I have started drawing some ideas for bjd design in August and so far I have a semi-finished model in Sculptris. After I'm done messing in Sculptris, I would like to cut the model into individual parts, probably in Blender, print them, prime them, make moulds and cast in resin. So yeah, a lot of work still ahead XD Hands have been the hardest part so far. I'm trying to sculpt some basic gesture and end up with some flat alien tentacles instead of fingers. I am also not sure whether I will keep the inner ear hair, it may be too weird Overall I love Sculptris. It is so simple to use! Below are some pictures of the drawing and what the model looks like so far.
Thank you! I'm reading/watching Blender tutorials on how to cut models, I think I will try something this week. I want to work on the face and hands a little more, but I think I have reached the point where after I touch up something I can't really tell if it's better or worse XD I think I will actually make single joints for elbows and knees. I like dolls with good mobility, but I also have seen some really cute single joins (Enaibi, Lillycat tinies) and I probably should keep it stupid simple for the first try :P
It has been two weeks since my last post and I have not started cutting anything yet! :P I have made about 15 pairs of crooked cloudy uneven polymer clay eyes, that counts as doll progress, right? I have added spheres to the model where the joints will be and worked on the areas around the joint. I think I'm almost done with the model though, I may make her legs a little curvier and smooth out some areas, but I should import her in Blender soon.
Possibly give her a little more curve to her thighs? I ended up doing that with Ludella. I think "straight" legs look great in a neutral pose but once you start moving her and posing her they may end up looking a bit stilt like (it's what me change my doll anyway). She is great and you are progressing well.
Thank you for the feedback! I added some... What to call it politely? Some more filament to her hips yesterday? When I was placing the spheres I had to scale the lower body area a little and ended up with almost straight legs. I think I'll have to print her to see if I need to change anything else. I imported her in Blender yesterday too, and the model actually looks very diffetent there, I don't know if it's just the color or how Blender processes the impotred .obj... Anyway, it has been fun awkwardly trying to place spheres where I want them in Blender for cutting! Will try again on the weekend XD
After a few hours of self-torture in Blender I have managed to cut off a hand (of my model) and print it! It wasn't exactly a straigh forward process, but eventually worked. Behold the result of hours of hard work and dedication: THE UGLY LITTLE GREEN HANDS! They may not look like much, but the fact that some part of my model actually printed is somewhat recognizable shape means the whole project may work out, so the sight of these little hairy pieces of plastic makes me rather happy
I've printed the head and the head back this week. I'm pretty happy with it overall. I'm not sure if the neck hole is placed right and it might be too deep, but the only way to tell if it will work is to print the chest piece. Will work on it tonight. I think I'll print the chest and torso as two mirrored pieces like I did with the head. I'm avoiding any kind of mesh manipulation aside from cutting in Blender. I will learn it eventually, but right now it just feels too much like doing homework XD I had to widen the eye wells with a little rotary power tool... The tool is $10 and came with ridiculous number of bits, burrs and brushes, I'm kinda curious how long it will last (here is the link to it http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/rotary-tools/80-piece-rotary-tool-kit-97626.html ) I've never used anything dremel-like, I really like it, as long as it doesn't break it will be very helpful for sanding the parts. View attachment 753
Thanks! I'm printing everything that is symmetrical in two parts. The head and chest pieces are done, only the second part of lower body is left to print. I didn't know if I would need to change anything on the model and didn't want to wait 4 to 6 hours to see what could be wrong with the part...
I have printed all the parts, assembled her and amazingly enough she can stand on her own! With all the gracefulness of C3PO! I will have to redesign both legs and arms, the knee joint was placed too deep and the arms need to be longer and the elbow joint also must be repositioned to avoid the elbow pointiness. View attachment 756
She's adorable and I think would look lovely cast in a peppermint green with those pink eyes! I'm very impressed (for what that is worth:-)) Her body flows very well. I'm assuming she's single jointed (sorry - dolly ignorance here). I wouldn't make her arms too much longer. I mean, yes, she's anthro so you can get away with a lot more, but it does look to me as though her fingers would reach mid/upper thigh which is roughly where you want them. She's got very wide hips (which look really nice btw), but they will make her arms seem to come up short when they may not be. Her elbows should level with the dip in her waist. Any chance you could include a picture with her arms straight by her sides?
I've been busy making molds and various related gooey mess. A couple of molds will have to be remade, for hands and head in particular, as they cannot be cast bubble-free with the first molds I made. I have such deep appreciation now for people who make their own molds at home XD
She is really cute. That's not a bad first attempt at making molds and casting at home. Do you use any kind of vacuum or pressure to degas the resin? If not, that may be what causes the bubbles, rather than the construction of the mold. Another workaround may be to add more vents for the air to escape, as you can sometimes get away with cutting them into an existing mold. It's not a perfect solution, but it can sometimes save a poorly designed mold and make it useable. I've resorted to that myself a few times and if nothing else, it will help you to pinpoint what went wrong the first time and how to avoid it in the future.
Lillith, thank you for advice! I am not using anything to pressurize the resin (yet), I've been shopping around for pressure chamber but they are pretty expensive :/ I may get one in the future, but not right now, I feel like there's more to be improved with the the mold making. I am getting rather large bubbles in places where air is stuck, like the ear edge. I have made vents in the tips of the ear, but it is not enough, I just need to orient the head piece differently when I remake the mold (turn it face down). The latest molds that I made for hip joint and thigh actually produce completely bubble free parts, it really helps to have a little bit of experience with pouring/injecting resin and understanding how it flows.
update I took a break for a few months and now I am back working on Mauri. I still need to make a functional mold for her left hand, but everything else can be cast somewhat whole. Despite all my stubborn efforts I was not able to cast a single part without bubbles :p So I dressed and painted whatever bubbly parts I have I am thinking to cast her through Haru casting service, however they suggest using either Vallejo or Tamiya primers. She is currently primed with Rustoleum, so in order to avoid any potential problems with haru's silicone I tried priming her with Vallejo. Primer came off pretty much in a single film chunk from most parts when I tried to sand her after 24 hours. Awful :XD So I am going to try Tamiya next. mauri 1 by Anna C, on Flickr
