Sardonix, Thalia, and Sweet Sue went to VTDL today. Official blargh has photos and video.
Posts tagged thalia
Vermont Doll Lovers meetup, 10/14/2017
Jareth, Thalia, Timonium, and some others attended. Pics on official blargh.
Fritillaria finds a heart…
Heart from @natalunasans. Dialogue from, of course, my twisted imagination. Continue reading Fritillaria finds a heart…
Vermont Doll Lovers meetup, 11/12/2016
Araminthe and Thalia accompanied me to last Saturday’s meetup, pictures of which are on the blog.
I distributed my 1:3 food amongst my dolls today.
This is what ensued. Continue reading I distributed my 1:3 food amongst my dolls today.
Thalia’s shirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel quite proud of myself. I used my new [to me — found it by the side of the road a few years back] sewing machine today, successfully threading the thread and the bobbin, then hemming Thalia’s shirt. As previously mentioned, I used a pattern Lyrajean told me about — one she has used for her own BJDs. I modified it by leaving off the neck ruff and tying off the cuffs with raw fabric instead of ribbon. I also used a long piece of raw fabric as a belt, with the tails pinned like a sash over Thalia’s left shoulder.
Hooray! I have completed my first piece of 1:3 scale clothing!!!!
Continue reading Thalia’s shirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vermont Doll Lovers meetup, 01/09/2016
Thalia and Submit went to VTDL yesterday and had lots of fun. So did their owner. Photos on the official blog.
Doll work and acquisitions this weekend: a little Honorine, mostly Christmas crap
Doll work and acquisitions this weekend: a little Honorine, mostly Christmas crap published on Read more posts by the author of Doll work and acquisitions this weekend: a little Honorine, mostly Christmas crap, ModernWizardNo Comments on Doll work and acquisitions this weekend: a little Honorine, mostly Christmas crap
Besides hosting the monthly VTDL meetup yesterday, I also worked a bit on dolls today. Honorine got wiring in her limbs, as well as a comfy outfit of pajamas and slippers.Continue reading Doll work and acquisitions this weekend: a little Honorine, mostly Christmas crap
Vermont Doll Lovers Halloween meetup, 10/24/2015
Polly, Jujube, Thalia, and Sardonix had an early Halloween party along with the other dolls at the most recent VTDL meet. Pictures are over on the official blog.
Better eyes x1, better hair x2 — slow going with doll restyling
I’m getting some 16mm low-dome Captured in Glass glass eyes for Thalia. They have white whites, black irises, and white pupils [ET2]. I would prefer black whites, black irises, and white pupils, but CiG doesn’t sell them.
My Takara Cy Girl Cutey Honey, last seen shorn of her brittle factory rooted red hair [back in April!], has on order a size 4 Monique wig, style Pinky [chin-length bubble bob with bangs], in a violently bright red. Now I either need to fix her sword, which broke at the VTDL meetup where I decided to remove her original hair, or get her a new one — preferable made of actual metal, so it has less chance of snapping.
I have discovered the intoxicating glories of dollyhair.com, from which I will eventually buy hair for Timonium’s spiky, Jarethian hair. The proprietor offers so many types of hair in so many colors that I hope to obtain some free samples of the various dark reds to see which would work best for Timonium. He has the tips of his ears painted a color that looks very close to that of dried or scabbed-over blood, so I want the same for his hair.
I remember that my original concept for Timonium included splatters on his feet and legs, as if he had been walking through gore. I also remember that I never did this because, for some reason, I was unsure about how to accomplish this. Now, though, the process seems so self-evident — I should clearly just coat his legs with a few layers of matte sealant for a base, mix up some paint, and make a mess like I usually do.
I realize that I haven’t decided what to do for Fritillaria’s eyes. I kind of like the idea of pinpoint pupils and huge irises dominated by red and white hypno spirals, but I really should mock that up first…
Thalia is pretty much done.
Sure, I’m going to give her some lighter eyes eventually and make her a brighter shirt, but this is pretty much her final look.Continue reading Thalia is pretty much done.
Thalia, latest exemplar of my signature style
My signature style takes inspiration from gesture drawings and caricature. Gesture drawings reveal a quick, loose line that nevertheless finds a strong, organic flow. I like to capture this rough, sketchy, open-ended, expressive quality in my paint jobs. In other words, they’re messy. :p
I also, as I have repeatedly noted, take design cues from caricature, in which salient features are exaggerated to the point of ostentatiousness. Limited palettes with bright colors appeal to me. The darks need to be darker, the lights lighter, the sheens shinier. MORE IS BETTER.
Finally, my signature style has a sarcastic, silly sense of humor. While I seriously like the “more is better” concept, I also find it hilarious. The sheer weight and boldness of Sardonix’ indelible eyebrows amuse me. Yamarrah’s ice cream earrings, ice cream sweatshirt, and creemee props become even more entertaining when I juxtapose them with her flaming eyebrows, head-on-fire wig, and speed-flame shoes. The clothes I commissioned for Jareth, with their indiscriminate proliferation of layers, ruffles, textures, and gradations of the same color, take coordination [or lack thereof] to a laughable extreme. Thalia’s morbid Gothic skullface makeup and phalanges tattoos on her hands become a source of comedy when paired with her flowery skull shirt and skull-and-crossbones loafers. Bold, messy overkill is a gas.
And here are some pictures of Thalia’s faceup in progress, illustrating exactly what I mean. I wonder if she should have eyes that match her tongue in color…Continue reading Thalia, latest exemplar of my signature style
Update on creative endeavors #1: Thalia the neverending project
The next meetup of VTDL heralds the return of the popular Halloween theme. I finally have an incentive to complete Thalia, as her skeletal aesthetic will make for a perfect Samhain debut. Of course, I haven’t made much progress since the last time we saw her early in July with faceup plans penciled all over her face. But here she is again.
First I painted the inside of her mouth black. Then I used Pebeo and an Xacto knife to remove black paint from her teeth and wherever else it wasn’t supposed to go. At the same time, I painted one of her tongues [the licking one, as opposed to the sticking-out one]. Then I did her face in white and gave her some temporary red eyes, as I haven’t made her specific ones yet. Pictures follow.
Continue reading Update on creative endeavors #1: Thalia the neverending project
Recent projects #2: Thalia’s faceup
I’m working very slowly on Thalia. Very, very, very slowly. I sketched my faceup design on her a while back, and then she sat around like that until maybe two weeks ago, when I finally primed her and laid down the white base for her skullface makeup. This is what she looked like back in the mockup stages.Continue reading Recent projects #2: Thalia’s faceup
Gouging out Thalia’s eyes
I love how excruciating doll customization sounds to the uninitiated! >:}
After failing to find tutorials online about opening BJD eyes, I went after Thalia with an Xacto and no particular plan. The resin yielded easily to my impromptu scraping, but not so easily that I made a mess of the mods. Check it out below the cut. [Yes, I know her head is sitting on a toy horse. That’s to help her chin stay at the right angle for viewing. :p ]
Thalia’s temporary pre-Raphaelite hair
Some frizzy wig is standing in for Thalia’s wild mane of black mohair curls, interspersed with plastic snakes. I like the voluminous curls; they soften her square features a bit. I also like the hair pulled back because then I can see her pointy ears.
What I don’t like are those pointy tits. I’m not sure why so many sculptors insist on aggressively projecting nipples. I can’t wait to get her a shirt.
Just for the heck of it, she’s holding Beth, my smallest articulated doll.
Working on dolls at long last!
I am taking advantage of a true vacation to work on a list of doll projects that has expanded alarmingly in the past months. So far I have:
- Derooted Cutey Honey’s brittle, shedding default hair. When she went to the last VTDL meetup, I noticed that sad state of her hair and vowed to replace them. I don’t have the appropriate replacement hair, so she’s mostly bald at the moment. At least she’s not shedding anymore, though.
- Put Thalia on the body formerly belonging to Janvier Jett, painted her hands and gave her a temporary outfit.
- Found a large, fabric-covered storage container at Goodwill and set it up on its side, thus converted it into a passable seat to accommodate long-limbed dolls like Jareth.
- Improved Yamarrah.
Yamarrah’s hair was not sticking up enough, so I tacked down more of the long pieces.
Continue reading Working on dolls at long last!
Thinking about Thalia’s outfit
Thalia is currently wearing a DollHeart neck corset, Ringdoll Frankenstein’s robe, black handmade leggings and skull loafers. That’s not her final outfit, but I’m still working on what indeed she will end up wearing.
I have multiple and often contradictory ideas at work here. My default impulse is to take a particular idea and run with it to the extreme, which would mean more black! As many shades and textures as possible! More corsetry! More boning! Paint it black! Paint it black, you devil!
On the other hand, the more clothes Thalia wears, the more difficult she is to pose. This argues for an ensemble that’s either parsimonious or loose/stretchy.
I need something skimpy and stretchy, which means that the Ringdoll robe, being voluminous, won’t suffice. I can also abandon my cherished hopes of jamming her into Jareth’s platform stilettos. And no underwear.
Maybe some hot pants and a tank top? I actually used to have such an outfit that came with my Angelsdoll Hyang, but I sold it [with my Angelsdoll Hyang], so phooey.
EDIT: I see that I can procure a blank stretchy tank top for relatively cheap, so maybe a black tank with a rib cage on it would be good instead of pasties. [I’ve been on a skeleton kick for a while…]
While I’m thinking of it, I should also add that I’d like to make her eyes like Lucian’s: black irises with white pupils. He has such small eyes that it was always difficult, when photoing him, to get the full effect of the unusual coloration, so I hope to carve open Thalia’s eyelids so that her eyes are more visible.
And the ball gag — don’t forget the ball gag! I’m kinda surprised that no one else has come up with that idea before me [or, if they have, they haven’t exhibited it publicly]. I have some squeezy stress balls to cut up for the gag, but I’m not sure what to use for straps. I refuse to make an elaborate harness, settling instead for a single strap — maybe four-way stretch Spandex? Lord knows I have enough of that left over from Jareth’s super expensive commissions.
I’m considering alternatives to a bunch of plastic snakes glued to her scalp for hair. I think a black mohair wig [like the one featured on Spirit Doll Stayne at the most recent VTDL meetup] with occasional snakes inserted might be more effective, as it would look like an average wig until closer inspection. Then surprise! Snakes!!
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1710159.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
Thalia, temporarily
Months after acquiring her head, I finally got around to doing something with Thalia this weekend. I took Janvier Jett’s head off the Angelsdoll massive girl body, along with the Dikadoll jointed hands. I plopped Thalia’s head on the Angelsdoll body and put the original hands back on and then dressed her in some stopgap clothes.
Thalia came yesterday!
Thalia[‘s head] came yesterday! She matches well with Janvier Jett’s Angelsdoll massive girl body in Volks NS resin, so that’s good. The proportions look good too. And, after all that excitement about the novelty of a doll with two tongues, I actually like her with no tongue and an open mouth best. [I may be saying this in part because it’s really hard to get her licking tongue out of her mouth once it magnetizes in.]
I’m thinking about how I want to do her faceup. I’ve been really interested in duochrome faceups for quite a while now, mostly generated for Jareth with Instant Makeup and Geisha Builder. My attraction to duochrome probably stems from the fact that two colors and gradations thereof are easier to work with than a whole varied palette. So I’m thinking something duochrome for Thalia.
Actually, I’m thinking about grey, multiple soft shades of grey, not as stark as Timonium’s black-and-white job, but something with less definite outlines, shadows suggesting haggardness and depth. In fact, I’m thinking a subtle skullface faceup in gradations of grey, kind of like Jareth did for Halloween. And since there’s no way I could affordably duplicate these lovely bracelet restraint things in 1:3 scale, I’ll try painting some stylized phalanges on the back of an extra set of hands.
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1697563.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
Thalia has been ordered!
Well, Thalia’s head, at any rate. That set me back $230.00, thanks to the free shipping event.
Now to acquire some supplies: rubbery plastic neon snakes for her hair and a squishy "stress ball" for her ball gag.
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1686278.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
Tonsil Hockey Deux: the concept
If I’m going to get an IOS Infernale head, which I am, then I need to stop calling her Tonsil Hockey Deux and start calling her by an actual name. So it’s official: Tonsil Hockey Deux will hereafter be known as Thalia Hesperus Donaldson. No particular reason why — it just sounded good. Thalia’s name’s origin as that of the Greek muse of comedy is irrelevant.
Thalia needs some significant modification. First and foremost, that nose needs some serious reduction. It, of course, solidifies the sculpt’s beautiful adherence to the conventional stylization of male anime characters, but it’s way too much nose for my tastes. Here’s my proposed deletion:
Continue reading Tonsil Hockey Deux: the concept
Yup… Tonsil Hockey Deux is on preorder.
There are two preorders for THD this fall: the one currently running [August 29th through September 30th] and one toward the end of the year [November 15th through December 15th]. The one going on now offers free shipping, which makes the cost of a head $230.00 instead of $256.00. Quick — to the credit card!
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1682354.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
TONSIL HOCKEY DEUX IN STOCK?!
I’m at Dollism now [about which more later], but I just hit IOS’ Web site now, and Tonsil Hockey Deux’s head is in stock [or on preorder]?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!? Well, there’s an incentive not to spend any money here….
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1681932.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
Tonsil Hockey Deux returns!!!
I forgot to mention that I E-mailed IOS recently to ask if they would rerelease Infernale. They said yes — this November. Whoo hoo! Tonsil Hockey come home!
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1668133.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
Tonsil Hockey Deux returns…
Melface mentioned at the last CCDC meetup that she was getting an IOS 80cm body with a custom head on it. This news perked up my ears because IOS is the maker of Infernale, aka Tonsil Hockey Part Two, aka Put A Sock In It [Or Maybe A Ball Gag], a wonderful vampiric headsculpt with squinty eyes, open mouth and not one, but two [yes two!!!] tongues.
With Melface’s incoming IOS hybrid in mind, as well as my current open-mouthed, tongue-showing doll, Yamarrah, being modded, I naturally turn my thoughts to Tonsil Hockey Deux. I still want that headsculpt, and I really, really, really want to make a kinky vampire with a ball gag in her mouth. In fact, my desire has rekindled to the point where I put up a Wanted to Buy thread on DOA, hoping that someone will sell me an Infernale head. Well, I can dream, right? :p
I really like dolls with closed eyes, open mouths, protruding tongues and pointy teefs. My ideal BJD headsculpt would therefore be a vampire with closed eyes, magnetic swappable tongues and a big, lopsided, smirky grin.
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1653536.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
Reconceptualizing Tonsil Hockey Part Two
I have come to the conclusion that it would be a trespass of cultural appropriation to make an IOS Infernale/Angelsdoll massive girl body hybrid into a manananggal just because I think it’s cool. So no Cory in resin for me.
That said, I’m still very keen on Tonsil Hockey Two. I might recycle my Medusa raver concept for her and throw in an excessive amount of piercings and a ball gag. Neon fetishy Medusa raver…
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1616835.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
TONSIL HOCKEY PART 2!!!
Oooooooh, I just discovered that IOS’ Infernale head, previously commented on in March, appears to be in stock on their Web site for a mere $256.00 including s/h!
Clearly I need to get another open-mouthed doll sticking out its tongue.
I wish I had more money for dolls. I’d like ~$600.00, enough for Muggins and Tonsil Hockey II.
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1593730.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
No tonsil hockey :(
Iplehouse just released another doll in the Addiction special edition: a version of nYID Bianca. Like Aaliyah and Doria [whence Yamarrah], she has a fantasy head with fangs, pointy ears and optional horns. Unlike those dolls, though, Bianca’s fantasy head suffers from Sabertooth Fang Disorder, wherein the teeth are sculpted to hang outside of the mouth in a silly manner. [See also anything in the Dollpire line by DollMore.]
I’m surprised that Iplehouse, which does all of its sculpting digitally, did not choose to rework the lower half of Bianca’s face to accommodate a more open mouth and more realistic teefs. She doesn’t look like she has fangs; she just looks like she has two slightly raised triangles resting on her lower lip. Too bad, as I love everything else about the concept, including the outfit, the grey resin option and the flamboyantly large, oar-like ears with multiple piercings.
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1537420.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.
BJD with swappable tongues!!!
Let’s see…I’ve seen BJDs with swappable faceplates, ears, hands, feet, penises, legs, wings, torsos and eyelids, but I have never before seen a BJD with swappable tongues.
Behold Immortality of Soul’s Infernale, a very pointy, stylized dude with narrow eyes and an open mouth done convincingly. He has two optional magnetic tongues; one is just sticking out [:p], while the other is licking his top lip [:d]. I admire his adherence to the angular, squinty bishounen aesthetic, as well as the obvious joy with which he was sculpted.
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1477906.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.