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Post by embers on Mar 21, 2016 16:40:31 GMT -8
Hello My first porcelain BJD arrived on Friday and I've taken a few photos with her so far. She's a Forgotten Hearts Doll 15" and I've named her The Countess, at least for now... Here she is her regal self, sharing her home with an ancient tree... And here lost in the wilderness before she became a Countess... A first photo with her, testing out her posing... And another shot of her as the regal Countess... She's having to wear my Popovy Sisters clothes although they're too big for her. These ones seem to suit her so I think Miss Owl and The Countess can share Thanks for looking
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Post by kamia on Mar 21, 2016 23:37:40 GMT -8
Wow embers! You have created the most wonderful photographs of your new girl. I must admit whilst I love the countess, I love her lost in the wilderness look! I think you've really captured the best of your forgottenhearts girl! Love, love, love the photos! Please let us know what you think of porcelain vs resin and how you find her posing
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Post by embers on Mar 22, 2016 12:19:14 GMT -8
Thank you so much Kamia! The wilderness photo is my favourite look for her too, I think she will flit between these times in her life. Picking her up for the first time was a bit of a discovery, so many things to notice. Firstly the cold of the porcelain, which I had expected. Then the noise of her movements - springs! I wasn't really expecting that. Her head is tiny, way smaller than I thought it would be, and she's quite flat in the face. She has ridges down the sides of her thighs but I don't know if this is normal for a porcelain doll? I'm still happy with her anyway <3 She's comparable to my Popovy Sisters girl for posing, and with both dolls typically a new more poseable body was brought out just as I got mine! I was hoping for her legs to raise at the hips higher than they do - double jointed thighs would be great - and one of her lower legs actually popped off when I was testing her posing, so that was interesting to fix...! At least I got to see how she's held together luckily no breaks hehe I love her hands and feet detail and her blushing is really pretty. She's effortlessly elegant and waif-like and I'm really loving her porcelain fragility. I definitely think she will be joined by more porcelain girls before long!
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Post by fitz on Mar 22, 2016 16:19:20 GMT -8
She is very lovely and your photos are wonderfully dream like. I hope to see more of them. Ah the touch of porcelain, sounds like you have been bitten by the bug.
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Post by allurose on Mar 22, 2016 17:28:36 GMT -8
I'm glad you are pleased with your doll! She has a pretty look.
The ridges are remains from the mold, just like seams in a resin doll. It is possible to sand them smooth in both porcelain and resin, but not all artists take the time to do so.
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fawkes
Senior Member
Posts: 297
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Post by fawkes on Mar 22, 2016 23:19:07 GMT -8
I'm glad you are pleased with your doll! She has a pretty look. The ridges are remains from the mold, just like seams in a resin doll. It is possible to sand them smooth in both porcelain and resin, but not all artists take the time to do so. It's very difficult to have the seams disappear completely. Even if you take a lot of time sanding your porcelain parts with different grids of sandind pads, some of the seams always tend to reappear unfortunately after the high fire.
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Post by kamia on Mar 22, 2016 23:48:17 GMT -8
I must agree- I will post about it soon but I received my first porcelain yesterday and am discovering many of the same things! Your girl is totally elegant and at the same time totally effortless. Your second last shot is amazing - the lines on her are fantastic!
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mum4x
Senior Member
Posts: 155
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Post by mum4x on Mar 23, 2016 3:21:56 GMT -8
She looks really beautiful, I love forgotten hearts dolls, can't wait to see more photos and some close ups maybe?? X
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Post by allurose on Mar 23, 2016 7:25:48 GMT -8
I'm glad you are pleased with your doll! She has a pretty look. The ridges are remains from the mold, just like seams in a resin doll. It is possible to sand them smooth in both porcelain and resin, but not all artists take the time to do so. It's very difficult to have the seams disappear completely. Even if you take a lot of time sanding your porcelain parts with different grids of sandind pads, some of the seams always tend to reappear unfortunately after the high fire. Oh I didn't know that. Some of the porcelain bjds I have seen have seams and some do not, and it seems to correlate with the overall quality of the doll and the fussiness of the artist (time spent). I believe you though, I know clay can be quite tricky. I wonder why some artists' dolls hardly ever seem to have seams and others like you can't get the seams to disappear. Maybe there is a difference in porcelain brand or firing technique? I don't know. In general I don't mind seams or consider them a defect as long as they aren't too noticeable. My Paperwhites have very subtle seams. But I do think the dolls looks better without them.
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fawkes
Senior Member
Posts: 297
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Post by fawkes on Mar 23, 2016 8:24:29 GMT -8
It's very difficult to have the seams disappear completely. Even if you take a lot of time sanding your porcelain parts with different grids of sandind pads, some of the seams always tend to reappear unfortunately after the high fire. I wonder why some artists' dolls hardly ever seem to have seams and others like you can't get the seams to disappear. I never said I couldn't get them to disappear ;-) I usually scrape most of the seam when the part is out of the mold and still fresh, fire it and then I start sanding several times. However it's true that sometimes you sand your part two or three times with different grids, the part looks perfectly smooth but there's a slight seam after the high fire. It's barely visible but still there. I don't know why but I don't think it's due to the quality of the sanding.
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Post by embers on Mar 23, 2016 12:06:44 GMT -8
Thank you very much fitz! and yes I think I have been bitten for sure Information on seams much appreciated allurose & fawkes. My girl's seams are very noticeable, especially in directional light. I had expected a much subtler seam, more like my resin dolls. I don't think I dare try sanding or anything for fear of ruining her blushing though. I'll just think of them as marks of her creation, like stretch marks hehe Oh Kamia you received your first porcelain girl yesterday? How exciting! We need to see <3 Many congratulations to you Thanks so much mum4x I will take a close up soon
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Post by allurose on Mar 23, 2016 12:59:04 GMT -8
Fawkes, I would guess the reappearing seams are related to the direction of the clay molecules in the porcelain. As you probably know, clay molecules are shaped like little plates, which fuse into a crystalline glass structure upon firing. If the molecules are not aligned consistently, as may happen at the seam of a mold (where the porcelain hardens slightly differently), they will expand at different rates when fired.
That is my knowledge from general ceramics, not porcelain making. This is why clay is kneaded before being formed on a pottery wheel, to align the plate-shaped molecules of clay (and to remove air bubbles). So I am theorizing a bit.
Embers, FH does not put much effort into removing seams and polishing their dolls. I experienced this, along with other issues, in the two dolls I have owned from them. In my feedback to them, I pointed out a few details about the dolls that could be improved with the application of a bit more time. Their response was that they were aware that the dolls could be better but they didn't care. I think they prefer to make more dolls than perfect them.
That said, you doll does look very nice, nicer than mine, and I like your thoughts about stretch marks and birth marks. Many dolls have marks like this, and we often love them just the same. I particularly like how she looks in the Popovy lingerie! So regal!
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Post by kamia on Mar 23, 2016 13:40:16 GMT -8
Yes she did arrive I will take some pictures (properly) this weekend (I have taken loads of rubbish ones hahaha). But yes, I'm afraid they won't be anywhere near as artistic as your beautiful pictures! You have really brought this girl to life, you have an amazing ability to bring out the soul of a doll in your pictures.
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mum4x
Senior Member
Posts: 155
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Post by mum4x on Mar 23, 2016 14:48:18 GMT -8
Looking forward to seeing your girl Kamia!
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Post by kamia on Mar 23, 2016 15:04:56 GMT -8
Thank you mum4x - soon I promise!
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