Art Makers: Polymer Clay for Beginners by Emily Chen

Art Makers: Polymer Clay for Beginners by Emily Chen

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Walter Foster Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a former ceramic major and I’ve dabbled in polymer clay on and off for a while now. When I saw this book, I thought it looked like a great intro to polymer clay and decided to check it out. I love that the opening takes us through the ins and outs of working with polymer clay. It covers important items such as brands of clay, supplies that aid artists and crafters alike, and the sort of things we should look for. For example, every brand of clay has different baking temperatures and times as well as softness.

Emily also goes over the main thing that’s needed to create, which is technique. She gives some wonderful and important tips in this regard that will be a big help for new creators. I even learned something new, which is another way to make a gradient between two colors that I’m excited to try out. Of course, time and practice will help all new polymer artists and crafters, but it’s important to learn the basics that everything you make will be built upon. Emily provides some comprehensive techniques and visual aids that are easy to understand and learn.

It’s also great that there are several simple and cute projects written and visual tutorials for readers to follow. Each of these projects can also be used as building blocks to other projects thanks to the variety of project tutorials that she included. She also including troubleshooting tips, including what to do if your finished project has a crack in it and how to prevent it in the future.

As a crafter myself, I was surprised to learn that there’s liquid polymer clay available as I’ve never seen it while buying supplies, which means it’s just in a different section at my local craft store. I will have to look for it when I am there because it looks like a wonderful addition to this craft. I’m excited about this because it’ll enhance some of my creations!

I highly recommend this book for people new to polymer clay as well as anyone looking to add to their collection or pick up some new tips and techniques.