Friday 18 February 2011

Work In Progress - Dolls In Bits

It's been quite a productive week for me. So I thought I'd share some photos that I took last weekend while I was putting my 6 new dolls together.

After sculpting, endless sanding, paint and varnish there were 6 bodies and heads, 48 lag bits, and 48 arm bits laying on my table waiting to be strung into dolls.


I spent a very nice lazy Sunday with a real of vintage thread on a wooden spool, that was given to me by my grandmother, stringing these poor bald things together. Hoping they'll become the dolls I see in my head.
From Left to Right we have Rose La Touche, Mary Shelley, Elizabeth Armistead, Christina Rossetti, Katherine Walters, and Lizzie Siddal.
I tend to have spurts when I want to sculpt, so try and make a few dolls at a time to use up that creating burst. Once I have them strung together I dress them one by one, including all the details I want to finish them off.


I've spent this week giving them all some hair, so they all look a little less alien now. Sitting together on my bookshelf wearing only their painted stockings. I've had some trouble with getting the right colour of feathers for poor Katherine, so unfortunately she's still bald until the new order arrives. Why anyone would think that sage green was a good substitute for a medium brown I really don't know.



I always love the soft texture that the LIQUITEX MATTE VARNISH  I use gives to their skin. It's such a nice soft velvety looking colour, and very different from what the colour was before I put it on. Before, the paint was a darker shade, with a shiny finish to it. And I'm always really worried that it won't come out as I want. But I have to give it credit, this stuff always does as I want it too. The glossy touches to their eyes and lips I added last and left dry for 24hrs.

I'm going to spend this weekend sorting them out with bloomers, if they would have worn any, shifts, under petticoats and corsets. I'll take some more photos when they're a little more respectable.

Hope you have a great weekend.

6 comments:

  1. Love them! Great seeing the process... Have a good weekend!

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  2. Thanks Jess, hope you have a good one too :)

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  3. OOHH..the dolls are VVVERY COOL!!! cant wait to see more! I love INFORMATION!!! I do the same thing on my blog and people really appreciate it...so I'm "Appreciating" the liquitex info...i will try it ..I use hanni sarris paint on my paper clay dolls with duncan super matte spray (diane keeler taught me that)..i love the finish...but i want to try your way too. Thanks, colleen

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  4. What awesome dolls. I can see that you put alot of work into each one. Very clever. Thank you for sharing. I am glad that I found your blog.

    Janet Bernasconi
    Janet's Creative Pillows

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  5. Thanks Colleen and Janet. It's nice to find new people to talk to :)

    Colleen, if you going to try the Liquitex I just wanted to add that it is very runny, but doesn't leave streaks when it's dry. And I've learnt to shake it up well as all the matt stuff settles, and without it it comes out shiny. Good Luck, and hope you like it :)

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  6. Hi Natasha;
    I think your blog and your dolls are just super!what do you make the eyes out of? They Look Cool!
    patti

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