Studio Secrets: Clay Sculptor's Kit (Dental Carvers, Loop Tools, Florist Wire)

Ships in 1–2 weeks. We put each kit together by hand when you order.

Your fingers are the best sculpting tool you own. These are the next best, and a lot of them come from a dental supply catalog, not an art store.

What's in the box, and the trick behind each one

• 10-piece stainless steel dental wax carvers. The spoon-shaped wax spatulas are the claymation workhorse for faces, lips, and eyelids. Studio tip: sand the working ends with very fine wet-and-dry paper until they shine. A tool with scratches drags the clay, and a polished one glides.
• Wire loop tools, assorted sizes. Use them to scoop out ear cavities, eye sockets, and mouths without smearing the shape around them.
• 24-gauge steel florist wire. Studio animators run this thin wire through eyebrows and lips so they can pinch them into shapes like the "oo" in "who" and have the shape hold. Heavier wire won't bend that finely.
• A small bottle of mineral oil. Here's the smoothing trick for oil-based clay: rub a little oil onto a paper towel and wipe the sculpt. It melts the surface just enough to erase fingerprints. (For polymer clay like Sculpey, use rubbing alcohol instead.)

Not for children under 14. The tools are sharp and pointed.