Is Plasticine the Same as Regular Modeling Clay?

Is Plasticine the Same as Regular Modeling Clay?
Plasticine clay is regularly used for clay modeling and is therefore often confused with
normal clay. Both of them look and feel mostly like putty, which further adds to the
confusion. So, does it mean that any regular malleable clay that can be easily shaped can be
used for mold making and casting?
Well, to set the record straight, there are various types of clay available in the market today.
The regular pottery clay is used for making pots, stoneware and other glazed items. Another
variant is dough modeling clay (the popular brand Playdoh favored by children) which is
quite cheap, easy to use and reusable as well. Still another type is polymer modeling clay that
is also soft and can be baked in an oven for finishing.

But what separates these kinds of clay from the more advanced Plasticine clay versions is that
the latter is an oil based clay that lends itself well for mold making and casting works.
Plasticine was first invented and patented by an art teacher, William Harbutt in England in
1897 and is now used as a general term. Other clays are mostly water based and tend to
become quite sticky as well.
Another major benefit is that while most types of clay tend to harden over time (exposure to
air makes the water evaporate) and can even develop cracks, the plasticine variants will not
harden, dry or crack ever! They can always be softened by warming and then used as desired.
But you have to be careful as it can even flame at high temperatures.
This is why plasticine is a popular mold making material in clay modeling, especially for
making resin or metal casts. Further, the non drying and flexible properties of Plasticine clay
also make it extremely useful in mask making, special effects and especially clay animation.
The high appeal in Claymation or stop motion animation springs from the fact that plasticine
can be easily molded to create any type of character, has the flexibility that will allow that
character to be moved in many ways and also has the required density to retain its shape even
when it has to be combined with a wire armature. Furthermore, it will resist melting under the
hot studio lights.

The inherent flexibility also makes industrial plasticine clay very popular for modeling
works in automotive design studios. Designers use this clay for making automobile
prototypes that will serve as models. Then there is another variant of ballistic plasticine clay
that comes in useful as a backing material for testing body armor.
But one drawback is that the sulfur content of plasticine can inhibit the setting of some
silicone mold rubbers (unless you are using sulfur free plasticine that is also available).
Therefore, while some artists may still use regular clays, Plasticine proves most popular and
useful when it comes to clay modeling!
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