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!

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,

Very Easy Jointed Doll Tutorial

This is a short photo tutorial from a Russian website for a string-jointed doll (wire is actually used).  No translation is needed as there is no text.   Writer doesn't say what kind of clay is used but this looks to me like a perfect project for Creative Paperclay.   Because the doll is simplified and stylized, just about any sort of clay with any level of detail would be suitable.   Some of the completed dolls shown have a sculpted face and some are just round balls with painted features.    The choice is yours!   Great beginners project....enjoy!

Fairy Art Doll Tutorial

K.Michelle from K.Michelle Creations shares a clever tutorial for making this easy fairy art doll using papier mache & paperclay.   Other materials used include a Styrofoam ball and a foam cone plus wood dowels, a wood base, wire, paint, embellishments of your choice and typical tools such as glue and wire cutters.

Making Paperclay Doll Eyes

Eyes colored with pencils worn by Dollzone Leo

Author of tutorial says making Paperclay eyes for your doll is very simple. The eyes shown here started as beads of Creative Paperclay and were colored using artist pencils and acrylic paint.   A glossy finish was sprayed on.  These eyes were created for a BJD doll but could be used with any clay figure.  Read entire eye tutorial here.

How to Paint Eyebrows on Clay Doll

Sorry...this tutorial has been removed.
We'll keep trying to find if it has a new home.

This eyebrow painting tutorial by Paula is shown with a porcelain baby doll but technique applies to just about any doll.  Author says: "I find it easier to paint your brows looking down, with the doll head upside down. That makes you concentrate less on the placement and making them look like brows. "

If you have trouble deciding on placement or shape of brows, refer to this placement tip from liileah.

Art Dolls: Clay Over Cloth How-to

"Frost Fairy" a clay over cloth doll by Yve

Quite often art dolls are created with clay head, hands and feet attached to a fiber-filled cloth body (which is all covered with clothing). But did you know you can apply air-dry clay directly to a stuffed cloth doll?  This is done for a number of reasons.  A layer of clay can hide seams and give a nice, smooth surface for painting facial features but still have a soft, squishy body.   Dimensional details such as nose, lips, eyelids, etc are easy to add with the clay.  Some artists prefer to needle-sculpt the face details before applying Creative Paperclay while others, like the artist show here, prefer to make these dolls with a flat, unsculpted cloth face and add features with Creative Paperclay.   The added bonus is you can make a poseable button-jointed cloth doll a lot easier and faster than a BJD!

How to Create This Art Doll including How to Sculpt Head and Build Body

Paperclay doll by Oksana Dyachenko

Excellent, detailed tutorial for creating a mixed media art doll by Oksana Dyachenko.  Some interesting and unique techniques shown that I've never seen before.  Creative Paperclay is used to sculpt head, hands and feet with abundant step-by-step instructions for modeling face and hands along with painting details.  This is a very long tutorial with lots of steps and lots of photos.  You'll probably do best if you follow along one step at a time.  Don't skip around ....you might miss something important.  There's really a lot of information in this tutorial!

Paperclay Stump Doll

Stylized and aged with crackle finish, this 'Dancing Girl' Paperclay stump doll from Miss Sophie Arts looks like it'd be a lot of fun to make.  The author sculpts heads and necks from Paperclay but their bodies use a paper mache technique.

Beer Bottle Doll

The doll shown above was made by MarissArt, who says:   "...for her brooch and hair embellishments, I cut up a plastic snowflake ornament and glued the pieces directly to her!"    This "stump" doll was made from

How to Make a Paperclay Art Doll by MLB

Step-by-step 9 part tutorial on how to make a folk art doll using Creative Paperclay.   MBetterly takes you from the Styrofoam armature to the finishing touches. Get your hands dirty and have some fun making art dolls!