40–49cm Dolls Bargain Basement BJD experiment!

Hello all,

Like many people, the urge to make a doll is a "hmm can I make one for myself either more cheaply OR as something to keep my hands busy while I wait for a doll to arrive/my savings to build up".

So part of the project is to find out what is the absolute minimum cost for a viable BJD is, attempting to make a 40cm range girl using only papier-mache. Like many people mid-covid, I'm trying to keep my costs as low as possible in case of emergencies, as well as a general environmental desire to buy fewer things whenever possible.

Here's where I'm at so far:

Research
Thank you to Lillith in this thread for giving me confidence, as well as some background info, on papier mache.

I'm inspired in part by the existence of this (gorgeous) art doll which suggests it's theoretically possible, with skill and the right technique.

Papier Mache
Paperclay is a branded product, but it's also a generic term for "mushed up paper which behaves somewhat like a clay". I've found recipes for it online which incorporate flour, wood glue and polyfiller, but I'm trying to not buy any new things.

My first attempt is using toilet paper + warm water for paperclay to build up shape, followed by strips of newspaper in water+white glue once I'm happy.

First steps
So I've drawn out a (very generic) body schematic as recommended by most sources, and chosen a fairly "chunky" look so as to not be too challenging.

My first attempt made the "core" of the body out of paper bound with masking tape. Do not do this: it will be affected by the water from the papier mache, and therefore it will flatten over time and not hold its shape. My nice body, I started by doing the back of the torso, and it dried well and kept the shape of the back - but the front became a flat rectangle, and the sides also took on a rectangularity. So, going forward, do not choose something which is impacted by water.

At the same time, it did allow for easier sculpting - because when you press through it, it does "mould". I've replaced it with in foil and like it much less, because any "pointy bits" can't be thumbed away.

I started by doing the back of the torso, in a layer of toilet-paper and water. Very satisfying.

• You can shred multiple layers at once to give you big "chunks" to build up body quickly, or single layers for smoothing shapes.
  
• You can place a dry single layer onto the wet paper and it will immediately become wet, which is easier than handling single layers out of the the water (they tend to clump up).
  
• It can be squeezed and shaped once its on the doll
• And isn't too unpleasant on your fingers either if you're weird about sticky textures.
  
• To build up a subtle shape, repeatedly putting single layers in that spot will allow you to control the process - I've got a nice rounded tummy that looks very organic
• For drama, you can roll or fold thicker pieces, put them where you want them, and then smooth it into the shape by putting single layers over it. For example, for a nose or a brow

It takes forever to dry. I didn't put it on the radiator as I worried that would dry it "wrong", but putting it in the sunlight is very effective.

When it was mostly dry, I added a bit more wet toilet paper to fill out lumps and areas I wasn't quite happy with...waited again till it was mostly dry.

Then, I used tiny strips of newspaper brushed onto the model with a mix of water and white glue. Waited. Did a second coat when it was mostly dry, again to target areas which didn't work perfectly.

At this stage, it had become clear that the inner paper core was causing a problem - it was a reservoir the water, keeping the whole thing damp - which, I suppose, could be an asset in some situations. So I removed it, and it held its shape well. I then added a layer of newspaper/water/pva on the inside, and left that to dry.

I was extremely satisfied by how sturdy the outcome was. To clarify, this is:

1. One layer paperclay (toiletpaper + water) plus neatening up
2. Two layers newspaper (+water and glue) plus neatening up, on the inside and outside

But when you squeeze it on the ribs, it has resistance and strength, which is a huge relief.

Front of the body

Having discovered that this method will probably be viable to produce a doll which will hold tension when stringed, I then moved onto the front of the torso.

I replaced the newspaper core with a new tin foil core, which I hate working with but is less likely to collapse. Then, I began repeating the process. This included putting some paperclay on the sides of the body, to build the shape up there more to my satisfaction: it had become thinner than intended.

I'm currently waiting for it to dry; and I haven't yet added details such as a clavicle or boobs, because I want to get the overall shape roughed out first.

The big issue right now is that, obviously, reintroducing water to the model has soaked the back again, bringing up the possibility that if I put it down on its back, it will probably flatten. Now, this could be an asset in that - I can keep reworking the shape with water if needed. And in fact, the curve of the upper back was far too dramatic for my taste, so the fact it's collapsed a bit is a good thing.

I'm drying it on the end of my ironing board, so it's supported only on the small of the model's back, and hopefully this will minimise distortion to the back. However, I would like to find a really good workaround for this problem before writing a "tutorial", per se, because this is clearly a problem that will continue throughout the project.

In other news
I enjoyed working with my toiletpaperclay so much that I've already started another doll - in this case, it's designed to be displayed on the wall, so the back is supposed to be flat.

I'm going to use it as a test to find out if sanding works well; whether it's acceptable as a finished piece with no glue in whatsoever; whether it's acceptable without a newspaper layer. I've also successfully got an expressive face out of it, which is very exciting.

Right now, it has the texture of a disappointed sorbet, and I anticipate it'll keep collapsing a bit - the question is, how much?

tl;dr

Thanks for reading so far. Hopefully, the outcome of this project will be not only a doll, but a tutorial which will say "if you only have toilet paper, white glue, and water, you can make a doll to be proud of" - but please note, I can't say that yet - I'm still experimenting, and at any stage might discover that this is a lot of effort for a soggy mess!

Meanwhile, I'm happy to take feedback, concrit and advice ahead of the next stage.

 

Quick update; fuller one coming when my brain is less fuzzy.

• Sanding the doll is not working. It just wants to rip off layers of newspaper. I've tried putting on a layer of 90% PVC, 10% water - ie a brushful of PVC which I occasionally dip in water for better flow - to see if that gives the outer layer the togetherness I want
• I've neglected my BJD doll and focused on my "doll for the wall doll", just because it's being made in a single part and going well.
  
• I've ripped off whole chunks of my BJD torso with fingers and scissors in order to resculpt those sections, and don't know yet if it will work as a technique. So you can see the foil core shining through.
  
• I've started shredding my stash of toilet paper tubes to find out if they can be used to make an interesting paper clay, but it takes absolutely ages and my fingers hate it
• I've had to give up on using toilet paper as a medium due to covid restrictions, but Lillith has said that newspaper-based paperclay is viable, so I'm going to experiment with this next.
• Sorry still no photos. I'll try and find a hosting solution tomorrow.
• Teddy has shared with me some excellent photos of papier mache bjds he has in his collection - they are the bodies for dolls with a porcelein head. Apparently, the lightness of the resulting pieces mean that you don't have to string it under much pressure

I tried drying the body with the small of the back balanced on the bit of the ironing board where the iron goes, but obviously it didn't flatten but it still slowly curved under its own weight. I think suspending it might have a similar result. Was thinking of making basically like, a hat-display-armature for making the head on, and I think I need to apply that logic to every part of it - your cardboard armature is great, though, and I may try it. I think I basically didn't anticipate the extent to which this would be a problem. I'm thinking also making the body in two halves which you place together might be doable.

Initially, I was intending to make each body element separately like I've seen people do in the clay tutorials. However, I really love your "sculpt everything in one", and I think that's probably a neater way to get the proportions OK, esp as a beginner.

Definitely, I will up the PVC content (I'm currently on 90% water to 10% pvc),

I do like having the layers re-wet to an extent, however.I replaced the paper armature-padding-core with foil, and what happened is that as the layers wet they then sank into the crunkliness of the foil over and over, refusing to smooth down.

It's so hard to work in little layers, I get impatient and also, trying to sculpt out the shape feels like a process I want to do all in one. What was in your recipe that caused mould? I'm just paper/water/glue and hoping that's enough to avoid it - other recipes I've seen have flour, which seem like a clear no.

As mentioned above, I didn't enjoy tin foil as a core at all. When the paper re-wets, it sinks into those crevices, and I'm struggling to find ways to prevent it from doing this and get smooth, BUT possibly more layers is the answer here.

The glue I'm using is standard children's hobby white craft glue, which I understand is like...on a continuum with actual wood glue? But I don't know how much of an overlap there is. Other recipes I've seen online contain not only wood glue but also polyfiller.