of antiquing, highlighting is where a light-colored paint (often a metallic gilding paste) is used to accent the raised areas of a textured item. This accentuates the texture, making it more visible, and giving a lighter or more decorated appearance to a project. Like antiquing, this an easy technique that still looks great even when it’s not applied perfectly.
Because paint can often scratch off these raised areas, a varnish is often used to protect the highlighting paint. But beware that varnishing a textured item can cause problems as it pools in the crevices or causes the brush to foam as you apply the varnish. But if your highlights aren’t scratching or wearing off, you can skip the varnish.
Accents and Dots
Another type of paint effect commonly used on polymer clay are dots and filigree or swirls used to apply a decorative accent. This is also where you would use a white dot to create a highlight in an eye to make it look more realistic. You can use a tiny paintbrush for this, but I’d use a ball stylus (aka dotting tool). You can also use paint pens for this. And btw, the rules for paint pens are the same as for any paint. Most work fine, but always test first. (Posca pens work great, btw.) These types of paint accents are usually not covered with a varnish.
Artistic Surface Effects
When talking about polymer clay, it can also be hard to separate painting out as a specific technique. Crackle effects, silkscreen printing, sponge painting through a stencil, acrylic paint pours, and many more processes use paint on polymer clay but have a whole world of technique and process to learn.
Many media are often combined to create complex surface effects using chalks, pastels, mica, powders, or dyes. (Yep, another in-depth eBook on Powders here!) The chemical rules of polymer clay and paint interactions still hold true for these processes, but I’m sure you can see how complicated it can get! This is the realm of personal experimentation. While you can learn some things from tutorials (such as my Rustic Beads Course here), for most surface effects you’ll head off into uncharted territory. But the good news is that it’s great fun!
Types of Paint
I’ve read many “helpful” comments on social media that say you should only use water-based paint on polymer clay. But that is a gross oversimplification. (What about watercolor? Oil paints?) Here are some various types of paints that you might encounter and some pointers on how they might (or might not) be used well on polymer clay.
Acrylic Paint
While acrylic paint was invented in the 1950’s by the companies that are now Liquitex and Golden, the term is not as specific as it once was. It’s now a catch-all term for thick-bodied water-based paints. While high-end artist’s acrylics do tend to contain emulsions of acrylic resin, student and craft level acrylic paints use cheaper materials including various vinyl binders and fillers that are chemically more similar to white glue.
Craft Acrylics
Craft acrylic paints come in a dizzying array of brands, types, varieties, formulations, colors, packaging, and quality. There are good craft paints and there are super cheap ones. Many acrylics are used nicely when working with polymer clay but as I stated above, there is huge variation and it’s quite difficult to know if a specific brand or range will always work with polymer clay…or not. It just depends on what you want to do. Experiment! Be aware that craft paints often are produced with price in mind, so they do tend to carry a low pigment load or may even use fillers (such as chalk) instead of using pure pigments. They also tend to contain multiple pigments for each color.
Artist’s Acrylics
Artist’s acrylic paints usually come in a tube and contain few cheap fillers. They usually contain a single, pure pigment and will be consistent from tube to tube. Soft-bodied artist’s acrylics are similar but usually come in a bottle or jar. If you can afford it, this category will generally give you the best results for most times that you’d want to paint on polymer clay.
Acrylic Inks
Acrylic inks are just acrylic paint in ink form. In other words, this product is thinned down enough to be used in a technical pen or marker. These are my top choice for painting polymer clay, actually! I have consistently had excellent results with Liquitex Acrylic Inks. Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Inks are similar but tend to have poorer coverage and scratch off easily.
Oil Paints
Lots of people assume that you can’t use oil-based paints and varnishes on polymer clay. That’s a misunderstanding. They work great! In fact, oil paints are among the best for techniques which need a rich, multi-layered color effect. Beware that oil paints do take quite a bit longer to dry, however.
One tidbit to know, though, is that oil-based hobby paints tend to remain sticky on polymer clay. But it has little to do with the oil and everything to do with the paint’s formulation. I’ve found that many acrylic hobby paints are also sticky on some brands of polymer.
Genesis Heat-Set Oils
(NOTE: Sadly, the entire line of Genesis products is no longer being manufactured. I’ve left this info in place for archival reference.) Long-time polymer clayers love these unique paints that go on like oil paints but never dry until they’re cured with a heat gun or baked in an oven. Genesis paints are very expensive and typically only available from mail-order sources. They’re often used to paint faces onto vinyl dolls. A fantastic benefit of these great paints is that they’re never sticky on polymer clay. Why? Because they ARE polymer. Yes, they’re made of the same heat-set vinyl plastisol that polymer clay is made from. These paints are an investment, but they’re worth it for the serious polymer artist.
Watercolors
Watercolors are pure pigment plus a water-soluble binder (usually gum arabic). They’re unique because they don’t come packaged with a carrier or medium. You add the carrier (water) yourself. The water/pigment solution is applied to paper and it becomes permanent once the water dries. Watercolors are hard to use with polymer clay because they rely on the water spreading evenly on the surface and embedding into the fibers of the paper. Water just beads up on polymer clay.
Watercolors can be used on polymer clay (both raw and baked) for specific techniques, but other products and processes are necessary for it to work. Debbie Crothers uses watercolor inks in her Silkwater Splash tutorial. And Phyllis Cahill loves the delicate appearance that she can achieve when she paints onto prepared polymer clay with watercolors.
Specialty Paints
Some paints defy definition and have unique qualities that are even more difficult to discuss than we’ve seen thus far. Glass paint, glass enamel, Pebeo Prisme, crackle paint, and Unicorn Spit are some examples. Thes specialty paints are firmly in the realm of “your mileage may vary”. You might have a stonking failure or you might discover a fun, new process. Experiment and enjoy!
Alcohol Inks
Technically not a paint, but I’m including alcohol inks here because they’re used so often on the surface of polymer clay. These are dyes dissolved in an alcohol carrier. They have bright, clear colors. But beware that alcohol inks are made with dyes, and they, therefore, are not color-fast. They WILL fade in the light. Manufacturers do try to choose dyes that last longer, of course. But because alcohol ink sits on top of your baked clay, only a thin layer is present. Thinner layers fade faster. For more info on using alcohol inks with polymer clay (there’s a lot to know), read my article here.
Conclusion
Painting polymer clay is great fun and can lead to some truly stunning results. But it can be more complicated than just applying some paint onto a little sculpture. There’s a lot to consider from choosing the right paint to learning how to apply the paint neatly. Because of the complications that can happen and because of the very real possibility of ruining your project, you might prefer to create your item out of pure colored polymer clay. If you do choose to use paints on your polymer project, make sure to take the time to test the process and make sure you know how to get the results that you want. Now go have fun!
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30 thoughts on “Look, we need to talk about painting polymer clay”
Do oil pastels work with polymer clay? I’ve seen people use chalk pastels but wondered about the oil pastels. There are also water soluble oil pastels. I am also wondering about gilding waxes. I saw a video where a woman made her own using coconut oil and oil pastels. That got me wondering if it would work on the polymer clay.
Thank you.
Suzan
You can use anything with polymer clay in some way. Soft pastels (the chalky ones) are commonly used, yes, but oil pastels far less so. Gilding waxes are used often. Experiment, see what works for you, find a process that gives you the effect you’re looking for. Have fun!
Great article! I am a big fan of Liquitex and Golden as these are quality brands. I have in the past used those “all purpose” paints but like you said they definitely don’t provide the best coverage . I’m fond of Dazzling Metallics by Deco Art, because, well, metallic ☺ and they’re so pretty. I work with Ultra Light, Original and Super Sculpey mostly. But unless I use those two brands I mentioned above I tend to have to cope with the “stickies” later.
I was wondering if you have had any experience with the Amsterdam acrylic ink I’ve seen in Hobby Lobby. I have been thinking about ordering some of the Liqutex acrylic ink but saw this the other day and was wondering how it works with polymer clay.
Toward the bottom of this article, I talk about acrylic inks. I’ve not used the Amsterdam brand of them, so I can’t comment on them specifically. Give them a try!
I currently use heavy body acrylic paint on sanded polymer clay and I have been using all types and brands of polymer clay and have found that the acrylic still does scratch off. I will try the Sculpey brands you recommend with the paint and see if that sticks better. I like Kato clay for its durability so I’m hesitate to use the souffle/Sculpey III. I would rather use only polymer clay and forgo the paint but I really love the end result of the paint. I just wish it would stay on better!
Ginger, I’ve worked with both polymer clay and regular clay from the ground. With regular clay a “slip” or liquid clay could be colored and painted on the turned clay pots in nice detail. Can one find liquid polymer clay in colors? Might that not work much better than trying to paint with acrylics on polymer clay. I’ve tried that and, as you say, it has been sticky for 6 months no matter how often I heat it in the oven. I want to stencil onto polymer clay in colors.
Yes, liquid clay comes in colors. Sculpey, Kato, Lucy Clay, and Fimo all make liquid clay in colors.
I’m very new to polymer clay although I used it briefly 30 years ago! I’ve been using chalk paint on my creations… it didn’t occur to me that there was a paint issue then I sprayed it with clear cellulose car paint or yacht varnish I had in the shed!
Oh no. I know where that went. Sorry!
I have been very successful with Genisis paints for the last 15 years or so, until today. I enjoyed your article and I felt reassured. I’m checking my oven!
Thank you
Have you by any chance experimented with lithography ink and PC? Specifically Gamblin brand?
Thanks a lot for your article.A quick question though—-I’ve just started working with polymer clay.How can I avoid brushstrokes while painting on polymer clay with acrylic colors? Are there any specific tools I can use? I’ve read about dabbers and paint pens ,will those help? Would be great if you could tell me.
The softer the brush and the more flowing the paint, the fewer brush strokes you’ll have. But there’s really no way to completely avoid them.
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Thanks for the article. I have a clay 3cm Green Tara statue (super tiny!)
What would be the ideal technique to paint it? Posca pen? It’s so small, it needs something very thin and pointed… would love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you
Mariana
I would use a very fine paint brush
I recently watched a video that featured silk screening polymer clay with Golden brand acrylic paint, letting it dry, then baking. I thought you and your readers might like to know what Golden wrote me about baking their paint. [FYI: Golden manufactures a line of high-end artists’ paints and media.]
“We cannot and do not ever recommend baking or curing or heating any of our products to temperatures of 300 degrees F as that is the temperature at which acrylic begins to degrade and release toxic monomer fumes. We feel this is a bad idea and we recommend against this application.”
The same company rep also wrote, “We understand that artists and people in general will do what they want to do, and our responsibility is to state clearly what we recommend and what we do not recommend.”
That second point is correct. Artists will continue to bake acrylic paint if they want to. Perhaps other acrylic paint manufacturers will not recommend against it — although acrylic is a generic substance, not a proprietary one — or clay artists will decide they can control the baking temperature so that it won’t ever go above 300˚F. However, with such an adamant response from Golden, I thought it was worth passing on to others.
Thank you for passing that response on. It will figure in during my future creating.
I’ve had a great deal of success decorating cured polymer clay with nail polish. I generally paint it on a textured area and them wipe it off with a paper towel for the antiqued effect mentioned above. I sometimes use metallic nail polish to highlight textured areas. Clear nail polish also works well as a glaze, on Sculpty II (anyway). For un-cured clay, I sometimes decorate it with metallic eye shadow. Pretty amazing the uses of this material!
There are literally thousands of brands of nail polish/varnish. Many work nicely. Many do not and it’s impossible to know which ones will work and which won’t. Therefore we generally never recommend using nail polish on polymer clay because it often softens and becomes gummy with time.
I heard that over time, nail polish will dissolve the polymer clay.
In my observation, it’s the other way around. The plasticizers in the polymer clay soften the vinyl in nail polish.
Hi Ginger, fantastic article on an important topic, as always! I have been trying paints for a while and it is quite difficult to find something that works so well on professional fimo. The last ones I’ve tried are the “Once so real – pvc color” (from the art of the reborn) and I’m quite happy with the result. It is resistant to most vinyl plasticizers, and seems to be quite resistant, it’s necessary scratch hard several times to peel. Now I have to try it with raw clay, and I think it will definitely fusion when baking.
But before buying more colors I want to keep trying.
Genesis oils call my attention. And I wonder how resistant they are, they fuse with the clay and could I leave it unvarnished (on a jewel), or if scratches also fade away?
In addition, I was also looking the Genesis matt varnish, I have read that it may yellow over time … and that worries me! Have you tried it on a piece years ago, and now it’s really yellowish? because in most of my pieces there are white parts … and that would be a real disaster!
Thank you for sharing your experiences. A hug! Laura
Genesis is chemically the same/similar to PVC. It’s vinyl, just like the polymer clay. And just like the paints you’ve been using. I’ve never heard of it yellowing. Any plastic can yellow if there are no UV stabilizers in it or if it’s been exposed to extreme conditions. But it’s not generally something I would expect to see on a regular basis. Certainly nothing like we see with resin. I have five year old pieces covered with Genesis medium and they look great.
Hi Ginger, excellent article – gosh you honestly think of everything. I must find out though – are you specifically talking about painting cured polymer clay? The title doesn’t mention it and from what I can tell, the majority of the article is based on painting a cured piece of polymer. I love working with paints and polymer clay but the majority of work I do is on raw polymer not cured so it can be a whole different ball game. Huge thanks for the mention too – that’s so kind of you. xx
I’m talking about doing either. The kind of work that you do falls under the category of “Artistic Surface Effects” in my article and that’s where experimentation and play (which you do so well) really shines. I mainly wrote the article for newbies who assume that those pretty chibis they see are painted. I get maybe 10 messages a week from people trying to paint white Sculpey with craft paints and facing bitter disappointment, hoping that a “sealer” will fix things. I wrote the article to level things up a bit.
Great article, as always, Miss Ginger! I started out with polymer clay as a canvas, always painting on it. My preferred method was alcohol inks on pearl clay then antiqued with an artist grade brown color like raw umber and then highlighted with tiny swipe of artist grade semi-translucent pearl. Then I would seal with various things, but my favorite has always been PYM II. I still have pieces from years ago and they are still holding up, although I agree on the lightfastness of alcohol inks fading over time, but that hasn’t been as much of an issue. I am fond of doing all sorts of mixed media techniques with clay, and the Swellegant line that Christi Friesen developed works very well for an unique surface technique for polymer clay and other things. I have also had good luck with the bright saturated colors of the Vintaj metal patina line. I have a new line of jewelry called “Off-Center” that uses that paint for bright pops of color. Very durable. You are always so informative and give a lot of things to think about, so thank you! And I can vouch for the awesome tutorial for your Rustic Beads. I should give that a peek again soon! Enjoy the day! Erin
For lightfastness you have to consider the passage of time and what kind of work you are creating. Something in the mid-rating on the lightfastness scale is meant to last 15-50 years in normal conditions, 1-4 months of direct sunlight. So piece from a few years ago wouldn’t show any fading yet. If this was a set of cute earrings, the colour probably doesn’t need to last 20 years. If you are making something to hang in a window in direct sunlight. Or I f it is a fine art piece worth thousands, you probably wouldn’t want to choose a pigment that is higher on the lightfast rating scale.
My point being is that a couple of year without fading under normal conditions isn’t really what they had in mind when they mean alcohol inks aren’t light fast. They will fade, but will it be an issue when it happens (an angry customer, or no longer relevant?)
Thing is, alcohol inks DO fade within months in some cases. So it’s very important that artists be aware of this issue and choose their material accordingly. But I agree wholeheartedly that worrying about lightfastness does not matter much for items that aren’t intended to have a long lifespan.
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