BA Art and Design Week 5 Brief 1 - Multiples

Artist Research

Since the Sculpture process in 3D workshop is currently slow (Everyone in my class is doing it and only two people at a time can make the mould - messy process) I need to find other methods of making dolls.

I decided to go about doing this by researching other doll artists and their methods.

Marina Bychkova

I have always liked dolls but these are beautiful. Porcelain dolls, detailed expressions and even their limbs can be moved. Porcelain!

Dorote Zaukaite

I like how these ones a messy-realism look to them; their bodies are skinny and disproportioned like a cartoon, but the colour schemes, blotchy painted skins and fabulous "Messy" hairstyles give off a sense of realism which I really like.

Miss Clara

This is one I've researched before, for illustrative purposes; she makes dolls to use as images for illustrations. Love the idea and the cute, detailed intricate dolls.

Sasha Petrov

I like these dolls because of how unusual they are; long and disproportioned from normal body shapes, I think they look almost sultry and intricate, but also quiet creepy.

Blythe

Finally I came across Blythe dolls from Japan, and discovered that one of the reasons they are so beloved is because of how easily customisable they are.

One of the interesting features of these dolls are the eyes, which can look side to side or change colour with a mechanism at the back of their heads.

These are examples of "Neo" Blythe dolls

(The biggest body, 28.5 cm)

These are examples of "Middie" Blythe, and is considered the most commonly used body

(Middle sized, 20 cm)

Finally, we have "Petite" Blythe

(The smallest body, 11cm)

I honestly think these dolls are adorable and the middle one is indeed the body I would use.

Rebecca Cano

What I found interesting about the last artist is the fact that makes her dolls by customizing the body of Blythe dolls

I really like her style (Especially the costumes) and thought that her method was really interesting; I've been struggling on "how" to make my own dolls (Other than the sculpture mould method) and I think I would like to try "Customising" already made doll bodies. However I want to make a point of completely changing them by redoing everything, from skin, hair and clothes; I want to make them into "my" dolls/work, so no leaving parts of the previous appearance left over.

But its just an experiment, so we'll see how it goes.