Doll Experiment - Part 2

I recently started blogging about an experimental technique I was trying.  I had read about someone using this technique in Art Doll magazine.  The technique was using one of my favorite mediums: papier mache'.  I just had to try it.  A week later, the project is a little further along, but it would be hard to notice the difference from looking at today's photograph.

The basic idea was to use an existing doll as a mold.  Cover the doll with layers of papier mache', then cut the papier mache' open to remove the commercial doll.  Put the papier mache' back together using masking tape and more layers of papier mache'.   After that, you dress and embellish your doll as desired.

It sounds simple enough.  Of course, I wanted to add some more challenges to the project.   The biggest challenge was that I want to try to change the position of the arms and legs so the doll will have a different pose.  The problem with a commercial dolls is that they generally have their arms and legs stuck straight out.  I think this doll is interesting in that one leg is turned out slightly.

The reason I want to change the pose is that the way the body and limbs are posed can help tell a story.  Arms and legs that are just stuck out stiffly do little to help the doll tell a story.  Posing the limbs give indications of action and gives information about intentions for the next action.  If I can find a way to change the post of the doll, I can tell more of the story than if I just have her standing there stiffly.

Whether I can change the orientation of the limbs is still in question.  I really do not know what is going to happen when I begin cutting the doll apart to remove the doll underneath.  If there are not enough layers of  papier mache', or the layers are not strong enough, the form could curl up and become useless.  I am not sure what the limbs will look like once I try setting them into a different orientation.   I need to come up with something to use to create a new joint area.  All of this is a big experiment.  I just have to try things and see what happens.

 It is hard to tell that there are more layers of papier mache' on the doll.    The conundrum is whether I have enough layers on to move on to the next layer of the project.  Too few layers and it might not hold its shape.  Too many layers and it becomes more difficult to make the cuts to remove the papier mache' from the doll.  I decided to go with four layers.  Hopefully, four layers will be enough and I have not wasted a week's work.

As I said earlier, the doll does not look much different.  The main difference is that I have drawn some lines on the doll to mark the areas where I will begin cutting the doll apart.  At this point, I will begin making the cuts that will sever the limbs from the torso.  Once those cuts have been made, I will cut the limbs in half in order to remove the molded pieces from the doll.  I have not yet decided which type of cutting tool I will use to make the cuts.  I will start with a craft knife.  If that does not work I may try a pair of heavy duty scissors or use a rotary tool with a cutting blade.  I am sure that the cutting tool would make the quickest work of the project, but I would like to save the underlying doll if possible.  I am concerned that I will end up making deep cuts into the doll with the rotary tool.

Saving the doll may not necessarily be that much of a consideration.  While this is an interesting technique, I think I really prefer making my own doll bodies with an internal armature.  I feel I have more control over the shape of the body by making the whole thing myself.  This is an interesting diversion from the normal, but not something I plan to do on a regular basis.  But I would like to save the doll for "just in case." 

Check back on Thursday to see whether this project is an unmitigated disaster or whether this is something that can actually work.