All about polymer clay dolls

Modeling dolls from polymer clay is an interesting and creative activity in which you can realize the most original ideas and let your imagination go free. The original doll will be a good gift for a loved one, or simply become an interior decoration for a craftswoman.

The creation of an interior doll from polymer clay, oddly enough, is a rather young kind of needlework. The fact is that this material has appeared on the market relatively recently. In 1907, Belgian chemist Leo Hendrik Bakeland introduced and patented the first plastic synthetic mass and named it Bakelite. This composition became a kind of progenitor of modern polymer clay. Absolutely any thing could be molded from it, which, even when exposed to high temperatures, did not soften and did not deform.

In 1939, the famous doll maker Katie Cruz decided to create a substance that would be stronger than porcelain and as plastic as ordinary clay. Her research ended in success - after long experiments, she managed to obtain material for sculpting the heads of her dolls. However, it was not suitable for mass production.

The case was continued by her daughter Sophie. After many manipulations with the mass received by her mother - the introduction of additives, various dyes, pasty components into it - in 1954 she still managed to invent polymer clay in the version in which the material is familiar to modern masters.

There are three main types of designer dolls made of polymer clay.

• Static - they are distinguished by a frame figure fixed on a support circle in a given position.

• Articulated - a movable structure, with such a toy, you can change the pose if you want. This is achieved due to the mobility of the joints, the joints of the limbs are fixed on rounded hinges, fastened with rubber cords.

• Combined - in accordance with this technique, the visible parts of the body are molded from clay, and the body is sewn from fabric. A doll of this type is the easiest to make, but it will turn out to be no less attractive than in the first two versions. It is in the combined direction that most needlewomen work, making their toys for sale. Pupae are not so fragile, they can be given any necessary position or given to a child to play.

To work on creating a stylish doll, you need to prepare basic supplies and tools.

• Plastic. Clay for modeling dolls is available in two versions: baked (FIMO PUPPEN and LIVING DOLL) and self-hardening in the air (PAPERCLAY and YES DOLL). For baked plastics, you need a stove or microwave oven, for PAPERCLAY this is not necessary.

• Metal wire to create the frame. It should be as strong as possible, but flexible at the same time in order to hold its shape and not rust over time.

• Glue, primer, colors. It is better to take acrylic paints - they are environmentally friendly, they are not afraid of moisture and ultraviolet radiation.

• Foil. To create a body, it is better to give preference to soft materials.

• Supporting tools - pliers, brushes, stacks, needles, knitting needles, as well as scalpels and nail scissors.

• Fittings. Includes cilia, assorted eyes, noses, or even head blanks.

• Hair for dolls. They are also sold in specialty stores and on AliExpress.

• Pencil and eraser. Eyes with cilia are drawn on an already sculpted face with a simple pencil, and sponges are outlined. This is necessary in order to further imagine how best to paint the face.

• Natural linen, knitwear, centimeter, scissors, thread, pen. You will need them for a textile calf and doll outfits.

It should be noted that in the arsenal of a professional puppeteer you can find a lot of all kinds of good: from a soldering iron to peacock feathers - you never know exactly what will come in handy in the course of work. And therefore, it is important to resolve the issue of storage in advance.

Let us dwell in more detail on a step-by-step master class for making a doll from polymer clay for beginners.

Before starting work, it is important to understand exactly what you want to get in the end. Experienced craftswomen recommend starting with a sketch of a future craft and creating a drawing.

The doll can be:

• realistic - with exact observance of all proportions of the human body, in this case the head of the figurine refers to the rest of the body as 1: 7;
• baby doll - the ratio of head to body is 1: 6;
• model - in this case, the proportion corresponds to 1: 8 or even 1: 9;
• cartoon - such dolls are distinguished by a large head, limbs can also be enlarged or, conversely, small.

Of course, for the first experience of creating a doll, it is not at all necessary to run after an anatomical atlas, but it is still better to observe the approximate proportions, otherwise the doll will look ridiculous. For stylized models, craftsmen can change the proportions of the body. For example, a Barbie's neck is lengthened, and foresters and gnomes are sculpted with short legs with huge feet. The portrait doll, with the exception of the cartoon, is made realistic, as similar as possible to the prototype.

Before starting, make a clear sketch of the life-size doll. This is necessary so that in the course of creating a toy from time to time to apply its individual parts to the drawing, checking with the dimensions and proportions. If you will perform the face yourself, prepare its outlines from the front and in profile.

For static toys, you need to prepare a dense frame - it will determine the proportions of the body and hold the entire structure on itself. As a basis for large dolls, you can take a thick steel wire; for miniature dolls, copper will be enough.

• It is not difficult to make a frame. Bend and twist the future figurine - the head-loop, the body, as well as the arms and legs should be indicated in it. Where required, the wire must be twisted, and for greater strength it is better to strengthen it with turns of a thinner wire.
• Then use the foil to build up the volume. Use your fingers or a special tool to give the workpiece the desired shape, smooth out all excess bumps and remove dents. The clay with which you will stick the figurine should lie evenly - this will minimize the appearance of cracks after baking and the ingress of air into the structure.

To create a head, you need to make a blank using foil. It should be about 1 cm smaller than the sketch. Next, carefully cover the foil with a layer of polymer clay. After that, you can proceed to the design of individual parts of the face of the future doll.

First, we sculpt the face.

• Take a couple of identical pieces of clay and place on the ball where you want your cheeks to be. If you are creating a toddler, there is no need to mark the cheekbones.
• Next, mark the location of the eye sockets - they are located in the center of the face or slightly below.
• Apply a thin layer of clay to the forehead, this will give it a realistic volume.
• Blind a triangle from a piece of plastic - this will be a nose. Shape it with the tool.
• Take one small piece of clay, mold into a plate and secure in place of the upper lip. Draw the nasolabial fold.
• Then shape the lower lip and chin in the same way.
• Stick lumps on both sides of the blank-head - these are future ears.

After that, you need to do the eyes.

• Before sculpting the eyes, you need to outline the brow ridges. Any irregularities left by a sharp instrument are gently smoothed out with your finger.
• Eyes can be molded from plastic in the shape of a circle, you can buy ready-made imitations in a store, or you can simply insert acrylic half beads.
• Bring the eyelids (lower and upper) to the desired shape.

Next, you need to give your eyes a realistic look. White paint is applied to the protein zone and dried. The irises of a suitable color are drawn with acrylic dye, then the pupil and the edging of the eyes are outlined. If necessary, put glare in white or pearlescent tone. After coloring, the finished eyes are varnished and dried thoroughly.

Let's dwell on the process of making lips. This part of the face in many ways gives the doll an expression of this or that emotion. Therefore, she needs to be given special attention. Lip sculpting instructions step by step include several steps.

• Roll a small ball and flatten it slightly with your finger.
• Run your fingertip along the edge of the resulting workpiece, shaping the outline of the lip.
• Gently holding the edge, place your upper lip in the prepared spot on your face.
• Gently fix it by pressing with your finger first on the left and then on the right corner. Remove all unnecessary things.
• Repeat the manipulation with the lower lip.
• Use a thin awl to smooth out the junction of the lip to the chin / nasolabial.
• Soften the joints and give the finishing shape.
• On the upper lip, mark the bend, for this, press into its center with your little finger.

And, of course, what a doll without hair. To create a hairstyle, you need to take the wool for felting, carefully separate it in a lock and fix it on the head with glue. For convenience, you can use an awl.

The head is ready - you can already bake it. Let's move on to making the torso.

• All convex areas of the body are formed using the padding polyester felting technique.
• A rectangle is cut out of flesh-colored textiles so that its width corresponds to the volume of the body.
• In the lower part, the so-called pants for the legs of the pupa are cut. The fabric blank is put on the frame and sutured at the back. It is advisable to tighten the seam a little so that the structure is more dense.
• Rectangles-sleeves are cut out of the remnants of the fabric and sewn to the soft body.

We pass to the hands.

• A sausage is formed from foil in accordance with the sketch and covered with a thin layer of clay.
• Depending on the idea of ​​the master, hands can be dazzled up to the elbow, hand or shoulder, the rest of it will be hidden by clothing. Modeling begins with a brush, going up and reaching the planned length.
• It is important to carefully iron the resulting coating with napkins. Hands and fingers are molded from clay sausages, connecting them together and smoothing the joints.

Legs are made in the same way. Just as with the hands, to create legs, you need to make a blank of foil, cover it with plastic, mold the toes, and move further upward, bringing it to the desired length.

After the limbs are collected, they are sent to be baked.

Advice. If the work on creating the doll takes several days, then it is advisable to do all the main details separately. For example, first to blind the head and perform a half-bake - this way you fix the shape of the first element in order to do the rest at another time. Semi-bake is performed at a temperature of 90-100 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

All the main details are ready. Now you can connect them to the torso. It is best to use Moment glue for this.

If necessary, correct it with a sharp stick and grind the figure, and then send it back to bake. In this case, the time and temperature are set in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations indicated on the packaging with polymer clay. Leave the product to cool without opening the oven. After that, smear the cracks with special plastic and finally smooth out the missed irregularities with sandpaper.

Use the selected dyes to paint the doll's face, finish the neckline, palms and nails. Cover your eyes and lips with a special varnish, if desired.

The doll is ready, all that remains is to give her a beautiful outfit. Doll clothes can be bought in the store or ordered from a dressmaker. The easiest way is to sew it yourself from any unnecessary old things. The fabric is pre-washed, starch and carefully ironed.The finished outfit is sprayed with water from a spray bottle so that it does not bristle too much.

Find jewelry and accessories for your doll. Keep in mind that huge beads or large rhinestones on a miniature figurine will look ridiculous. As a finishing touch, you can lightly shade the folds and folds of the clothes with oil paint or strong tea leaves.

Well, in conclusion, we will give a few recommendations. Remember, if you are determined to create a true masterpiece, get ready to work hard.

For information on how to make a doll out of polymer clay, see the next video.