Color blending with Polymer Clay [Skinner Blend]

Any form of art begins with a basic color scheme.  This determines the impact of the finished piece.  Different Polymer clay brands offer a wide spectrum of colors but you can come up with your own.

Clays may be combined to produce a pretty graduation of colors.  This technique is the Skinner method developed by Ms. Judith Skinner.

This is my attempt in doing this technique.

I used Premo' Sculpey's Green and Sunshine polymer clays.

Condition the clays separately, starting with the lighter colored clay and cut in triangular shapes as such:

Note that the triangles are offset in one side.  You will later see why.

Fold the clay in half - green to green and yellow to yellow. 

Run through the clay conditioner on the thickest setting folded side first (to avoid bubbles)

You will notice that as you fold and roll, the colors will blend.

This is what my clay looked like after about 15 "fold and roll" sequences.

See the beautiful graduation of the colors?

Love it! 

Once you're satisfied with the blending, you may run the blended clay through the clay conditioner

lengthwise.  I set my machine on the 3rd to the thickest setting (that's #6 on the Amaco machine). 

Depending on your project, you may opt to roll it from either side (from light to dark or dark to light).

Remember the offset sides at the beginning of the Skinner?

It produces a solid/original color both edges of the blended piece.

Awesome, huh?

I decided to use this particular skinner blend as is:

Stamped.

Set on black polymer clay,

Painted to accent the design.

Polished and Varnished.



TADA!

This could be a pendant combined with beads on a 26" chain.

Or a component for a keychain.

Come and visit me next time for  more techniques!