What is Stone Art....how do I use it?

Stone Art is like paper mache, except that it has a very specific composition so that when it is combined with Powertex it makes a self hardening clay.

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Stone Art Techniques:

1. Apply a fine Stone Art texture to an existing object or on canvas: The easiest way is to work on a ready-made base such as Styrofoam, plaster or a homemade figurine in aluminium foil (cover with masking tape first for optimal adhesion). If you use Powertex Lead, you get a perfect blue stone imitation. Apply Powertex to your artwork and let dry for a few minutes. Sprinkle Stone Art in the Powertex layer by hand and rub the excess off. Repeat until the desired result is achieved.
2. Coarse textures: Prepare your Stone Art piece as described above. Apply Powertex to the surface again and press pieces of clay (explained below) in the layer as described above. Also reuse the coarser Stone Art excess. Repeat this process a few times until the desired effect is reached. Powertex can also be polished. Rub the surface with your bare hands or a woolen rag until the powder disappears and the surface starts to shine. You get a high gloss finish by applying a bit of Powertex onto the higher parts of the surface with your finger. Keep repeating the polishing process until the desired gloss is achieved. The more you do this, the darker the polished pieces will be. If you make your objects for outside, the powder will not stay on. Add a little white pigment to the Stone Art to preserve the effect. After drying for three weeks, apply two layers of Easy Varnish to protect the powder.
3. As clay for modelling: Mix the same amounts of Powertex and Stone Art, mix by hand and keep adding powder until you get a dough that doesn’t stick to your hands and is flexible to knead. This clay allows you to sculpt and make coarse textures on a wet Powertex surface (described above).
4. Add crackle effects to clay with pigments: Make clay as described above. Press a ball of clay flat until app. 2 cm thick. Sprinkle on colour pigments and rub them open with your fingers. Do this on both sides. Take a bottle or a rolling pin and roll out to 0.5cm or a little thinner. The crackle effect will appear while rolling. Always roll from the inside out with even pressure.