Category:Plasticine: Difference between revisions

1932: "How to Model" series: "A Cow and Goat" [image info]

1967: [image info]

The modelling material Plasticene was invented by William Harbutt (1844-1921), and was manufactured in Bathampton, Bath, England.

Original purpose

Unlike its American-origin competitor Play-Doh (which started out being marketed as a "cleaning putty" used to remove coal-dust marks from wallpaper), Plasticine was very much developed from the outset as a clean, stable modelling material, primarily for art students to practice on.

While clay was excellent for firing to make permanent sculptures, it was problematic as a teaching material due to its tendency to dry out: it might have to be prepared "fresh" in batches and carefully brought to the right consistency, students would come in for their weekly art lessons and start to make something, and after a few weeks, the surface properties for further working could already be deteriorating. Reusing clay meant adding water to replace what had evaporated and passing it through a "mincing machine" type apparatus until the added water was spread consistently through the mix.

Harbutt was artistically trained and had moved to Bath to teach art: consequently the understood the usefulness of an art material for "training" that was ready to use out-of-the box and didn't "age" or require valuable tutor time in preparation. Unlike clay, Plasticine was oil-based rather than water-based ... but it had sufficient additional ingredients not to appear too greasy.

While Harbutt's initial market for his invention (produced in batches in his basement) was art students, the new wonder modelling material eventually found a wider market in modelling shops and toyshops, and ended up being produced in a proper factory.

Variants

• A.R.P. Plasticene – for gas-proofing rooms against poison gas attacks (~1939)
• Fibrous Plasticine – mostly for earplugs
• The Plasticene Dartboard – (yes, really)