The Best Online Reborn Help Forum!

Abby · Senior Member

secrist sculpting competition

Buffington · Guru

I think we've had 2 now but they are random and at Mr Secrists request. No idea when the next one will be. I think he's got a lot of faces waiting in the wings! :o

Play Days Dolls · Guru

Abby, I bet you would be a real contender in any sculpting contest! We'll have to stay on the lookout for any mention of another contest.

Abby · Senior Member

Awww, thanks Linda! I doubt if I would even come close but it would be fun to try :)

Buffington · Guru

I agree with Linda!

Abby · Senior Member

Thanks Buffi, I'm sure you would be in with a good chance yourself! :)

Buffington · Guru

Thanks Abby! :)
My faces can't hold a candle to yours hun! But I haven't done a decent set of limbs. Danielle showed me how when we were in Florida at IDEX and I still haven't done any. :( I'm real particular about hands and feet on the babies. If it has a really great face and poor limbs (IMHO) I can't bring myself to go near it. Just me though.
When Secrist came out with the Snuggles limbs for one of the doll kits, I didn't like them at all, and I still don't care for them but its all personal preferrence.
Maybe I'll get the hang of it one of these days eh? lol

Play Days Dolls · Guru

I'm not wild about the Snuggles either, and I think they closely resemble the Brandi limbs. The biggest difference seems to be the open hands vs. closed fist.

I would love to see some newer limb choices in the 22" dolls, too.

Abby · Senior Member

I love doing hands & feet but I hate doing arms, i think only my last 3 or 4 babies have had arms I'm happy with, and I'm not at all sure about my last babies arms (he's in the sculpting section). I struggle to get the backs of the hands right as well! i hate looking back at my old babies, in fact i gave away all my early sculpts recently and even destroyed a couple cos they were too embarrassing!

Tina W. · Guru

I doubt they were as bad as you say. You have a wonderful talent, and to give them away! I's love to be able to sculpt a baby. I've even thought of just buying one but right now money's a bit tight. Maybe someday I'll give it a go and try to make one.

Abby · Senior Member

You should give it a go Tina. With the vinyl sculpting forms now available it's not that hard, I wish they had been available when I started! It is addictive though, once you start you can't stop! :)

Tina W. · Guru

Vinyl? hmm see I don't even know the first place to start =( LOLI do love challenges though and although reborning is still a challenge I sometime feel like it is a bit repetitive (hope I spelled that right LOL ) I think sculpting would put me over the moon!

-- Edited by Tina W. on Friday 11th of December 2009 01:35:10 PM

Abby · Senior Member

They're like a very basic dolls head without eyes, you just cover it with clay and it gives you a good base. I used to use polystyrene eggs when I first started out as a base for my heads, which was a lot harder to get the proportions right. I've used the vinyls a couple of times but i do prefer to use the polystyrene head forms as you then decide the position for features yourself, but for a beginner the vinyl head forms give you a great start and ensure everything's in the right place.

Tina W. · Guru

Yes I do remember seeing them now. However I thought the same thing about the facial features. They are pretty limited not really allowing your full creativity on how you want the features to look. Do you still use the polystyrene eggs?

Abby · Senior Member

No I use the polystyrene head forms now, they are a basic head shape but without the features. If you look on my website on the portrait baby section you can see the two that I did with the vinyl head forms, their names are Lawrence & Deejay. You can still express your creativity, I just prefer more of a free rein.
So are you going to give it a try? You already know how to paint them so you have a head start, you should go for it!

-- Edited by Abby on Friday 11th of December 2009 11:15:09 PM

Tina W. · Guru

I'm going to check out your website again. Maybe after the holiday, I still have alot of researching to do but I do want to give it a try. Thanks so much for all your help

-- Edited by Tina W. on Saturday 12th of December 2009 01:22:46 AM

Tina W. · Guru

Your babies truly are gorgeous!! The portraits are remarkable! I'd love to have a beauitful keepsake like that of my children. I'll have to save my pennies a bit more though but it will be well worth it. Your an amazing artist.

Abby · Senior Member

Awww, thanks Tina :)
Abby xx

Play Days Dolls · Guru

Okay... so all this sculpting discussion is contagious. Cannot believe I am actually considering giving it a try.

Abby · Senior Member

Yay, go for it Linda! biggrin

the more the merrier! If you girls all have a go maybe the sculpting thread will come to life a bit, at the moment it's as dead as a dodo!!

Buffington · Guru

The thing I don't like about the Snuggles limbs is that the hands look like doll hands and way too small for the rest of the limb. The feet are sort of ok but...

I love the Brandi limbs, and Danielle sculpted them which is why they are the most lifelike. She has a nack for that. I order them every chance I get with a kit.

I have several of the sculpting forum from Secrist and you are right Abby, they are terrific for the newbie sculptor! I also had Vikki Reid show me some tips when I was at the factory. I tried another artists dvd on sculpting babies and mine looked sooooooo bad. It had really big cheeks, and saggy (amongst other funny stuff. I still have it but won't take it out because yes, it's embarrasing). :o