Making Schatzi - Dachshund BJD

Schatzi, a Dachshund BJD

I am still working on Aphrodite and the Feegle, but this is yet another project because I wanted to try making an animal. BJDs need pets, and Schatzi here will be the size of a Miniature Dachshund to the 1/3 or SD dolls, and a Standard Dachshund to the 1/4 or MSD dolls. If he works out well, I want to try a Corgi, too. I don't know how long it will be before I am good enough at this to make a housecat, though, so don't hold your collective breaths


I started with a good plan, and some notes on joint types. A stubby wee dog will be basically ALL joints, with very few major straight parts like humans have with their long limbs. The hardest part will be the hind legs, because I want it to be able to sit properly.


I'm working on this one in polymer clay first, which has its pros and cons, but they're pros and cons I know well, since I've been working with the stuff for over a decade now. I sculpt, then bake lightly, then add more, then rebake. Eventually I'll do a home junk cast in resin and refine that rough cast with Apoxie Sculpt. The end goal here is to have something nice enough to cast multiples of in resin.

I made a body tube shape and then cut it into segments, and it looks pretty miserable for the first rough stages. My HS art teacher used to call this the Butt-Ugly Stage, and every project goes through it, so it doesn't make me panic.



I worked the body into socketing segments, and made a paw and some leg sections. That one paw got duplicated by push-mold, saving me some work in making four different paws. I did have to refine all four paws, of course, but it was a good way to get them all the right size. I also made a headback, and that masky thing there is the rough base for a faceplate.


Neck with headback perched on it. I tried a segmented neck but it looked like a stubby diplodocus... so we're going with a mostly straight neck, with a cup base for mobility. This has been rough sanded for symmetry and shape so far.
The body wasn't long enough compared to the legs and neck, so I added another segment. I also added foreleg/shoulder holes, roughed in.


Progress pic- The body segments and neck, headback, leg and paw, just to check proportions. There's the rough faceplate too!


Without the eyes as more than big sockets, he looks like Zero from Nightmare Before Christmas. But he's coming along.
My sister's family has a Dachshund so I'm pretty familiar with their pointy wee faces and little arched noses.

Testing the shapes!


Sitting up. His legs didn't stay this long, because this test stringing showed me they weren't the right length compared to his body. Finally he begins to look like a dog! I tried a segmented tail, but stringing it turned out to be too fiddly, so this is the only pic it shows up in. Shame, because it was so nicely mobile.


Much refining later: Here's the one piece tail, and it rotates in its socket quite nicely so he can wag or slink, as the mood takes him.


This is a bad shot, sorry, but I've fixed his body joints to be much, MUCH smoother and closer fitted. Symmetry is the hardest part, I think, and he's almost at 50% done. He begins to show the shapes the final sculpt will have.

His little ears turn in their sockets too. The faceplate is nearly done, but I need to work out his eyes so they can stop being big old holes in his face.

 

Here's the little guy's face, being refined. I am still working on what eye size to give him, sorry about the empty sockets.

Here's a better shot of the body sections, as I was working out how to do his tail and internal stringing.


More later.

 

And a bit more space, please.

 

Also some more space. This will take a while.

 

And just in case. a bit more space for updates.

 

Aw, thanks! Glad you like his tail! I hope to complete him, though who knows how long it'll take.

Yeah, he is departing from the plans in several respects, because as I've been working I've been changing my ideas gradually. It often happens. I like his proportions better now, and when his eyes are in and that correct size he'll look much better. Thanks!

Thank you very much!

 

Well, you made proper constructive criticism, so thanks!
Updates of a sort today, see post #2.

 

Thank you! I'd like to get back to work on this little guy. He's been a great learning experience.

Thanks! I've been having fun with this and I can't wait to start working on it again.

 

My gosh it's been years. I will go through this and repair the images, I promise!

 

Hehe, thank you for your interest!
Unfortunately, my health has put a lot of my dolly projects on hold, so I do hope to work on this one again someday soon.

 

aw thanks very much! I work around health issues now, so my working-able time is pretty limited lately, but I would love to finish this little pupper. I'd need to be able to spend more time out in the Shop, which I think I can do if I can get myself a new shop chair.