Adding Some Colour

Last week I added a bit more Apoxie to the head I'm modifying into an old man.
​ I started with a Doll Family A Practice Head, given to me by Charie Wilson....

I've never liked sculpting doll's heads since I always had a tendency to "over-sculpt" and mess up earlier parts that were fine. But that was when I used Sculpey, which had to be baked at the end when the head was done. Paperclay and Apoxie are better mediums for me, since I can add small amounts, let them dry or cure, and then add more. It drastically reduces me messing up previously sculpted areas. So I've been slowly building up his face with bits of Aves Apoxie..... 

Last week I got the head as close to 'finished' as I figure I'll come, having added a bit more to the lower eye lids, the chin, cheeks, lower lip, and tops of the ears. Then yesterday was such a warm day (at over 15 degrees Celsius, we broke the record for the warmest day in February EVER) so I took the opportunity to spray the head with Testors Dull Coat outside. I've never used the stuff before, and made sure to stand upwind so the fumes wouldn't blow into my face. Then I put the head parts in my main floor powder room which has a fan to outside, to let the head dry completely.

This morning I thought I'd try give the head some colour.  After all how hard could it be?  I'm an "artist" and can paint all kinds of things, so why not a doll's head?  But it was nowhere near as easy as I thought. Of course it didn't help that I can barely see what I'm doing. I have uncorrectable astigmatism, macular degeneration, and the start of cataracts in both eyes.  Thankfully my camera has auto-focus, so I can still take photos with confidence, but doing handwork is becoming increasingly difficult. Anyway, I got a bit of uneven colour on him.....

I think once he's properly painted by a professional, and gets his hair and beard, he'll make a great Wizard and Santa. 

But he also needs a body, and even though the head fits nicely on my Maya's body, I don't like the idea of them sharing a body.  Plus this Wizard-Santa guy is going to need his hands modded into 'old man hands'. He can't have Maya's smooth 'young' hands. Which means getting him a body of his own. Fortunately Doll Leaves (where Maya comes from) is one of the few doll companies that will sell just a body.  I'd order one, but our dollar is so low right now.  But I really, really, really want to see this guy come together, and who knows if, or when, our dollar will ever recover, so maybe I just have to go for it.  And order him some 'holdy' hands while I'm at it.