How To Use Face Push Mold

In the following video, talented clay artist Maureen Carlson shows us how to use her 3-inch face push molds using polymer clay, air-dry clay and other clay compounds.  Follow along as she shows you how to create a multitude of different faces by using simple sculpting techniques. The finishing details are added with acrylic paints. You can purchase Maureen's molds at WeeFolk.com.  Sculpey and other companies also make push molds.

        

Sculpting a Small BJD Head in Paperclay

Today we have a video demo from ShirwillJack showing how to sculpt a small BJD* head (hollow).  She refers to this as a "paperclay" tutorial but in dialog says she is using "Premier" (LaDoll) clay.  They are both air-dry but not exactly the same.  "Premier" is a stone clay, not paperclay.  However, "Creative Paperclay" works well for modeling BJDs and is frequently used by doll artists.  This is a good example of using the "add-on" method for sculpting with air-dry clay, where wet clay is applied to dry clay (re-moistened).  If you think you have to rush with air-dry clay, think again.  Note:  You might want to pause video in the speeded up segments.  Sometimes it's just a little too speedy to see what's happening!

Cute and Easy Doll Figurine Tutorial

Create this cute doll following the step-by-step photo tutorial shown below.  Supplies include air-dry-clay (softer brands would probably be best) or cold porcelain in your favorite shade of blue (overalls), pink (shirt), white (socks), brown (shoes & accents), fleshtone and hair color.  A dowel/skewer/toothpick is used to poke hole in shoes/socks for insertion of legs.  An extruder is used to press out worms of clay for hair.   A needle tool and a ball-ended tool are also used but not absolutely necessary.

Prepare the separate body parts shown in the first step, let dry then glue together.  Once assembled, add the straps, pockets, small hearts and other accents as shown.  Glue where necessary.  The head is made with a very simplified face, using the ball-ended tool to poke a round mouth shape.

Modeling a Doll with Paperclay, Part 4 of 4. Dressing & Posing

The final part of this step-by-step tutorial from Russian artist Dyachenko Oksana creates the clothing, shoes and props for posing the doll created in Parts 1-3. Lots of photos show how she applies fabric to the doll body, cuts to fit, and sews concealed seams directly on the doll.

Hope you've enjoyed this 4 part tutorial and the techniques presented to create this cute doll made of Creative Paperclay.   Cold porcelain and many other air-dry clay brands could be used in the same manner.

This series of tutorials is presented in Russian, please use Google Translate (or your own favorite tool) to convert to your language.

Modeling a Doll with Paperclay, Part 3 of 4, Finishing Body

Part 3 of this step-by-step tutorial from Russian artist Dyachenko Oksana shows how to sculpt and attach hands to the body we made in Part 2 and additional finishing steps.    Lots of photos show the modeling of the hands with Creative Paperclay along with covering the arms and legs  in the 'clay over cloth' technique.  Shoes made of Paperclay are also modeled.   The artist then tea-stains the clay to create a fleshtone and also adds color with acrylic paint where needed.

The final step for Part 3 is to create a body stocking from knitted material to neatly cover the stuffed body.  Because clothing will be created in Part 4 that will cover the doll, the body stocking can be omitted.  However, it is a nice, finishing touch that completes a well-made doll.

This series of tutorials is presented in Russian, please use Google Translate (or your own favorite tool) to convert to your language.

Modeling a Doll with Paperclay, Part 2 of 4. Armature & Body

This step-by-step doll tutorial from Russian artist Dyachenko Oksana describes her method for creating a sturdy body armature and increasing volume of the body with paper. (She says it's toilet paper but looks more like paper towels...LOL)   There's lots of photos showing how she stuffs and wraps armature with paper and then secures it with string before posing the doll.  The next tutorial in this series will create the hands and feet with Creative Paperclay.   If you missed it, the tutorial for modeling the head is here.

Modeling a Doll with Paperclay, Part 1 Head

This step-by-step tutorial from Russian artist Dyachenko Oksana shows in great detail, with lots of photos, how to model a dolls head using Creative Paperclay.  Author also shows how she paints the face.  Additional tutorials will be posted soon for creating the body! .

Part 2 of 4. Armature & Body

Part 3 of 4, Finishing Body

Part 4 of 4. Dressing & Posing

Jorge Rubicce Basic Doll Head Demo

Cold Porcelain figure by Jorge Rubicce

In the following video, master craftsman Jorge Rubicce, shows us his method for modeling the head of his cute cold porcelain figures.   He starts with a Styrofoam ball (for armature) and an equal size ball of cold porcelain to create an egg shaped head.   Notice that he uses his palms to form the cold porcelain and always works toward center.  He also applies hand cream to his hands while smoothing out surface of cold porcelain.

Lalaloopsy tutorial

Lalaloopsy by Starry Delight, step by step photos to create clay figure shown above.  Click on 1st photo (or click 'open photo viewer') to go thru the slideshow for added instruction.  She uses cookie cutters for cutting some of the shapes, barbeque sticks for the legs, and a flower cup to create a perfectly round head.   Optionally, with air dry clay, you could use a Styrofoam ball and cover it with clay for Lalaloopsy's perfectly round head (do not use foam with clay that gets baked).

This would be a suitable project for cold porcelain, Creative Paperclay or any one of the soft clays.

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 7 of 7: Wig & Base

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, we've been following Olga Egupets as she shows us her techniques for making armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting the doll and creating clothing.  This is Part 7, the final video in the series.  Olga finishes her doll by adding a wig using needle-felting techniques and wool roving.  Then she creates a leather-look display base from wood and paper and the doll with her new black dress is done!

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 6 of 7: Making the Clothes

Finished doll

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, Olga Egupets shows us her techniques from start to finish, demonstrating armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting, wigging and creating clothing. When making her dolls, Olga uses a variety of materials, including air dry clays such as Creative Paperclay, LaDoll, Plastiform, Efaplast etc.   This doll has a sewing machine on her lap because she has just finished sewing herself a little black dress. This is Part 6 of 7, 'Making the Clothing'.

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 5 of 7: Making the Props

Painted doll at end of Part 4

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, Olga Egupets shows us her techniques from start to finish, demonstrating armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting, wigging and creating clothing. When making her dolls, Olga uses a variety of materials, including air dry clays such as Creative Paperclay, LaDoll, Plastiform, Efaplast etc.

This is Part 5 of 7.  Please go here for Parts 1 and 2.  Part 3 is here and Part 4 is here.

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 4 of 7: Painting

Stage 3 finished!

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, Olga Egupets shows us her techniques from start to finish, demonstrating armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting, wigging and creating clothing. When making her dolls, Olga uses a variety of materials, including air dry clays such as Creative Paperclay, LaDoll, Plastiform, Efaplast etc.

This is Part 4 of 7.  Please go here for Parts 1 and 2.  Part 3 is here   In the first 3 steps, Olga created her armature and body form, coated it with a layer of papier mache to give it bulk and gave it a smooth finish with a brushed-on top coat (finished doll at this stage is shown above).  She also finished modeling the face, hands and feet using LaDoll clay.

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 3 of 7: Sculpting

papier mache stage complete

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, Olga Egupets shows us her technique from start to finish, demonstrating armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting, wigging and creating clothing. When making her dolls, Olga uses a variety of materials, including air dry clays such as Creative Paperclay, LaDoll, Plastiform, Efaplast etc.

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Parts 1 and 2 of 7

Olga E. Egupets was born in Deep Eastern Kazakhstan.   In 2000, she decided to try making dolls and soon  became very popular among collectors and lovers of art dolls, both in Russia and abroad.  At first it was small size works but her current dolls are quite large.  In this multi-part demonstration, Olga shows us her technique from start to finish,

Make This Cute Bee in a Clay Pot

Eliana Braga has created a step by step photo tutorial showing you how to create this cute bee sitting in a clay pot with a few easy-to-make flowers. This was created with cold porcelain but almost any air-dry clay would be suitable. The softer brands of air-dry clay may be the best for this. Eliana also shows detail steps for painting the eyes and creating the sweet facial expression. 

Materials needed are cold porcelain or other air-dry clay in flesh, yellow, white, green and black; a styrofoam ball for head armature; a small clay pot; some black wire; basic modeling tools; white glue; a heart shaped cookie cutter and a fine point black marker.

Spoon Doll ~ Fantasy Figure

Hildi, a 22" spoon doll by Studio Willich

Here's a great tutorial from Studio Willich showing how they make spoon dolls (updated).   Spoon dolls are simply sculptures that start out with a wooden spoon as armature, as shown below.   I don't often feature polymer clay tutorials that have to be converted to use air-dry clay, but

Modeling a Character Face

This is a well done 14-minute video showing you how to model a Bubble Guppies character out of gumpaste.   The steps for creating with air-dry clay are exactly the same except you can use white glue where needed.   When crafting with clay, there's no need to worry about edible paints and such, just use regular acrylic craft paint to highlight the eyes and other details.

Mario & Luigi, Step by Step

Create the video game character Mario in just a few easy steps!   Luigi would be done same way, just taller & slimmer!  ;-)

Update 2/16/2013:   This tutorial was initially found on a site other than the original (and some parts were missing).  With some research, the original tutorial was located which includes additional instructions for modeling the head.   Credit goes to  this Chinese site for this Mario tutorial.  Computerized translation doesn't work well with Chinese, so I've included a rough translation to English below the photos.    Please see original if you speak Chinese.

How to Make a Poseable Hand

This air-dry clay tutorial from Minenko shows us how to model thin, delicate, but strong fingers.  It is loosely translated below from Russian to English.   Please go to her website for step by step photos and full hand modeling tutorial.

Minenko says the materials needed for this project are:

1. Wire to build the frame of the hand (any thin: copper, floral,) 
2. Floral tape (sticky paper tape in various colors, sold in florist shops) for covering wire
3. Your choice of air-dry clay (LaDoll or Creative Paperclay suggested)
4. Creative mood