Plasticine is a putty-like modelling material; the word remains a trademark but is used generically. In the US, the generic term modeling clay is much more widely used, and many people are not quite sure what "plasticine" is, although the particular brand is available.
Some claim Plasticine was invented by Franz Kolb of Munich, Germany. In 1880 he sold "Kunst-Modellierton" ("art-model-hone"), his invention was similar, but Plasticine as known widely was invented by art teacher William Harbutt of Bathampton , near Bath, England as a substitute for clay, in 1897. Ever since, Plasticine has been used as a teaching tool for its soft, malleable and non-hardening characteristics. Particularly popular with children, it is available in a variety of colours and has been on sale to the public since 1908.
Plasticine is used in animation, one of its main exponents being Nick Park who used characters modelled in Plasticine to win Oscars for his short films The Wrong Trousers (1992) and A Close Shave (1995). This technique is known as Claymation.
Plasticine is also used in party games such as Cranium, Rapidough and Barbarossa.
See also