Plasticine is a putty-like modelling material; the word remains a trademark but is used generically.
Invented by art teacher William Harbutt of Bathampton, near Bath, England, Plasticine was developed circa 1895 as a substitute for clay, and first 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 also 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).
See also
de:Plastilin
