Doesn't this sweet work of modeling clay art, created by my 8 year old daughter, look like an oil painting of sorts? Well, I can assure you that it is not, rather it was made using a technique which I've told you about previously here, and here, namely sculpting pictures with modeling clay. The modeling clay is smeared with the fingers onto a piece of bristol board (namely a piece of cardboard that isn't totally smooth) and layers are built. Once the picture is finished, a coating of white glue is brushed over the top of the picture to preserve it.
Explore the links above to learn about some more ways to use this technique for kids who might need something a little more structured for their first experience, or for toddlers who might enjoy smearing the modeling clay onto a picture of some kind.
This is a great way to combine painting and sculpting, and with modeling clay one can apply layers of bright color quite easily. One can draw a picture and then apply the modeling clay to the picture, but the most creative use of this crafting technique would be to simply create a picture without employing any traditional drawing tools— let the little fingers work with the modeling clay and enjoy!
