bjd

Porcelain Ears

in

Porcelain ears need to be simplified down to the most basic shape to be released from the mold, and then details carved back in after de-molding or after the soft firing.

 
 

In this stage, porcelain is as fragile as an eggshell, and can’t tolerate any pressure or force.

 
 

Carving of details has to be done with the softest feather touch and the sharpest of tools. Or everything breaks into pieces.

 
 

But when everything goes right, the beauty and permanence of high-fired porcelain is simply incomparable.

 
 

Next step is china-painting.

Such a pretty doll

in ,

img_3743This is an experiment with make up and tonal combinations. The goal was to create a face resembling Cinderella without facial resculping of mouth and chin. I believe the resulting expression is very sweet but not as haunting as Cinderella's.This particular snowflake crown is an example of sterling silver finished to a bright shine before the application of patina. Patina is a type of acid which brings out fine details, accentuates recesses and raised areas and gives silver an antiqued, contrasty look playing down the bright shine.  I always prefer treated surface to a shiny one because of the contrast it creates. Pretty as the shiny finish is, I find it reflects so much light from all the surface planes and a lot of detail gets lost in the glare. Although, as can be seen from this fine example, sometimes the untreated, bright finish silver is just the right thing to have.

I'm bored of my doll faces.

in

I'm quite bored of all my face molds and some body molds and long to make new ones. I've been wanting to make a few new faces as well as a new set of legs for Enchanted Dolls, but so far, have been unable to commit enough time to it. If I don't just sit down and sculpt some new ones soon, I'm in danger of dying from boredom. Or exploding with impatience.Don't get me wrong, I enjoy painting the faces I've got and coming up with different variations of expressions, tones and make up.  I rely very heavily on painting techniques to give different appearences to the same face sculpt and enjoy the challenge, but after a year or so of experimenting with the same set of 10 face molds I need fresh canvases.So, that's why I'm not booking any orders after August 2nd at this point; to make time and create more beauties. I may be able to fit in a couple a month, but I can't make any promises just yet. Plus, with the porcelain slip shortage situation I may have to go on a forced haitus for a while and working on new sculpts is the perfect project in the absence of doll casting.More doll faces!

New Costumed dolls in progress.

in ,

cixi-2pinkcrown5These two Enchanted Dolls are work in progress. Both are still waiting for their gowns. I'm working on them now. There are more pictures of them in the Costumed Doll gallery, but once their full outfits are complete, I will be doing another photoshoot and posting more pictures. There is also a third new doll on the way. I plan to have her finished within a week. Hopefully.Enjoy.

Bjd chest comparison

in

Finally I was able to photograph two different chest pieces side by side to show the difference between them. As you can see the difference is subtle. The new one on the left is more narrow than the old one on the right and gives the doll a more slender appearence. The new one also has rounder, slightly fuller breasts than the old one and has narrower shoulders with more 'armpit' space for the stand. So, the two main advantages of the new chest piece are: one, clothes fit it better, especially if they are beaded because on such a small scale beads add more visual thickness to the body, and two, more space for the stand underneath the arms and increased articulation of the shoulder joint. I like it better because it makes the doll look more dainty and delicate.