air-dry clay for hand print?

Question

so i just baught air-dry clay to do my daughters hand prints for valentines day for her daddy and grandparents. i also abught temprea paint for the hand prints and some other things to put on them. i know when its wet i have to put the beads and what not on them but can i also write her name with the end of the paint brush when wet and can i paint her hand and print it in and let it dry like that or should i just paint the hand print after its dry. the box doesnt say much. also how long to dry??

Answer 1

What I do is let it dry overnight *before* I paint. It does also work better if you do put her name on it while the clay is still wet/soft.



If you paint it while the clay is still wet/soft it will just run off and not absorb into the clay.



Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I've never used air-dry clay, but if it's anything like regular clay, dry it sloooowly by keeping it covered with plastic and uncovering it a short time each day. I'd paint it when dry. I'd probably use acrylic artists paints, but I imagine tempera will work too -- it will just rub off easier.