A Boring Day with Grass and Eyes...

To be honest, I really didn't do much today.

 My father and I put together a static grass applicator using an electronic fly swatter and a metal mesh shaker. In case you don't know static grass is green short rayon fibers that hold a static charge that helps them stand upright instead of matted down. It is pretty realistic looking miniature grass and is commonly used in model train sets. It's just like when you rub a balloon on your arm or hand and your hair is pulled towards the balloon. The static grass applicator just makes a stronger field, therefore straighter grass. I'm going to use the grass on my bases and I'm also going to try to make a wig with viscose fibers for a shaved/short hair look.

I also played around with the perfect eye tools from Pat Moulton that arrived today. Oh my god, they make producing the eye bases a cinch! I first discovered these tools from this wonderful tutorial on making glass like doll eyes. Seriously go check it out, it's great! I am really glad I bought the tools, I'd say they're well worth the money. Despite the clay part of the eyes being so easy, I've been struggling with the rest. The iris isn't too hard, but the pupil! Argh! I can never get a perfect set, they are either misaligned or not even a circle.
I have no idea how Aimee manages to get pupils like she does, I've tried the dotter tool, and while it works on fashion doll repaints, the paint doesn't seem to stick to my clay eyes. I think I might be using the wrong paint, but alas, my quality acrylic is at my moms house.

I will post some pictures of my attempts tomorrow, but right now it is far too late.

Good night. Thank you for reading!

My Tools and a Torso

Hi again, I'm here to keep my promise.

I don't have as much to say as I did yesterday.



So far today, I've basically finished mocha's torso sculpting. I still have a bit to refine, but I need to finish her arms and legs first. Above you can better see how she will be able to pose. The bare wire will have cotton batting glued on it, and then a pattern of stretchy knit fabric as skin will be glued across the gap onto the clay and filled with polyfil. Therefore she will be the right shape under clothes, but soft enough for the wire to bend. That's all after she has been completely baked though, to eliminate any risk of fire/burnage.

You probably can't see it in the above picture but she has developed a crack in the corner of her eye, so here is a close up shot...

Click to enlarge

I think it is from the Prosculpt in her clay mix, as I've only ever gotten cracks from simply baking using that. It's small and should be easy to fix, I only hope no more happen.

Today I also wanted to show the tools I have used for mocha so far.




From upper left to lower right:

• a mirror to check for symmetry
• a cup for holding tools less often used
• plumbers epoxy for armature strength
• rubbing alcohol that I use with q tips and a brush to smooth and clean the clay
• pliers to bend wire
• toilet paper to clean up spills and my ever running nose (damn allergies!)
• clay in a baggie to protect from dust
• floral tape that I wrap around wire or epoxy to help the clay stick
• my two sanding sponges and rough sanding sponge
• vaseline to smooth clay and get rid of white marks from sanding
• picture hanging wire made up of about 15-20 thin wire coiled together (I usually use plain steel wire of various gauges, but since she is poseable, I think coiled wire will be more durable)
• calipers to check more symmetry
• wooden tools of various sizes (including another tool useful for smoothing large areas, a wood tool with a square end that has notches cut out of it, I think its called a rake)
• a needle tool
• metal embossing tool...

I have even more tools that I use crammed all about my two rooms (my parents are divorced), but that would take hours to catalog them. : D

Wooo, I'll post again tomorrow. That's all, thanks for reading.

And as always please feel free to ask me any questions!