Marie Antoinette Bust

I have been wanting to make a bust for some time, but was not sure what I would do, or when I would get time to devote to making it - or even how it would look!

I began anyway as I knew what I would do to make the body.  Easy. Then started on the face and it sat for a day.  I rummaged around and found some likely looking scraps, and some lace that had possibilities - still unsure of what I would do.  

I then started on the face, and when that was done had a little think about how I would be able to make hair that looked the part, so made a toque - I looked it up!  It means cushion for the hair!  It seems ladies with this hairstyle could wear it so for a week and even had special bed hats made to accommodate their hair!

Anyway, in order to put eyelashes on, I had to cover the hair as I had used Wool staples combed out, and needle-felted in place.  Therefore, strands catch on everything and annoyingly tangle in the black thread I was using!

 It was successful!

 So I played with curls and pearls in her hair, feathers and lace

Front view

 Back View

 Side view.

Showing off her Beauty Spot!  Oh La!

I like this view of her, reflecting maybe.............?

I hope you like her.  I am going to make her into a pattern.  She is fun to do!

Somebody thought I needed a diversion, so she gave me a composition head off the childhood doll she had kept all this time. The body was long lost and the head had a broken chest plate. She now has a great Granddaughter and wants to pass it on, so she asked me if I could do something with it! Never one to shy from a challenge, I have sat with it for two weeks, while I did some research on repairing composition dolls.

The Doll head had some won patches on it, so I smoothed them off and put a few dabs of clay on and later sanded it off. I had to make an air dried clay chest plate that I covered with gauze, for extra strength and added more clay, which I have since smoothed off with fine sandpaper.

 I altered a Kezi Mathews toddler body, to fit snugly under the head and on the shoulders, so when I have finished the head, I will glue it on, as that's how the original one was attached.

 My next job has been to buy an airbrush, so guess who has to learn how to do airbrushing in a hurry! That'll be a job for next week! Thank God for Utube!

Tutorial: Part 3 - Colouring the Needle-sculpted face.

This is part three of my tutorial of Needle-sculpting and colouring a face.

 Now we will finish colouring the face

Outline the eye and part of the eyelid in a tan Pigma pen, or copper Gel pen. and go over the eyelid with black Prismacolour Pencil.

With Crimson Red Prismacolour pencil make a vee on the top lip.  Make the bottom lip wider than the top.

Outline the lips with Pigma Pen Tan.  The top lips slope down to the mid-line.  The bottom lip swings up wider than the top lip, but neither top or bottom lip will meet where the thread begins, or the mouth will be too wide!  Generally, the top lip is usually thinner than the bottom lip - on most people.  In this case, both lips are much the same in thickness.

Draw in the lines on the lips and also outline the nostrils.  Not too much here.  Less is more with noses!

Draw in the pupil with black gel pen - or paint, close to the top of the eyelid

Outline the Iris with black gel pen, very lightly.  Outline thickly on the top of the eyelid to indicate eyelashes, but don;t stroke them in yet.  With the bottom eyelash line, just do a half line, so she doesn't look like a Drag Queen!  Keep it subtle.

Colour the cheeks with Red prismacolour pencil or blusher.  I sometimes use chalk pastel and a brush to blend it in.

You will see I have made some more marks under the eyes with pigma pen, to indicate the bottom lashes.  Be careful with lines - practice.  Too many lines could indicate age or weariness.

Draw in the eyebrows - left one first!  Put on a bit of eye shadow colour.  Put some tiny lines on the Iris and shade the top of the iris to look like the eyelashes are creating a shadow.

You may want to practice eyelashes on scrap fabric first.  

Now draw in the lashes, starting on the left side first.  Begin in the middle and curl outwards and upwards.  this gives a less startled look.

Lastly, dab a bamboo skewer or toothpick in some white acrylic and put the dots on the Iris, close to the pupil. I have also put a dab on the top of the eyelid, the tip of the nose, the mid cheek and the bottom lip, to highlight.

I hope you have enjoyed these tutorials and that they will be helpful to you with your dolls.

I would love to hear any feedback comments - especially if I have missed any steps or something you are curious about.