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
Example by Ines Pagniez
Example by Plenty Studio
Example by Petr Voráč
Example by John Larigakis
Example by Freddy Guerra Arellano, Sulfurica
Example by Thaffany Hladczuk
Example by Gurika
Example by Silviu C Gherman
Example by Mohamed Chahin
Example by Alexey Ulanov
Example by Adam Wiebe
Example by Roman Klčo
Example by Ramy Wafaa
Example by Larissa Honsek
Example by Anton Kakhidze
Example by Burnt Toast ®
Example by Olga Protasova
Example by Larissa Honsek
Example by Tung Hsiao-Chieh
Example by rian.tn
Example by Anna Bah
Example by Andi Meier
Example by Commander Clay
Example by Rares
Example by Lisa Lauer
Example by Olga Protasova
Example by Olga Protasova
Example by Icons8
Example by Kirill Zatsepin
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:
