How we make clay

Plastalina (or plasticine) is an oil-based, non-hardening modeling compound. Because it contains wax instead of water, plastalina remains pliable and can be used over and over again. It is smooth and does not stick to the hands and fingers, unless it is very warm.

Van Aken's plastalina is made by combining various waxes with different properties---ranging from soft to hard and from plastic to brittle---and melting them until well blended in a steel vat. White marble dust and pigments are added to the melted wax and mixed together with an industrial "dough kneader".

After being thoroughly mixed, a sample is tested by our chemist to ensure our strict quality control requirements for Van Aken plastalina have been met. After approval, the clay is put on pallets in large 'lumps' to age.

The cured lumps of clay are put into a machine which extrudes the material, and it is cut to size. The bars of clay are wrapped in clear cello wrapping (printed with the labeling information describing the color, size, use applications, and the CP non-toxic seal) which shows off the clay's vibrant colors.

Cartons are packed with the clay according to size, and they are put into the warehouse to await shipment to retailers, schools, and animation studios around the world!

How we make paint

Tempera is a liquid painting medium in which pigment is mixed with a water soluble binder. The word 'tempera' comes from the Latin "temperare" (to mingle, to temper), so really any paint is tempered paint, because pigment is not paint unless it is suspended in a liquid medium or binder so that it can be applied to a ground with a brush.

Van Aken's tempera paint is made by combining organic, and/or synthetic, ingredients in particular formulations or recipes. Every recipe is designed to create different colors, or qualities (like brushability, durability, color uniformity, opacity, brightness, and body) in the paint. For example, JAZZ, JR. JAZZ WASHABLE, and JAZZ GLOSS each has a unique formula.

The raw materials are combined in a steel vat with an industrial "egg beater". This color mixture is called a 'batch'. A sample from every batch is tested in our laboratory by our chemist for viscosity (thickness), ph or acidity, color, and weight. Once the batch has met our strict quality control requirements the paint is approved to be bottled.

The batch of approved paint goes to the filling line to be automatically dispensed into various size plastic bottles. Then the bottles of paint move along a conveyor to the capping machine where each gets a cap. Labels describing the color, size, use applications, and the CP non-toxic seal are put on before being boxed according to type of paint, size, and color. The cartons are put into the warehouse to await shipment around the globe!