I've been sculpting ball-jointed dolls for quite a while. Maybe six or seven years. And in that time, I've accumulated a few tips that I find helpful to be better at sculpting. So today, I want to share that with you. As always, let me know if you have any questions or need advice in the comments. Alright, let's move on to tip number one!
Read MoreMaking miniature shoes for my ball-jointed dolls is one of my favorite costume-making activities. I've been trying to incorporate even more intricate details into my designs. I feel that those details can elevate the doll to a new level. So today, I want to show you how I made these platform heels for my recent ball-jointed doll, Rafflesia. You can find a full video tutorial on my Patreon.
Read MoreSince I started to create porcelain ball-jointed dolls, I’ve been fascinated with sculpting miniature features and getting them as detailed as possible. I feel like the hands, feet, facial features give so much character to the doll. But to get them right is always a challenge, especially if you sculpt on a small scale! So today, I want to share my favorite techniques for sculpting miniature features.
Read MoreAfter sculpting the doll face you’re happy with, there’s another hurdle to overcome - bringing it to life with painting. I see some doll makers and students of mine struggle with this. Painting could make your sculpture look livelier, more realistic. So how to achieve that? Today I want to share some tricks which will make painting doll faces easier and more fun!
Read MoreWhen I got interested in porcelain ball-jointed dolls, assembly was a great mystery for me. I knew that a lot of ball-jointed dolls were strung with elastic string, but porcelain dolls were different. Most artists used steel springs, and I couldn’t wrap my head around the techniques behind them. Today, I’m still trying to perfect my assembling methods, but I’m very close to finding a permanent way that works for my dolls. So keep on reading to see how to assemble a porcelain ball-jointed doll.
Read MoreThere’re so many tools and art supplies out there that it’s easy to get lost. I know the feeling! I wasted a lot of money over the years buying things that didn’t work for me. Because of that, I want to share a streamlined list of supplies that I use to sculpt ball-jointed dolls.
Read MorePorcelain is such an interesting medium that even painting it can be incredibly fascinating. It involves many layers of China paints, fragrant oils, firing the paints in the kiln, and lots of patience. Today I want to talk more about China painting and explain how it works. Keep on reading if it captivates you as well!
Read MoreI remember when I first saw a ball-jointed doll, I was in awe. I had so many questions about the technology and design behind them. But the first question was: “How they made it hollow?”. If you never sculpted one yourself, but you’re intrigued with this art form, you probably have this question as well. Today I’ll try to show how to make a BJD hollow at the first stages of sculpting.
Read MoreAfter a break in making porcelain dolls, I finally come back with a new sculpt and new porcelain doll! For the last year or so, I dedicated my time to design and write classes about doll making. It was so time-consuming that dolls had to wait a bit. Now, I’m incredibly happy to create again. Meet Green Jade, my newest addition to the porcelain BJD world. Keep reading if you’re interested in the process behind making this ball-jointed doll.
Read MorePorcelain is unique material when it comes to sanding, cleaning up the seams and detailing casted pieces. Today I want to talk about just that! This process can be relaxing and fun because there is no dust, just a tub of water and bisque-fired porcelain pieces.
Read MoreLike with any hobby, it’s nice to have all kinds of resources to find more information, get inspired or just flip through when you’re bored. Since ball-jointed dolls are quite a niche hobby, finding quality resources can be tough. But I got you covered! In this article, you’ll find many incredible books about BJD. If you have a suggestion for this list, don’t hesitate to leave a comment, we all will appreciate it!
Read MoreMold making is a necessary step if you want to create porcelain dolls. It is a very tedious and long process requiring some math and spatial thinking. But once you understand fundamental techniques, it’ll become less intimidating. In this article, I’ll walk you through some basics and shed some light on mold making for porcelain dolls.
Read MoreThis is probably the most requested article since I’ve started making porcelain dolls. The truth is, I’m still learning myself. I have maybe fifty firings under my belt and not all of them were successful, haha. But I know how sparse the information about firing porcelain dolls is. So maybe we can learn together at the same time? That being said, take all this information with a grain of salt, it might be a nice introduction, but it’s not a professional guide. If you have any insights, feel free to share them in the comments below!
Read MoreI’m continuing the series about sculpting your own BJD. With these articles, I want to shed some light on the long and difficult process of sculpting a ball-jointed doll. Even though ball-jointed dolls getting more and more popular each year, the information about how you could sculpt one is still scarce. In the previous articles we’ve already talked about the first steps and sculpting joints, now it’s time for my favourite part - finishing touches!
Read MoreIt doesn’t matter if you’re just a beginner or experienced artist, the biggest hassle in BJD making is always joints! The intricate system of ball-jointed dolls that fascinates every enthusiast, collector and artist. It used to intimidate so much that I’ve postponed sculpting my first proper BJD for years. In this article, I want to unveil some of the mystery behind designing and sculpting joints for your dolls. Have in mind that this is just a short overview of quite a difficult subject so I won’t be able to provide step-by-step instructions. If you want robust and informative tutorials, consider joining my BJD sculpting masterclass that will walk you through the whole process of sculpting ball-jointed doll from scratch. Including joints!
Read More’m sculpting my second ball-jointed doll and I’ve decided to document all the process! A few years ago when I was just trying to understand how ball-jointed dolls actually work, there was almost no information about the topic. Now, people are sharing a little bit more on Instagram or Facebook groups, but it still is a very mysterious form of art. And if you want to try and sculpt a doll yourself, you’re kinda left on your own. With these posts, I hope to shed a little bit of light on the process and maybe inspire you to sculpt your own BJD!
Read MoreOne of the most exciting parts of doll making for me is costumes. Making intricate garments, embroidering, adding lace and beads - the possibilities are endless! Today I want to walk you through the process of making a very cute lingerie set for one of my latest dolls.
Read MoreWhile I'm working on two new dolls, I thought it would be interesting to reflect on my doll making process and let you peek behind the curtain. This time I'll be talking about my first porcelain BJD - Fern Flower.
Read MoreLooking at those ball-jointed porcelain beauties, a lot of people ask themselves how one can create something like that? Fully posable and moving doll made completely by hand! Mind blowing isn't it? So lets rewind a little bit and take a look into the very first step of creating porcelain ball-jointed doll – the prototype and what do you need to make one!
Read MoreCreating a porcelain ball-jointed doll (BJD) was a dream of mine for ages! But I was so overwhelmed with the process that I couldn't do it. After a few years of doll making, practising sculpting, learning about anatomy and mastering my skills I've finally had enough courage at least to try! Today I'm not going to walk you through each step of making a BJD, but I'll show you what it takes to create a porcelain ball-jointed doll.
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