Introduction: Teh first doll. For my first project i have used the Yoshida and Aimi-doll guide. I am not satisfied with the aesthetic, but it wasn't the point, i had to get the basis first. So here; a shipment of fail and pain. View attachment 348
Took me 200 hours to get teh first one but i did learn a lot, so after a quick read of "Zen & The art of articulating dolls" i have decided to crank it up a bit: Double joints and articulated torso. View attachment 349
She's thin, i bit too much but i can live with that. View attachment 353 Feel free to criticize or comment. (sorry for the broken English).
Your discipline and the fact that you took your time to learn the basics properly really shows through, here. Is your second doll more to your own aesthetic tastes, other than being a bit thin? Also, welcome to the forum!
Sailor: Absolutely, i am closer to my own golden ratio. You can notice some approximation in proportions and anatomic details, to correct that i have to take carving courses. My objective in the long run is a 70cm porcelain bjd, i'll start working on the master once that one is fired. (two or three more doll first should be a good training) I still have a lot to learn to get what i want. I hope my best will be enough. View attachment 354
I like the direction her face is headed. As for thin, that's easy to fix. Adding a layer here and there is (for me) easier than carving chunks off and smoothing back out again.
Glyndon: The clay i use is not forgiving, adding on a dry part results in massive cracks that i have to fill endlessly. Update: I just gave a part of the doll to my local potter to be fired,(800° first then 1200° [1470F then 2160F])(I have yet to see what will happen since i never cooked this clay before. He agreed to let my buy his own clay for now on. *PS; the second doll is 50 cm tall (19.7 inches) not 40, the first is 60 cm tall (23.6 inches).
It's actually very easy to revive bone dry earth clay: Place it in a bag, mist the piece, twist the bag tight, leave it overnight, check it again in the morning. Repeat as necessary. From there, it's really easy to add mass: Score, using a fork or needle-tool, and then add slip, the thin goop that settles at the bottom of a dish filled with clay that has a layer of water over it. And if you find that your pieces warp or shrink, you may need to hollow your pieces and dry them more slowly. To dry my BJD pieces, I place them in a bag, twist it once or twice, and leave it for a week between checks. When I'm confident the pieces are dry, I take them in and my kiln master does the rest =) PS: If you'd like some tips if something goes wrong, or you'd like to swap battle stories, please feel free to message me!
