Biscuit is a popular craft modeling technique using a dough made from cornstarch and white glue. Also known as “cold porcelain,” biscuit does not require baking to dry, making the creative process simpler and more accessible. The dough is soft and easy to handle, and it can be tinted with colorants or painted after drying, allowing for infinite creative possibilities.
Why is Biscuit Popular in Crafting?
Biscuit is widely used in crafting due to its versatility and low cost. It allows for the creation of detailed and personalized pieces such as party favors, figurines, home decor items, and even accessories.
Moreover, biscuit can be molded into various shapes and sizes, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced crafters. Its ease of handling and natural drying process simplify the work, eliminating the need for specialized equipment.
Objective of This Guide: Helping Beginners Start with Basic Tools and Techniques
The aim of this guide is to provide essential information for those starting with biscuit crafting. We will explore the basic tools required for modeling and simple techniques to create personalized, high-quality pieces. With practical tips and clear step-by-step instructions, you can begin this creative journey, turning biscuit crafting into a hobby or even a source of income.
Essential Materials for Biscuit Crafting
Biscuit Dough: Store-Bought or Homemade?
Biscuit dough can be purchased ready-to-use at craft stores or made at home using a simple recipe with cornstarch, white glue, vinegar, and petroleum jelly.
Store-bought dough: Offers convenience as it comes pre-prepared with the right consistency and often pre-colored. Ideal for those seeking a quicker start.
Homemade dough: A budget-friendly option that allows you to adjust the consistency as needed. You can also add color during preparation, reducing the need for post-drying painting.
The choice between store-bought and homemade dough depends on the artisan’s skill level and personal preference.
Basic Tools for Biscuit Modeling
To model biscuit effectively, some basic tools can simplify the process and provide a professional finish. Here are the essentials:
Modeling Tools (Estecas): These are sculpting tools with various shaped tips like spatulas, balls, and blades. They help create delicate features, textures, and precise cuts, especially useful for figurines and detailed pieces.
Rolling Pins: Used to flatten the dough evenly to the desired thickness. Plastic or acrylic rolling pins are ideal, as they prevent sticking.
Cutters: Available in various shapes and sizes like circles, stars, and hearts, these tools help create uniform shapes, ideal for repetitive designs such as party favors.
Paints and Pigments for Coloring Biscuit
Biscuit can be colored in two ways: tinting the dough before modeling or painting after drying.
Tinting the Dough: Use powdered pigments or liquid colorants to mix directly into the dough, creating a wide range of colors.
Painting After Drying: Acrylic paints and fine brushes are suitable for painting dried pieces, allowing for detailed work.
The choice of colors and techniques can significantly enhance the appearance and personalization of your creations.
Varnishes and Finishing Touches to Protect the Piece
Applying varnish after modeling and painting is crucial to protect the piece from wear, moisture, and cracks. It also adds a glossy or matte finish, depending on the varnish type used. Acrylic varnish is commonly used for its durability and resistance. Applying it to finished pieces ensures a professional look and longer-lasting results.
How to Prepare Homemade Biscuit Dough
Making your own biscuit dough at home is both simple and economical. Here’s a basic recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup white glue
1 tablespoon petroleum jelly or mineral oil
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (prevents mold growth)
1 tablespoon unscented hand cream
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients except the hand cream in a non-stick pan.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.
Once the dough begins to pull away from the pan and has a mashed potato-like consistency, remove from heat.
Transfer the dough onto a smooth surface greased with hand cream.
Knead the dough while still warm, using the cream to prevent sticking. Continue kneading until smooth and uniform.
Allow the dough to cool completely before use.
This recipe yields a soft and flexible dough perfect for detailed modeling.
Proper Storage to Prevent Drying Out
Proper storage of biscuit dough is essential to keep it usable and prevent drying out:
Airtight Packaging: Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, removing as much air as possible, then store it in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container.
Cool Location: Store in a cool place away from direct sunlight to prevent drying.
Controlled Moisture: Placing a cotton ball soaked in water inside the container (without direct contact with the dough) can help maintain moisture.
If the dough begins to dry out, knead it with a small amount of hand cream to restore its softness.
Handling Techniques: Tips to Avoid Cracks
Cracks are a common issue in biscuit crafting but can be avoided with these simple handling techniques:
Knead Thoroughly: Always knead the dough well before use to eliminate air bubbles and improve elasticity.
Avoid Dry Dough: If the dough starts to dry, rehydrate it with a bit of hand cream.
Uniform Thickness: Work with consistent dough thickness and avoid overly thick pieces.
Layering Technique: Add details in layers, smoothing out the joints to avoid visible seams.
Controlled Drying: Allow pieces to dry in a ventilated, shaded area to prevent rapid drying and cracking.
Basic Modeling Techniques
How to Create Simple Shapes: Balls, Cylinders, and Cubes
Mastering basic shapes is fundamental for any biscuit project:
Balls: Roll a small piece of dough between your palms using circular motions with even pressure for a smooth ball.
Cylinders: Start with a ball and roll it back and forth on a flat surface, applying gentle pressure for an even cylinder.
Cubes: Shape a ball into a square using your fingers, then flatten the sides for defined edges.
These shapes can be combined to create complex figures like animals, human forms, or decorative elements.
Creating Details: Textures and Embossing
Adding textures and embossing can elevate a simple piece into a realistic design:
Using Modeling Tools: Tools with varied tips help create lines, wrinkles, scales, and other details.
Imprinting Textures: Press textured objects like leaves or lace against the dough for unique effects.
Layering Details: Small additions like eyes, hair, or clothing can be molded separately and blended smoothly onto the main piece.
Sculpting Characters and Detailed Figures
Creating detailed characters requires patience and practice:
Body Proportions: Build the basic structure first, ensuring balanced proportions for the body and limbs.
Facial Features: Mark the positions of eyes, nose, and mouth with tools, then add individual elements for depth.
Hair and Clothing: Use fine tools for hair strands and fabric folds, focusing on smooth transitions.
With practice, you can create charming and professional-looking biscuit crafts for gifts, events, or even selling your creations.
Painting and Decoration When to Paint: Before or After Drying?
A common question among biscuit crafters is when to paint the piece: whether it’s better to do so before or after drying. The right time to paint depends on the effect you want to achieve:
Before Drying: Painting the piece while it’s still wet is recommended for those who want to incorporate the color directly into the dough. This can be done by mixing pigments or dyes into the biscuit dough before modeling, resulting in uniform and vibrant colors throughout the piece. This technique is ideal for those who prefer not to deal with brushes after modeling.
After Drying: Painting after the piece has dried is the most common approach, as it allows greater control over details and the application of techniques such as shading and highlighting. Additionally, this method enables you to correct modeling imperfections before applying colors, resulting in a more precise and professional finish.
The decision to paint before or after drying depends on the level of detail you desire for the piece and how confident you feel with painting and finishing techniques.
Types of Ideal Paints for Biscuit Crafting
Choosing the right paint for biscuit pieces is crucial to ensuring a long-lasting and quality finish. The most recommended paints for biscuit work are:
Acrylic Paint: Acrylic paint is the most used in biscuit crafts due to its fast drying, ease of application, and water resistance after drying. It adheres well to the biscuit surface and offers a wide range of colors, allowing mixing to create new shades. It’s ideal for fine details, shading, and general finishing of pieces.
PVA Paint (Craft Paint): Also widely used for biscuit, this paint has good coverage and is easy to work with. Like acrylic paint, it dries quickly and offers vibrant colors. It is a good option for those seeking a matte finish.
Oil Paints or Ceramic-Specific Paints: Although not as common in biscuit crafts, these paints can be used to create more sophisticated effects, such as intense shine or specific textures. However, drying time is longer.
Fine Line Painting Pens: Special pens for crafts can be used for very small details, such as delicate strokes on character faces or signing personalized pieces.
For all options, it’s important to test the paint on a small area of the piece before applying it to the entire surface to ensure the color and texture meet expectations.
How to Create Shading and Depth Effects
Creating shading and depth in biscuit pieces can give a more realistic and professional finish, highlighting details and texture. Here are some techniques to achieve this effect:
Shading with Diluted Paints: One of the simplest ways to create depth is to dilute acrylic paint with water, creating a “wash” of color. Use a darker color than the base and apply it to areas where you want to add shadows (like clothing folds or figure contours). The diluted paint flows into the recesses of the piece, creating a natural shading effect. Once dry, you can soften the edges with a dry brush for a smooth transition between colors.
Dry Brush Technique: This technique is useful for highlighting the raised areas of the piece, such as embossed details or textures. After applying the base color, use a nearly dry brush (with very little paint) and lightly pass over the raised areas of the piece, creating contrast that enhances details and adds volume.
Gradient Use: To create depth in colors, you can mix light and dark tones for a smooth gradient effect. This technique is useful when painting large areas like dresses, cloaks, or object surfaces. Apply a lighter color in the center of the area and gradually darken toward the edges, creating a sense of volume.
Highlight with Varnish: To finish, using varnish (matte or glossy) can add depth to the piece. Glossy varnish can be applied to specific areas like eyes or accessories to give more life and dimension to the piece, while matte varnish can be used for a more natural look.
Tips for Drying and Storing Biscuit Pieces
How Long Does Biscuit Take to Dry?
The drying time for biscuit depends on factors such as piece size, thickness, and environmental conditions. On average, a small or thin piece takes 24 to 48 hours to dry completely in the open air. Larger and thicker pieces may take up to 72 hours or longer to dry fully.
Piece Thickness: The thicker the piece, the longer it will take to dry completely. Thin pieces, such as flowers or small accessories, dry faster.
Climate: In more humid environments, drying may be slower. In dry and ventilated places, the process can be accelerated.
It’s important not to rush the drying process, as this can cause cracks or deformations.
Precautions During the Drying Process to Avoid Deformations
During the drying of biscuit, it’s essential to take some precautions to ensure the piece doesn’t deform or crack:
Positioning: Place the piece on a flat, clean surface to avoid deformation. If possible, rotate the piece occasionally to ensure all areas dry evenly.
Dust Protection: Cover the piece with a thin cloth or gauze to protect it from dust without compromising airflow. This is especially useful when the piece takes more than a day to dry completely.
Drying Away from Sun and Direct Heat: Never expose biscuit pieces to direct sunlight or near heat sources, such as ovens or hairdryers. Excessive heat can speed up the drying process unevenly, causing cracks and distortions in shape.
Ventilated Environment: Place the pieces in a ventilated area to promote even drying. If the environment is very humid, consider using dehumidifiers or leaving the piece in a drier space.
How to Store Finished Pieces to Avoid Damage
Once dried, biscuit pieces can be fragile and require special care in storage to avoid damage such as breakage or color loss. Here are some tips for proper storage:
Cushioned Boxes: Store finished pieces in cushioned boxes lined with soft fabrics like flannel or cotton to avoid scratches or breakage during storage.
Individual Packaging: To prevent pieces from bumping into each other, especially if they are delicate or fragile, consider storing them in individual packaging, such as plastic bags or small separate boxes.
Dry and Ventilated Place: Keep pieces away from humid environments, as biscuit can absorb moisture over time and become more fragile or deform. Dry places with stable temperatures are ideal for preservation.
Protective Varnish: Applying a layer of acrylic varnish (matte or glossy) after drying not only protects the piece from moisture and dirt but also keeps colors vibrant for longer. The varnish creates a protective layer that increases the piece’s durability.
