I've been working more on my ball jointed doll off an on since I started her in February, and I was thinking she was close to being ready to cast in resin. I have finally got her hands and feet finished, and have finished her knee joints enough for a test stringing. While I was loving her before this, now I am not so sure about her. I felt I was getting closer, but she seems a "little off" in so many ways now I realize I'm not even close to being ready to mold and cast. I have so much left to do!
*I still need to make elbow joints since she doesn't have any at all yet.
*I need to improve both the knee and hip joints aesthetically and functionally. She currently doesn't stand. Her knees will not straighten completely, and I need to make some sort of catch inside the hip to lock them when she stands. I am also considering doing that little sideways channel for the elastic in the hip ball which Volks has used on some dolls so she can do that cute child like sitting position.
*I need to work on the neck/head joint because she doesn't have the range of motion I'd like.
* I need to recheck proportion, because I think her lower legs may be to short, and her hands and feet look too big so they may need to be resculpted. The feet may just be too wide. In my frustration yesterday, I as calling her my Hobbit Girl! I've nothing against Hobbits of course, I rather like them, but that's not what I was going for here.
*I need to add a few more details to the sculpt, working on her eyes and adding subtle indication of nipples to her chest. I will be leaving her pelivis piece plain (many BJDs are anatomically correct, because I think she could be finished as a boy or a girl. In fact, I am giving this sculpt the unisex name of Alex, because my Mom thinks she looks like my son.
*I need to make a headcap attachment mechanism of some kind.
* Finally there is all the smoothing for casting to be done. I try to smooth as I go, but there is still more to be done.
More pictures of this doll in progress can be found in the BJD sculpting Project set on my flickr.
Missy has to find her way into the post! Alex is lurking in the background too!
Only after all of this can I begin to work on making the molds and casting her in resin. As much as I have learned about resin casting so far, I know this will be a big adventure in trial and error, but I am looking forward to it because I can't wait to see her (him) in natural flesh tones with a painted face!
And speaking of painted faces, I have just finished my very first face-up commissions! These two Rosen Lied dolls decided to take the long way home from Rosen Lied in Korea to their home in Australia. They made a stop here in Milford, Ohio to be painted by me!
More pictures of these cuties and my own BJDs can be found on my flickr, too.
I've been working on bears too and hope to have the three I am working on ready to post soon. Stay tuned!
