Donna Kato is a very talented polymer clay artist who often presented projects on the Carol Duvall show on the HGTV network. She has written three popular books on polymer clay techniques. Her work with the Van Aken company to develop Kato Polymer Clay was an effort to customize the clay specifically to the needs of clay artists. Previously, polymer clay was an invention for other purposes, and its use for art projects was a secondary discovery.
Polymer clay is made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and actually contains no clay, but has a clay-like consistency and working properties. Some other brands of polymer clay include Fimo, Premo, and Sculpey. I have previously worked with Sculpey and Fimo before trying Kato Polymer Clay, and this review is based on my experience with those three brands of clay. She also offers polymer clay tools and supplies.
Conditioning Polymer Clay
Like true clays used in pottery, polymer clay needs to be properly conditioned before it is sculpted into its final form. This is important to remove all air bubbles, and for the strength of the final product. Kato clay is manufactured using vacuum extrusion to eliminate air pockets in the clay. It can be conditioned by hand or by the use of a dedicated pasta machine.
Kato clay is both firmer and less sticky than both Fimo and Sculpey. There will be less residue on your hands and surfaces, but it does take a little more effort to condition because of the firmness. I find that it is worth the extra effort because the firmness makes it easier to put colors together without them smearing together. The ideal room temperature when conditioning the clay is 70°F, but it can successfully be worked in lower temperatures. The clay starts to set at about 90°F.
Smoothing fingerprints out of the unbaked clay is much easier with Kato Clay than with softer clays. Prints can be smoothed away without distorting the shape of the piece.
Working Consistency of Polymer Clays
Uniform consistency from color to color is important when using more than one color together. Kato clay has better uniformity across the colors than other clays. Trying to work a softer clay next to a firmer clay is difficult because the softer clay will likely smear onto the firmer clay. Uniform consistency is especially important when making designs in polymer clay canes to prevent distortion of the design.
Polymer Clay Colors
The colors of Kato Polymer Clay remain true, with only minimal darkening of some colors after baking. Kato states on her website that she has baked the clay up to 5 hours without the color changing. This allows a piece to be baked multiple times without loss of color. While I haven't tried this yet, I do know that other clays I have baked 3 to 4 times do darken considerably.
Translucent and metallic colors in all of the clays leave something to be desired. The results are never truly metallic or translucent. I tried using gold leaf as suggested with a thinner than paper layer of translucent to seal it to the clay. The results were milky without the characteristic shine of gold leaf.
Overall, Kato Poly Clay is a great value for the clay artist. It is meant specifically to fill the needs of artists and overcomes some of the limitations of other clays. It can be baked at a higher temperature which increases the strength of the finished product. The time taken to read the tips and information on the website is well worth it. Donna Kato willingly shares her talent and expertise.
Corinne Shibley - Corinne Shibley studied sculpture in art history and created her own sculpture on the way to a B.A. in Studio Art. "There's something ...
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