BJD Silicone Molds and Junk Casts

FYI-- One and a third gallons of AM 128 RTV Silicone Rubber makes 3 complete molds (upper torso, lower torso, head) and 4 small half-molds (hands, head cap, both feet in one mold), plus ball-joint junk molds used in elbows, knees, shoulders and hips, for a 1/4 scale ball jointed doll. I'll need to buy another gallon to finish off the small molds, and to mold the arms and legs. And this is just for junk-casting! I'll need another round of silicone to cast the Masters.

Wish I hadn't wasted the first 2/3 of a gallon a few months ago on half-parts I never used! I live and learn, I guess, especially with materials I've never used before. Now I'm hoping I didn't screw up anything important, and that the very EXPENSIVE molds I've finished work properly (i.e. not get stuck together or rip or what have you). I'll know tomorrow. I maybe have enough resin to cast each of the three finished molds a couple times.

Hopefully, too, the original doll parts will survive molding. I'd love to see her completely assembled and finished.

Note 1: I forgot to key-up one of the hands before pouring silicone. I'll attempt to fix this by gouging out a few keys in the flip side.
Note 2: A gallon of silicone doesn't fill up nearly as much mold space as you'd think. I bought what I could afford. No fancy cubic-centimeter estimates here. Just hoping it woulda been enough. Perhaps there was some waste, but I'd rather waste a bit than skimp on the stuff and tear a mold.
Note 3: Now that I thought about it, I coulda keyed up the hand mold right through the wet silicone with the end of a paint brush. It would have filled in the holes. (I just ran into the other room to try it.) Now it's set up too firmly to do that. LOL. Filing that little realization away for future reference...

UPDATE: Two of the molds weren't sealed well enough and started leaking out the bottom. I used clay AND hot glue AND smooth-sided cardboard. Guess I missed a spot. *sigh* Damage control may have been sufficient, but I don't know yet...

UPDATE 2: I ran outta silicone AND resin. I managed a really rough junk cast of the head, upper and lower torso. Both dolls are strung together with a section of chopstick in the head and a rubber band or two tied beneath the crotch. Both dolls hold pretty much any pose (except those requiring limbs :D). You can see the imperfections, bubbles and other nasty stuff really well in the white resin, but I feel better that I at least accomplished this much with her before running out of stuff to work with...

If I sound discouraged, I'm not really. Just tired and a bit disappointed that I won't get all my molds made over my weekend off from work. And poor. ;) Also feeling poor. Now I have to buy another gallon of silicone if I can afford it, and probably some more resin. Thank goodness the mold release will last a while! This delay just means I should work on the remaining parts so that maybe they'll go straight to Master molding... maybe?

Cuddles,
Tamara

BJD Progress Collage 6

The first Myth-Babies BJD is looking almost whole. This is the most exciting progress shot yet! Why? Because she not only has all her parts and joints... The parts are actually starting to work right!

Since the last progress post, I have completed the  new upper torso, roughed out finished arms and completed hands. I have made a load of unseen tweaks for functionality purposes. I've completely reworked the legs and knee/elbow joints, and re-set the sockets with the new joints.

I accidentally shattered parts of the original legs and had to remake or repair them. That's why they look rough and crappy. I have more layers and smoothing to do before they'll look presentable!

I'm running out of the pretty pale mixed-up base clay. That's okay by me, since the pure Sculpey III clay is stronger and smoother for the detail work I have to do now. I still haven't figured out which type of hip joint I want to make, so I have only giant resin spheres I made until I decide.

Overall, the doll looks pretty rough and lumpy up close. I'll be sanding and patching her up while I finish up the joints. I'll also be working on her insides-- setting eye wells and hollowing out the head a bit, plus getting her ready for molding by smoothing the core-mold surfaces. (Her forehead is thick because of all the extra clay I needed to add!) Then on to the fine detail work. Not long from now, she'll start getting coats of paint, more sanding and prepped for molding!

I welcome constructive criticism. Let me know what you think, or how I can improve! Thanks!

Cuddles,
Tamara

OTHER PROGRESS SHOTS:

Head Sculpt : http://briescha.deviantart.com/#/d4v3fnq

Progress Collage 1: http://briescha.deviantart.com/#/d4v5ddt

Progress Collage 2: http://briescha.deviantart.com/#/d4v5mx3

Body, Arms, Legs: http://briescha.deviantart.com/art/BJD-Progress-Arms-and-Legs-295628812

Progress Collage 3: http://briescha.deviantart.com/#/d4wwgrz

Progress Collage 4:
http://briescha.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4xp9r2

Progress Collage 5: http://briescha.deviantart.com/art/BJD-Progress-Collage-5-301798969

Half Off AND Free Shipping in the THS Store!

We'll call this the THS Grand Opening Sale! Use the coupon codes "HALFOFF" and "SUMMERTIME" to get 50% off your purchase AND free domestic shipping during the month of May! Original art, prints, ragdolls, and The Pathos of Rowan Jun novel!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TamaraHensonStudios

The store has T-Shirts, The Pathos of Rowan Jun novels, the entire Heritage Collection from The Ragdolls of the World series, original collage art pieces from Rowan Jun, and prints of that art. This promotion will also apply to any new products I post in the store throughout the end of the month, including additional art, prints, and the Myth-Babies Reborn elf I'm working on!

Cuddles,
Tamara

Free Shipping Throughout May!

Free Domestic Shipping in my Etsy shop on all items, throughout May! 


Enter coupon code "SUMMERTIME" at checkout... 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TamaraHensonStudios

Coupon is good for ALL products listed in the Tamara Henson Studios Etsy Shop, including books and dolls! 


Enjoy your summertime!

Cuddles,
Tamara

Myth-Babies Reborn Preview!

As part of my series of Myth-Babies Reborn vinyl dolls, I started with a small Berenguer-designed doll called "Lil Cutesies". I removed the thick, stylized hair with my Dremel and sandpaper. I removed the existing paint with acetone and then washed the head in soapy water. Then I sculpted (and will paint) elf ears.

Later, I'll be adding finishing touches with  paint and hand-rooting hair to complete the doll. When he/she is finished, I'll make a post in my Etsy store:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TamaraHensonStudios

Cuddles,
Tamara

Myth-Babies Info:

Based on the creatures from Centaria, a world in my novel series Pathos, Myth-Babies are cuddly anthropomorphic versions of your favorite legends, myths and fairy-tales. Many Myth-Babies will also feature main characters found in my novels.

Myth-Babies will be released in the following forms:

1) Myth-Babies Reborn: Existing vinyl dolls, sculpted and modified to include realistic and fantasy characteristics. Reborn Myth-Babies are one of a kind, hand-altered, handpainted art or prop dolls.

2) Myth-Babies Cuddlers: Resin ball-jointed or cloth-bodied vinyl baby dolls, Doll with eyes and rooted hair or wig, Character Story and Numbered Certificate of Authenticity. These dolls will initially be hand-cast from my sculpts, and as such, in very limited editions! (Blank dolls may be fully customized through Commissions process to create a one-of-a-kind art piece!)

3) Myth-Babies BJD: Asian style Ball-Jointed Fashion dolls: Doll may come with eyes and wig, Faceup, 1 Simple Clothing Set (called a "Fullset"), Character Story and Numbered Certificate of Authenticity. (Blank "base" dolls may be made available, as well!)

4) Myth-Babies Plush: Chibi Character Dolls with painted faces and non-removable felt clothing.

5) Myth-Babies Accessories: Customization parts, Additional Clothing Sets, Iconic Artifacts from the Novels, BJD Weapons and Armor, Wigs, Eyes, etc.

Tamara Henson Studios now has an Etsy shop!

Until (and in addition to) my main website's store is complete, I'll be selling my paperback novel, merchandise, Ragdolls of the World and a slew of other things through Etsy! Give it a look and let me know what you think!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TamaraHensonStudios

Cuddles,
Tamara

Myth-Babies BJD Progress Collage 4

My first Myth-Babies girl just got all pointy-eared! She's gone through a lot of work that you can't see, too. (She's lounging on my work table, on her towel and cookie sheet.)

Here's what I've done since last time:

1. I reworked her head and face to have the pointed ears I originally planned. I refined her eyes and re-sculpted her nose. I adjusted her mouth and worked on the socket for her neck.

2. I cut out her knees and sanded down the too-large elbows to make a flat-sided knee for her. Then I attached the knee piece to the front of her knee. Added clay to fill in the empty spots and smooth it.

3. Sculpted new elbows using smaller beads and Sculpey. Sculpted feet over a foil-and-wire armature attached to a wooden bead. Mr. Dremel helped with the cuts in the bead.

4. X-Acto'ed and sanded and sanded and carved and sanded some more to hollow out the limbs so they could receive the knees, elbows, wrists and ankles and generally refine overall sculpture. I. Now. Hate. Sanding. Will follow instructions to make these joints BEFORE baking in the future... But she's finally starting to look smooth rather than lumpy. :D

5. Fitted upper and lower torso better by adding clay and making another impression.

6. Painted hips and shoulder joints to prep them for casting in resin. (That's why they're absent in this collage.) I want to have duplicates in case I mess up!

7. Prepped some beads to start the hands soon!

Let me know if you have any questions on this first-time process. I'll try to help where I can. I also appreciate constructive criticism! (Which translates to "Pleeeeease help me if I'm messing up!)

Cuddles,
Tamara

(I plaster my website on there, but it's in need of an update. So far, dA is more up-to-date...)

OTHER PROGRESS SHOTS:

Head Sculpt : http://briescha.deviantart.com/#/d4v3fnq

Progress Collage 1: http://briescha.deviantart.com/#/d4v5ddt

Progress Collage 2: http://briescha.deviantart.com/#/d4v5mx3

Body, Arms, Legs: http://briescha.deviantart.com/art/BJD-Progress-Arms-and-Legs-295628812

Progress Collage 3: http://briescha.deviantart.com/#/d4wwgrz

100 Posts, and BJD Progress!

Myth-Babies Ball-Jointed Doll Progress: 

Row 1: I worked on the face, giving her better eye shape and depth. There's a lot of difference from that first pic on the left to the current head shape! I narrowed her cheeks and lengthened and tapered her chin. I also filled in the too-long lip line for a cleaner sculpt. Next: new ears and full details! (Pay no attention to the green stuff on her face. That's my Sharpie marks to keep it symmetrical. Still need to work on her nose, too...)

Row 2: Testing the fit and function of the unfinished hip joint after hollowing out parts of the legs. The third picture is of my sorta finished hip, shoulder and elbow joints. I cast solid hemispheres from Batchix's Shapeways parts, glued them and Sculpey-ed them together for the spheres. I used small wooden beads and Sculpey for the elbows. I may or may not have used hot glue to hold these pieces together... ;)

Row 3: Comparison of old bust/upper torso and new bust/upper torso. I wanted to give her a more natural breast shape. Plus, she needed a thicker neck.

Let me know what you think!

Cuddles,

Tamara

BJD Mash-Up, Plus Novel Progress!

My first Myth-Babies BJD now (sorta) has arms and legs, a torso joint (also sorta) and a more refined lower body. It's nice seeing her thrown together like this.

Myth-Babies BJD #1!

I assembled her to test her proportions. So far, her neck is too long and so are her legs. I made the legs and arms a little too long so I could embed the ball joints before I bake them, so they'll be cut down before I call them finished.

I plan on refining her face a lot more before that is baked again. I have a lot of lumpies to sand down and a lot of aesthetic tweaking to do all over, but I'll do all that after I get the mechanics of the ball joints and stringing worked out.

I used a mix of Original Sculpey and Sculpey III. I made an armature of aluminum foil covered in plastic wrap for her head and body, used a straw for her neck and limbs. I'm using :iconbatchix:'s ball joints from Shapeways, modifying them for both double joints and ball joints.

Next up, setting the double joints into the unbaked clay, baking them and making hands and feet.

Hope you like it! :)

Cuddles,

Tamara

P.S. I have realized the potential for this sculpt to be used as several different novel characters, not just  Centaria-inspired Myth-Babies. I would simply sculpt a new head and tweak some other parts. Also, I have since decided to redo the joints I had already made. I found an excellent tutorial on how to make them better. Off I go...

P.P.S. NOVEL STUFF! 

1. Some progress on Volume 2 of the Pathos series, Silver Empress. I made an ugly Frankenstein's monster that I shall call Volume 2 Rough Draft X Outline. I just went through the draft and inserted outline plot points, new notes and reminders into the text, inside brackets with all caps. This helps me to focus the flow of the book when I go on a tangent, and then rewrite for clarity. Of course, one of my rewrite notes is " [GAG ME WITH A PITCHFORK!]". Apparently, I didn't like the gushy, romantic section at all!

2. The Pathos of Rowan Jun eBook just went "premium" on Smashwords. So it's coming soon to Apple, Barnes & Noble (to join the paperback, there), Sony, Kobo and more!

BJD Body Sculpt-- In Progress

Ummm... Do I put up a NSFW notice for a lump of clay? Don't know yet. Either way, here she is!

Progress shots of the unfinished Myth-Babies BJD body, along with the creepy-eyed head. 


I popped the body in the freezer, cut the rib-seam, then baked her. Then I removed the core while she was still warm-ish and hacked at the inside of the upper torso with an X-Acto knife to start hollowing it out. Still so much more work to go. So far, I like her curves.


Debating on adding pointed ears to the head and lengthening her chin...


Criticize away, please! :)


Cuddles,
Tamara

P.S. This is a doll! There will be nekkids. Why do I feel as if I should apply a mature content filter??

BJD Progress Collage 1

Since I'm only posting finished work on my official website (and there isn't that much finished work over there! :D) I decided to do some collages and tutorials of my BJD project.

1. Rough form over aluminum foil ball wrapped in plastic wrap. It's shiny because the Sculpey is too warm. Into the freezer it goes! (Yes, plastic wrap melts in the over. Just followin' instructions from Vivcore's awesome tutorial: http://www.vivcore.com/dolly_daydream/making_a_doll.html)

2. Pouty lip! By the third or fourth mess-up on her mouth, she was sad. :)

3. Crooked eyes! After I baked and built up the back of the head (leaving an opening for the head cap, I noticed how horribly crooked the eyes were.

4. Profile of built-up head. No armature here. Just free-handed it.

5. Body armature: More plastic wrap over aluminum foil, with a drinking straw inserted for the neck. This time I used safe-release masking tape over the whole thing.

6. Front view of unfinished amply-proportioned body. Yeah, they're big. Bad habit of mine? *shrugs* (I toned them down before baking... sorta!)

7. Profile of boobs, I mean body, prior to finishing and baking.

8. My second sketch of a Unisex doll concept. Obviously not basing the doll on this sketch, except for proportions.

9. The unfinished head with eyes. I just used the Dremel to thin the face from the inside, making a place for her eyes. I was able to figure out where my proportion issues are gonna crop up. Not an expert, but I'm thinkin' these cheap eyes are a bit too small for my girl. She looks neurotic!

So this is how I spent my mid-week weekend. Using a combo of Batchix and Vivcore's techniques has worked well so far. :D Since I snapped these pics, I have sculpted the head cap, tweaked the body sculpt, and baked everything.

Throw some constructive criticism my way! :D

Cuddles,
Tamara

My First BJD Face Sculpt

STEP 1: My first rough face sculpt for the first Myth-Babies BJD! Find out more about Myth-Babies on my website: http://www.tamarahensonstudios.com/myth_babies.htm

I sorta followed the tutorial listed here: http://www.vivcore.com/dolly_daydream/making_a_doll.html.  It's a great visual resource. The only changes I'll be making are 1) My doll's knees and elbows will be double-jointed and 2) I'll be using Batchix's Shapeways doll joints to be found here: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/batchix

Building up the head next, then starting on the body! A full tutorial with pictures will follow, hopefully with pics that the provided tutorial maker didn't include...

I built up this face-plate over an aluminum foil ball covered in plastic wrap. Plastic wrap was suggested by the tutorial maker, and is kinda silly since I had to peel it off after baking (expected it to melt anyway, plus the Sculpey wouldn't stick to foil, anyway!) The face is un-sanded and still needs tweaking, building up and hollowing out so her eyes can fit.

I used a 50/50 mixture of Sculpey III and Original Sculpey, mainly because of a resounding lack in local REAL craft supplies stores. Only found a multicolor-pack at Wal-Mart. Also, stretching the stuff because I am cheap. The hubby and I mixed all brightly hued Sculpey III together into a big brownish-purple lump, then combined it with the white Original to get a nice violet. That's my art degree put to good use... ;)

I'm still trying to decide whether my body sculpt will be unisex, adult male or adult female. Since this face is female, that may rule out one option! ;) Anyone have any suggestions or feedback?

Cuddles,
Tamara

My First RTV Silicone Mold

Since I want to eventually offer resin dolls through Tamara Henson Studios, I need to learn how to mold and cast Master doll samples. Enter RTV Silicone Moldmaking and Casting Resin. I had ordered some doll ball joints from Batchix's Shapeways account and got her permission to use 'em however. I decided to practice my moldmaking with the parts.  

I read up on the process, ordered supplies and made my first mold. Turns out, practice moldmaking was the best route for me. The rest of the Internet can explain the science and specifics of the process. I'm no expert, but I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have. I also welcome constructive criticism. Hope this helps anyone who's looking for basic 2-Part silicone mold-making procedures:

SUPPLIES:

RTV Moldmaking Silicone (I bought mine here.)

Casting Resin, of some type... (Mine is polymer. Sold by the same guy as above, here.)

Disposable plastic cups

Disposable plastic spoons or wooden spatulas... or new chopsticks!

Oil-based, non-drying modeling clay

A small cardboard box that allows at least 1/2" on all sides, top and bottom of your part

Petroleum Jelly

Paintbrush

A scale that accurately measures grams (kitchen scale, $20, Wal-Mart!)

A ruler

A simple part or non-porous object to replicate

A wooden bead to make register marks

Hot glue gun

Plastic (To protect surfaces)

Papertowels

A soft, small scrub brush

Elbow grease ;)

1. Add 1/2" clay to taped-closed bottom of box, pressing to make no cracks remain. Press parts into clay so that no silicone can seep under them. I also sealed the slit in the side to keep out the silicone. Dig a shallow registry trench around the perimeter using a chopstick (or an actual sculpting tool, if you're feeling ambitious). Press and twist wooden bead in spaces between parts, no more than halfway up the side of the bead. Using the paintbrush and your hand, smear petroleum jelly on exposed sides of box and anything that silicone will stick to. You can see the register running around the perimeter between the part and the cardboard wall, as well as a couple other registry depressions between the parts:

Swirly modeling clay. Note the chopstick on the right.

2. Mix silicone and catalyst by volume according to package directions. (Use your scale!) A chopstick is not the optimal stirring device for this task, since the silicone is REALLY thick, worse than cake batter, and the catalyst is basically colorful water. Also, stir slowly, being careful not to pull in air and make undesirable bubbles. This is true especially for the silicone touching the object you're molding. 

The catalyst is purple, the base off-white. And, no kidding, it smells like grapes!

3. Pour the silicone. I poured the first layer, making sure all the parts had a layer of silicone. But then again, I'm silly and mixed by the plastic cupful, so I did this several times. You want to cover up the object, giving no more or less than a half inch over the highest point of the object. (Use your ruler!) My last couple batches have bubbles. I don't consider that a problem, because those bubbles aren't affecting the casting surfaces. A tip from someone online: Pour in a thin, steady stream in the corner of the box. The silicone will spread out on its own. (Too late, buddy. Next time, though!)

Lubed up box, and such a pretty color! Also, oops-bubbles!

4. Let it cure, probably overnight. Then cut a piece of cardboard and hot-glue tack it over your smooth silicone to support it when you flip the box. Assuming you didn't fill the whole box. Your stirring arm must be tired, and your wasted silicone was expensive! (No more than 1/2"... No wasting!)

Strategically placed hot-glue blobs

5. Get ready for side 2. Flip the box and cut the tape. Scoop out the modeling clay and clean the silicone with a paper towel. Do not remove the parts yet! You can see that some modeling clay is still crammed down in the holes. Trusty chopstick dug that out for me! You can clearly see the bumps I created with the bead and the ridge running around the outside to help the two pieces match up. 

Getting ready for the Core Mold step!

6. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to EVERY EXPOSED SILICONE SURFACE and the cardboard box! Aw, heck. Apply the stuff to every surface, like I did. A brush will leave ridges that the silicone may pick up, though, so be careful not to leave streaks on your object. (I lubed the parts as well, because I felt some rough edges I hadn't sanded, AND because all the doll joints I cast from these will be sanded anyway...) Then, mix more silicone and pour it in. The "pour it in the corner and let it seep into crevices" advice would've worked better here. But I was stuck poking at big bubbles with my chopstick. Let it cure overnight again. 

7. Rip off the box and gently separate the two parts of the mold, using an X-Acto knife, if needed. You should be able to gently pry apart the halves with your fingers. Remove the original part(s) at this time, using a combination of your fingers and some minor X-Acto work. (My mold had a couple places where the silicone covered the edge of the original part. I just carefully cut that thin stuff off. This is the mold before I washed it. You can see the shiny, overly liberal application of petroleum jelly AND the remnants of some modeling clay I neglected to remove before. (Since this mold is for casting doll joints, not finished products, this doesn't bother me.)

Left: Core Mold (looks like Spaceballs city), Right: Base Mold

8. Gently scrub the mold with warm water and dish soap, removing any gunk and as much jelly as possible. Let the mold dry thoroughly. At this time, I cut some vents in the core mold so that air could escape. I just slipped my X-Acto knife up through the thin ridge you see around the base of the dome shapes (where the resin will rise), a couple slits for each piece. Not really necessary for this mold, but I wanted to practice. Place on plastic for the horrid mess you'll make in a few minutes...

9. Mix resin base and catalyst together, following manufacturer's instructions. Most resins are exothermic, meaning they give off heat as they cure, and they have a very fast working and cure time. Even so, stir thoroughly and slowly so you don't get bubbles. Pour into mold wells, and set core mold on top, making sure it fits into register ridge. The excess resin will either spill over the sides or rise up through the vents. Yeah, I made a big mess... (No pic. I was rushing to not waste the stuff!) Since this is not a complicated mold, I didn't need to do any fancy resin injection or holding it together with rubber bands or bungees. That type of mold will come along soon enough...

10. De-mold. See the fruits of your labor, and the extent of the mess you made. I for instance overfilled to the point of having a thin cover of resin across the whole mold and drizzled all across my makeshift Wal-Mart bag table cover, which had a perfect resin mold-shaped rectangle. Since the mold is flexible, you can bend it and twist it to remove your pieces. My parts needed a lot of trimming, but it didn't take a lot of time. There was a thin film of resin in the slit up the side of the dome and all around the base of each part. Also, some parts were actually UNDER-filled. Don't know how that happened, considering...

The Mess! All that not-purple is resin, covering the whole surface of the mold!

11. Finished parts! Not bad for a first-time mold. You can see that some parts are a little rough around the edges, but the next casting should be better. 

Finished parts: On my kitchen scale, in the disposable plastic lid I used to contain spills! :)

Moldmaking tutorial, complete! :) I take questions and constructive criticism seriously. Lemme know what you think, and how I can improve.

Cuddles,

Tamara