I’ve been experimenting with foam clay this week, courtesy of a free sample from the lovely people at coscraft! This stuff is BRILLIANT!

I needed to make quite intricate looking ear pieces for the sides of the mask and I wasn’t confident I could get the affect I wanted by cutting out of EVA foam. Foam clay is worked like normal clay, but cures into foam! The clay feels a little slimy to start, but it’s mess-free. It doesn’t stick to your hands or clothes and there’s no rush to get it into shape before it dries – it stays pliable for ages. I found a tiny piece I’d missed when I was tidying up the next day and I could still squish it about.

I drew the shape I need onto greaseproof paper, so I could flip it over and do the same design for both sides of the mask. I was also concerned that the clay would stick to other surfaces, but I needn’t have worried. After I’d moulded the shape, I could carve in the detail. The foam clay carves just like normal clay and again, because it doesn’t stick, I didn’t even need to clean clay off my tools.

I also used the clay to plug some gaps in my foam work. It can be primed and painted like normal foam after it’s cured, which takes roughly three days (72 hours). I’ll post pictures of the finished, painted article once it’s cured as I’m still waiting for it to dry, but you kinda get the idea.

I’d really recommend this product to anyone doing any foam work, especially beginners not used to working with EVA foam. It provides a safety net for those unseemly gaps in your finished work – just plug some foam clay in there and you’d never know there was anything wrong! It’s great for elaborate design work and best of all, if you’re not happy with what you’ve made, you can just squish it up and start again! No waste and no wasted money.