Liquitex Light Modeling Paste

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Reported by Julie Tiu

When I saw a demonstration at the StampScrapArt Tour on embossing paste and brass stencils, I wanted to blow the dust off my stencils and try using them again! I should have bought embossing paste at the show because I had a heck of a time finding it locally. When researching this product, I learned there are people who make their own paste with regular drywall spackle compound, and that's fine. I prefer starting out with a ready-mix.

A few different keyword searches for embossing paste ingredients led to "acrylic emulsion," otherwise there was very little information. Enter Liquitex Lightweight Modeling Paste. It seemed like the lightweight modeling paste would be a decent substitute as it's an acrylic polymer emulsion with marble dust. Prices seemed comparable too.

To use the product, just take a small amount with a little spoon or knife, spread it over your stencil and then lightly scrape with a plastic or metal edge so that the paste remains in the design. It's like spackling a wall, but on a much smaller scale. Pull up your stencil carefully, and you're done. The paste dries permanently, although slowly, to a subtle sandy texture.

Word to the wise, if you don't have a sink nearby, have a tub of water and old toothbrush to wash your stencils immediately after pulling up off the paper.

used with brass (or other metal) stencils

The paste seemed to work best with the rigid brass or metal stencils. It had great depth, or dimension, with this combination. It looked like there might have been some chemical reaction with the paste and one of the stencils, but after washing the stencil, I couldn't tell if there was any corrosion. I'll chalk that one up to dye from the paper...

Very nice dimension on the snowflakes.

You can barely see this, but I went over the stencil twice and unintentionally created a "thicker" opaque layer (at the roofline).

The stencil was flimsy and curved, so I had problems scraping the paste level. Clearly, no fault with the paste, but I learned that it holds peaks and texture really well.

This worked great on glossy cardstock, too. What the paste should not be used on is lightweight (regular) paper.

This is my thinnest stencil (stainless steel).

The paste went down fine, but the paper started to warp and curl from the moisture. The stencil removal was harder than expected, too.

You still get nice dimension...

... and here's what happened when I pulled up the stencil. Really interesting peaks that dried just like that!

With Plastic Stencils

I had no real issues using the paste with these stencils other than I found surface scratches on the plastic after washing them. This might have been from my scraper, but it was hard to tell.

The small branch details came out well with the paste.

I didn't hold the stencil down very well with this, and made some visible smudges. While the paste was still wet (pliable), I could have wiped around the design. Slow drying time is something to consider.

Here are some finished projects:

Using modeling paste and your stencils is a great way to embellish a simple note card.

Is it too early to start thinking about... yeah, maybe it's too early.

Here I used a stencil in my always-changing altered book project. The paste was applied with a plastic knife, serrated edge down. And, it dried, peaks and valleys intact.

The paste didn't take too long to dry and was ready for paint. Acrylic paint can also be added directly to the paste before applying to your surface - easy customization!

I really like that you can look up the Material Safety Data Sheet, otherwise known as MSDS, on any product on the Liquitex website! You know it's been tested and approved by third-party agencies. So, yes, the product is non-toxic and non-hazardous, but there is a slight odor (reminiscent of hair bleach?).

There are other brands of modeling paste mediums and I'm eager to check them out.

Pros:

• Works well with brass stencils
• Great texture
• Can be mixed with acrylic paint
• A little goes a long way

Cons:

• Does not work well on lightweight paper
• May scratch acetate or acrylic stencils
• Slight ammonia odor

Liquitex Light Modeling Paste 473ml (16 oz) is available at Amazon.com, and if you buy it using that link, you'll be supporting Craft Critique!

Have you used modeling paste for this purpose? What other media have you used for embossed stenciling? We'd love to hear your stories!

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