Foam clay is a wonderful additional material when working with EVA foam for costumes and props. However, you need to be able to sculpt and smooth out the material to make it look clean. If you aren’t sure how to get your surfaces looking the way you want them, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to cover all the techniques for how to smooth foam clay so you can get the perfect finished look.
Techniques for Smoothing Foam Clay
You can smooth out your clay while it’s moist and being sculpted, or after it’s dried.
During Sculpting
- Water – Moistening your foam clay with water makes it easier to sculpt and work with. You can also moisten it to help smooth it out with your fingers or sculpting tools.
- Rolling and shaping – While you roll and shape your clay, you can smooth it out. Your entire sculpting process should keep the texture and how smooth the foam clay is in mind so it can then dry looking how you need it.
After Drying
- Priming – Before you paint, always prime your costumes and props! This of course applies to dried foam clay. Primers like Plasti Dip and Flexbond can help make the surface of your cosplays smooth and also ensures the paint holds.
- Sanding – The final way to smooth your foam clay is sanding. Similar to EVA foam you can use your rotary tool or hand sanders to smooth out your foam clay and make seams invisible.
Can You Use Sandpaper on Foam Clay
Sanding your foam clay is a great way to make it smooth, add textures or detail it. You need to wait until it’s fully dried before you start. While most cosplayers might use powered sanders or rotary tools to make the process easier and faster, you can do it the manual way. Sandpaper is an acceptable way to sand foam clay, you just need to get a fine enough grit or it might tear up the clay.
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