Polymer clay dolls

That is a very cute doll! I wish there was a class near me, but it's always so far away!

Thank you for the advice and the link of the book. I love working with living doll sculpey. The 'flesh' looks so real!

I am still not fully decided if I want to go for polymer clay dolls or porcelain dolls. I read about it and I am a bit hesitant of starting with porcelain because the kiln is a treshold and the dust when cleaning after casting. I hate to wear mask, haha. 🤣 On the other hand I think it is almost impossible to make a mold for the hands (if you want separate fingers) when working with polymer clay... Do you know about other mediums for casting dolls?

Cute doll! That looks like a very fun class. Her dolls are so full of character and fun.

I love Jamie's book! I still reference it to this day. When I met him, I was star struck lol!

Yes, mold making is an adventure. I mentioned the book above, but there is also a course that I purchased from a ball jointed doll artist, Nymphai Dolls and that was really helpful. It's just getting the supplies for it and the right water to plaster ratio. I would start with a two part mold and practice. Set up your model in soft clay (half of it is buried in the clay for the first part), surround with your boards, seal the inside and outside with the soft clay, use parting agent like a mold release or oil soap. Even a petroleum jelly works .I think it would be a fun course to teach at IGMA sometime. Here is the link to Nymphai Dolls course: https://www.nymphaidolls.com/making-plaster-molds

Hi Huberine, thanks for bringing this up! I have not used molds for polymer clay but I do know that plaster molds work for the clay, so you are well on your way. There is also the option of silicone molds for using with clay. I'd love to see pictures of how it turns out! As for tips, make sure you have a soft clay to set up your mold and place your model in. You will need retaining walls or what is called "cottle boards" to keep the plaster in form. There is a book I have that I learned from. Hopefully that will help! Here is the amazon link: https://a.co/d/4dpUfna

I should mention the book name is: The Essential Guide To Mold Making And Slip Casting, by Andrew Martin.

Hi

I just made this doll in a class run by Jeanne Rullie at KSB Miniatures Workshops in Maysville, Kentucky. There was a class of seven and we had great fun. It was a 4 day course and Jeanne was an excellent teacher.

I too am about to create a mold. That’s my next challenge. I also purchased Jamie Carrington’s book second hand as I know that covers mold making. Lilli do you have any tips?