Aesthetics ClochetteCraft #1: GL Hertz Customization

Oh, hello there!

This shall be the Project Journal for my Guard-Love Hertz, which I ordered with the Ver. 3 double-jointed angel body. This is my first ever (!!!) BJD project, so I expect there to be many bumps along the road, but I am very excited

To be honest, he was a bit of an impulse order. I do adore the eyes of the sculpt, but looking back, I really prefer the Ver. 2 body that was offered, and I actually tend to prefer sculpts with mouths now... Still, despite any possible regrets, I have grown quite fond of the boy. He has been sitting on my shelf in his "natural" state for quite a while now as I have gathered supplies for the faceup. Even before any work had been done, I came to appreciate his presence.

Now, the gathering is complete! Mostly... I need to find the right eyes, still, as I am not satisfied with the ones I ordered previously, and his wig has yet to arrive. But in terms of face-up supplies -- yes, completeness!!!

I will cover the intended concept and give myself a bit of a checklist here in this main post, and then update about the journey in replies.

My Hertz was purchased for the purposes of creating a doll of Kagehira Mika. He will be a "secondary creation" of sorts, though I already have the inkling of a feeling that he will take on his own life separate from that source ... Regardless, that is the reference material. Hertz was chosen for the project because of his eye shape (and, embarrassingly, because the promotional photos were quite "Mika-esque." I suppose I am not immune to advertisement.)

Mika himself is capable of falling under quite a few appeals. He could be considered an unintentional master of the cool-cute-creepy trifecta (among other things). For this doll in particular, I will be leaning into the "cool" side of him, in a broad sense. I hope for him to look a bit mischievous, in an alluring way. It will possibly end up having the energy he may give off in a photoshoot in-universe.

The doll's tentative nickname is "Miitan," but I have also commonly referred to him as "Mikadoll" up until this point. I will figure this out concretely once he is complete and I truly "know" him.

I decided to give body blushing a go, just to have the experience. If the results are not enjoyable I will just skip this part when doing maintenance on him in the future. Because of this, I have him unstrung as of writing this. So, I suppose I will also be giving restringing a go "for the experience."

I have ordered him a wig, but if I do not like it much, I may attempt to make my own.



Here's what must be done...

• Clean & Seal
• Body Blushing
• Faceup (In Progress!)
• Eyelashes?
• Eyes
• Restringing
• Wig (In Progress!)

Finished tasks will be Greyed and Slanted.

Thank you very much for stopping by!

 

Good afternoon...
I have made a bit of progress, so it is time for the first update! I have a lot of thoughts to share, as this has already been a big learning experience.

***

Body Blushing...
In what was perhaps not the smartest move, I opted to do the body blushing before working on his face. I have him unstrung. It may sound silly, but posting him in that state feels too intimate, somehow...? As such, I will add photographs of the results in a later update, after he has been restrung.

The bit about it not being the smartest is there because, as it turns out, cans of MSC hold less than I had imagined! The process of applying initial and final layers of sealant to a bunch of 1/4 body parts used up most of it. I do have a can of Testors Dullcote, so we will see how that goes for the face-up...

I have blushed his torso and chest pieces, along with his hands and feet. I originally planned to do the limbs, as well, so I did seal the thigh, calf, upper arm, and forearm pieces. However, for the sake of using less sealant, I decided that I would skip them. This is not a huge loss -- I was not sure I would have loved the look of blushed knees next to un-blushed joints anyway.

Some of the things I learned during the process are as follows: I should have been more thorough about cleaning the base doll; The application of masking tape should be considered; I do not need to be too gentle when applying pastels; Getting the pastels wet was not smart; and keeping a nice manicure is a real challenge when doing these crafts

During the cleaning phase, I was scared of overusing the magic eraser. A few tiny marks were left intact purely because I did not want to use force. I regret this for visual reasons, even if I know I can remove them once I inevitably have to remove and redo the body blushing as it chips. There are some areas where the texture of the sealant is not uniform due to this, as well. I will be more thorough in the future.

Before applying the base layers of sealant to the body pieces, I had applied masking tape on the areas that joints will rub against. I was too liberal with this, and ended up covering some parts that did not need covered, assuming I would probably not put pigment there, only to regret it later. Lesson learnt! I used two different brands of tape, and one left more of a residue, which was a bit annoying (but easily fixable). I also think that swapping out the masking tape between sealing sessions, and keeping the shapes neat, will do me good in the future, based on my observations.

When doing the actual blushing, I originally used much too light of a touch with the pigment, or barely picked any up on my brush at all. I found an amount of pressure that I liked through trial and error, but this is another case of my instinct to treat the doll too preciously causing setbacks. I must keep in mind that any changes I end up not liking can be cleaned off in the future! I actually did start on the face, at one point, but when trying to clean off some pigment with a damp q-tip, the liquid spread and messed up my progress. I had to wipe it clean for a fresh start, which, while aggravating, was proof that mistakes are not always permanent, and I should relax a bit. I also did not realize just how persistent the pastels would be! Even when being careful, a bit of dust would catch on my glove or my work station, and it would transfer onto the doll very easily...

Speaking of gloves -- while researching, there were many different opinions on if wearing them is a good idea or not. In the end, I used a single glove on the hand that would be holding the pieces up. My nails are somewhat long, and usually painted, so I wanted to minimize the chances of scuffing or scratching the doll. I tried vinyl, nitrile, and latex, but all three make my skin sweat uncomfortably, so I will either have to purchase some cotton gloves, or just go without.

Sealants...
I used MSC UV-Cut Flat for the majority of the time, though I switched to Testors Dullcote at times for reasons mentioned earlier. The body pieces were finished off with a layer of Dullcote and then a layer of MSC on top of that, as I have heard MSC is better on the body, and the face has been prepped with the Dullcote.

This part of the project has been the trickiest. Planning my next moves around the weather outside, figuring out how to prop up the pieces for spraying and drying, and getting a feel for the application process was more time consuming than the actual blushing. I ended up using Tack-It to attach the parts of the doll to little pieces of cardboard. That worked for everything except the chest piece, which I had to attach to a paintbrush and hold upright.

I found that the MSC went on more smoothly, and only beaded up if I was too heavy with my application. The Dullcote, however, did not always let out an even spray. It sort of sputters on the way out sometimes. I had to warm it up for longer than the MSC to help with that. I also noticed that I am able to smell the Dullcote a bit even with the respirator on, which was not an issue with the MSC. But, overall, I am getting the hang of it as I go along.

Admittedly, there were definitely moments of user error... On one instance, I unthinkingly tapped an area on the chest where the MSC had beaded up with my gloved finger (to "smooth it out," I guess?), which left a bit of strange texture behind. It could have been worse!

Bits & Pieces...
The face-up comes next. The base sealant has been applied, so it is time to get to work. I have a mock-up design prepared to reference, but I get the feeling I will adjust the plan along the way. It is difficult settling on a mouth... I want to have it closed, but also have his snaggletooth show...

The eyes I had ordered from ACBJD have arrived.* The doll's official measurements said 14-16mm, so I got three kinds to try; 14mm, 16mm, and 16mm with a small iris. I ordered six pairs in total, since he has heterochromia... Which came back to bite me, because it turns out I do not like any of them on him! The actual eyes are lovely, but the 14mm don't fit his head snugly, the 16mm have an iris that's too large, and they are too small on the small iris ones! If the finished face-up does not change how I feel about them, I will need to find the "Goldilocks" of iris sizes, I guess
* For reference, the eyes I ordered were: EHA004-S + EHA002-S in 16mm, EHA510 + EHA504 in 16mm, and EHC022 + EHC004 in 14mm.

I also received a wig from ENADOLL on Etsy. I got it in "H," at the seller's recommendation. The color is not exact, but it is close enough... I like that it reflects teal-ish in strong lighting. The bangs look like they might be a little short, but I have not put it on the head properly yet to test. When I do, I will take pictures to show off!

***

I apologize that this is such a long-winded post, by the by. I want to leave thorough notes for my future self to reference, as my memory can be spotty. Thank you to anyone who stops by! Feel free to leave a message in the thread, though there is probably not much to comment on yet.

P.S. I did not anticipate how many strange looks my housemates would give me, but I suppose walking around with a respirator or holding a naked torso is not everyday behavior.

P.P.S Oh, right! I wanted to keep track of what music I play while working on the doll. I have thus far tried to pick things that I think he would like, to get myself in the right mindset... For some reason, it felt quite important to me? I will add it here at the end -- but if this section is considered too off-topic, let me know, and I will remove it.

♫ Update Soundtrack
My Chemical Romance's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge & The Black Parade
Malice Mizer's Mémoire & Merveilles

 

Good evening...
My apologies for the extremely delayed update; weather changes and fluctuating motivation levels both played their part, and I must admit that I was also procrastinating, plain and simple. Much has happened to this dear doll since my last post, so let us get caught up!

***

The Faceup...
...is not yet complete! But I do think I am getting there. As of right now, he has his drawn lashes and eye lines, eyebrows, and mouth done in watercolor pencil. I am still going to go over certain details with acrylic paint, and, of course, I will add pastels.

The truth of the matter is that I actually started with pastels, but after learning the hard way that you should really not use alcohol for touch-ups mid-face-up, I had to scrub the head clean and start all over again.* The whole ordeal ate up quite a bit of my time! So, when beginning once more, I decided to start with the pencils. It seemed logical to me that if, stars forbid, I should have to restart again, it would most likely be due to errors with the eyes or eyebrows. May as well get it out of the way, yes?
* This may have actually been the second time, after re-reading my last post. Gosh.


And, well, there certainly were errors, but I have decided against restarting a second time (for now)...
I came to realize while working on the sketch layer that, despite it being easy to remove mistakes or clean edges of the watercolor pencil with water on a q-tip, it also seemed easy for it to stain the sealant. However, as far as I can tell, this is not a super common problem? My best guess is that I was not waiting long enough after wiping a spot to go back over it, and the resin/sealant must have still had some water absorbed into it that was activating the pencils. Repeat, repeat, repeat, and you're left with a faint smudgy stain—is that it? Do any reading this know? I may have to ask in a separate thread sometime. My only other guess is that others do not deal with stains often simply because they do not have to go over the same area so many, many times, and if this is the case, then the passage of time and gathering of experience should help solve the issue naturally. Because of this, the mouth shape was adjusted along the way from a planned small, closed mouth smile into a small open circle, and, finally, a slightly larger open mouth smile, all for the sake of being able to cover up lightly stained areas with the white of his teeth.
* For the record, I am using Derwent brand Watercolour Pencils, labeled as professional quality, so I doubt it is the pencils themselves. Hm...?!

Overall, disregarding the smudgy or stained areas, it turned out okay, but I struggled a lot with making both sides even. My main conclusions were: next time, I should work on a more realistic head with a sculpted mouth and eyelid & experience being as important as it is, and sealant being as expensive as it is, I will see this through to the end as-is. The face-up can be re-done later this year, or really anytime, so I will not be a perfectionist this time around. This is a learning experience, even if the amount of flaws in my work so far are deeply frustrating to me

(Also, I have decided that I will go over his eyebrows in black on the next layer, since the green looked jarring when held next to his wig.)

Spoiler: Images

Sketch


Second Layer
* Eyebrows were added after picture was taken, sorry.

Restringing...
Currently, it is dreadfully humid where I live, with thick fog lasting all through the days and into the night. So, knowing I would not be able to seal much for a while, I thought I should work on his wig instead. However, I do not own a wig stand, nor a bust stand for BJD heads, so instead of risking sticking the head onto something it was not made for while styling the wig, I decided to go ahead and restring the body now. It was certainly a workout, but I got it done within a couple hours! Probably not an impressive time, but it was my first. The legs gave me the most trouble, as well as the small S-hooks that attach the hands and feet.

For this restringing, I stuck with the same elastic that he came with originally, since I had only taken him apart for blushing and not due to loose joints. I used bits of ribbon or yarn, as well as an actual restringing tool, to get the elastic through the pieces. Chopsticks and thin paintbrushes worked as my anchors for the string when needed.

I found the proper restringing tool to be hit or miss. It was nice for the torso, and I did end up needing it on the legs, but the metal of it needing to be somewhat bendable also meant that the tip of it kept getting out of shape, widening and getting itself caught on edges instead of flowing nicely through. Next time, I should have a more durable string or twine ready to use for the legs instead.

The resistance from the elastic is tough, is it not?! It felt like I was hurting the poor thing, though I am aware it does not work like that. I was so relieved once all the limbs were finally in place! However... The S-hooks his hands and feet came with are the sort with one "closed," curved-in end, which is meant to attach to the bars in the pieces, while the more open end attaches to the string. I was only able to get one of the four on by myself, and I cannot imagine how the doll-makers managed! My father helped me use pliers to slightly open up the curved ends of the other three hooks after I declared defeat, and even after that, it was a very tight squeeze.

Seeing him all put back together like this, minus the head, I did feel satisfied with the overall results of my body blushing, though there is much room for improvement. I do wish I had done the thighs, though I know it is less recommended.

Spoiler: !DOLL NUDITY!

Before Hook Adjustments



Hands & Feet, Now Complete!





Close-Up x 2

Bits & Pieces...
As I mentioned, I plan to work on his wig until the weather becomes more agreeable to Mr. Super Clear himself. So far, all I have done is boil wash the wig from ENADOLL I mentioned in my last update to straighten it out, so there is not much to share. Hopefully, when we next meet, I will have it all nice and styled. I did purchase the Dollfie Water Wax from VOLKS USA, so I will give that a shot.

Also, I bought a few more pairs of eyes (I know...), and I am still not satisfied with how the scale of the irises on any of them suit his eye shape. This is not the fault of the artists, though, as they are all lovely eyes on their own. In the end, I decided to do what it seems that many face-up artists do for anime-style heads and leave a bit of blank resin on the side of the eyes for the illusion of a wider sclera. I am hoping that will help me get used to one of the pairs that I have. I cannot keep buying more eyes that will not work for his sculpt, as pretty as they are!

***

Next we meet, I hope to show you the finished product. I am very excited to get to know him myself! My sweet little Mika doll ... I cannot wait to dress him up and take lots of photographs!

♫ Update Soundtrack
My Chemical Romance
Malice Mizer - Mémoire
Ave Mujica
Valkyrie
Plus: Various Buck-Tick lives and misc. v-synth playlists
* No album name = full discography, or I jumped around.

 

I purchased a couple on Etsy before that last update, and they do seem to be more likely to work... The irises felt a little wide, still, but I think that once the face is complete it may help. If not, I may try making my own as you said!

Purchasing on Etsy is probably what I should have done from the start regardless of eye style, since being able to message the artists meant I could just ask for one yellow and one blue instead of buying two whole pairs