Triathlon Progress Journals

Codename: cootie

Went shopping today for some of the supplies I need for part three: clay, armature wire and other things needed to build a reasonable (?) facsimile of the doll I am using as doppelganger victim. I am so excited to have some time to work on this-- for the past two challenges I have been putting in 60 hours a week at work, which hasn't left any time but the weekends. But I am off the next two weeks so have some time to dedicate. I am planning on building a set to go with my doppelganger and my doll. It of course will be reused after the contest!

 

Codename: BlueCat

Sewing again! But from an actual pattern, for the first time! I'm adapting a teddy bear pattern into a fox to be my Soom girl's alter ego. I've made small plush animals before, but never one in this scale and never one that I want/hope to make really fierce and cool-looking. So I've been busy busy. I've been researching Ainu clothing patterns so I can give her outfit a neat ancient-Asian look and, well, I'm getting way ahead of myself. ==So yesterday I went to G Street Fabrics and lucked into three yards of terrific black velvet for only $8 in the remnant bin! $9.50 total with a spool of thread added. Off to a great start. (Also found teddy bear eyes in a perfect sky-blue on eBay! woot!) ==Today, I started trimming out the pattern pieces, tracing them onto the fabric and cutting out sewing pieces and cutting, and cutting...ow blisters... but I have most of the head assembled and I'm already tickled with how cool it's starting to look. And I need to think how to make earrings in scale. Don't have any metal findings in the shape I want. Epoxy putty? Leather?...

 

Codename: j3lly

Nothing and more nothing at this point. Honestly I'm sort of at a mental block right now on how to start what I have in mind.

I have the pipe cleaners, I have the idea, I just need to get on it. Doppelgangers, ghosts, which route should I take? I'm thinking that realism is going to drive me crazy so maybe I can just mold some to a face and see how that goes? For sure though it will be done with pipe cleaners and other random objects.

I'm feeling pressure though. First challenge I got one vote. I didn't vote for myself so at least someone liked what I'd done? I didn't really like it though, not after seeing the others >_<.

Currently I'm liking my second entry although I haven't seen everyones entry yet so that could change. I thought it was pretty neat and unique so let's see how that goes.

Also found out about these journals today so we'll see how much I update. For now let's call this a "Sitting duck" entry and I'll continue on once some progress is made.

Let's see if we can take this to the end!!!I'm very impressed with everyone in on this contest so I'm read to see it through with them until the end .

 

Codename: Sahel

When I first read round 3 was doppelgangers...well I was pretty overwhelmed. I've been thinking for a few days, and I think i have a pretty good idea. I'm not 100% certain I have the ability to pull it off...that's intimidating but also exhilarating. Real-Life stress factors being higher than normal over this period, I'm a little worried WHEN I'm going to be able to do this. I don't have time to procrastinate on this one, that's for sure.

One thing I do know -- I already have everything I need to make this happen, and that's a relief.

I feel like I should already be working on it...but...that would be the logical and responsible thing to do...
Last minute panic as I cut it down to the wire is always the best motivator, after all...

 

Codename: M.V.'sdisciple

First, for me, was the gathering of materials: a new (and expensive) sculptor's wire, and some fabric to make the skin: I looked for some white jersey, but what I found was way too thick, so finally I settled for some little girl's leggings, just perfect, with some shine, but not to much, bought 3 pairs to have enough. The rest I have: black lace and red tulle, black hair for the wig, and polyester stuffing, and assorted threads.
Today, I made the armature (had to use big pliers, the wire is quite sturdy), and yay! it does stand by itself!!!! (A first victory!!!) Tomorrow: weighting the feet with aquarium pebbles, putting the stuffing on the armature, and needle-sculpt it. We'll see how it turns out!

 

Codename: Lentil The Barbarian

I'm on tenterhooks waiting to see the submissions for part two! Meanwhile, I've got the head of my doppelgänger finished and stuffed, starting on the body. I have a great idea for the limbs but we'll see how it pans out...wish I had time to consult with my friend Tally as I'm trying to figure out something from first principles that she's been perfecting for a while now, but we're both so busy with work that there's just no way it will happen by the weekend!

 

Codename: Bandersnatch

Doppleganger! DOLL-perganger. XD YES!!!

Only one doll comes to mind for this project. I just hope it isn't too obvious of who he is and who I am through him. errrr... yah

So I've started by digging around for my armature and connectors from when I took commissions. I need some + joints, but all I have are Y's. Based on how much the + joints will cost and the time constraints, I'll have to make do with what I have. We had just enough of the regular armature to make the right scale frame for my dude.

He didn't have much of a neck though, since I didn't have a + joint, so I made a section of segments on a Y and then attached the Y section with zip ties to the body.

I've already started covering the frame with polyester batting. Not knowing what to secure it with I started with the remaining half roll of electrical tape leftover from challenge #2. When that ran out I switched out to scotch tape. My guy is going to be less cuddly and more crinkly now.

It is already looking pretty creepy!


Next up, cutting out and stitching together his 'skin'.

 

Codename: Encore

Wednesday 17th August

I've been banging my head against the desk in the hopes that in amidst the little flashy stars I'm starting to see a brilliant idea will take shape.... blasted Doppelganger-thingamagig..... All I keep seeing in my head is a voodoo doll. That and seeing as I already used two of my small dolls in #1 and #2 I'm freaking out about #3's choice of doll - I'm down to a choice of just two that are so obviously mine that I either have to re-do their face-ups or use a BIG doll and I just caaaaaaaaan't *sobs*

Anyways - I'll keep banging and see how I go.....

 

Codename: Bonnie & Clyde

Challenge 3

When I first heard about this challenge I instantly thought that I would sculpt the Doppelgänger out of airdrying clay, as I have lots of it here at home ready to use. I planned to do other things with it, but never actually did it, so it's going to be a good way to use it, before it dries up in the packaging. (Yes, the packaging is supposed to be airtight, yet it actually never is, the clays dries after some time in its original and unopened package, too.)

Now the next question was, which doll to use, but since I've worked with my Super Gems in the last two rounds, I've decided to stay with them in the final challenge as well. Creating a Doppelgänger is easier, if you choose a doll that has very distinct bodily features, so I decided to use one of my fantasy.

So, the first thing I've created was the skeleton of the doll. It's just a little bit of cardboard shaped into the basic forms of the body parts.



Looks scary, things can only get better from here.

 

Codename: M.V.'sdisciple

OK, here the batting is just vaguely wrapped around the armature:

While I was taking the photo, it suddenly occurred to me that I had to make the hands before proceeding further with the needle-sculpting...
So I took a smaller wire and made the hands' armature, and trace the hands on the fabric.

In order not to be totally frustrated, I'll sew the fingers first, and only then will I cut the fabric between them... I already tried using my sewing machine, but it does not agree with the nylon/Lycra fabric: so I'll sew by hand!
See you later!

 

Codename: cootie

First a little about my concept:

Doll size: 70 cm (Soom IDealian)

My concept is based on "The Picture of Dorian Grey" a doppelganger portrait that ages instead of the protagonist. I've had a love of Oscar Wilde since middle school, so I'm thrilled to be incorporating this story into the project. Instead of a decrepit man as in the story I am going to use a skeleton instead-- the protagonist has been so bad that there is no flesh left on his body! And I am planning to build a set such that the portrait is hung on a false wall so that I can pose the doppelganger behind the wall. Also, I am planning on dressing my guy in mid to late 1700s garb instead of late 1800s. So Rococo instead of Victorian/Romantic, justacorps instead of frock coat.

Today I found the patterns I needed for the two garments I will be creating (identical ones for doll and doppelganger) and went through my fabric stash to find the right fabrics. Also, I started on the skull and skeletal hands. The clay is drying now, and I am certain it will crack (because it always does), so I'll be going back tomorrow to refine them.

 

Codename: U said pie??

Between Monday and Tuesday, I built the framework for version 1 of Solveig's doppelganger. I made a wire armature and built out the proportions with the left over tissue paper from my Shadowcasters fish and masking tape left over from last year's triathalon (My roommate and I have rolls upon rolls upon rolls of the stuff leftover from last year's tape dress event).



While it looked a bit janky, it was padded out to the right proportions, or thereabouts. However, when I started to look at the dried Spanish moss that I was going to apply for the bulk of her body, I discovered it would make her too big.... So Tuesday afternoon I sliced into the body with an exacto and ripped all of the padding off.

This morning (back at square 1), I took the jeweler's wire holding the arms and legs on off of the armature and proceeded to trace around Solveig's body to make a form pattern.



I then traced the outline onto thin batting, cut 2 out, laid the wire out for structure and posability later and started sewing them together. I sewed up one side completely, then flipped them right sides out and stuffed them with thicker batting. Once that was done, I sewed the limbs onto the body.



Tomorrow, I attach the Spanish moss which should bring her out to the approximately correct widths and start looking at how to do her head. Fingers crossed things go well....

 

Codename: j3lly

Well, no pictures yet but the idea is done and set and I am going to kick it's butt if the cats don't steal my supplies.

So let's lay out this plan. Doppelganger. Pipe cleaners. Led lights. Wire. Glue gun.

I'm liking where this is going .

Also I know I'm doing a lot of talking on here at the moment instead of working but that is because my mind needs somewhere to blurt this out and my non-doll friends are starting to give me awkward looks.

 

Codename: Sahel

Well today I finally sat down and started on my Doppelganger. Turns out I'm not so great at following patterns...no surprise there, though. After two totally messed up heads...I gave up on the 'pattern' and started doing what I do best...drawing, and shaping, and pretty much skipping the whole "planning" stage and jumping straight into "cut and sew".


Mats all laid out...minus the HUGE bag of stuffing...it's in a different room...

So took off the Boy's wig and wig cap, and just started piecing together what kind of amounts to a 3D jigsaw puzzle on the Boy's head.


Dolly Muzzle?

No photos of the "I've achieved this much so far" variety...the head base is MOSTLY done. I think I have to change how I"m stuffing the nose...which doesn't totally surprise me...but is a pain in the arse anyway. Ah well. I will work a few more hours tomorrow...

 

Codename: cootie

Scaled down the pattern I was planning to use for a justaucorp, and altered it to fit my IDealian's buff physique. The pattern I am using is one from the 1700s, where men were decidedly less muscular. Then I cut out the pieces from some wool in my stash for a test fitting. It fits well! I'm pretty pleased, although I'm not satisfied with the sleeves yet. And I decided the fabric I was planning to use for the final coats is too drapey. So I need to go fabric shopping this weekend!

 

Codename: U said pie??

Today's adventures involved dried Spanish moss and invisible thread. I started out with the idea to use a styofoam ball for the head, but it was too big (and that was the smallest size I could find at Hobby Lobby), so I scrapped it. I'll have to figure out plan B tomorrow.

I used a combination of sewing through the whole body and wrapping lengths of invisible thread around various sections ala sage bundles. I worked down over the torso, then out to the arms, and then down over the hips and legs.



During this process, I had to fight off my cat, Ninja for the right to possess the doppelganger.




It stands!! Muhuhuhahahaha!

Tomorrow, I try to figure out how to make the head. Oy vey.

 

Codename: Sparrow

I have decided that the doppelganger will represent what my doll is not; alive and completely at peace.

I have to work with what I have and unfortunately it's DAS airdry clay. DAS clay is like damp bread dough that smells like latex paint. It's really gross and it is making me rethink how I might construct the doll as a whole.

Picture:

 

Codename: M.V.'sdisciple

So, some of you must have noticed from my previous post that I was making a HUGE mistake! I trace, and sewn and then cut a whole hand BEFORE NEEDLE-SCULPTING THE BATTING ON THE FINGERS!!!! The results: too small a hand, and 2 1/2 hours lost...
(OT: yesterday, an old friend who lives in another town came to visit, and we went together to a fabulous exhibition of Jean-Paul Gaultier's works since twenty years: I was flabbergasted! 180 hours of labour to make 1 dress!)
So back at my dopel!

Here, you see that it is still well balanced (albeit quite stiff). The hands are attached, and the feet are weighted with aquarium pebbles (I was happy to find in my "stuff" some ancient perfume funnel to fill those small pockets!)

On the brighter side of things, I changed my sewing machine's needle from a ball point to a stretch needle: the machine now agrees with the Lycra/Spandex fabric!!!
On the darker side of things, I'm afraid I won't have enough of that fabric, so I'll go back to the store tomorrow, hoping to find some more of those little girl's leggings...
Off to needle-sculpt the batting!

 

Codename: Bonnie & Clyde

Have been making slow progress during the last two days, but was too busy to post.

The cardboard forms have been covered in a first layer of airdrying clay, woohoo.



And while searching for clay I've found a lot, only that they're all from different companies, but each of them is supposed to dry white. I just hope that my poor guy doesn't end up looking like Frankenstein's monster, covered in different patches of color. Oh well, if he does I'll need to spray paint him.



I've bought all theses supplies in the hope to try each of them to see which one suits my needs best (I acutally have more than the ones picutred above). And after a couple of tries I can already tell that I really don't like the classic papermache (the stuff in the transparent bag on the left). Yes, it's very lightweight and what's awesome it dried in the oven without cracking, but I don't like the surface structure of it and the way it has to be handled.

As I won't have much time to finish my Doppelgänger up during the coming week, I really need to work hard the next two days to have the body done on the weekend. So tomorrow I'm going to start on the two things I fear most: the hands and the face. Once I have them done the rest is going to be fairly easy.

 

Codename: BlueCat

*sew sew sew* *move cat* *sew sew sew* I'm really starting to think this will work!

Pattern and 3 yards of black velvet:



Peekaboo! Fox face with teddy bear eyes (really, they'll look better when they're sewn in and the face is sculpted):



White fox and black fox:

 

Codename: BlueCat

Whew! FINALLY through sewing! Now to stuff. =)=) Hope to have this done tonight or tomorrow, then I have most of a week to dress and arm her and plan the pix. Fun!!!!

 

Codename: M.V.'sdisciple


The batting is sculpted ! It's coming along!
I was lucky today: there were 3 pair of girl leggings still in the shop, so I bought them all, in case I make mistakes, I'll have enough! I'm using the wrong side up, as the right side is more shiny... This fabric has a strong tendency to roll up on itself, so straight pins are my best friends. Tonight, I sewed the body, a real charm! Tomorrow, I'll try to make both arms and legs, the day after, hands and feet, and Tuesday, I'll begin the head, the most difficult and frightening part...

 

Codename: cootie

Yesterday I dyed some silk fabric and passimenterie lace... but I wasn't totally pleased with the color.

Today I went shopping for trim and fabric for the vest I am sewing. Really happy with the trim-- it coordinates nicely with the justaucorp and vest fabrics.

Then I resized and fitted the vest, sleeve and breeches patterns. Still need to do some work on the breeches , but the other two are ready to be cut from the silk I found in my stash.

 

Codename: Bonnie & Clyde

Yesterday I've finished the head. It's not really an exact likeness, but I don't have the time to work on that either. Well, I'd say that looking at all of my dolls you would probably be able tell which one it is supposed to represent . Inspecting it closer today, I think the main thing that is wrong proportion-wise is that the face is too broad, but I don't have the time to correct that right now.




Also I have decided that I'm no way going to make that thing jointed not in the short time we have available to finish it, so instead I'm going to make a statue out of it. I've already started to fix the limbs into their position. I've also switched materials from air dry clay to plaster as it hardens faster.

My desktop looks horrible right now. It's all covered in dust of clay, plaster and other things. Wherever you look you find body parts randomly scattered. I really need to finish this one up as soon as possible as I need my desk for other things *___*.

If I could manage to finish the hands today as well I would be beyond happy and if everything goes well I should have him assembled by tomorrow evening.

 

Codename: Marie de Combalet

Well....not much yet.
I thought up a little doll, out of clothe and Fimo and well, you know the typical porcelan doll version of my Resin.
But then I just read through the threat, and it hit me, that I don't need to do all that, that it would be far better to do somthing more abstract. Better because I'm more comfortable with that idea right now, not that I have any clue of how to that.
I'll be experimentin, and so far, every entry I made was an experiment, a prototype.
That is the fun in it for me.
Winning would be great, but to do and redo and do more only to submitt the best work you have.....
No, I'll only get depressed if I did that and endet up at the end of the voting list.
I'll do my best, I create the greatest of ideas that come to my mind, with every means necesary that I can afford, even if I have no idea how they work when I start.
I learn, and relearn, that is the fun for me.

Now my idea includes an inspiration from an anime, a fimo head, some mythological influences... or not, and my Jean and his story.
I have been working with that so far in this aniversary (not all, but a big deal was related), and it's getting a definitive form.

 

Codename: U said pie??

Ugh, journal update fail. I also just tried to spell "update" as "updaite", so double fail.

OKAY! Two days ago (Friday) I set to work on the head, since the styrofoam ball I originally had in mind was too big, and I couldn't glue any of the moss to it. I started by wadding up some of the leftover tissue paper from my light into a ball a little smaller than Solveig's head. I then wrapped it in masking tape to hold it in a vaguely correct shape. I then used an exacto to poke places for her eyes to sit (14 mm Luts glass) and pushed them into place.

Then I started sewing the moss down on the head similarly to how I did for the body, sewing through the tape and tissue paper and positioning the moss around the eyes.


I've been told that this phase could induce nightmares.

After much swearing and sewing through my fingers, I finally finished and called it quits for the day, because if I had to deal with any more Spanish moss, I was going to scream.

 

Codename: Sahel

Well, after spending 12 hours in/around work on Friday(I did take an hour and a half to go to the art store on the other side of the downtown core for faceup supplies), then working seven and a half hours saturday, before stopping off to pick up a respirator and sealant, I finally got home and was able to work on my doppelganger again. Except that I had the attention span of a gopher and kept wandering downstairs and getting distracted by tv...still I did manage to sew up his arms and attach them:



I did stuff them as well...but you don't need a photo of that. More exciting (and stressful) was that I also finished his hands. I kind of wanted to shoot myself for attempting this, but I DID complete them, and they're...not perfect but damn good enough.


Hehehehehe they are poseable too!

This morning, I woke up at six thirty, so after lazing around on the internet, I got up around seven thirty and grabbed coffee before starting work on the doppel's legs.


CLOUD OF STUFFING!

And I even managed to get proof that the cat is TOTALLY not interested in the doll stuff...She's only looking at me because I called her...


Yay, hopefully I will finish the doppel's core today and can start on his skin!

 

Codename: U said pie??

Yesterday I started cutting out the pattern pieces for the doppelganger's dress. I put the underskirt together and part of the over dress before I remembered to take a picture of it, but it still needs hemming and trim, so it's still in progress. I picked fabrics that reminded me of bark and moss, to add to the nature-y feel of the doppelganger.

I haven't finished the overdress yet, so I'll be working on that later today.



I stopped working partway through the dress to deal with the doppelganger's hair. First I tried wefting some old pony hair I had directly onto the head, but it looked horrible. I cut the hair back out and then started sewing some yarn onto her head for a vine type of look. All of this started somewhere around 8 or 9, so unfortunately all of my progress photos for this part turned out a little dark.



I started sewing at the bottom and worked my way up and around to the front hairline, including bangs at the front. The yarn will be trimmed up later to the right length.



After that, I attached some little vines to her arms and spiraled them down over the shoulders, elbows and wrists in a vague similarity of the doll's joints.

 

Codename: Bonnie & Clyde

Tonight I feel terribly exhausted. Things aren't working as I want them to and I don't have alternative plans either. Due to his size and weight his body parts do not want to stick together. -__- I've had his arms fall of twice today, So I'm leaving him like that only with his body + torso + legs to dry over night and try to add the arms tomorrow.
At least it was easy to attach the head to the body.



So tired right now. I just hope I'll find the motivation to continue him tomorrow.

 

Codename: Mashaka

I have planned my Doppelganger, deciding that since I originally started by making articulated cloth art dolls, I should do one of those. I know I can make one with only moderate effort, and can then concentrate on embellishing and actually taking really nice photos for a change.

Because of work/family stuff, I'll only have about four days to devote to this challenge. I bought the cloth for the doll just yesterday. It's a plain light muslin with a slightly yellowish cast, since my doll is a second-hand DZ Yuu with some all-over yellowing. I still haven't decided if I'm going to try to give this thing hair or not.

I'm aiming for a sinister kind of doppelganger; the kind that shadows you, waiting to step into your life and take your place. Because of that, I don't plan to make it regular clothes or accessories, since it is waiting to steal the doll's stuff. I'm planning to give it button eyes (a la "Coraline"), just because they look so deliciously creepy. I have a very clear picture in my head of how I want the scene to play out, so I hope I can actually capture that with the camera.

I have, at this point, gathered my materials, and altered and enlarged the pattern I usually use for dolls, since my DZ doll is 70 cm and has unusually long legs. The dolls I generally make are in the 10-14in. range, and proportioned more like average people.

I'm definitely getting excited, though!

 

Codename: M.V.'sdisciple

No pictures today.
For the moment, I'm not using my sewing machine, as sewing by hand my dopel's skin gives much more precise results! (Takes a lot more time too: 2 hours to pin both legs, 1 hour to sew one! But the body is done!)
(Note to self: Do NOT wear lipstick AND put pins in your mouth: it's either/or, otherwise you'll stain your dopel's skin!)
Still, sewing by hand gives time to think, and I wondered about how to make the face... I toyed with the idea of not making the face at all, just a blank head, as I'm a mediocre painter... But then, I thought about Jean-Paul Gaultier's exhibit, and it gave me a fabulous idea about how to do it!
I won't say more, except that it involves a colour printer!
(Perhaps it is not such a an original idea, and perhaps other people will use the same method, but hey! it solves my problem, if it works! I have a plan B, if not...)
Tomorrow, the dentist will rob me of three hours of enjoyment...

 

Codename: domopower

First update! First time using this journal actually. Probably should have tried it out sooner. Anyway! I spent the first 5 or 6 days just drawing out my idea. I'm going with Dia De Los Muertos as my doppel inspiration.
This is one of my sketches

though i did sketch out some different layout options later that I preferred.

Day 6 of challenge, I start to sketch out the full size version of my calacas doppel.


Eight days left in the challenge, and this is what I got so far 0_0 panic!


8-19-11 I begin the paper mache process. I'm actually super happy with the way this part went. I used tissue paper, and a mix of 1/2 elmer's white glue to 1/2 water for the paste. It was a globby mess....but dried to a completely light-weight awesomeness!


Alright, so 5 days left in the challenge, Here's where I'm at: I have a partially decorated doppel, and a partially constructed scene. I don't even have all the materials I need to finish on hand. Panic!

But even though I'm panicing about time, I am feel really good about what I'm making. She'll go on permanent display with my other Dia De Los Muertos decor when the challenge is over ^_^.

Next steps: buy material for hair, construct shoes, paint skeleton and face, buy "wallpaper", finish Ofrenda, finish decorating scene, photograph!

 

Codename: cootie

Made the leg bones and feet for my skeletal doppelganger today. Now off to press and cut out my fabric for his (and my regular doll's) garments. Hopefully I will post some progress pics tomorrow.

 

Codename: Bandersnatch

I haven't been motivated to work for a while. I think the longer deadline is setting me up for procrastination. However, tonight I did get some things done.

First I made some wire hands, then I cut out and sewed some fabric mitts to cover those hands. They were a pain to turn and then fill with stuffing. They split up the sides of a few of the fingers, so I had to turn them back and re-stitch them, then turn them again! Oooh that wasn't so fun. I got one done. Tomorrow I want to finish the other one and get the rest of the 'skin' on the body form. I also need to figure out how I'm going to tackle the head. I have a teddy bear joint. I have no idea if it will work. Worst case scenario, I use upholstery thread to hold the head on.





Haha! It poses. It looks so... Amateur.

 

Codename: Lentil The Barbarian

So last night I put the first few limbs together and decided...they looked awful! The crochet was deforming around the needlefelted ball joints, and I couldn't manage to stuff the rest of the limb hard enough to keep its shape without having huge gaps in the crochet where the stuffing showed through. Little gaps I was prepared for - so I was stuffing my doppelganger with coloured needlefelting wool instead of/around regular polyfill. But this was just too much.

So I decided to start from scratch and needlefelt the whole thing! So far I've got the head partly done, a two-part torso, and one leg (minus the foot), which looks pretty cool. I was also at a fibre festival yesterday where I got a bunch of ideas for different things to do like using curly wool (darn, forgot to write down the breed) for hair.

 

Codename: U said pie??

Yesterday was sewing day. I wanted to get the dress finished and on the doppelganger. I finished hand-sewing the over dress and then busted out the sewing machine and tissue paper to add hems to the over dress and underskirt, as well as adding a line of trim to the bust line.

Once that was done, I went through my box of ill-used flower beads and chose ones that reminded me of daffodils, and attached these near the straps similarly to the brooches on a Nordic apron dress.



Then I went about getting the dress on the doppelganger. Once the dress and underskirt were on, I added on a belt that matched the trim, and added another daffodil bead and three willow leaf beads dangling from that.



Now, onto the wings and finishing up the head. Woo!

 

Codename: M.V.'sdisciple

I had a small panic attack today when I read the rules once more: last day is Friday, NOT Sunday!!!! I must hurry!!!!
What is done : skin is sewn on all limbs, and the "joints" are done too. (Elbows and knees are nice!)
Tomorrow: the feet (not too difficult) the hands (much more), and the head (who knows, maybe easier...) The day after: face, costume, wig...
I could not have gone through this challenge without the help of a book : Anatomy of a Doll, by Susanna Oroyan. (And without my identical twin sister, on which I can bounce ideas, and whom I can consult at any hour on technical or aesthetic matters. She was the one who suggested the use of those girl leggings, and it is truly the perfect fabric for a doll's skin...)
Nighty night : big day tomorrow!

 

Codename: U said pie??

Today's mission was to get the wings made and the head attached. I started by picking out leaves from a vine that corresponded to the ones on the actual ent wings. The doppelganger's wings are bigger than the ent's, but it was either too big or too small with the leaves I had, so I figured it was better ot use the big ones that would be able to be seen behind her puffy yarn hair. Once I had the leaves picked out and arranged in the right order, I started binding the stems together by tying them together with invisible thread.


Fun fact: Invisible Thread is less invisible the more of it you pile on top of itself. It's true!
...Okay, maybe I've been playing too much Portal 2 in between working on my doppelganger. >_>

Once I had the leaves bundled into position, I sewed them onto the doppelganger's back.



After that, I sewed the head onto the body, and trimmed her hair up to resemble Solveig's wig.



All that remains now is to find branches for her horns and to attach them to her head, and then it's onward to photographs!

 

Codename: j3lly

So making a doll out of pipe cleaners? Therapeutic for sure but insane!! So many little pieces and instead of just continuous wrapping, I've found cutting them into little pieces works the best and fastest. You just fold these little pieces onto the outline.

One major problem however is time. I'm not quite sure I'll have enough time to make her doppelganger piece by piece out of pipe cleaners. I think I may have to invent or cheat a little due to the time constraint. I've also run out all proper coloured pipe cleaners. I've been using strange colours but I think I want to make it all in white and try to add in some colour to make it look like blushing on her ears, tail and paws. I have to go out an buy a ton of supplies tomorrow though D:.

For now..I do have some in progress and rough pictures of what I've been experimenting with!

Ears!!!!



Luna with her fake head...I'm not really liking the red for it .


And this happened when I was forming the outline piece. I scratched her face up >_<. It's done by me so not too special but now I have to redo it which is annoying..

 

Codename: Marie de Combalet

Hi there today!!!!!

So Sunday I went material gathering, and discovert what a pain it is and how much I need of it!!!!!!
So yesterday, shopping, I cheated on my first idea, and bought a shortcut.
Still in the contest rules, definitively, but out of my own. I'll bent them.
I have decided that I'm not gonna make eyes myself, it would be a waste, because you couldn't appriciate them in the pics. I'll use something else, that I think goes even better with the idea.
Faceup half done.
Prop on the same way.
And the basic body is half compleat.
Today I'm gopnna go shopping again for some details and gather more materials.
the clothes, I still don't know what to do for them.....

 

Codename: domopower

Well, no picture from yesterday.

I painted the face and hands. I'm OK with the face, but its not perfect. Then I tried the hair, and that ruined my evening, and part of my doppel's head ;__;

I tried fun fur and fake doll hair. I've never worked with fake doll hair, and i was quickly overwhelmed. So I tried the fun fur. Disaster. It was just sooooooo pooofffyyyyyy. It was awful. so I peeled it off, and gave up for the night.

This morning thou, I've decided yarn is the way to go. When I get home from work, I plan to untwist some yarn and glue it on her head...that way it will still have texture, but it won't be overwhelmingly big. Fingers Crossed!

 

Codename: Sahel

Since I'm at work at the moment, I thought it might be the perfect time to update the journal. Since I can't actually work on my doppelganger--mostly because I did not think about the fact that everything I have left to do requires me to hand-sew which I CAN do at work, and since I have access to the office (yay Manager status!!!) for my breaks I can hide away from any possible DoAers that might wander in. Although I don't think there are that many in my city, but you never know.

Anyway -- so yesterday I started work two hours early (for me--normally it's my day off) and got off work two and a half hours earlier. That meant I had lots of time to work on the skin of my doppel, and even relax afterward watching stupid videos on youtube. It's hard to believe how 'quickly' he's come together by now. I've stitched him all together, and all his skin is on, I just have to join the skin to his thigh and that part is also finished.

I'm wondering what he's going to wear, though. If anything. I already have decided that as far as a face goes, he's done. From the moment I found out about the challenge, I wanted my doppelganger to not have a face. Still, I wanted him to have some obvious trait of Masato and the most noticible is obviously the sharp, long nose which is also one of my favorite things about his face. At the same time, I did not want my doppel to be entirely 'human'. So the thing I've been waffling about the most is the eyes. Do I have them and make them appear 'evil', or 'otherworldly' or even have them at all?

After much hmming and aah-ing I have decided to leave them out entirely.

It is said "the eyes are the window to the soul", and I hope that leaving them out will add a little bit of eerie, a little bit of 'something is inexplicably not right here', and provide the sense that this doppelganger, this thing trying to steal the doll's form, to steal his very life, is an irredeemable monster.

 

Codename: Bonnie & Clyde

Yay, almost there.

All I need is to redo the hands and then the "Creation of Demon" can take place.


Do I feel at least a little bit blasphemous because of my entry content?
A little bit, yes.
Towards Michelangelo, that is. è__é


PS: During those last days I have kind of fallen in love with my first headsculpt. He does not really look like a Sard, but I still think that he looks kind of cute. And surprisingly Asian, at least that's what I think. I've named him Romulus by the way.

 

Codename: Haradan

Wow! These triathalon challenges have been really stretching my creative muscles. I was so pleased and flattered to have placed 3rd out of 95 entries in the first challenge. It really spurred me on to pull all the stops in the second challenge. However, I have no idea of how I did in the second challenge! I'm on the edge of my seat! The spectacular and diverse entries for the second challenge have really made me try to up my game a lot for the final leg of the contest.

I have been relying on the patience of my family as I turn our home literally into a hot smelter of invention with my glue gun, iron, various light sources, oven, and even sunlight. My room has been a swirling vortex of mess for weeks as I finish one project to tackle the next before the deadline. My husband is a saint for supporting me in this - mess drives him insane, but he knows how much it means to me to be entering this contest. ^___^

I think the final challenge is going to be my best one yet. My concept really expresses my personal understanding of the doppleganger and how it contrasts with the aesthetic of the original doll.

Here's a sneak peek at the process so far:



This image shows my reference photo for creating individual body parts for my doppleganger. Each part was photographed individually and compared to the reference photo for size and position.

 

Codename: Haradan

...also, I should say it has been KILLING me to not participate in the contest thread more, but I didn't want to take the risk of my photographic style or my dolls being recognized. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak out in this progress journal!

I really like the anonymous way this contest has been run. That it can't really be turned into a popularity contest and that the entries really have to speak for themselves has been encouraging. I haven't been on the board that long and I don't have that many friends yet, so it's been more fun for me that way. ^___^

Also, the fact that the challenges are so diverse and the standings aren't released until well into the next challenge has, I'm sure, pushed a lot of people on to the finish line. (Me included!) Great work Mods!

 

Codename: BlueCat

Got Kuromori all cut, sewn, and stuffed--she has visible seams everywhere, gaah--made her yarn wig (thank you, YouTube tutorials!!), and assembled her by 8 PM Sunday. She even sort-of stands! Last night, made and decorated her outfit (those are Ainu--aboriginal Japanese--design motifs on her loincloth and necklace), dressed her, and added her jewelry. The earrings are painted leather (and Saiyuki fans will recognize them =), the pearl-and-leaf necklace is designed as the exact opposite to Koi's (black pearl and brown autumn leaves; Koi wears a white pearl and green spring leaves); the shell pendant needs to be restrung, but I'm still using it. so WHEW. All I have left to do is make her weapon, which is a yueyachan ("moon-tooth spade" or "Shaolin spade"-- polearm with a crescent blade on one end and a shovel/flat blade on the other) and then plan oput and take the pix of her with Koi. Providing of course that this hurricane that's tracking uo the coast doesn't make it imppossible for me to take any pix on Saturday. Gaah!!!

ANYway, here she is. With all her detail issues, I'm just absurdly happy and proud of her.

Who are you calling cute?!



Fully dressed:





(Paint on the nose looks messy in pix. Must fix somehow.)

 

Codename: M.V.'sdisciple

Gee, I'm in the lowest on the scoreboard, so perhaps it's very foolish to keep a journal about how I make things that nobody seems to appreciate?!
Well... I'm having fun nonetheless!
So, sorry to bore everyone to death, but here are the progress for today: made the feet (very happy with them), the neck and head (not bad at all). Not too happy with the shoulder seams, but hey! I can't sink deeper at this point!
For the face, I read tonight that I need cotton or poly/cotton, which is NOT my fabric! My twin came to the rescue and sacrificed an old white t-shirt...
So tomorrow: on with the face, hands, and costume, and if possible, wig! And I'll post a pic...

 

Codename: Bandersnatch

The results are in from challenge #2 and... I'm not dead last! Woohoo!

SO! Progress has been made on many fronts! Woo!!! Unfortunately, I'm still being VERY lazy by documenting my progress with cell phone photos.

Things not related to the contest that got done today: faceups, eyelash installation, and found a possible new home for one of our many kitties. Whee!

As for Dopple progress, I made tubes for my dopple's arms, legs, and body using my new (to me) serger. Then I tugged them onto my frame/stuffing mess and started stitching the parts together. I realized in the crotch area there would be some gaping, and rather than sew the two legs together I decided to add another piece so it all had some give. My husband suggested that I make my dopple as accurate as possible and give him a 'probulator' (penis). Umm... I thought about it, but not this time. Maybe later I'll make one out of a tube and stuff it. I'm new to soft sculpture entirely (I've never done ANY of this before) so when I'm more skilled, I can make him some more detailed bits. lol


Cuddly scale check. This cracked me up. Actually, once my Dopple is done I'll be stoked to have my very own cuddly Zornon!! I kinda feel creepy and dork like in that I want to cuddle the hell out of him now, but he's hard and pinchy.


All of the serged bits needed some extra work to be more finished. I don't want this guy to fall apart! So when they come off the serger they look like this:



I thread a large eyed needle through the stitching and put the extra threads in the eye of the needle, then I pull that through the stitching to lock it all into place.



The part I showed how I locked my stitches on also happens to be the neck. I have no clue how I'm going to do the head, but I know that I want it jointed so that it can turn. I've never used a teddy bear joint before, but I'm going to try it out!
Here I am punching a hole in the neck for the joint to go through.


This is what the joint looks like. I have no idea how it works, there were no instructions.

The engineer in me says that I put the part with the pin in one side, poking the pin through a hole. Then I stitch the plain disk inside the head where I want the joint to be, punch a hole, and slide it right sides together onto the pin. The other disk (which has some ridges on it to hold it onto the pin) slides on over the top of the middle disk and lots everything together. At least that's my guess and how I plan on working this out. IF I can figure out how I'm going to do the head.

Stuff the neck into the neck skin.


Everything is all stitched together so far except the hands! I just have to put those on and figure out the head. Then clothes. Then photos. Then FIN! I hope I finish in time!

 

Codename: Haradan

Ugh, like a lot of others, I'm feeling the sting of disappointing results in the second challenge. Had a little cry then got back to work on my doppleganger!

Wow, the great work of carcinoGeneticist has really locked down first place! I can't wait to see how the entries line up with the entrants. I'd really like to see how my votes align with the popular votes. ^___^ There are a lot of people jockeying for position in second and third place, I really hope that my doppleganger strikes a chord with a lot of people.

I've been working hard for hours and hours on the fine linework of my doppleganger's detailing. I like how the internal shifting intricacies of personality are externally expressed on her skin. She's looking dark, beautiful, and savage all at the same time. She looks like a flame personified in reds, blues, and oranges.

I've burned my fingers several times shaping her body parts over a wooden spoon after whipping her out of the oven! ^___^ I am SO HAPPY with how her details have turned out. They are so bright in contrast with her monochromatic white skin and black shadows. I can only hope that I will be able to express her beauty adequately through photos. The lighting has me worried...

I find it interesting how much like a crucible this project has become, literally forging and refining my doppleganger and reflecting on the dark side of my own personality.

Wow, there's some pretty poetic observations here! I think I'll have to use those in my final description... Is that plagarizing yourself? ^___^

Here's a pic of how the body of my doppel turned out in comparison to her original prior to detailing...

 

Codename: Haradan

Wow, rooting strands of silk is really hard!

I have this great bag of silk threads that I bought, but they're so tangled that it's taking a long time to get them into hair-length pieces. Plus, they're so raw that they keep grabbing eachother and the little rooting holes I made in my doppleganger's head. >__< The volume and body that the silk is creating is awesome though, and the colours (fire colours!) are really saturated, so it will reflect the darker nature of my original really well.

I've sewn her hard body together at the joints in keeping with the theme that this intense facet of personality is just held together by a thread. ^___^ I love when techniques reflect themes in a good way! Full effect of detailing is amazing! So happy with it! Still worried that I won't be able to show detail well in photos though.

Threading strands of wire through the hair holes and attaching crystals on the ends to reflect a corona of whirling impulses and thoughts too! This is turning out so beautiful!

No time to post photos yet because I'm trying to get as much done as I can before the kids wake up from their nap. I've come up with a lighting solution for the final photo though! Very excited!

 

Codename: U said pie??

Today's adventure was the last step in making my doppelganger - the horns. I spent the last week lamenting my lack of decent branches to use for her horns and procrastinating on putting them in. Since the day this challenge was posted, I had branches to use, but I wasn't overly fond of how thin they were.

Yesterday when I went out after the storms we had here and failed to turn up anything better, I realized that it was time to suck it up and use what I had. I tried to find segments of the branches that looked close to the branch positions of Solveig's horns, if not the actual sizes. (I may have been being a bit too much of a stickler on the size proportions on the horns...and I don't know why.)

So, once I picked the right pieces, it was time to trim them down.



After that, I moved her hair out of the way and cut some holes into her head to place them. I went in search of my long-lost hot glue sticks to no avail. However, in the midst of my search I uncovered a different long-lost adhesive - my handy-dandy Elmer's Squeez-N-Caulk. I put some into the holes on her head, and some onto the ends of the branches and placed them in.



Now to wait for them to set, and then onto my entry photos!

Woo hoo! *dance dance*

 

Codename: M.V.'sdisciple

Very good day: made 2 hands (not as delicate as I would have wished, but one must obey and not fight the material), the face, and part 1 of the costume. So I can breathe! Tomorrow : wig, socks, and 2nd part of the costume... I did not and will not take pictures, no time, already it will take me the whole afternoon, on Friday, for the final pictures...

 

Codename: Haradan

Eyes!

Eyes are a real challenge! I've had to permanently fix the eyes I'm using into place using hot glue. Finger-burning-mind-numbing action trying to get the angles right! >___< I tried using eye putty and white-tac, but they made the head way too heavy for the neck. I'm also hoping to be able to back-light my doll so that it glows like a flame with the eyes and head semi-translucent - putty and white-tac make the head totally opaque.

Interestingly, I couldn't use a full pair of blue glass rounds I had because of the angle of the shadowed eye pushed one of the rounds outside the perimeter of the head. I ended up having to use a green oval eye oriented vertically, making my doppleganger look uncannily like a certain Delirious Neil Gaiman Sandman character! Really neat how these things have unintentionally worked their way into the theme!

I am so happy with my entry! She is just beautiful. All of the shaped hard plastic components fit together and the final pose is somewhat adjustable. I hope this will make taking the photos easier. ^___^

Ready to go for photos when the angle of sunlight is right!

 

Codename: Bandersnatch

Today was a really important day to document and record. Mostly because the doll that is getting a doppelganger is fully dressed in clothing of my own design. This is proof that everything my doppelganger is wearing was created by me, for this contest. Also it took me two friggen days to find my patterns. GAH! I made everything exactly as I would have for Zornon, but I put a bit more time and effort into making things really nice. Not that I have time, my doppelganger still doesn't have a head! lolzzz The newest kitten doesn't care, I caught him napping on the doppelganger. He was gone before I could get the camera ready. Maybe tomorrow I'll snag a shot of it?

It is driving me crazy not being able to talk about all the things I've been working on. I need a virtual sign that I can hang up, "Really, actually, very busy. No I can't chat about it. Come back next week please." lol

Folks are dropping like flies left and right, that I'm having a hard time finding the motivation myself. Real life hasn't been great lately, and this has been such a fantastic and uplifting distraction. I've been having fun and smiling! I'd be so disappointed if I didn't finish. Not going to let things bring me down! Don't give up folks! GO! GO! GO!!!

I lost my phone tonight, so you get real camera photos. I promise to make them equally as crappy with liberal application of my flash.

First I cut out the lower front legs of what will be the pants. Zornon's pants have a nifty point at the knee for added alien interest/details. So I also cut out the points.


See how the points work, side by side with Zornon's pants. I decided here that I wouldn't be sewing the bottom of the points shut like I did on Zornon's pants because it was tricky and made things a little lumpier than I'd like.


At this point I cut out the rest of the pants parts and managed to spill my beer in the process (note the rag, that's sopping up the last of my mess). It is so hot! The fabric is sticking to everything and really must have wanted that beer for itself. Also notice that it stole my phone.


Zornon has some nifty arm warmers/bracers. The arms of my doppelganger are much fatter than Zornon's and it is hard to get Z's on and off as it is. So I bulked out the pattern by an extra half an inch in the middle and saved my work. Photocopies for the win!


All neatly sewn. I tried a stretch stitch on one hem and a zigzag on the other. I'm surprised at how much I really like the zigzag for this! Make a note!


It was a wrestling match getting that #$%ing thing on! I remembered about this point that Christy had told me that I should modify my pattern so it opens at the wrist and snaps closed. That way I don't have to take Zornon's hands off (and usually his lower arms too) just to get the dang things on and off. Too late now! Maybe next time I'll remember. I bet this larger pattern would fit the bill.

PEACE! (His hands are totally wired, cause I'm a detail oriented freak like that.)


I got both arm warmers made and on. I'm NEVER taking them off. I'm surprised I didn't tear the doppelganger in half trying to get them on! Same with his pants! I'm so proud of how neatly I did the top stitching on his points that I would have cried if I tore them. They're hard to get on this crazy jointed thing! I don't know how or why people use that armature stuff. He'll pose crazy cool when he's done, but man that was a battle! I didn't try the pants on Zornon out of fear that he'd want to keep them because they're new and nearly perfect. lol


I realized at this point that for being 1:1 the proportions of my doppelganger are a bit off. His legs are too short, his torso too long. Not a whole lot I can do about that at this point. I'll just have to tuck his pants into his boots! Which reminds me, I'm insane. Really insane. Because I actually started to cut out soles for boots. I sized these to fit Zornon's real feet, so if they work out he'll get to keep them.


And I started on a new set of points for Zornon's trademark collar. Theses suckers took 30 minutes each to turn. In photos, my progress doesn't look like much tonight, in reality his clothes are 90% done. This is major progress. These puppies will get sewn together (major tricky business) and then top stitched. I have dreams of top stitching these using glow in the dark thread. I need to invent the writing and insignia for Zornon's home planet for this. Some day. I doubt I'll have time before the contest is over.


Now to finish START that dang head!!!

Goals: Sleep. Eat. Make boots. Make head. Take pictures. Finish in time. Sleep more. Get hubby to help clean the beer smell out of the rug.

 

Codename: Sparrow

After much thought I decided to make the body and limbs out of wire and fabric then covering them with clay. The pieces are stitch sculpted without a pattern resulting in an interesting mess. It looked so strange that I almost kept it that way but I really want to get rid of the rest of this DAS clay.
Before


After


You are probably wondering "why muscles?". My concept is that this doppelganger is the opposite of what my doll is. She's got a thin little body while her double has a strong body. My doll is gray so her double is white, my doll is awake and troubled so this one is asleep and at peace. I hope I'm not doing it wrong but that's what I'm sticking to!

It was too late that I realized how lumpy the ribs are. There is wire under there that I can't change. Despite this obvious flaw I am really...well...surprised by how...artsy this doll is! I keep thinking 'wow, I made this?'.



She should be complete by the time it gets dark outside today. I will also be making her a wig and if I have time (I doubt this) a dress to match the one I made in the first challenge. If not, I will simply settle for posing them both nude.

Bonus


Even if I had the time to photograph my creation from the second challenge I still think I would have screwed up the pictures. To give you an idea of scale the doppelganger is MSD sized - the chicken lama is HUGE. With my limited skill with a camera I just don't have the finesse to capture this monster properly.

 

Codename: Haradan

Photos galore!

I can't believe that I have taken over 130 photos for this challenge alone!

Trying to capture exactly the right expression from each doll (especially in the same photo!) is very difficult. I've decided to use a direct, serene expression for my doppleganger in the hopes of expressing that she's got nothing to hide.

For my original, I really like the semi-defiant, yet resigned expression in the art photo contrasted by the uncomfortable expression she has in the comparison photo. It's a personality exploration progression from light to dark. I really like how it's turned out! Especially how much their facial poses and shading are similar! Not to mention their full body poses in the art photo!

There's a lot of very subtle shading and line work that I was so happy came through in the details photo! I really hope people are able to look past the photo and into the themeatic elements I tried to convey...

Wow, this contest has been a lot of creatively challenging, interesting work! I truly wish everyone who worked so hard competing the very best of luck!

 

Codename: carcinoGeneticist

I decided to try something I never did before for this challenge, so I started to paper craft! I took photos as I went.


First I started by drawing out my design - the doll - and then making a clean copy to use for stenciling.


Starting to make my individual stencil shapes. I did this as I went, so I didn't get confused on what was what.


cutting things out...


pieces everywhere!


slowly coming together.


Finished the body and planning to glue it together.


hair clippings!


planning out how the hair should go. This was hard.


Finished!

I had a really, really hard time with the photos for the finished product. Because it plays so much on light and shadow to even see, I had to keep the photos a lot simpler than I had planned. I feel like I totally flopped and failed to take nice final photos but... I wanted to successfully finish the three challenges!


This was an alternate to my "interacting" photo, but I ended up liking the one I posted more even though it was way more boring.


Another alternative.

This was pretty challenging for me, but I enjoyed it. Sadly I regret I couldn't really decide well on the interactive photo, I look at these two reject ones and I wonder should I have posted those instead?! BAaah! Oh well.

 

Codename: Haradan

I just submitted my final entry!

Wow, I am so nervous! I'm so interested to see the entries in a few days. I'm going to try to keep busy in the meantime and not think about all the stiff competition! ^________^

I've felt really happy reading all of the good sportsmanship expressed on the contest thread over the last little while. What kind and generous people there are in this forum. ^___^

Best of luck to all of the talented people in this forum! Naturally, I hope I place, but if not, I know that I've been bumped out by worthy competitors! XD

Here's a view of my details picture as a teaser:

 

Codename: ChocolateOrange


I started with some copper single strand wire and bent it into body part shapes.
Then I covered it in tinfoil, then covered that in clay, molded the clay, baked the clay, then sanded the clay.

I then made a wire frame for the body and made some clothes for it.