Even More About Cloth doll Making For Beginners

Third In The Beginners Series

This lens continues on from the last two cloth doll making for beginners lenses. There was so much important information that I just couldn't fit them all into a couple of lenses so I had to make four.

I hope you enjoy this lens and that the information in here gets you started in the wonderful world of doll making.

Tools Of The Trade

Tools of the Trade
By now you will probably have realized that my favorite tool for almost any doll making job are my hemostats. I just love them. I find them perfect for turning for smoothing for stuffing and more.

To start doll making, I believe you only need a minimum of tools. If you really want to experiment and try everything then of course, feel free, but in my opinion you only need a few things and they will probably last for many years.

I would recommend that you buy two sets of hemostats one being a small set and the other being a large one. I use my large set almost everything, but occasionally, I find that I need a small sets and I think you will be glad that you have them. I don't recommend the stuffing forks.

I think you need a good fabric eraser and normal eraser doesn't work on fabric very well. I have a small pair of snips that I wouldn't be without these don't have the handles like a pair of scissors, and they are very quick and easy to use.

Feeling CreaTIVE?

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This lens will help you if you are new doll maker, a learner or a bit more advanced at making cloth dolls. I remember what it was like when I first started and the thousands of questions I had. I had a real hunger and passion to find out how to make...

More About Cloth Doll Making For Beginners

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Beginning Cloth Doll Making

This is the first in a series of cloth doll making lenses where I hope beginners will find heaps of information to get them started. When I first started making dolls I had no idea how amazing and what an adventure this journey was going to be for m...

More About Tools Of The Trade

Sculpting needles are very very important in my view, they are also known as "number seven darners".

I use sculpting needles for most of my sewing, for most of my hand sewing any way. Most sewers would laugh about this I imagine.

Of course you do need a sewers tool kit that basically has the usual sewing bits and pieces in it, for instance a good pair of scissors and matching thread for all your fabrics, a tape measure, needles etc.

As far as coloring faces is concerned, this is another area where you could experiment. I am happy to list the products that I love and that I use for my faces.

Crayons! yes ordinary kids Crayola or any make of crayons work well for eyes and for blush once you have worn the tip off them. Use them on their side to get a blended look.

Start with a bejeweled goddess made from an easy � more...0 points

The Best Pencils and Pens to use.

Prismacolor Berol Pencils work really well for most coloring. They are a lovely soft, oily pencil that is just perfect for fabric.

You can start with a soft line of color and build up the layers to get the look you want. They work well for shading and for sharper lines as well. I use these for eyeshadow and blush.

These pencils come in hundreds of colors so I suggest you just buy a few basic colors to start with and then either treat yourself from time to time of put them on your wish list for birthdays and Xmas.

I use Lycra mostly now for my dolls heads (the sculpted ones) and the old Micron Pigma pens that used to be recommended for dolls faces are no good at all for drawing on Lycra.

I have now discarded all of these pens as they run dry so easily and block up and I really hate using them at all now

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The Best Pens for Painting Faces

I am now using gel pens for all my face outlining. I like the Pental hybrid ones best and I use a soft brown or Brownie pink shade as well as the black and brown.

I have a favorite purple one that I love to use on lips. When I draw flowers or hearts all over my dolls faces I love to color them in with bright colored Gel pens then add some glitter at the end

These are available at most newsagents, arts stores, and also the big chain stores. Make sure you get the best quality possible.

I also quite like the Y & C fabric mate colored felt type pens... I use these pens in my" fun funky faces pattern", but you must be careful when first using them and when they are new as they tend to spread color further than you have drawn.

In other words don't take the color right to the edge of your lines and see what happens !

I don't recommend these pens as necessary they are just an extra if you want to experiment

Colors

I LOVE my GOLD tulip glitter so much...this stuff really make the dolls faces come alive. This is a dimensional glitter product that I just use very small amounts of at a time. I smear a tiny bit on my finger and carefully put a small amount on the bottom lip in the middle, on the bottom of the pupil in the eyes and also just below the eyebrows.

Don't rub it in hard or you will get a dirty mess.

You wont see the finished effect until after it has dried, then it looks lovely.

I also would not be without my White acrylic tube paint for the whites of eyes and the highlight.

For a while I tried to use a white gel pen but I found it seemed to soak into the fabric and fade away.

I like the white of my dolls eyes to be very white because it seems to make them stand out a lot so I recommend the acrylic paint. A tube lasts forever.

I have a fine good quality paint brush to go with this.

Water color pencils are worthwhile buying to play with. I have not perfected using them yet but I have recently heard of a way of blending a white watercolor pencil in with another bright colored pencil for the actual Iris of the eye.

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Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques by Patti Medaris Culea

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Designing the Doll: From Concept to Construction by Susanna Oroyan

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More About Colors

I love to use bright clear colors or black and white for the clothing on my dolls. That is my preference.

I think you should use the colors that "Call" to you on your doll. You will feel much more satisfied that way rather than forcing yourself to use fabric that you feel the need to use up!

When I choose my colors I usually go to my stash and go through what I have. I pick one color and then go through again and sort out one that I like to go with it. I mostly choose opposites. Ie Hot pink with bright yellow. But this information is for you, so you need to choose what you love!

It is fantastic the variety that doll makers use.

Some use lots of prints together at this famous doll makers website.(elinor peace bailey)
http://www.epbdolls.com

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What are the Best Fabrics To Use?

I love to use glitzy evening fabrics and silks and I also love to use Tyvek, paints and stamps and handmade felt.

Some doll makers use mainly quilting cottons from Quilt shops. I use these sometimes as well. You have lots of time to play with all these fabrics and see what you love to use the most.

If you know of my designs, you will note that I absolutely adore bright colors. I love clear colors.

That's probably one of the reasons that I have never actually pursued making country dolls. I actually like the simplicity of country dolls and maybe one day I will make them and make them in bright colors, just for a change.

I find it really interesting that people actually believe, that colors can convey moods and feelings. Yellow for me means joy! What does it mean for you?.

Perception of color is different for each of us. I like to put all clear bright colors together. I find this works really well, for me.

When I was in San Francisco . I met a wonderful artist, who really thinks outside the box. She had actually studied color, and obviously knew a lot more than I do about it. I tend to just go by my instincts and my intuition. Rosie told me that to make the bright colors, really bright and stand out you need to add a little mud, in other words, the more muddy colors bring out the brights in the bright colors.

I am forever learning, just like all of us. I love it. Go with the colors you love, the ones that give you pleasure and make you feel joy.

I believe that if we go with the joy in life then we are on purpose, and doing what we are meant to be doing

Cloth Doll Faces

Faces

To start I need to tell you that I am not naturally gifted at drawing, in fact my efforts to draw in the past have been downright dismal:-)

When I first started to make dolls, I realized that although I had lots of experience with the sewing part and designing comes fairly easy to me, but my faces needed lots of work.

From time to time now, people in the doll world tell me they love the way I do my faces and in fact I have become known by my style, just shows you that anyone can improve a lot!

Because of my experiences, I am thrilled to be able to try to help others who have the same challenges.

I need to tell you that this learning process is one that will continue for ever. I am still having breakthroughs and learning as I go.

I take as many "Face" classes as I can. I still want to retain my own "look" in my dolls but can always pick up more knowledge and techniques...just as you can.

I believe that a face can make or break a doll. I think if you have a lovely face but not so good doll body or clothes you get away with it. But nothing stands out more clearly than a badly painted face, even if the clothes and doll body is perfect!

This is why it is so important to paint lovely and appropriate faces for your dolls.

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Some Ideas To Help You Develop.

I suggest that if you are serious about having lovely faces on your dolls you need to do the following.

1: Take as many Face classes as is possible online and live. If you are short of money then hunt out as many free lessons about drawing and color on the internet as you can. Use your search engine to help you, I use Google and its very quick. Just type in "drawing faces" or similar and you will be amazed at how much information there is out there for free. It doesn't have to relate to dolls at all.

2: Keep a Face journal scrapbook, make it a priority.
Go through all your magazines and those of friends and family and rip out the face pictures cut them out and glue them into your book. Also have seperate sections just for noses, lips and eyes. Fill them up then use them for your studies.

3: Make an appointment with yourself once a week. Get out your calendar and mark off a couple of hours once a week just for you. Mark it AWM.. (appointment with myself ) .2pm-4pm. Tell no one what its all about. Let no one take that time from you. This is your time ! You deserve it:-) If someone asks you to do something for them at this time, just say sorry I have an appointment that I cannot break.

Make sure that you always have about 10 flat faces made up and stuffed and a few heads to practice sculpting on, this way you don't have to spend your precious few hours actually sewing the heads.

REMINDER

Organize a "Play Day" every month.

What Do I Do At PLay Days?

On your " play day", take the phone off the hook and spread all your crayons and colored pens and pencils out, get your face scrapbook and start drawing.

These heads are not for making a doll with. They are only for you to play with and if they turn out terrible, no problem, just date the back of them and throw them in a bag. These will be fabulous for looking back to see how far you have come.:-)

Try tracing over some of the face pictures you have.

Play with the placement of the features. Try using crayons for blush...see if you like the texture etc. Play with bright colors, see how bright you can color that face. Play play play and practice, practice, practice. You will be amazed and delighted at what you can achieve.

4: Always take a small blank notebook and pencil and eraser with you wherever you go. While waiting to pick up kids from sports or school, while waiting at the Dr's or Dentists, play at drawing faces. Fill in all your spare waiting time by drawing faces. Also spend a lot more time observing peoples ears, eyes, nose placement, expressions, what does the face do when they smile???????? etc etc

I bet you will be good real soon:-)

I always remember what elinor peace bailey said at a faces class I went to of hers, she went to art school for 5 years and drew everyday. She said if we all did that for 5 years we would all be good at drawing.

I believe this to be true

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Even More About Cloth doll Making For Beginners

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Third In The Beginners Series

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

Explore related pages

Tools Of The Trade

Feeling CreaTIVE?

More About Tools Of The Trade

Cloth Doll Making

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The Best Pencils and Pens to use.

Other Ways to Be Creative

The Best Pens for Painting Faces

Colors

Art Dolls

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More About Colors

Get Inspired!

What are the Best Fabrics To Use?

Cloth Doll Faces

Faces

All For Children

Some Ideas To Help You Develop.

REMINDER

What Do I Do At PLay Days?

Now Its Your Turn To Squidoo!!

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