Cold porcelain: features and manufacturing methods

Hand-made things have always been appreciated and appreciated by people who respect art. They are distinguished by creativity of ideas, uniqueness of execution and scrupulousness of details.

There are many materials that allow you to create masterpieces. One of these attractive new products on the market is cold porcelain.

Cold porcelain is an amazing material for creativity. Due to its properties, it makes it possible to make a variety of decorative elements: from massive and rough to the smallest and sophisticated.

The only similarity is the appearance of the "impostor". In solidified form, it slightly resembles real porcelain in color, which has undergone firing in an oven at a temperature of 1300 ° C. Products made from cold porcelain are not fired. They dry on their own, becoming hard and durable in the air.

In scientific terms, cold porcelain is a polymer mass for modeling and modeling. It is called polymeric because it combines both natural and synthetic components. The original composition of the material included cornstarch, which is why it is also called Pasta di mais - corn dough or pasta, as well as glue, vegetable oil and glycerin. But modern craftsmen do not stop supplementing it with other ingredients in order to increase the quality and expand the possibilities of the mass.

The finished product can be purchased in the store, but it is still better to make it yourself. So you can adjust its density, adjusting it to your product, and you can always prepare the required amount of material.

The cost of the finished mass is low. And if you knead it yourself, then these minimum costs can be reduced.

In its consistency, cold porcelain resembles plasticine. But working with corn dough is much more pleasant: it does not get your hands dirty and is more convenient in sculpting. Children love to create from it. At the same time, mothers should not worry about the cleanliness of the baby's workplace.

The history of the material begins in the 19th century. Argentina is considered his homeland. Although there are other data according to which this type of porcelain was developed by the Russian master Peter Ulyanovich Ivanov... It has been established that while working at the St. Petersburg Imperial Porcelain Factory, at the beginning of the 19th century, he created flower compositions in white tones from cold porcelain. They were used in the perfumery industry, decorating perfume bottles with them. They also decorated fireplaces, mirrors, vases.

Only about 10 of his works have survived to this day, which are distinguished by their originality and uniqueness. The recipe for the unique composition of the porcelain mixture was lost after the artist's death, and the secret of the unique plasticity and flexibility of Ivanovo porcelain was never solved. Until now, no one can revive the subtlety and grace of the technique of Peter Ivanov.

However, in 2002, the art master Yevgeny Andreev invented his own recipe for making porcelain. She has good plasticity and is quite obedient in sculpting. His works can be seen in the State Russian Museum and the State Hermitage's salon-shop.

In terms of structure, cold porcelain is compared to plasticine. It is just as soft, pliable, flexible, but does not stick to the hands and does not leave a greasy residue. When a cold porcelain figure is formed, it hardens after a while. To do this, she will need from 1 to 5 days. It all depends on the thickness of the material. This gives it strength, stability and durability. On the other hand, a sufficiently long hardening period makes it possible to correct deficiencies.

Cold porcelain is a very malleable material, it allows you to sculpt the most ornate items.

It is very easy to use, easy and fun to work with. According to the standard recipe, a porcelain product is obtained transparent, with a gray or yellowish tint. But even at home, the mass can be made colored. To do this, during cooking, liquid food coloring is added to it. However, sometimes it turns out to be too bright an unnatural shade.

To give the product the desired color, it is better to paint it ready-made. In addition, all colors perfectly fit on cold porcelain. Although it is recommended to use acrylic or oil.

This material, of course, is not without its drawbacks, but by adhering to all the recommendations in the work and preservation of your masterpieces, they will become nothing to you.

It quickly absorbs moisture and softens, and the product itself can deform. Therefore, it is not recommended to store it in a room with high humidity.

That's why it is advisable to protect it from direct sunlight... And it is not recommended to put the prepared mass in the refrigerator before molding, otherwise cracks will form on it. To extend the shelf life of the cold porcelain figurine, it is varnished.This protects it from moisture and sun and adds aesthetics to the look by adding shine.

The primary source of cold porcelain composition is a recipe containing cornstarch, glue, glycerin and vegetable oil. This formula was presented to us by the ancient Argentines. Modern craftsmen deviate from this standard, making their own adjustments to improve the properties of the mass.

The modern classic recipe for this material includes starch, glue, glycerin and cream. 2 methods of its preparation are used: boiling and kneading.

For the first option, you will need:

• PVA glue - 1 glass;
• potato starch - 1 cup;
• glycerin - 2 tbsp. l .;
• baby cream - 1 tbsp. l.

Mix the glue and cream, put the mixture on medium heat. Add glycerin while stirring the mixture.

Gradually add the starch, constantly stirring the mass. The degree of formation of the finished mass: cottage cheese - mashed potatoes - a lump of dough. Then we take the mixture out of the container (carefully, since it is hot), knead it with our hands until the consistency of plasticine.

Another option.

Mix 1 tbsp. l. petroleum jelly and 2 tbsp. l. starch. Add 1/2 tsp. soda and PVA glue in the amount of 2 tsp. Stir until smooth. Lubricate your hands with petroleum jelly or cream when working.

Starch can be used in different ways: potato, corn, rice, wheat, amylopectin, etc. It is important to take into account that the grains of each type of starch are not the same in size and the temperature of their transformation into paste is also different. Potato starch has the largest grains, and the gelatinization temperature is lower, that is, it is necessary to correctly select the temperature regime for different products. Also, for example, potato starch requires more liquid, more precisely, glue.

The color of the mass depends on what starch you use. It can turn out white, yellowish or with a gray tint. Potato starch gives the highest transparency and snow-white color. From wheat starch, the mass turns out to be very pliable, tender and soft, elastic and plastic. It also turns out to be white in color, but not snow-white, as in the previous case. Rice starch will give your product a beautiful milky shade, but its transparency is completely absent. The cornstarch mixture is also opaque and milky in color, but very flexible and docile.

There are a lot of recipes for making cold porcelain at home. Throughout the creative and experimental process, each artist discovers new subtleties to improve the quality of the mix.

Along with cold porcelain, polymer clay has become equally popular. Although many craftsmen rank cold porcelain as one of them. Without finding fault with the classification, let's say that polymer clay is of several types. With one of them - cold porcelain, we already had the honor to get acquainted.

Completely different from the previous one is a type of polymer clay called thermoplastic. It is based on polyvinyl chloride and a plasticizer.

In its raw form, thermoplastic is similar to plasticine. It will remain as such until it is subjected to heat treatment. In a domestic environment, an ordinary oven becomes such a treatment. In this case, it is important to choose the correct temperature regime so as not to overdry the product, but at the same time bake it evenly.

Unlike porcelain, thermoplastic itself does not harden, that is, it remains soft before baking and can be shaped into any shape. After hardening, it becomes moisture and heat resistant, rather durable, which is an indisputable advantage.

The oven should be cleaned thoroughly after this, as cooking does not tolerate traces of thermoplastic in it. According to expert judgment, when heated, thermoplastic releases toxic substances that cannot be combined with food. And it is also dangerous for the respiratory system.

If cold porcelain is primarily used to create realistic colors, then thermoplastic is best not used for this role. As a rule, thin petals from it are very fragile and easily break or crumble.

I would like to focus on one more type of polymer clay, this time self-hardening. It's about cellulose or marshmallow clay. Thanks to the cellulose in the composition, the material has a very beautiful, fine, exquisite texture that really feels like marshmallow or velvet to the touch.

It, like porcelain, is used in polymer floristry (to put it simply, when forming flowers), but a special technique is used for this: the petals are rolled out with a finger in the palm of the hand and then dry independently in the air.

The difference between porcelain and cellulose clay is in the creation of colors. Factory-type cold porcelain is sold in one color, white, and requires dyeing. The clay is sold in several colors: white, black, brown, red, blue, yellow and green. Intermediate shades are obtained by mixing primary colors.

Cold porcelain is considered a versatile material. Due to its flexibility and plasticity, you can create anything from it.

It is primarily used to create realistic colors. They really come out alive. With the help of the material, it is possible to recreate even the smallest petal with all its curls, bends and subtleties. Such flowers are used as individual compositions, as well as in the form of decoration. They frame hairpins, hoops, boxes, photo frames, cabinets, dishes.

From cold porcelain, various kinds of crafts are obtained in the form of figurines of people, animals, magnets. By the way, wedding cake is also decorated with such inedible figurines in the form of a bride and groom.

It is possible to create creative jewelry from porcelain: beads, earrings, rings, bracelets, brooches, or interior decor: vases, candlesticks, panels, napkin rings. Details for dolls are made from this kind of porcelain.

Cold porcelain is an excellent material for decorative modeling. In working with him, the main thing you have to work on is your imagination. Everything else will turn out incredibly easy and simple.

In the next video, you can get acquainted with the process of creating roses from cold porcelain.