On cloud nine

Introducing my latest work - On Cloud Nine.

This is a return to poseable dolls. I realised that I'm not cut out for making full sculpts.  They always go wrong no matter how hard I try.  I'm pretty good at the poseable dolls, and artists like Wendy Froud and Dee Schiller make poseable dolls that everyone loves just as much as full sculpts, so I really don't see anything wrong with sticking to what I'm good at.

Since learning how to do needle felting I've found a new way to create bodies for my poseable dolls.  It works really well.

Anyway back to this doll.

I was trying to do a full sculpt for the Art dolls only challenge, which this time around is called Clouds.  The face went well but the full body would not cooperate.  So in a fit of pique I removed the head, finished sculpting it and baked it. Then I created a soft poseable body, making the arms and legs from clay.

I use techniques gleaned from Wendy and Dee and do them my way (I have trouble following instructions properly).

Dorothy WIP

I've been making a new doll After receiving three blocks of clay from my other half for Christmas. The doll I'm working on is going to Dorothy gale from wizard of oz.

My first head (there are always several attempts) was this one.  After making it I decided the eyes were too close together, and after messing it up I had to work on it again.

This was version two. The mouth was too big and I needed to add more clay to the face in general.

More faffing and this is post baking.

This is where I'm at currently with the torso.  I was faffing with getting it realistic, but then realised I am going to sculpt on a blouse so I needent bother with details.  I'm using Katherine Deweys book creating lifelike figures in polymer clay to get my sizes correct, although somehow she's ended up a little bigger than the 1:8 scale I was working to.  

I love this book and can highly recommend it. I don't do my faces her way, and I piece my bodies together a bit differently, but her proportions and way of building up the body are great so I use it for that.   Out of the three sculpting books I've bought I think this one is the best and worth the money.  She goes into far more detail than other books where you have to just know to blend or already have sculpting knowledge.  

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Updating dolls again

Sometimes a doll just doesn't look right to you, and you leave it and look at it and think no it's not right. 

I've recently been updating my dolls as some were made before things I know now.  My most recent doll the ice fairy I wasn't entirely happy with. Her eyelids were too heavy and her boots too clunky. So I took a scalpel to the bits I wasn't happy with. I removed some of eyelid opening the eyes more, and shaved off some of the nose which was a little too fat. I shaved off the heaviness of the boots and did a repainted on them and the face. 

I'm now much happier with how she looks.

I also bought some modge podge which I'd heard about but wasn't really sure what it was. It is magic in a bottle. I've used it to glaze all my doll eyes and nails and it looks amazing. Eyes have more depth and nails look real.  A real gem.

Bigger eyes and slimmer nose. She has a more dreamy look now.

These boots are made for skating.

Sew slow

I've been working on putting together this little doll for a while.  

I recently made the feet from polymer clay and added some wool roving to make them fluffy slippers.  Working on adding cover to the stuffing/armature now. I like to sew, I've done it since I was a child, but the needle always finds a way of stabbing me! 😄. She was without a body for a long time so I really need to get on and finish her.  The great news is she does stand on her own so that's a relief.