Studio Time: Color Mixing

Ah...I finally had time to get to a color exercise I've been dying to try out for a while now. I've been hunting out polymer clay blogs to give me ideas about things I can try, learning what level of quality I should strive for in finished objects, and new eye candy.

In the process I stumbled across Maggie Maggio's site and, in particular, her post on color scales. It looked like it would be a great way to learn the nuances of color. I ordered her book, but it's still in the mail. In the meantime, I was able to figure out the exercise. I made a necklace with it (below). The colors below were mixed from Fimo colors of Cobalt, Fuschia, and Yellow (I can't remember the name). Oooh, I enjoyed this exercise! I was a little frustrated with Fimo at first because I found it to be quite hard and more crumbly to get started. However, the finished pieces are shinier than the Sculpey I've been using without any sanding or buffing. I made organic rounds. It's a necklace for me to figure out what colors I want to use in a project. It took a long time to mix up with the Fimo clay. But, the results were worth it. (I did get a little obsessed...as in, it was hard to tear myself away and go to sleep.) I'm thinking of taking time to pre-mix the color palette so I can just work on designs.



A rough mosaic pendant. I strung it up into a necklace with these new stones that I found...Adulite...a Brazilian stone. I used to think it was dyed turquoise, but learned it was Adulite not long ago. Oh, these are SO my stones with the green and turquoisey blue. Anyway, I'm sure I'll retire this pendant immediately once I get a good pendant. This one is too rough.



I had stacked up the colors I didn't use into a pile of colors. The color gradations were so pretty, I sliced cane and made these pendants and buttons. I need to improve the joints/connections between the canes and retain the clarity.


More practice. I think these buttons and small charms are getting closer.


This pendant looks better in person. The picture blows up the imperfections...but, also make me want to work harder at improving how to join the slices more cleanly. Practice, practice, practice.


I made some tube beads and a Quilted Heart. Still rustic, but I strung it up with Amethyst and Onyx beads. This one is a keeper for me of my polymer clay beginnings.

I do believe I might be about to jump off the precipice into polymer-dom. I'm on a tool hunt. I must remember that I only used about 4 tools (of the many, many I bought) for lampworking. I'm thinking of "stuff I want" for clay, but trying to figure out "what I'll really use."