Handprints in plaster

You will need:
TFF1505 Earthenware Clay
At Hobby Ceramicraft we
are committed to helping
you grow your business.
Plaster handprints are
proving exceptionally
popular!
An interesting and simple
process for you to add to
the services you offer—and
no firing required.
TL200 Brilliant Gold Wax Metallic
TL204 Brilliant Silver Wax Metallic
or other colour as desired
HC159 Plaster for Mould Making
HC221 Brass Surround
ICER8 Round Brush #8
Unfinished Wooden Board
Flat Battens (approx 1cm thick)
Cutting Tool
Rolling Pin
ld!
+ chi
Shape your clay into a ball to eliminate any air
pockets. Flatten it out on your working area with
your hand. Place the battens along each side of
your working surface, 25-30cm apart. Your rolling
pin should be able to balance on the battens.
Roll your clay out putting pressure on the battens,
not the clay - cut away any excess and put aside.
Decide where you want your first handprint to be,
and guide the hand onto the clay.
Press the heel of the hand gently, but firmly, into the
clay, then the palm and each finger in turn. You can
make it fun for kids by counting the fingers with
them!
By pressing in the heel of the hand first, you ensure
an even print. Repeat as necessary.
Whilst the clay is still damp, form your brass surround into
the shape you desire—it doesn’t have to be round—why
not try a star shape or a heart?
Arrange the brass shim on top of the clay and when you
are happy with the positioning, press down into the clay
surface to secure it.
Mix up your plaster using a ratio of 100:55 plaster to
water. Once fully mixed, pour the plaster into the area
over the clay print.
For more details on this technique, please contact:
Tel: 0118 9326153 E-mail: order@hobbyceramicraft.co.uk
www.hobbyceramicraft.co.uk
PLASTER HANDPRINTS
Test the plaster to check if it is dry by gently pressing the surface with the handle
of your paintbrush.
Cut the excess clay away from your brass surround and gently remove it from the
plaster—you should be left with a solid plaster print with the clay adhering to the
plaster surface.
Gently tease a small area of the clay away from the plaster. You should find it
comes away very easily. Remove any last vestiges of clay using your cutting tool.
DECORATING YOUR PRINTS
You have a huge range of option for decorating your hand
and footprints.
Clean up around the edge of the print using a knife then go
round with a damp cloth to remove any rough edges.
You can use an acrylic colour to go over the whole piece,
such as white or eggshell, and then go over the highlights
using a darker colour and dry-brushing it to pick out the
indentations.
Here we have gone even more simple, and just used wax
metallics, applied with a fingertip and then buffed to a
beautiful shine.
Write a message around the side, or tint the background to
make the print stand out. There’s no end to the ways you
can decorate these pieces.
For more details on this technique, please contact:
Tel: 0118 9326153 E-mail: order@hobbyceramicraft.co.uk
www.hobbyceramicraft.co.uk
Leave plaster to dry for at least 8-10 minutes.
There is a great way to capitalise on that clay-print sale, and it’s so easy to do!
When the customer comes in, instead of just doing one print, why not do three?
+
+
= £££
Initially you don’t need to charge for the extra two prints - you can tell the customer you are just
doing them for insurance—and what a good idea that is!
How many times have you completed that one-off commission piece to find that it cracks in the
final firing, or sticks to the shelf? It’s always best to do more than one to cover yourself.
Using our clay and glazes, faults are uncommon, but correcting them can cost you time and
extra effort.
Decorating all three pieces won’t take you much more time than decorating the first one, and if
they are all successful, you can offer them to the customer at a discounted rate. The take-up
rate with studios that do this is VERY high!
There are always other friends and family members to give these to as presents, and customers
don’t like to walk away from those treasured pieces.
And if you don’t get the extra sale? You have sample pieces ready to display in your studio and
elsewhere, so none of your effort will be wasted.
For more details on this technique, please contact:
Tel: 0118 9326153 E-mail: order@hobbyceramicraft.co.uk
www.hobbyceramicraft.co.uk
Add-On Sales Opportunity