How to make art dolls

I have been sculpting dolls with air-dry clay for years now. It is my favorite medium to sculpt fine details and create intricate characters. But I know some people have reservations about air-dry clay. Will it be strong enough? Can I resume sculpting after my sculpture has dried? There are so many

Today 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 t

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.

Detailing and embellishing costumes is one of my favourite parts of creating dolls. I could sit for hours and embroider tiny ornaments, attach beads and sparkly elements to the dapper dresses. Embroidery can elevate your creations to the next level since you’re creating one-of-a-kind garments for your dolls. Sure, you can purchase pre-embroidered fabrics but nothing enhances the doll as custom embellishments made just for that particular creation. So today I want to talk about my…

Flying Tree has sold at the Northville Art House's annual juried exhibit "Small Works." I am so happy. It does feel rare to sell one of my tree structures. Flying Tree is 12" tall x 6" wide x 4.5" deep and can be viewed in the round. The collaged fabric on the base is machine stitched with a hole in which you can put your hand, if your hand is small enough. In the 2nd image of Flying Tree you can see the inside of the top piece which is discharged brown fabric with stripes. I have more in…

Please note before you start reading this older post that I have long since included a version in the Methods section, under Making realistic models, which can be accessed above. That version may have been updated or expanded since. This is the third of five outline accounts dealing with what I consider to be the five…

How to make your own dolls for pleasure and profit : written and illus. by Grace L. Schauffler

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