Animation Supplies launches Chroma Clay, a UK-made, wax-based plasticine for stop motion

UK stop-motion supplier Animation Supplies has launched Chroma Clay, its own plasticine, in response to the closure of the factory that made Newplast. Newplast had been the standard clay for many studios, Aardman among them. Founder Andy Simmons said the company tested the alternatives already on the market, found none suitable for the demands of stop motion, and developed its own with input from professional animators and studios.

Chroma Clay is wax-based, unlike the oil-based Newplast. It is meant to be soft enough for fine detail but firm enough to hold its shape through a long shoot. The maker's product page lists it as handmade in the UK, in roughly 130g bars and 23 colours. Because it is fully meltable, bars can be melted together into custom colours or poured into moulds to cast repeatable parts.

It is the second successor to Newplast that SMDB has recorded, after the HUE Clay revival of the original formula. The two take different routes: HUE keeps Newplast's oil-based chemistry, while Chroma Clay changes the chemistry to gain meltability. The comparison is written up on SMDB's Clay page.