Modification (Complete) Making a Monster Girl: Hound of Tindalos [MnF Shiwoo]

UPDATE- 99% of the dead Photobucket images have been replaced with working Flickr images! Huzzah!

Here is my Flickr photo album with most of her progress pics that were originally posted here: Dacharsca Tindaloo

I've never done a project journal, so I figured "Hey why not?" So here we go hahaha!

My concept is a Hound of Tindalos girl, from Lovecraftian mythos. I'm basing my design and color scheme on the official Hound of Tindalos plush:


I've decided she'll be a Minifee Shiwoo head on a Doll Chateau K-13 skeleton body. I know, another Shiwoo. But I know this sculpt like the back of my hand, so there's no unfamiliar territory!

The reason this is in the mods category is because I will be modding her to have FOUR EYES! That means two more need to be made. Placement: lower cheeks/jawline (like the plush)

Here are my concept drawings of her, along with ear and faceup ideas.:






List of supplies (*=have):
*1. Minifee Shiwoo head
*2. DC K-13 skeleton body in green resin HERE!
*3. Xacto knife
*4. Other sharp tools
*5. Sandpaper (rough and fine)
*6. Magic eraser
*7. Aves Apoxie sculpt
*8. Respirator (particle and aerosol)

List of things for the doll (update 10/01/17):
1. eyes- has many
2. faceup- almost done
3. wig- has many
4. clothes- has many
5. accessories- made plenty


Pics of the head and progress to follow!
I hope you will all humor me and my project. I know some of you may be thinking "why not just have a pro mod it?" Well, how did they become pros? Practice and experimentation! If I never try, I'll never know.

Follow along on my Instagram for photos if these aren't up to date yet: Sara (Wolfie) (@pastelcrayfish) • Instagram photos and videos

 

I snagged an NS Shiwoo head from @kristo for a great price. She arrived last Tuesday.

05/17/2016



Today I took my last shot of her cute faceup and said goodbye to it, as I did my first round with a magic eraser.

05/22/2016

 

Thank you @Prince Monochrome, @borxanne, and @Lupie_Stardust!

I'm so excited to get started on her! I just need to get the last of her old faceup off and then I can start pencil outlining my ideas on her. I'll definitely be looking for input/advice as well.

 

Today's update! Scrubbed as much as I cared to of the faceup remains off with 70% isopropyl alcohol and a soft toothbrush.

image_17 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_18 by Wolfie, on Flickr

And then I started scribbling on her face with pencil. Used a ribbon to make lines from point A to point B, and made a rough circle of where the eye should go.

image_19 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_20 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_21 by Wolfie, on Flickr

Feedback on eye placement is welcome. I wanted them to be on the "ball"(?) of her cheeks, so that the rounded part would have an eye in its place when looking straight on at her.

 

@borxanne my worry is that they'll get too close to her mouth. I will probably wipe this pencil off and redo my lines with a fabric measuring tape so I can get the numbers the same for lengths on both sides.
And I don't have photoshop nor do I know how to use it. My sister could potentially help but I'm going off of my reference drawings for now.

 

@borxanne Ooh that's a good idea! I drew them forward facing but idk if I'll actually achieve that look. I figured the domes of the eyes would protrude, but they don't necessarily have to look forward.

 

May 28 update! Actual progress!

Today I finalized the layout of the eyes and measured lines to get them in the same plane on both sides.
image_27 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_28 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_26 by Wolfie, on Flickr

Then I began the cutting! I do not own a dremel, so I'm using a hand drill and blade (clay sculpting tools), linoleum cutting blades, and an Xacto knife. My thumb is sore and I cut my finger on the top of my Xacto blade (wtf?), but I've got both eyes drilled through and one shaped and partially cut!

image_22 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_23 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_24 by Wolfie, on Flickr

 

@borxanne I had my 3M N95 approved mask on the whole time, and I had her on a wet paper towel so the resin chunks wouldn't go far. I lucked out in that there was no wind this evening, and I was outside. My parents and sister were out on the porch with me, but they weren't close enough to inhale anything. Today was pretty big chunks and not fine dust, so I was able to keep all the debris in one little area.

@FifilsBored Thank you so much for the follow! I should have her other eye done *hopefully* tomorrow. I'll be trying some eyes out if I can, too.

 

5/30 EDIT- added pics

May 29 update!

I opened up both her eyes all the way today! Please see my Instagram for the time being for progress pics: Sara (Wolfie) (@pastelcrayfish) • Instagram photos and videos
I'll upload them on here when I'm not at my camp in NH with no internet (only phone LTE).

@borxanne I'm really happy you're interested in my project. It makes me happy that other people want to follow her progress. The N95 particle mask is pretty comfy and breathable. I also have a 3M 60921 organic vapor mask, and that one's a bit harder to wear (it's gotta be tight so no sealant vapor gets in, so it squishes your face a bit).

image_29 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_30 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_31 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_32 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_33 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_34 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_35 by Wolfie, on Flickr

 

@Prince Monochrome Thank you so much! I'll be trying eyes out in her later today when I get home from my camp.

 

@Kyra I'm glad you're enjoying the project so far!

So I tried out eyes today... I'm gonna need to carve her face more. XP I may bring the eyewells together (basically hollow out the chin area). I'm a little worried about structural integrity, but lots of companies are doing faceplates these days, so I might be ok. I can always reinforce her after I get the eyes to fit. Pics on my Instagram for now until I fight with photobucket. XP

EDIT- added pics

image_36 by Wolfie, on Flickr
14mm almond eyes don't fit...

image_37 by Wolfie, on Flickr
12mm almond eyes fit barely. They fall out...

I'm gonna have to carve more towards her mouth (inside), possibly all the way across. I'm worried the face will lose strength, but then again there are a lot of dolls with faceplates these days.

 

Update 5/31-
And now I'm stuck... I've carved into her chin as far as I feel comfortable (you can see light through the resin). But 14mm eyes still won't sit right. I had a plan for specific eyes (from Ersa Flora) but maybe I'll have to get them in 12mm. But I don't have any 12mm eyes on hand so I can't try them... I'm guessing I'll have to get the 12mm eyes and then epoxy the eye openings closed a little bit. I was really hoping to avoid that, but the openings got unintentionally bigger from dents and dings from carving... Sigh...

EDIT 6/1- pics added

image_53 by Wolfie, on Flickr
Drilling out the middle

image_54 by Wolfie, on Flickr
I see the light at the end of the tunnel


All hollowed mouth and chin cavity

image_55 by Wolfie, on Flickr
14mm ersa flora flatbacks in the fully hollow chin/mouth cavity. I don't have 12mms so I can't see what mod work is needed atm.

 

@kleine_kat Someone else recommended homemade/custom eyes on facebook to me. I just had it in my mind I'd be able to use pre-made ones, specifically from Ersa Flora haha. My problem right now is that I don't own any 12mm half-rounds on hand... I'm glad you like the project so far, though!

@borxanne My issue now is I don't have any 12mm half rounds. XP I've come to terms with probably rebuilding her inner eye wells.

@Lupie_Stardust I hadn't thought of silicone! Hmmmm that's an idea!

@kaschan502 Thank you for following along! I appreciate the support! :3

 

Sorry for the sudden lack of updates, everyone. I kinda hit a road block once I found out I don't have eyes that fit. XP
I'm currently debating making some for her, or buying a pair. Trouble is, I don't want to spend a lot on a 12mm pair of eyes if they happen to not fit, and there aren't a ton in the MP right now. I had a planned pupil in mind, so I'm really hesitant to back away from that idea, but I may have to. Sigh...
I'm also planning on buying her body sometime soon-ish. The new DC green resin if perfect for her, and I won't have to paint the whole body any more. But my dilemma with that is that there's no event going on right now so I wouldn't be getting more bang for my buck... So that's the other hold-up with the project.

 

@Quiet and Insane Omigosh I actually just placed and order with SnowBars on their Etsy site! Great minds think alike!

@Nill-chan23 Thank you! Hopefully I'll have more pics of her soon!

A small update! I just got some 12mm eye cabs from SnowBars on Etsy! Unfortunately they wont be here till the end of June. Oh well. These are the two pairs I bought to try:
tindalos_eyes by Wolfie, on Flickr

 

@Quiet and Insane I found them last year or so but I haven't bought any eyes till now. I tried to stick with the light green/blue theme she's got going on haha.
I also got some 8mms that I plan to put on those DIY eye blanks for a different doll.

 

Sorry for the lack of updates... again... I didn't think waiting for eyes would be this painful lol. That's what I get for ordering handmade eyes outside of the USA. At least they'll be ones I want.
Though I really hope they get here soon-ish cause there's a pair of SHeyes that I reeeeeally want for her that are 12mm, so I was hoping to test 12mms in her main eyes first since they're rather expensive... Heck I might just ask in the MnF discussion thread if 12mms work so I don't miss out on them. >o<

I also want some input from everyone who's following. Her head will be fully painted light green with slate blue markings (like the plush). She'll be getting a DC K-13 skeleton body at some point (I want to order during an event so I can potentially get "free" swag cause I'm cheap like that). Anyways, I'd like to send her out for a faceup at some point cause I don't feel that I can paint her head without the use of an airbrush (something I'm not really interested in investing in for 1 project). Question is, should I wait to get the body (could be like a year till I get it/it arrives cause DC is hella show) or should I send her out earlier and gamble the green color and hope the two match?

 

So these are the eyes I was watching and debating for weeks, so I finally bought them just now. They're 12mm so I hope to gods they fit (they're for her main eyes).
sheyes by Wolfie, on Flickr

 

@fourmist @Vampirebunnie @Quiet and Insane @kleine_kat
Thanks! When I first saw them, her character started to form in my mind as having those eyes. I really hope the 12mms fit her. It looks like the seller just listed a new pair of them in 12mm. They're urethane so no two are alike. I was a little concerned I was being sent the wrong pair so I just messaged her about it, but I think the ones that are listed as "12091" are just a new version of the ones I bought.

 

Still waiting on my eyes... They both say I can leave feedback on the 26th, and they've both shipped, but only the SHeyes have tracking. Ugh. XP

 

@diamondust Thank you! I really want to keep going with her, but her eyes are in shipping limbo so I can't tackle her eyewells yet. The ones coming from Russia have no tracking number so I have no clue where they're at, and the ones coming from Taiwan seem to be stuck with no update since the 14th. XP

 

@MCrowe I'm glad this project has kept you on the edge of your seat! The cheek eyes were a little intimidating to do. I didn't mind carving them, but when I had to hollow out her chin I got a little nervous. But the head is still all structurally intact, so what I have to add with Apoxie Sculpt shouldn't bee too much.

And good news! My order from SnowBars is in NYC! So they should be here in a day or so. Turns out they had tracking, but it wasn't showing up on the email receipt. I found the tracking when I went in to the actual Etsy app and viewed my purchase history. Soooo I should have an update shortly with how the 12mm SnowBars eye cabs fit!
Meanwhile, the SHeyes are still stuck in Taiwan customs. XP

 

And I've got a decent-sized update for everyone! I now have ALL THE EYES!

I got a surprise in the mail yesterday when my package from SHeyes arrived! Turns out they weren't stuck in Taiwan, it's just that the tracking never got updated when they reached the states (still wasn't after it was delivered).

image_58 by Wolfie, on Flickr
Ahahahaha $7 "free gift" my foot.

image_57 by Wolfie, on Flickr
Realized the box was upsidedown after the fact whoops.

image_59 by Wolfie, on Flickr
Just for hahas, in the cheek eye.

image_60 by Wolfie, on Flickr
So awesome, but horrible to photograph. This is under a lamp and it looks so dark!

IMG_6281 by Wolfie, on Flickr
Still dark under the lamp. XP

IMG_6284 by Wolfie, on Flickr
I knew, going in, that I might have problems with 12mms. There is gapping, but only when a flash is used.

IMG_6285 by Wolfie, on Flickr

Overall, I'm very happy with these eyes. Are they hard to photograph? Yes. Are they gappy? Yes. But they're gorgeous and so well made. The only thing I wish was that they were available in 14mm, lol. XD

 

And today I got my package from SnowBars!

IMG_6296 by Wolfie, on Flickr
Such a cute package and bag!

IMG_6297 by Wolfie, on Flickr
Little info pamphlet that I can't read cause it's in Russian.

image_66 by Wolfie, on Flickr
The eye cabs!

IMG_6300 by Wolfie, on Flickr
And the cheek eye!

I didn't know how tall the domes were gonna be. They're pretty tall. But I will make them work! Now that I have all my eyes, I can finally start to finalize her cheek eye sockets to maximize the fit! Woohoo!

 

@Quiet and Insane Thanks! I'm excited to start making her cheek eyewells actually fit some eyes.
I got a bit carried away when I was carving when I probably should have bought eyes and then modded, but I had it in my mind that I could make 14mms fit, which did not happen. XP

 

Okay, so as some of you may (or may not) have noticed, I don't have a name for my girl yet! D:

I'm gonna play around on this Lovecraftian name generator (Seventh Sanctum: the page of generators - random tools for art, gaming, writing, and imagination.) and see if anything calls out to me. If you're bored, feel free to run the generator (or a different one) and post any names that you think might work for her. :3

 

Yikes! Sorry about the triple post, but I have some actual progress pics for everyone! Yesterday I broke out my Apoxie Sculpt and went to work on making her cheek eyes have eyelids and a better socket in general. Hopefully I'll sand her in the coming days, but I may need to go buy fine grit sandpaper. I wrapped her eyes in cling wrap so I could have them in while working with the Apoxie.

Big pics ahead!

image_70 by Wolfie, on Flickr

IMG_6353 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_73 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_75 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_76 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_77 by Wolfie, on Flickr

image_78 by Wolfie, on Flickr

 

@Quiet and Insane and @kaschan502, Thank you for your support! I'm glad you like how her eyes are turning out, and her small eyeball collection haha. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to fine-sand them because I bought 400 (maybe higher?) grit sandpaper today.

 

So the Apoxie has been dry for a few days, but when I sanded and went to put the eyes in, I found they were still gapping on the bottom eyelids. The right cheek eye is a bit more gappy/lumpy than the left. I'm gonna have to add more to the eye wells inside to see if I can get them to fit better. XP

image_68 by Wolfie, on Flickr
Right eye with its uneven eyewell. :P

image_69 by Wolfie, on Flickr
Left is gappy but even so I'm not as bothered.

 

Thank you @kleine_kat and @Prince Monochrome. I'm glad you like the light effect haha.

I was away for the holiday weekend so I still haven't added to her eye wells. Maybe tomorrow.
I had to add super glue to the backs of all the SnowBars eye cabs cause the paper decals on the backs that make the eye patterns were getting cut up from me poking them with carving tools while trying to hold them in place to position them. XP