Cernit Gel is liquid polymer clay, made in Belgium by The Clay and Paint Factory. It is the same material as the solid clay without the binders and fillers that give a block its body — so it pours, brushes and flows, then cures hard in the oven exactly as clay does.

That makes it useful in more ways than one product usually is. It works as a bakeable glue for joining raw clay to raw or cured clay; as a medium for suspending pigment or mica; as a drizzle or dot for fine surface detail; as a filler for bezels and hollows; and as a clear coat that cures hard without needing varnish over it.

The bottle has a fine pointed tip, so it lays down a controlled line straight from the nozzle without needing a brush for detail work.

Getting a clear result: thickness is what decides it. A thin coat cures far clearer than a thick one; poured deep, liquid clay tends to go cloudy and can trap bubbles. Build depth in thin layers, baking between them, rather than filling in one pour. A little surface texture — fine specks and small irregularities — is normal for liquid clay of any brand rather than a sign of a bad batch.

Baking: the same schedule as the rest of the Cernit range — 230–266°F (110–130°C) for up to 30 minutes. Do not exceed 266°F. It can be baked more than once, so you can add a layer and fire again.

Ginger Davis Allman covers what liquid clay is and what it is good for in Comparing Liquid Polymer Clay Brands as a Coating at The Blue Bottle Tree. She has not tested the Cernit gels — the article looks at other brands — but the general guidance on layering and clarity applies to all of them.

• Cernit reference: CE1500030200C
• Color: Blue
• Size: 30ml bottle