Rozaliin, the orange-white rat girl

My tries to create female dolls continued, and I once (3. Feb 2017) finished one new. She got called as Rozaliin, and as I planned, she is finally the girlfriend for my CM Breyer rider doll Asko.

It's made from orange foam clay, mixed from red and yellow (the simpliest and easiest color to mix, and still I know some people find it weird and difficult). This time I decided to paint the markings, and it was OK.

These are the first progress photos I took about Asko's lady. When I had already sculpted all needed. And yes, all the same time, no drying pauses between layers. Stupid thing but it works when you have no patience and you want to finish things quickly and see them becoming alive... Now, sorry if anyone is scared of seeing naked rat girls, there is no details. 

Her proportions were carefully made after Rämä, using him as a reference. I also wanted to make sure she gets right lenght limbs. I must say that this doll can be my most 'balanced' right now. Happy with it... And when I now, before publishing, look at these photos, I see some mistakes in anatomy but... Well, it still could be a lot worse.

And as you can see, I also used green wire instead of red. Not bad and it should not really matter, but I somewhat loved and also hated to see orange and green together... I don't know why, the tastes I connect the colors to don't match to each other.

Face is always the most important part of the doll, because it shows their personality. This girl got quite closed to what I planned, although her mouth looks slightly too big. Also the neck is attached to the head a bit too behind, what causes that it can look stupid in my eye. Her nose and eyes are OK to me, although I got the eyes placed a bit asymmetrically.

I take a ton of photos of same thing with different angles and setting, and can't decide which of the pics are best to publish... So, suffer from this boring photo flood. Mostly I took these because I think they can be helpful for those who need example of how rat noses can be sculpted (I do things realistically).

Ears she got to be too small, but I don't mind anymore. She can be what she wants to be, no one is perfect and so on. Left ear also got a small notch made with scissors. For some reason it's a lot scarier to cut doll ears instead of thumb rats, although you might think that bigger is easier.

As an important part of head-sculpting I sawed a notch to her skull's backside. That was because I was going to add a viscose mane for her, later. I used my beloved craft knife for the notch, if anyone wonders how. And I always wait the head to dry a bit (not fully) before sawing. 

After those photos I seemingly glued her leather areas: paws and tail. (Normally I also glue fabrics after them, but with this doll I didn't.)

Then it was time for some paint. I had planned that this rat is going to be one of my dream-rats in color: orange with 'badger' pattern, what means that she needed white belly area and a blaze! When the white areas are ready, I always add some skintone there to the mouth and nose, and around the eyes, maybe a bit to the body too. Maybe even a bit of bright red to mix with skintone to make shadings in nostrils and other hidden details.  

I pop the doll's eyes out for painting moment, then glue them back later. And hey, my worktable looks always that messy.

Captured a poor rat waiting for paint before starting, only because I want to photograph steps.

These are the paints I recommend. I use them for model horses too, so... Mont Marte Satin and Louvre, both acrylics of course.

All paintings ready, took the pic too late...

Painting the eyes is always nice, because, you know, it's the moment when the doll gets it's personality more visible. For this one I used just bright red and purple. It is so easy: paint the whole eye red, let it dry, then paint the pupils with slightly darker purple, let dry a bit and paint a next pupil layer - so it peels the previous layer with it and shows that brighter red. It just is easy and simple. When the paint had dried, I add few rough layers of bright varnish on the eyes.

And before anyone screams that "is there blood", I say it is not.. It's porphyrin. It dyes rat snot to red with some colder tint in it. I painted that with dipping a wet (dipped to varnish) paintbrush to a Derwent Intense pencil and stroking it carefully around her nose and eyes. I needed to be quick as I didn't want the varnish to kill the brush or pencil when it dries. After the painting I also varnished the porphyrins once to make sure they stay.

But that much porphyrin is a sign of stress or other problems, I think, so what have happened to her as her face melts...? Maybe she has an upper respiratory infection, what can get chronic in rats. 

I didn't know what to do with her limbs yet, so I decided to do the difficult thing and glue her mane on. I cut some reddish-brown viscose tufts, glued them and left to dry. Then I added glue to the notch at her head's backside, where I placed the tufts one by one. When the gluing was ready, I ripped loose hairs off, brushed the mane with wet paintbrush, showed them a bit scissors... And at the end it was a droopy mohawk. 

I had no idea what to glue to her limbs to be 'fur', as I had only few types of white fabric and they didn't be what I wanted. So as I had almost finished her already, I decided to add that thin, glossy white fabric as I simply had no anything else - but I already knew how this fabric worked, so, that was the reason.

Then she was finished. I quickly made her a blue vest-thingy, who does not really work as I wished... Of course it does not. But it hides her body, and yet even neck.

As much as I see unfinished texts and try to continue to write them, as much I stay noticing same irritating things in the photos. One of them are this doll's hands. I know they look stupid, maybe more stupid than any other dollhands I've made. But the fact is that I simply can't make them more realistic if I want to create them from leather and also keep them good for use. And arms should be hidden under sleeves, with every doll, so the only reason they show is that I don't really make good clothes. Those stupid vest thingies are only for the "something is better than nothing" -logic. My dolls aren't going to ride naked, if possible. Although no one of them (Breyer CM dolls not included) has trousers yet... 

The orange rex gal got called as Rozaliin. Roz for short. I often modify normal names to make them more different, as I want my dolls and characters to be... well, different and unique. The name fits her look. She also is getting a surname later, but I don't hurry with it. Why should I?

Right after finishing, her mohawk was a bit too droopy and messy, and looked like in those next pics. 

Here's a better mohawk seen, after I once re-brushed it.

The hem is... meant to be what it is; long and ripped. I can't cut straignht lines to fabric so I let it be what it already was.

Innocent, nice, safe, sharp, lively. That is how I wrote her personality to be in the dolls' page (not published yet...). So, she's honest and tries to be nice for all, if possible, but of course this rat can also get angry or sad or whatever. Everyone can if there's nothing too wrongly...

She also is those who mass produce selfies with a cellphone... Harm that I haven't yet made her one, as I simply failed my first try. But when I make her actual phone, I can say THAT is a smartphone who is not going to break it's screen after one drop!

But, anyway, Asko and Roz are my first 'complete' doll couple. (And, unfortunately, they also show too clearly my improving process in dollmaking. Just so different dolls - one CM and one OSC. Another problem is that I just don't know how I could make fingers to my dolls if I want them to be bendable at same time.)

Hah, both smile!

I wish I could once take a full 'family portrait' of that couple and their... pets, as they, I think, are not going to have kids. At least they need more horses. I could also like that Rozaliin could have her own matching horsie to ride and take care of... Her man has two right now, but he seemingly sells or leases one of them to another guy at the stable. (And Omar is too possessive of his horses to allow anyone to even ride them without him watching... Sorry, wanted to mention.)

And when time goes, Roz should get real punk rock stuff on instead of that stupid umbrella-vest-whatever.

She also is accidentally our fellow hobbyist in one way... She collects animal models! Not only horses but also dinos (my dream!). Roz photographs them in a homemade studio who's made from cardboard box. Viiskytkin is often with her to capture the mini world (or mini-mini world). As Rozaliin just recently moved to her guy's home, I guess that also Asko had been a model horsier for a while...

It was funny to make a 1:9 cardboard studio as I have already made two real ones to photograph Schleichs and other small items with... Here we see how Roz had already choosed one dino to photograph, and Viiskytkin takes test pics before actual photos. (That mini dino is from my childhood... And I have all my dinos with me yet.)

And then... work. How many of us can photograph miniatures when a real horse (heh) is next to the studio?

This text took too long time to get finished and published. I want to tell about my dolls a lot when one gets their own text, but with someones it's difficult. So... If I later know Roz better, it can be noticed via the blog!

To notice, I mention that I have decided to add pics as larger as previously now. The actual files are not different, they just show larger at the page.

Kippo and Cerys, first meet

These photos do not really create a story themselves, but I have pondered one still... Without really writing it anywhere. It doesn't even have anything to write, as it's only about the first meet of Kippura and Cerys.

Both hold chains. Both have something in the ends of them. That's the stupid discrepancy there.

What was the biggest feeling with this, I think that Kippura wanted to see how Cerys reacts to her. She finds it funny that others think her as a male or genderless because of her look... And Cerys clearly had difficulties to show right behavior, but she's not stupid or unfriendly still. That simply was something new and unexpected to her, to find another female but without clear signs of being one.

And Kippo really is tall as some males, so...   

For some reason, Cerys's giant pet rat Dan always goes to stranger's legs when meeting new two-legged things.

Cerys is too short to talk well to anyone.

And Kippo doesn't even use eyes that much, she is better at using her ears.

Without the flash...

Finally Cerys got sure who she is talking to.

Well, as seen, they are so different! Kippura is a blazed black dumbo with leather clothes, while Cerys is neon green and uses bright colors and... Just looks like a woman who wants to look like one. Maybe female alien... Whatever.

More photo stories and so on coming later.

(I really forgot that I haven't published this already, so it's time is now. So old things already. I also am finishing two texts about my newest dolls who aren't very-very-new anymore; my view. I just haven't had writing brains lately, what feels really stupid.) 

Waking up with cats

Here comes a photo story who has no visible horses to see. It's just about one of my dolls, Kippura, and her cats Tumpula and Ryysis.

We start the story with a pic where Kippura seems to be putting her scarf on. Cats know what she is doing, where she is going to and when she comes back to home too. It's her workday. And cats really know that when their staff needs to leave the home for a day, they make it to be difficult as possible...

The old man, Tumpula, 16 years old, is yet only stretching when the more black young dude had already flied around...

...and is now demanding food.

"Hey two-legged rat, I said I WANT FOOOOD!!"

How much attention that scarf needs?

"Well, maybe she reacts if I stare."

"Wow she walks to the foodcups!"

Then Ryysis notices Tumpula, who is scratching something under the cover. Maybe going to fill a nice warm spot after the staff sat on it... Cats just love warm too much. Old ones yet more.

Ryysis has hyperactive imagination, and he sees Tumpula as a prey.

While Ryysis uses his adolescence energy to tease the old guy, Kippura spends a bit time to fill their foodcups.

Well... The bigger dose is for Ryysis, as he is younger, not castratized and needs more energy.

After his breakfast Ryysis spends some purring moment with Kippura, as every morning.

...until he realises that the staff really goes. "Noooooo you didn't stroke me enough yet!"

Kippura: "Ryysis, EVERY day, I come home after work. I can't be late or then I lose my job. Without job I can't buy food for you."

Then she closes the door after her, and the black cat yet stands on the bed.

"What she said - no job, no food? Do furries need work that cats can eat?!"

"...but it makes sense. I better do a cat's job, so I drop a ton of fur to Asko's bed. I love spying when he curses it."

But Tumpula just continued to sleep after his breakfast. It seems to be a bit too warm there.

Or then he just is too relaxed.

Ryysis clearly understood what Kippura told him. Still, not sure that he could not give same comments to her at the next morning.

I wonder how much things change when Kippura needs to move away from the house, as the official resident's girlfriend moves there later. The house just has no enough space for everyone...


Artistic info:
I didn't think this photo story could be that easy to create, as I took a lot of pics and many of them are not really a part of it.

Anyone wondering why I write the cat's replies in words, instead of using some 'meow's? Because of humor and knowledge about cat behavior. That didn't mean that he could have literally talked to Kippura, I just wrote in English what he meant when he meowed. Also, those newer Schleich cats often have really good expressions, who give them more personality and possibilities for funny stories.

Our Lauha.

Of course every cat staff (we are not owners, because cats own us) could like to stay home with cats instead of going to work... Because of cats.

Let's keep this as a celebration for cats. And clever cat people.

I apologize that Kippo has no trousers. I have no idea of how to make some.  

Dippi and Rämä, photo stack

This is not a photo story... But a stack of pics I took after finishing Dippi. She is a loving mother to Rämä, and it's OK to be visble!

Right now I just try to write new texts, mostly about photo stacks and photo stories. Also in other scales, maybe, but mostly in traditional as I simply haven't dolls in other scales (YET).