It's a stormy Halloween!

I feel sorry for all the little trick-or-treaters this year!

 

Here's another vintage postcard, with lots of photoshopping to make it look nice. But that's part of the challenge :)

No more... for a while

I just finished my fifth Emmaline doll since August (or whenever I started them). I feel like I need to switch gears for now. I'm not sure what doll I'll make next. I guess a Santa might be in order - Christmas will be here before long. And there's always those art journal pages I need to catch up on (just got a package from Dick Blick yesterday).

Stoked!

I just got my complimentary issue of Art Doll Quarterly (Winter issue) because I've got a couple dolls in there - part of an ODACA Behind the Scenes series:

 

One more Emmaline?

Today I'm working on another Emmaline doll, started earlier this week. I wanted talk about how great Tombow pens work for sketching a face onto a painted surface (no affiliation, btw). By picking a color that's just a little darker than the skin tone, I can tweak the features with no visible marks later. In the past I've tried using air or water-soluble pens intended for fabric/sewing, but those marks often disappear before I can begin painting. Colored pencils work, too, but can leave marks sometimes.

Tombow pens are water-soluble, so I can wet the marks with a little water and they essentially disappear. I've rarely had to add a touch of the skin-color paint.

I've got her dress mostly done. All it needs is a snap at the waistband and hem, which I can do while the eventual crackle is drying. I've already made her bloomers, too.

Next doll will be something different. My goal: an adequate number of dolls to take to Washington DC next summer.

Emmaline #4 done

This morning I finished the fourth of a series of four dolls, experimenting with the stretch direction of the fabric used to make the doll. I also wanted to give the crackle/antique wash another try.

 

This doll is about 17 inches tall. I'm pleased that I stuck to my guns and finished all four of these dolls without flitting off to another project.

 

Now I'm in the mood to make something Halloweenish.

Crackle...the bane of my existence

I just finished another vintage-inspired doll, and wanted to try the one-step crackle again. I can't say I'm completely pleased with the way this one turned out. I'm talking about the forehead/nose area. It turned out darker than I'd intended (in a blotchy sort of way), and messing with it just made it worse - so I stopped. See what I mean? I think part of the problem was not thinning the brown paint wash sufficiently.

 

This is the third of the four dolls I've been doing assembly line style. This one has a vertical stretch direction (fabric) for both the head and the body, so she's about 17 inches tall. I like the general shape of the head, but notice a better chin area when the fabric stretch direction is horizontal.

 

 

Today I sewed the dress for doll number four. I may be too pooped to start painting the facial features.