33 Modern Clay Design Examples: Digital & Real

33 Modern Clay Design Examples

Indulge in a collection of inspiring modern clay design examples that demonstrate the realistic imperfection of clay like they’ve been shaped with fingers. Well, some are! But others are entirely digitally made, proving that the advancements of modern technology can literally turn every design whim into a reality.

Clay design has indeed become viral on the stage of graphic design. But how did it all start? While clay has a strong and long-history relationship with art, this type of modeling clay known as plasticine is a relatively new invention. It resulted from the need of a non-drying and reusable material. For the last hundred years and more, colorful plasticine has been among the first materials to promote creative thinking and imagination in children.

But this highly versatile material has reached unimaginable heights. Plasticine clay design has become viral in contemporary art, video, web, and graphic design.

First, we witnessed the apogee of “claymation”, i.e. the stop-motion video technique of using clay characters and decors. Now, clay design has fully stepped on the digital stage in the form of clay design illustrations, clay design ad campaigns, clay design characters, clay design animations, and more.

In this collection, we’ve gathered 33 creative modern clay design examples that truly make you wonder if you are looking at a digital drawing or the real thing. Can you guess which is which?

Example by Polo sp

Funny clay animation example

Example by Ines Pagniez

Example by Plenty Studio

Animated clay character design example

Example by Gurika

funny clay concept of character design waving animation

Example by Silviu C Gherman

Extra cool funny character heads made of plasticine clay

Example by Mohamed Chahin

Cute cartoony cow sculpture made of plasticine

Example by Alexey Ulanov

Memphis style design made of clay

Example by Adam Wiebe

Number six sculpture made of clay

Example by Roman Klčo

Really cute character made of clay funny chubby design

Example by Ramy Wafaa

Cute clay character design example

Example by Larissa Honsek

Abstract modern clay sculptures concept

Example by Anton Kakhidze

Amazing concept of business character sculpture idea

Example by Burnt Toast ®

Vivid color clay cubes concept idea background

Example by Olga Protasova

Cute character design sculptures made of clay

Example by Larissa Honsek

Inspirational bear clay design concept

Example by Tung Hsiao-Chieh

3d pigeon clay sculpture design example

Example by rian.tn

Magazine cover with clay illustration design

Example by Andi Meier

Creative space travel plasticine concept

Example by Commander Clay

Emag online store marketing banner idea with clay illustration

Example by Rares

Hand-drawn sketches on plasticine clay character graphic

Example by Lisa Lauer

Abstract concept art with plasticine clay playdoh

Example by Olga Protasova

Amazing creative shapes concept from clay

Example by Olga Protasova

Free plasticine illustrations set example for download

Example by Icons8

3D illustration art with plasticine clay effect overlay

Example by Kirill Zatsepin

Funny cute clay monster characters graphic example

Example by Metin Seven

 

What an inspiration!

Could you guess what technique was used in each clay design example – a digital technique or real plasticine clay? Well, some are easy to guess while others are really hard to tell. Designers are becoming really good in implementing clay design in various ad campaigns, new product launches, short animations, promotional posters, banners, and even more. It’s no wonder that clay design finds its place among the top graphic design trends of 2023.

Are you fond of this style? We would love to see your thoughts in the comments below.

In the meanwhile you may also be interested in some  of these inspirational articles:

Enjoyed this article?

Don’t forget to share!

Lyudmil Enchev

Lyudmil is an avid movie fan which influences his passion for video editing. You will often see him making animations and video tutorials for GraphicMama. Lyudmil is also passionate for photography, video making, and writing scripts.

ADVERTISEMENT
You may be interested in these vectors

Hey! You made it all the way to the bottom!

Here are some other articles we think you may like:

Looking for Design Bundles or Cartoon Characters?

A source of high-quality vector graphics offering a huge variety of premade character designs, graphic design bundles, Adobe Character Animator puppets, and more.

Browse our graphics