3D Flex is probably the Powertex product I knew least about, so I decided to do some training to find out more.

“It cracks…apart from that I’ll have to look it up”… that has been my standard answer to any questions about 3D flex… it cracks. So with lockdown easing I decided to find out more.

Day 1 Training 

I already knew 3D flex was a powder, well it’s a pure white fine powder which is dense, much heavier than Stone Art. But like Stone Art you can mix it with different quantities of Powertex to create different effects. Over the course of my tutor training, we are making three projects. I am sharing the first two in this post.

Sumo Figurine 

Our first project was to turn a two spike base, a polystyrene ball.and a geisha Figurine head and hands (available from Powertex UK) into a sumo. The base of it uses lots of masking tape and foil before adding a layer of 3D Flex clay.

My big learning point here is 3D flex clay is “gloopier” than Stone Art clay but you can imprint into it and mix colours easily… until I added the bister, my model looked distinctly like a cow….

I loved mixing matching, blending and marbling clay for different effects.

My project here is half completed, I have just sprayed a lot of green Bister into the already wet clay… i am intrigued as Bister also cracks…

Moon Canvas

Our second project is a moon canvas, this uses 3D flex as a paste to create texture.

There are several learning points here, firstly that I need to play more with different colours of powertex together and not just One (with adding ivory to lighten) or two but three or four at a time. Secondly To use more more dirty pour techniques in my work and thirdly to use my canvas as my palette and let go.

This will be coming to a Portberry Crafts class soon.

I will share my thoughts on Day 2 tomorrow

Emma W.