Cernit Doll is the skin-tone line in the Cernit range, made in Belgium by The Clay and Paint Factory. The colors are semi-translucent, so cured pieces carry light the way skin does rather than sitting flat, and they finish with a porcelain look. It is a firm clay, which is what you want for holding fine facial detail.

Two things make it different from the rest of the range. It cures with a slightly rough, matte surface by design — that texture is the point, so it does not need sanding and sanding is not recommended. And it takes repeated baking without damage, so you can build a piece up over several sessions, adding detail, attaching parts and firing again.

All seven shades intermix, so you can mix intermediate skin tones rather than settling for the nearest stock color. They also take acrylic paint and mica powders for blush and shading once cured.

This one is the translucent flesh shade — sold in some markets as Translucent Carnation and in others as Translucent Flesh, both meaning this color. It is more translucent than the standard Doll shades, which suits ears, fingers, and anywhere light should pass through a thin edge.

Supplied as a 500g block — the standard format for this range, and the economical choice once you know which tone you want.

Baking: 230–266°F (110–130°C) for 30 minutes in a conventional home oven. Do not exceed 266°F. Repeated firings are fine, so bake in stages as you add detail.

About this color name: In French, carnation means complexion — the skin tone, not the flower. This is the translucent flesh shade, sold in some markets as Translucent Flesh.

• Cernit reference: CE0960500425C
• Color: Carnation
• Size: 500g