First Doll – making progress

I’ve been reading tutorials online and in books for ages now, trying to build up enough confidence to feel able to at least attempt to work on this doll’s face without ruining it. This morning I decided the only thing to do was bite the bullet and just go for it.

She’s made from white poly-cotton, overpainted with acrylic, which is not really the ideal surface for drawing on. The paint’s made the needle-sculpting that shapes her face go a bit crunchy, so she has a few wrinkles in slightly odd places.

But every time I’ve looked at her since I put in her hair a few weeks ago, I’ve been convinced that she has her eyes closed. I think perhaps that she’s meditating, and I plan to seat her cross-legged. (She can’t quite manage the Lotus Position without knees!)

She’s not finished yet (I’m not happy with her mouth, and the whole face needs more shading and detail), but I think this is a nice start. Her eyelashes and the centre of her mouth are drawn on with a very fine sepia-coloured PITT pen. The colours are watercolour pencil, although I haven’t done much blending yet. I’m taking it slowly, so I don’t do my usual trick of spoiling something by over-working it.

I have a plan for a project (yes, another one) which involves making lots more dolls and photographing them in outdoor scenes. I’d like to get this little lady finished, so I can start trying out some different shapes and materials.