Comments on: Polymer Clay Tutorial | Faux Raku (Pt1) Smooth Surface Technique

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:15:38 +0000

@Rosita Cortés: Hi Rosita, isn’t Vol-014 great? That’s one of the first back issues I bought (I had to have it after seeing all of the great beads they made during the first bead giveaway contest!)

I noticed your question about whether Cindy’s tried fabric pigment or dyes instead of alcohol inks. I know she has, because she wrote a post on it! The article is called, Alcohol Ink Techniques and Recipes.

In it, Cindy describes how she made her inks, and how they turned out. Whenever you have a question, you can use the search box at the top left of any page to find information. For example, type in “alcohol inks” and you’ll get a list of articles with information about them & their uses. Be sure to read the comments under the articles, as well, as there’s lots of good information and tips there, as well (sometimes even more than in the article!)

I still haven’t tried the crackle raku, so I can’t help you with that question. But there are lots of tips from Cindy and others in the comments section under the Crackled Raku article/preview video. Have you read those? There’s a link to the Crackled Raku article in the comment directly above yours.

Have fun with your videos, & happy claying! ~Kat :D

By: Rosita Cortés

Rosita Cortés — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:53:16 +0000

Hi Cindy. Now I received vol 014. I liked very much.

I have two question. Have you ever tried to use fabric pigment solved with water or alcohol, instead of alcohol ink. Because that I have difficulties to find alcohol ink.

My second question is how do you get, the different crackel (big crackel or small crackel). I have worked over wood with crackeler paint. The thing is if I blow the hair drier for a long time over the crackeler paint, the crackel are bigger.

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:31:41 +0000

Yay! I've just watched the Faux Raku video, and it is excellent, of course. Now this is something I can make right away (I've got all the ingredients! I don't have to wait for my extruder on this one...) This is a beautiful technique, and it looks very forgiving. I'll be able to make lots of stuff with this, but I think I'll want to buy more alcohol inks. I have only a few colors, and I know I'm gonna want to "mix it up" more than that! Once again, I'm surprised there aren't more comments here. There are so many gorgeous Faux Raku Beads in the Giveaway Contest that I thought people would come here to take a look. Anyway, thanks for another fantastic video tutorial, Cindy! Now I can't wait to learn the Crackled Raku~

By: Cindy Lietz@Faux Raku Picture Frames

Cindy Lietz@Faux Raku Picture Frames — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:33:44 +0000

**PHOTOS ADDED: Some project pictures have just been added to a Spotlight Feature showcasing Elizabeth Schydlower, a member who is very much appreciated here at this supportive polymer clay community. Click on the “Faux Raku Picture Frames” link by my name to have a look.

By: Freda

Freda — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:28:20 +0000

I noticed you blotted it off but I figured if I put powder on the moist part it would smear or something. Also I thought your lights for the camera might dry it more than it would under normal conditions.

By: Cindy Lietz@Altered Paper Jewelry

Cindy Lietz@Altered Paper Jewelry — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:04:16 +0000

Yes. That part is in the video. Did you not see it there Freda? Let me know if it was somehow unclear to you.

By: Freda

Freda — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:41:28 +0000

On the raku beads – do you let the alcohol inks dry before applying the powders?

By: Cindy Lietz@Hammered Copper Findings

Cindy Lietz@Hammered Copper Findings — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:03:52 +0000

Sorry Claycass I forgot to address your question… With the copper finding on this bead, I hammered the flat end before adding the bead and the loop at the top. Then once I added the bead and made the loop, I slowly hammered it with a small lightweight hammer that is easy to control. Plus I hit it only enough times to stiffen the wire a bit. You could skip hitting the loop if you found you were still hitting the bead.

By: Cindy Lietz@Liquid Sculpey vs Bake & Bond

Cindy Lietz@Liquid Sculpey vs Bake & Bond — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:55:35 +0000

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the nice feedback. I think you will really like part 2′s Deep Crackle Technique. You’ll be able to really make some one of a kind beads with this technique!

@Sue: Although a pasta machine would be really helpful with this technique, you should be able to do it with just an acrylic roller as well. In regards to your questions:

1)The ink is really the main color source. The powders give a sheen to the whole surface which is an important feature to getting that raku look.
2) It works best for me if I do the inks on the non-stick surface rather than directly to clay because the ink absorbs quite quickly and doesn’t blend as easily. But of course, you could try it the other way and see if it works better for you.

@Melinda: You can only use oil paints when the clay is raw. It will cause the clay to get sticky if you use it on baked clay.

By: Melinda

Melinda — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:11:58 +0000

Those are fabulous too… can’t wait until my next clay day… shopping list started… ideas churning in my head…
Quick question: Can you use oil paint on PC? I have tons of oil paint from my painting days that I would hate to waste.