Q&A for How to Color Air Dry Clay

It's best to paint on dry clay only. For wet clay, you'll need a glaze, which is more complicated and doesn't work on air dry clay.

Any craft store will sell sealant--just ask the employees where to find it! You can also use clear nail polish.

I have the same problem with DAS air dry clay. Try adding a little acrylic paint, wetting the clay or washing your hands with warm water. It might become slippery, but the clay should be easier to mold after a minute or so of kneading.

It’s not recommended because it won’t stick properly. If you want to change the way your clay looks, you should start over.

Make sure to keep your clay in an air tight container or a sealed bag. The less air the better, and the longer the clay will last.

Unfortunately no. If it's a little bit dry, you can bring it back with a bit of water, but if it's all the way dried out, you'll have to get new clay.

No, because plasticine does not dry out in the air. You can use play dough, but this is not ideal and your end product will probably break easily.

You can, but in my experience, it's much tidier if you use a brush. Spraying your piece of clay with clear paint will give you a messier look.

It will probably stay for a few days. However, the clay might get ruined as it is meant for instant use, rather than baking it or storing it.

If you want to thin acrylic paint, you can use water or add a product like Acrylic Flow Improver.

Yes, you can use regular food colouring, add one drop at a time and knead well before adding another drop, repeat until it's the desired colour. Air dry clay doesn't need to be baked in the oven, it'll dry in 2-3 days usually. When it's dry, you can then paint it.

Yes, permanent markers do work on the dry clay. However, keep in mind that until the marker dries, it is very prone to smudging.

Yes, first check on the paint container if it is safe to eat off, you may need to look on their website or call the company to find out for sure. Make sure that your sealer is also safe to eat off of. You cannot place your dinnerware into the dishwasher. They have to be hand washed. And even if your sealer waterproofs your item, you still have to hand wash with a mild dish detergent.

Sometimes I want some areas of my sculpture to look pearlesent by using a pearlesent paint. I do this by first making sure the area that I have painted is very dry and then I paint over that area with the white pearlescent paint. This creates a highlighting effect.