Munchner Kunstler Plastilin

We're going into teching next week and this is my first post on the production blog. On crew, despite my efforts to educate people, many are still referring to plasticine as mala (the Irish equivalent of play dough). Play dough is made with flour and will harden eventually when exposed to the air. Plasticine won't. It has a petroleum jelly and fatty  (aliphatic) acid base which is what I believe keeps it infinately workable. These are compounded with calcium salts which must give it solidity. (This opinion is formed from experience and not from any scientific background). Whatever the reason, it is a wonderful compound.  It is the oil paint of the clay world and came as a fantastic revelation to me earlier this year.

The word 'plasticine' is commonly used as a collective term to describe all non-drying modelling clays (kinda like Hoover and Tayto are used in Ireland) but Plasticine became a patented company, after it was discovered in Bath, England at the end of the 19th century. 

After research, I found that the most superior of modelling clays is the Munchner Kunstler Plastilin (Munich Artists Plasticine). It had to be ordered in bulk but I was certain before ordering that the Germans would make the best. It was actually discovered before plasticine by a chemist in Munich and it really is a joy to work. It is more malleable than the english stuff but is still strong enough to keep its shape. We will be using this in the show.