New doll, new plan. PART 1

It's a tough time for artists, especially doll makers. I've been trying to find a marketing solution to make my dolls more visible and boost sales. However, all the guesswork and stress was diminishing my passion for art, the core of my work as a doll artist.

So, I decided to take a deep breath and just create a doll as I like, something that is just mine, with no cares for what is popular, in demand, or collectible—just the true expression of what I feel right now.

With that in mind, I'm introducing my newest doll, a small creation that embodies the confusion and resilience I currently feel.

Her name is Puppy, and she is both innocent and sweet, yet prepared for anything that comes her way. As a small soul from the orphanage, her large eyes are full of wonder, and she is destined to become a great adult one day!

Let's walk you through her creation and all the process involved to bring this character to life.

First, I ask myself a few questions: What's her background? Where is she coming from? What do I want her to look like?

For Puppy I wanted a small little thing that can sit in your hand, something fragile that needs protection and love, and what says"love me" more than big puppy eyes?

I envisioned this poor little girl that stays up too long at night because sometimes the life is scary and she doesn't really know how to navigate it, so maybe some dark circle around her eyes would be necessary too.

Puppy is not a privileged rich kid that has everything she wants, she has to keep her only toy as a treasure because that teddy bear is not just a toy, is her best friend.

She knows her dress is not much but has a twirl skirt and when she spins it looks so fancy, even with all those patches.

So here is the original sketch of little Puppy, keep scrolling to see all the steps from this drawing to the final doll.

Now that I jotted down what was floating as an idea in my head, it's time to bring this face to life. I'm going to use the body I designed previously for my recent dolls Froggy, Kitty, and Bunny, but this time I'm going small, just 7 inches tall!

Using Nomad sculpt, I design the head and start carving out space for the eyes, the magnets and all the stuff that is necessary for this head to work on the body I choosed for her.

The doll pieces fresh from the 3d printer. I use the best resin to create a durable final piece.

The pieces need to be sanded and refined to perfection. This is a time-consuming and very important step of the project—not my favorite, but still very important. It is quite satisfying when the pieces are smooth and feel right in my hands; it is worth the hard work!

So now it is time to assemble the body. On a doll this small, it is a work of patience and requires some tricks I developed just for her. I'm quite happy with the result, and the assembled doll is each step closer to my envisioned character.

It's time for the faceup. I aim for a shabby and imperfect look for this little girl, so I've incorporated some unexpected colors into my usual palette: purple, grey, and greens. It's subtle, but it adds a more human expression to the coloring.

For Puppy I made some special resin eyes that are one step forward into making this doll a truly unique customization. Here are some exemple in different colors, I decided for special aqua-green for Puppy.

Now she's assembled, painted, and ready for the outfit that will give her the final look and personality, but that's another story for my next blog entry.

Come back soon for all the updates on little Puppy, including how the sale is going to work this time and how to be notified when she is ready for adoption.

See you soon,

Linda