From polymer to pal tiya premium

From Polymer to Pal Tiya Premium

“I use polymer for smaller inside pieces and I use pal tiya for inside/outside pieces.” - Shari

As you'll probably be aware, polymer clays like sculpey; super, premo, souffle, is a type of hardenable modeling clay based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It remains workable until cured, and must be baked in an oven. You can make so many amazing small sculptures with polymer clay (see many on this page).
You may already know, and love Polymer Clay … but what if you could use 80% of the same tools and techniques, make much bigger, stronger sculptures, with absolutely no need to bake, AND put them outdoors in your yard all year round? Oh and you can still make smaller sculptures too :)

Super sculpey 1.5 inch Sea Turtle

Sculpting a Sea Turtle with Pal Tiya Premium

Painted and sculpted Pal Tiya Premium turtle next to polymer version

Pal Tiya Premium made Sea Turtle Outside

First though…Who are we?
We're the crew from Pal Tiya International, and sculpting is what we care about. Between us, we've sculpted for decades and used every sculpting material on the planet (no joke). We created Pal Tiya Premium, a versatile weatherproof clay for outdoor sculpture that is non-firing, and gorgeous to use.
Thousands of creative people across the globe have fallen in love with the possibilities of our medium.

“Pal Tiya Premium is stronger than any medium I have ever sculpted with. I love that it is waterproof and weather-proof. Also, no worries about vandalism. If someone kicks it, they will probably break their toe and probably deserve it.” – LaLa Ortiz

Super Sculpey Elven Gazebo

Painted and sculpted Pal Tiya Premium Gazebo next to polymer version

Sculpting a larger Elven Gazebo with Pal Tiya Premium

Pal Tiya Premium made Gazebo outside

Mixing

Polymer clays take a few minutes to knead and soften before sculpting. It takes about the same amount of time to mix cold water with Pal Tiya Premium to become a pliable "cookie-dough-like-consistency" clay.
As our product contains portland cement, you will require gloves when mixing and touching it.
You should always use a dust mask and/or a damp towel covering the bowl when mixing.

Foil Cores

Working with polymer clay is very similar to working with Pal Tiya Premium. First, you almost always begin by making a foil core.
Both Pal Tiya Premium and Polymer clays need to be just a thin skin over a foil core to work.
This saves a lot of money on materials.

Tinfoil cores inside polymer sculpts

Tinfoil armatures for Pal Tiya Premium sculptures

"Pal Tiya (Premium) is a dream to work with. Easy to sculpt and the best part is no firing in a kiln!" - Jeanne Grip

"Pal Tiya Premium is, without a doubt, the new revolution of outdoor sculptures. The versatility of this super sculpting medium is endless.
If you are interested in creating massive, ultra-strong, fully weather proof works of art, this is product for you!" - Brandon Love, CO

How does Pal Tiya Premium work?
You mix the powder with water to create a cookie-dough-clay-like mixture and apply it to your tinfoil armatures.

Do I need to bake or fire it?
Nope, Pal Tiya Premium cures under plastic with moisture?

Where can I learn more?
Get started here

Pal Tiya Premium is an extremely strong, all weatherproof, exciting to use, totally versatile sculpting medium.
Compared with other methods for outdoor sculpture, it is also an affordable way to make small to large outdoor sculptures that will last!

Super sculpey tiny Unicorn

Painted and sculpted Pal Tiya Premium Unicron next to polymer version

Finishing a Pal Tiya Premium made Unicorn

Pal Tiya Premium made Unicorn outdoors

Sculpting

Sculpting starts by applying a thin coat over the foil, then building up forms and details.

Putting Pal Tiya Premium onto foil

Sculpting with Pal Tiya Premium

Goblin in Garden

A lot of the most basic tools will be very familiar to you; hot glue gun, steel daub tool, ball stylus, small brushes, plastic wrap, spoon, and scissors.
Pal Tiya Premium also works best if you can get a square & trowel tool.

Pal Tiya Premium does have a set work time of two hours before it becomes too stiff to use. This is part of the strengthening process, which allows it to go outside. Polymer clays remain soft as long as you want until you bake them in an oven. They will always be quite delicate, but if kept indoors, this is fine.

When it comes to work flow, Pal Tiya Premium is best when you build up to a shape over several sessions. A smooth area can harden, so the following day, the next details won't smash the prior day's work. Polymer clays can be carved back, built up, carved and built again before baking.

With Pal Tiya Premium you can:

Get extremely creative, multiple textures can be achieved (stone, fur, wood, scales, rock etc)

Work on pieces over time - as long as a scratch coat (shown on larger pyramid) is present, you can continue to add to a sculpture over many months.

Make impressions with open weave fabrics such as lace & burlap etc

Be cut like fabric using scissors, enabling you to make clothes for your sculptures.

Polymer clays are excellent for fast maquettes and sculptures under 9 inches (23 cm). Above this they are a bit too fragile. This is where our medium is excellent. An artist is only limited by the size of the foil core and this can be several feet tall. Added armatures, such as steel, galvanized wire and cardboard can enable you to go even larger!
It takes exactly the same level of skill and tools to make a small figure as a large one with Pal Tiya Premium.

I have worked a lot with polymer clay & enjoy the immediacy of the material to create colorful pieces for mosaic additions in my artwork. And YES...Pal Tiya Premium is my go to for LARGE fabulous constructions where size is not an issue!!!!!! PS... I love that I can keep adding on to my work over a series of months. - Cheryl

Curing/strengthening

It couldn't be any easier to cure Pal Tiya Premium!
On the day of sculpting (when you're finished) simply wrap your sculpture under plastic. Next day, come back and wrap in wet cloths or towels. After 5 days, it will be fully cured and super strong.

Coloring/painting

Pal Tiya Premium dries to a light stone grey color. This provides an excellent blank canvas so you get to full creative expression! Go Wild!
You can color with:

Exterior grade acrylic paints
Acrylic concrete stains
Oxides (mixed into the powder pre-mix)
India inks
Spray paints

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Want to know more?

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