question Leaving the clay as is

[Zincdecitrate]

Im new to ceramics so sorry if I seem ignorant.

If I were to make a solid sculpture, 2-6 inches thick, would I be able to get away without firing it?  (I don’t have a kiln in my area) My idea is that I’d let it dry and then just paint it as it is. But would it be too fragile? Are there any adhesives or sprays I could use on it to keep it from breaking and make it stronger? It wouldn’t be moved around much. I'm using earthenware btw.

[neilestrick]

It will likely crack as it dries if you make it that thick, unless you take weeks and weeks to dry it. Clay shrinks as it dries, so as the outer layer dries the fastest and tries to shrink, it can't because the inner parts are not drying, and it cracks. Anything made of clay that has not been fired will be terribly weak and fragile. No surface application will change that. If it just sits on a shelf and is never moved, it may be fine, but as soon as someone picks it up you run the risk of it breaking.

[Graeme Anderson]

I'd suggest adding some paper pulp to the clay, making a paper clay mix. Reduces the chance of it cracking/breaking, and makes it stronger to handle. Make sure it is completely dry throughout before painting.

[Bill Kielb]

On 8/28/2020 at 5:26 PM, Zincdecitrate said:

If I were to make a solid sculpture, 2-6 inches thick, would I be able to get away without firing it?  (

They make air dry clay and oven fired such as polymer clay for this purpose. I would not use a clay that needs firing, it’s not only fragile it can be dissolved with water.