Photo Dump

I don't have anything wordy to say, just a lot of photo updates on my own doll.

Other sketches coming soon.

On my way!

Scared to bits (not really)

Look how sassy! 11-12" tall.

I'm glad I made a small version
of this one, I know what needs
to be worked on when I go to final.

Like I've said. I was generous

This is one of the boxes that will have an
enlarged vintage ad mounted inside it and
hung behind the dolls.

My awesome boyfriend constructed these in and hour

Ignore the messy garage!

Progress, it's possible!

So I started today by blocking access to Facebook from my computer. I feel weird because checking my Facebook page a couple times a day, and wasting time on it, is usually in my schedule. And now I'm not allowed to access it until 8 p.m. 

Adjusting my schedule always makes me feel a little out of sorts. But I've accomplished a lot of work today and I would have been distracted by Facebook had I not blocked access.

I feel PRODUCTIVE!

I have a general layout of the three body shapes that I've chosen to start work on before mid terms. If you've sent me images, or I've talked to you about modeling, I probably won't be able to get to you and your images until some time in March (I haven't made my March calendar up yet).

I had narrowed down my choices from the plethora of photos I'd taken, but still couldn't decide what pose to use for the two other shapes (I'd already decided which photo of mine to use, even if it took two hours of my life away). I'm glad my mentor convinced me that rough sketches were the way to go with the remaining two or three photos because I can see which pose is actually going to highlight the bodies and I wouldn't have been able to tell had I just picked a photo and went with it.

I have always hated thumbnails and rough sketches. I want to get right to the business of working on a piece. I think this is why I love watching other artists' processes because I just have no patience to do it myself. Well, mostly. Documenting my process helps me slow down a bit.

Anyway. On with the process porn. I'm just posting the  process sketches and final ink version of my own doll today. When I get the go-ahead on the other dolls, I'll post the final painted version of my doll and the sketches of the other bodies. Did that make any sense? It will, promise.

I'm pretty proud about how accurate I got
with such a rough sketch. Go me!

Rough sketch and doll layout.

Sketchy doll parts.

Starting to ink the face. Arty!

Sneak peak of my "setup".

Final!

While I was inking the final mockup, I realized I was REALLY generous with my body. I mean, damn! I look amazing. I argued in my head whether it was the fact that, yes, indeed, I was amazing, or that I had taken liberties (as artists sometimes are wont to do). I think it's a little of both. Acceptance of my body is starting to develop, and I may have trimmed a few curves and rolls while I was working on the doll layout. I just know now what to keep an eye on when I go to enlarge it and work on the final.

Altering

I had a shower "ah-ha!" moment a week or so ago.

I've decided the best way to make this a personal project is to alter my thesis statement to include my body shape: pear. And when I say that I want to include my body shape, I want to include me.

Why not complete the journey to acceptance by including a doll of me? To be brave and photograph myself in my underwear and then create a doll to match and have hundreds of people see it? You can't be forced to be "out there" than that.

I'm more excited to get it started that I am frightened at the fact that people are going to see my big ass in my underwear. Talk about exposure!

But I think it's mostly a catharsis. I can't be the voice of women to love themselves if I'm not wiling to get out there and do it myself. Since I'm in a constant struggle to love and accept who I am and what I look like, I think it's a great way to get the ball rolling. "This is me. Take me for who I am" isn't just part of my thesis statement for women, it is for me as well.

I know it's been many posts back since I've shared my doll concept, I'm going to post the mock-up and encourage any new readers to read the excerpt from my thesis proposal at the right, and even download my thesis proposal from the link (on the right as well).

Digital mockup of what my finalized
dolls will look like (only different
body shapes)

Update

I'm going to leave this project here, where it stands. You get the idea.
Although, I may just post the final in my art blog.

The paper this doll was created on is the smoothest paper I've worked with. It's like butter, and I hope it's watercolor paper and not printmaking paper. It's off-white, which saves me the trouble of having to tint it myself.
I need to take a scrap of it to the art store and see who makes it. It doesn't have a watermark on it. When I find out who makes it, I'm buying a case. At first, I didn't think it would stand up to the paint and would wrinkle, and bend. It did a little but I flattened it. As soon as I cut the parts out, I realized that this may be the paper I need for the final. I'll see, as soon as I assemble everything together.

I'm glad I made a better mockup. This last project took a lot of valuable time away from my other work, but I learned a lot about my process and how I'll end up assembling the finals next semester. I'm sure there is a lot more plotting that needs to be done, but that is also just part of the process.