Expert: Dr. Ari Roark - 6/18/2009

Question
Hello 
I have learn how to use silver clay  
how can I use it to make a silver leaf with all the little broken  details inside ??
yasmin


Answer
Hello Yasmin,
 Either paint on clay slip and let it dry, then fire it or press the leaf into a sheet of the paper type using a brayer then dry and fire.If you are talking about a leaf with exposed veins ( all that's left is the framework of the leaf- called lignins), then you have to  cut the shape you want out of the thickness of  clay you want and roll it's imprint into the  clay with an oiled brayer..then firee after dry remembering to allow for shrinkage according to the brand and  style of  metal clay  you are going to use.
 Also check out the  PMC guild website, and Art Clay world's website- they have many tips and tricks for using the ( overpriced, inconsistent) products..Tim McCreight  has some very good books on the subject  too. But all in all I  never recommend to people interested in learning to make jewelry to get involved with metal clay as iit's cost is astronomical compared to the cost of fine silver and a graver to  incise the leaf's lines into a sheet of fine silver- and  you don't need to buy a kiln or other firing set up ( although you can  use a gas  oven, or  gas stovetop and terra cotta pot as a  kiln!).If you are interested I can sell you some metal clay stuff I bought and will never use again- I was about to list it online at an auction site..It's a total
Celie Fago, Hattie Sanderson and Gordon Ueyhara are  masters of the  art- but they have a background in art and design and jewelry making/metalsmithing..most  metal clay jewelry looks amateurish, doesn't sell well and the perceeived value is  not  good- particularly as it becomes more  popular  around the  country.Unless you have a lot to invest in it, or plan for a one or two time piece or the  odd occasional  piece you can't do in metals as easily as in clay, I always advise  people to avoid the whole metal clay marketing ( it is industrial waste from Mitsubishi corp. after all! with what is almost a multi-level marketing scheme behind its sales..when you have to get certified to buy and sell at a discout its a scam to me!) anyway, I hope this helps and if you need more info go to the websites above, as well as art jewelry magazine.Since AJM 's major advertisers are metal clay related companies they have lots of  metal clay info in its pages.
Best regards,Ari