66cm+ Dolls Sculpting my first dolls--Rachael and Martha

Hi! I'm totally new to sculpting dolls, so this will be a fun project for me! I actually plan for this to be for my senior show at university, too.

I started off making cores out of plastic bag because I didn't have any foam or aluminum foil, and I thought this was a blessing and a curse. This is because when I cut the torso in half the innermost clay had not dried, making it difficult to pull the doll apart, but it also allowed me to remove some excess weight and smooth things out some.

At first I was using Das Modeling clay but I have since started making my own paper clay (I'll show some pictures of how this clay turns out when I have time to get more pictures). This clay has had issues sticking to the plastic bags so I have since switched to aluminum foil.

Overall, I plan to make two 68 cm girls, Rachael and Martha, but will share the same body. Here are some pictures so far, and I'll make sure to post more later!

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Hey! Been a while since I've updated my project journal, sorry about that! I've been using the homemade paper clay and so far, I like it and it has saved me a lot of money. However, if you decide to make your own, it must be refrigerated. I forgot to put a batch into the fridge once and it got moldy.

So far I'm really happy with my torso pieces, and the center of gravity seems just right! The arms and legs are currently cut apart, and will need to be carved down once they're back together.

Once I'm done, I'm actually planning to make a plaster mold of this doll and make a wax casting to paint using an encaustic technique. I originally did want to use resin, but since I'm on a student budget, wax is more affordable and flexible. I'm excited to try it!

Spoiler: Pictures so Far

 

Here's some more images, since I didn't realize there was an image limit per post.

Spoiler: More Progress Images

 

@saraquill Possibly, but I'm not entirely sure. I am planning to coat the finished pieces in a clear resin used in printmaking that is basically acrylic paint without pigment; from samples I've seen, it makes the surface of paper more consistently smooth. I think it'll certainly make for an interesting experiment.

 

Haven't updated in a while, but I've decided to step away from the project for a short while. I had initially planned for this to be my senior exhibition project as a full doll, but I encountered a few issues leading up to that point.

This turned out to be a large, lengthy project and there was no way it was going to be skillfully crafted and completed for my senior exhibition. I began having to rush, and a number of things went wrong: parts began to snap off, the material couldn't handle the tension of the elastic, I sealed a hook inside on accident, the material wouldn't sand down properly... and with only a few days left before I had to set up it was driving me mad! I did allow myself to calm down after I set back for a bit and I decided to improvise. I arranged and lite the piece onto a pedestal for it to symbolically represent my mental state at that time. I called it "I am Falling Apart." Thankfully, though, I managed to get an A on the project and pass my exhibition!

Despite this, I do want to continue working on the project on my own, personal time so that I can truly perfect the doll exactly how I want it to be. I think most parts are salvageable, but other parts I will be starting from scratch. With that said, I'd strongly advise any new sculptors not to use homemade paper clay, the material is very brittle and weak. I think I will be switching back to Das clay for now and do an apoxie clay coating when the doll is complete to minimize breakage. I also have a picture of my exhibition! I had more, but I think I accidently deleted them.