Doll making is such an incredible craft where so many different skills and art forms meet to become something extraordinary. It’s definitely a highlight of my path as a doll artist, that I get to sculpt, paint, design costumes and create characters in one object! Some of this work can be invisible for the viewer of the finished piece and that’s a shame. So today I want to raise the curtain and talk about each step that goes into creating an art doll.
Read MoreAfter a year of work, I’ve finally finished my second ball jointed doll. It’s a new prototype that will be used for casting porcelain dolls. To be honest, I wasn’t working on it every day for the whole year, I had some significant breaks along the way when sculpting was put aside for a month or two. Nevertheless, it’s a long and excruciating process, especially when you don’t have serious experience in this realm. I’ve only sculpted one ball-jointed doll before, but it was more than enough to know what I want to do differently this time. So, let’s talk about some lessons I’ve learned since sculpting my first and now second BJD!
Read MoreToday I want to delve into the topic of sculpting hands. It's one of the hardest things to get it right when making dolls. And I completely understand why! I've sculpted dozens of hands and just about a year ago I finally got it right. So don't beat yourself up if they don’t turn out perfect every time. It's so common! In this article, we will talk about how the right materials will help to get better results and look into my favourite sculpting techniques. Let’s sculpt some hands!
Read MoreOver the last few months, quite a few people asked me to make a sleeping face sculpting tutorial and I’m happy to oblige! This time I’m trying a new clay as well so you’ll find a review at the end of this tutorial. For me, sculpting the sleeping faces was always easier than the ones with the open eyes, so I think this tutorial will be super friendly for the beginners. Keep on reading and let’s sculpt some cute faces!
Read MoreI’ve been sculpting with air-dry clays for the past five years, during all this time I’ve accumulated a few tips and tricks to make the process easier and more enjoyable. I’m pretty convinced that air-dry clays are very friendly to beginners and can be pretty magical in the experienced hands. But there’re a few tricks to make it work better. So keep on reading and learn what you can do to get the best results when sculpting with air-dry clays!
Read MoreHuman body proportions is a hot topic in all visual art genres. Historically through all ages, artists and observers tried to canonise ideal standards on how human body should be portrayed. I don’t think we have to chase ideals as we all have different bodies and figures. Despite that, with all of our differences we still can fit in a few proportional rules that we’ll talk about today. In my opinion, you don’t have to create by these rules, especially when sculpting dolls, but it’s good to know them so your interpretation of human body wouldn’t be accidental but rather deliberate.
Read MoreIt doesn't matter if you're just starting out with air-dry clays or have been sculpting for years, you probably encountered the nightmare of fluff. What I call fluff is the tiny fibres that are in the composition of clay. When the clay is wet, those tiny fibres are not very visible, but when the clay starts drying and when you start sanding, the fluffy particles reveal themselves in all the glory, haha. So today I'm going to share a few steps that I take to give my dolls the satin smooth finish. It took me years of experimentation to find what works so I hope you'll find it helpful!
Read MoreWhen I sculpt new faces for my plush dolls I always think about a character that I want to create. It's really fun to play with the face features and move away from a traditional human anatomy. In this article, I'll show you how I sculpt faces for these type of dolls and how different face features can change doll's personality.
Read MoreI've started to create art dolls in 2013. Even though I had I wonderful chance to study set design & puppet theatre in Vilnius art academy, art dolls were a whole different deal. Everything, from sculpting to painting, I had to learn by myself. And I'm not saying this to brag, I'm sharing this so you could do the same!
Read MoreWith a calendar packed with holiday's preparations, it can be tricky to make room for crafts or DIY projects. But handmade gifts could be so much better! Because of that, I've prepared a fun and easy Christmas elf tutorial that will get you into the holiday spirit in no time. This tutorial is suitable for beginners and will take you no more than a weekend to create. Add a little bit of character to your Christmas decor with this festive stocking stuffer!
Read MoreA hairstyle, that your doll wears, is such an important element shaping the whole character of a doll. It’s even more fun if you could change the hair depending on the doll’s costume or your mood! In either case, the big questions remain. How to attach doll hair? And how to make a wig for a doll? So now I’ll take you through the steps of making this fancy looking but rather simple wig.
Read MoreDo you know the feeling when you finish sculpting a doll and there’s something off with it? It looks good and you love it, but there’s this hunch deep down that something needs to be different. Is it a hair colour? Or the nose seems too low? You just can’t put a finger on it. The next usual thing to do is to ask a pair of fresh eyes to look at it. But who to ask? Mom always says: “Oh, I love it, honey!” Your significant other is not sure what to say, he loves your hobby, but not really knows anything about dolls. Facebook groups are full of people who are ready to comment on your photos, but they not always know how to critique your work, furthermore are more comfortable with smiley faces and compliments. This issue is so common. You wouldn’t believe it!
Read MoreDo you ever get this feeling, when you have a beautifully sculpted doll in your hands and you’re afraid to ruin it with paints? At the beginning of my doll making journey, I’ve been getting this a lot. It’s so frustrating when you can’t fulfill the image you have in mind. In this article, I’d like to talk about the best materials and techniques I use to paint my dolls, so we could put all the annoyance behind our backs!
Read MoreWhile pursuing my dreams and creating my first BJD doll, I’m trying my best to document all the process. Not just for myself, (even though I enjoy to watch myself getting better at something) but for you guys as well. Not to pride on my achievements, but to show all the aspiring doll artists, that everything is possible. With hard work, long hours of trying, failing and not losing hope.
Read MoreOne of the most frequently asked questions I hear is “How to achieve symmetry when sculpting dolls?” Because of my doll making classes, I get to talk with many doll makers all over the world. A lot of them struggle with the same thing. And I get why. When I started to create dolls, my biggest strain was to make the face look symmetrical. I always ended up with one eye lower than the other, crooked nose or lips tilted to the side. Sounds familiar? Don’t worry you’re not alone. Seeing how many of us hassle with this, I’ve understood that this issue is extremely common.
Read MoreIt has been almost three months since the last article about my ball-jointed doll journey. I didn’t expect that Christmas madness will creep on my Etsy shop so hard, haha. I’m very happy about it, though. So all the exciting process of sculpting my first BJD doll was postponed until now.
Read MoreIn the doll making world, most of the time artists put all of their skills and assets to sculpting the doll. It’s understandable because the doll itself is a unique form of art which is beautiful the way it is. But often enough, I’m looking at those beautifully sculpted dolls and missing one more thing. The costume. Why are we so rushing to finish the doll and releasing it to the world without suitable garments? It carries the doll to the whole new level and tells us a story about a character we have just met, revealing the most intricate details! Usually, it’s simply because we don’t know how to create one. All that sewing, embroidery, beading, patterns and techniques makes a mess in our heads. But what if I told you that you can create an astonishing costume for your doll without years of sewing practice? Let’s begin!
Read MoreAs soon as the leaves start crunching under the feet and a cold wind starts nipping your nose, we all know – it’s inevitably coming! The festive season is just around the corner. If you’re feeling a little glum and asking yourself what happened to the Christmas spirit, I’m here for you! Join me for “Crafty Christmas”! Spend those dark evenings making cute things for yourself and your loved ones. What could be better than a gift handcrafted with love?
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