Oh I'm looking forward to be able to make her, but I need to wait for money and some tools for dollmaking first I want to ask: does the center of the of gravity is well balanced? I'm going to use paper clay which I can buy in art shops or stationers. In arms and legs will be plastic drink straws, only body and head will have a core in florist foam. She's gonna be my first BJD ) I hope the joints won't be hard to make. If you have any tips or advices please write them down ) PS. I think she needs a name... I thought about something "elfy" like Shia'dara?
That is an awesome working drawing !!! Next, you need to figure out what size to make her, and which material to use to sculpt her. Please keep posting your progress with this girl. I think she looks great.
My original draw is in 1:1 scale and she's about 39 cm tall. As I said, whole doll will be sculpted in ready to use paper clay ) Now I have florist foam cores. Don't know how about photos of progress :pout I don't have camera, only that poor thing in my mobile so photos could be blurred etc. I'm a horrible perfectionist when I draw :p
Your elf girl is so statuesque, she could easily scale up to 60-70cm. I love your drawing. When sanding your paper clay, remember to use a respirator !!! This is very important. A hand-made doll is not worth getting silicosis of the lungs. I hope you will try to get some photos of her progress. Have Fun !!!
Thank you ) I love technical drawing and planning from A to Z :p This is my first BJD so I'm afraid a bit of final effect. I treat this rather as a practice. Next ones for sure will be bigger than this Ok, I will. May it be a surgical mask for protecting my respiratory track?
respirator and safety when sanding clay You're welcome. ) You will find that your love of drawing and planning is a good thing for making BJDs. From what I've seen so far, you have nothing to fear. This type of respirator is much better. http://batchix.deviantart.com/art/Sculpt-Responsibly-63549008 The respirator should have exchangeable filters as well. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for using the equipment. Good ventilation is also necessary. Ventilation doesn't mean having a fan blowing at you. The air should take particles away from you. Good ventilation is measured in how many room changes of air happen per hour. Blowing around the same dust in a room isn't good ventilation. Changes of air means that the air in the room is changed so many times per hour. The changes of air should be filtered, so you aren't discharging silica particles outside. Some people have mentioned using a lap board with a vacuum attached. That works if the filter in the vacuum cleaner is approved for containing fine dust/lead, etc. Artist's studios fall through the cracks when it comes to safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) doesn't inspect art studios. OSHA is in the USA.... your country may or may not have a similar government entity? It is up to each individual artist to practice SAFETY. You should know your materials by reading the Material Safety and Data Sheet (MSDS). You should follow the recommended safety procedures for all materials. I am not sure if MSDS are available for materials in Europe? If not, see if you can find an MSDS for that material from a website in the USA. It is so difficult for a young person to realize the dangers involved in breathing silica. The silica particles are inhaled, and they lodge in the lung tissue. The lungs build scar tissue around each particle. Eventually, the scar tissue builds-up so you start having respiratory problems. It is not reversible. So please get a good respirator, and change the filters as often as recommended. Sand your doll in an area with good ventilation.
The shoulder or upper arm joints, be careful of bearing them into the torso too far, her arms wont be able to lay flat to her side at rest if the joint and arm have no space. Hope that makes sense. Lovely sketch though, you have some talent there!
