Original Sculpey® Fantasy Cute Dragon

Getting Started with Original Sculpey®

How to Bake Original Sculpey®

Before curing your Original Sculpey® oven-bake clay project, set yourself up for success with these professional claying tips:

Cover and protect your workspace:

Unbaked clay may damage furniture and finished surfaces, so make sure your work area is covered. We recommend working on the Sculpey Tools™ Oven-Safe Work Mat, ceramic tile, wax paper, metal baking sheet, or aluminum foil.

Condition the clay for durability:

Skipping the conditioning process can result in a weakened finished product and
increase the risk of cracks, imperfections or breaking over time.

Establish a consistent clay thickness:

Cracking can occur during baking if the project has areas of clay that are too thick. We recommend “bulking out” denser projects with an aluminum foil core and adding a supportive wire armature inside like a skeletal structure, especially for figures with limbs.

Test your oven temperature:

Many ovens are not calibrated accurately and are hotter than the dial's temperature setting. Use an oven thermometer to determine the correct temperature and adjust as needed. Condition and shape a 1/4 inch, or 6mm, disc of Original Sculpey® clay, then bake the test piece according to package instructions. If the clay has darkened areas after baking, your oven is too hot. Lower the oven temperature by 10 degrees and test again.

Now comes the fun part — it's time to bake/cure the clay!

Preheat the oven:

Confirm temperature accuracy with an oven thermometer and preheat the oven or
toaster oven to 275 °F (130 °C).

Place the clay on an oven-safe surface:

Transfer the project onto an oven-safe baking surface. For best results, use a piece of glass, ceramic tile or metal baking sheet with our highly recommended silicone Sculpey® Oven-Safe Work Mat. Because paper cannot catch fire at this temperature, you can safely place card stock or parchment paper between your project and the baking surface.

Bake the clay:

Slide your project on its oven-safe baking surface into the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake at 275 °F (130 °C) for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch, or 6 mm, thickness. For example, a 1/2-inch thick piece of clay should bake for 30 minutes.

Test the results:

Let the clay cool, then press the tip of your fingernail into the bottom of the project. The fingernail may leave a slight mark on a fully cured piece, but it should not enter the clay.

 Roll the following sized balls of clay for the parts of the dragon:

1 - 1 ½” ball (body)

4 - 1” balls (head, 2 wings, tail)

2 - ¾” balls (arms)

2 – ½” balls (thighs)

4 – ¼” balls (feet, ears)

Roll a thin snake of clay approximately 1/8” x 3” long. (for the horns and eyes)

Shape the largest 1 ½” ball into an oblong body with a bit of a narrower top

Shape one of the 1” balls into a dragon head.  Use your fingers to shape it so that the snout is narrower and a little flat in the front.

Attach the head to the body.
Marry the seams so it will be secure.

Roll one of your other 1” sized balls into a snake with a pointed end for the tail.  Attach the tail to the back of the body marrying the seams and smoothing.

Create two pointed ears with the ¼” balls.  Make an ident in each ear with the end of a paintbrush.  Attach the ears to either side of the head.

Take the two ½” balls and make them into teardrop shapes.  Press them flat and press them on either side of the body for the thighs of the dragon.  Have the pointed ends of the teardrops facing the front, bottom of the dragon.

Take two ¼” sized balls and make them into teardrop shapes for the feet.  Attach the feet one at the base of each thigh.

Take the two ¾” balls and roll them into snakes that are approximately 1” long.  Round one end of each for the arms and hands.  Before attaching the arms to the body, use your 5 in1 tool or your clay knife and create lines down the chest of the dragon. 

Attach both arms to the body now and press them against the front of the body.   Use the 5 in 1 tool and create indents/lines in the hands and feet to designate toes/claws.

Use the end of a paintbrush and press down on the center of the nose to create a nostril area.  Use the tip of your 5-in-1 tool and make two nostril holes.  Use your tool to make a mouth.

Use the end of a paintbrush to create two round indents for the eyes.  Roll two small balls of clay and press them into each eye indent.

From the 1/8” x 3” snake that you rolled out, cut two pieces away that are approx.. ¾” in size.  Point one end of each and attach these as two horns next to each ear and slightly behind.

Cut three more pieces from the snake that are ½” each in size.  Create three more smaller horns and attach them to the head in front of the other two larger horns.

Roll two tiny thin snakes that are approx.. ½ “ long.  Point the ends.  Press one over each eye to make eyebrows.

Take the last two 1” sized balls and flatten them into rectangular shapes that are 1/8” thick. 
Use your clay knife and cut away the clay to look like bat wings.  Curve going to a point in the center to another curve.  Attach the wings to the back of the dragon marrying the seams and smoothing.

Lastly curl up the dragon’s tail.   Make sure it looks good and all pieces are
secure before baking.

Bake according to package directions.  All to cool completely before painting.

Paint the dragon:

• Paint the body of the dragon Lavender.  You will need at least two coats.  Allow paint to dry in between coats.
• Paint the belly area Turquoise Blue and the eyebrows, larger horns, inside of wings as well.
• Paint the eyes White with Irish Moss Green eyeballs and Black Pupils. 
  Add a dot of White to each eye for light reflection.
• Paint the indents on the belly in Irish Moss Green and the outer edges of the wings.  Paint the three smaller horns in the front Green as well.
• For the rest paint in any details that you see fit.  Embellish the wings a
  bit, add highlights.  Always allow paint to dry between applications.