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My Doll Making Journey

Hello doll makers. My name is Suzanne. I love making things, especially dolls of clay.  My passion for doll making has grown over the last 5 years.  I discovered sculpting one of a kind dolls, known as OOAK, in polymer clay while searching for answers to a problem I was having: broken legs on figurines I had sculpted for my son’s school projects.


For years I had made cute animals and even a male “Spartan” for my son for his school projects or just because he wanted a cute toy out of play dough.  I found that I really enjoyed creating these creatures for him.  But each time I made a large figurine, my son would come home from school disappointed. “The legs broke.” he would say.  So after the last disappointment, I decided to find out what I was doing wrong.

        Flumo BJDs- Sophie and Annabelle 


Although I spent the majority of my time in high school in the art room, we mainly drew pictures or painted.  Figurine sculptures were not part of our curriculum.  In college I majored in Residential Design, where my extent of creating art focused on drawing traffic patterns and furniture placement on floor plans.  I also drew vignettes of those rooms in perspective.  Later, I returned to graduate school to become a kindergarten teacher.  Needless to say, it took me years to rediscover my love for dolls.

As I am sure you have done, I searched the internet for solutions to my sculpting problem. I discovered that my poor figurines were missing their bones. I had failed to create an armature. No wonder the legs were breaking.

It was during these searches that I came across Reborn baby dolls made of silicone and One of a Kind (OOAK) fairies made in polymer clay. Whoa, I thought. These dolls are awesome! I want to make my own.

This discovery also reminded me of a time in my childhood where I had tried to make a doll from a kit.  Only the directions were so confusing, I gave up trying and believed I would never be able to make my own doll. Thank goodness I decided to try again, but this time I was determined to succeed.

           Morgan, artist cast resin BJD


This blog is for those of you who are taking the same doll making journey or are interested in starting. When I began, there were only a few videos and blogs pertaining to this subject.  Now there are books, video tutorials, and instructors who are willing to show us how to sculpt dolls from clay.  Even with these resources, doll making is a challenge.  I am not promising perfection.  I still have a lot to learn.  Many times I have started faces or bodies and wondered why my doll didn’t look at all like the tutorial. Each of us has our own way of doing things. It doesn’t matter if your doll doesn’t look like someone else’s doll.  Just put some clay in your hand, watch some videos, read some books and start making something you will love.

                 Fairy mom and baby


I plan to show you pictures of my own work.  I will try to explain my processes and even explain when things go wrong.  My doll making has come a long way since I began 5 years ago.  I have plenty of bad arms, legs, torsos and faces to prove it, but I also have my own fairy, a mermaid, and several Ball Jointed Dolls (BJDs) to admire on my bookshelf.  I have even taught myself to make molds and cast my dolls in Flumo, an air dry slip, and in resin.

Soon I plan to cast a doll in porcelain, with the help of a new friend who is a wonderful porcelain doll artist. I also plan to interview her about her own doll making journey.

Morgan cast in resin with caucasian skin tone


So come join me on my journey. I look forward to hearing from you.  I will gladly answer questions and comments. I am not saying I am an expert, just that doll making has become my passion. If it’s yours too or you’re just interested in this subject, welcome! I look forward to experiencing this journey with you.

Below is a link to my Facebook and instagram pages,which feature pictures of my doll journey.

https://www.instagram.com/suzannehillbagley/

Suzannehttps://m.facebook.com/Suzannes-Hands-Fair-Meadow-Soaps-184392372128/

https://www.instagram.com/suzannehillbagley/

My rock star

Comments

  1. she's a doll of clayDecember 9, 2017 at 1:03 AM


    Thanks for reading. I would love to hear about your own doll making experience. Even if you are just beginning or you have been making dolls for years. It is so helpful to me to hear your thoughts about doll making. Any suggestions or problems you’ve encountered.

    ReplyDelete

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