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All steps of art dolls creation, from sculpture model to resin cast.

BJD dolls are made of a hard material (often vinyl or resin) , whose mobility is possible with spherical joints at each joint .

The manufacture of a resin art doll can be split into three steps:

First step : prototype.
The prototype design starts with some sketches on paper. It determines the general size an forms of the future doll, placement of joints .

The sketch phase is important before begin to sculpt. The novice artist can maike the mistake of focussing on the aesthetics of the doll, and be faced with great difficulties when planning joints and especially the mold during the second step.
It seems not , but the BJD requires many technical and aesthetic work. The sketch determines, (in addition to the overall appearance ), the internal geometry of the hollow parts and joints.
It is at this point that the work of sculpture begins.

Each artist has his own technique and materials which suit them best.

Second step : the mold.
The realization of the silicone mold is a critical step. A poorly designed mold can cause poor quality prints (presence of bubbles, deformations … )
Here too, it is better to initiate this step by performing sketches.
A mold is usually in two parts for a single piece. For more complex or hollow parts , the mold get three or more parts.

When making the mold , the prototype part is not the only important element in place . The success of the third step mostly depends on the good placement of holes and ventilations .

Third step : resin cast.
The final step of the doll creation is resin cast.

It is this step that determines if the mold is good. The liquid resin is poured into the mold through the casting hole and back through the ventilations .
The interest of these tap holes becomes important at this step. The challenge is to prevent air bubbles trapped in resin .
The print quality of a resin doll depends on the absence of bubbles in the resin during the cast.
After sanding to remove the lines left by the mold phase, the doll can finally be mounted through the elastic and hooks .