Construction zone

I've begun the face-building process on the witch doll.

I usually start with the nose and build the other facial features out from it.  The first step is to make sure the nose-sized lump of paperclay adheres to the face.  This takes some work with my clay tools, and it's not the time to worry about what the final nose will look like.  Fine tuning comes later.

After the nose I work on the eyebrows.  Once they're done, it's easier to get a good eye placement.  There are a couple of ways I make the eyes.  On this doll I formed an oval shape out of clay and anchored it to the face with my tools.  Fingers work well too, but on something small it's easier with tools.  I then work some of the clay upwards for an eyelid and a little bit downward for the bottom edge of the eye.  I'll put the eyeballs in later.

Next comes the mouth.  It's not the greatest mouth, but it's a witch mouth.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  I've also added a little more clay to her left cheek to fill it out some.  I might do more work on that later.

The beauty of working with paperclay is that more clay can be added after your work has dried.  Just brush on some water and add more wet clay.  Your project will be happy to wait for you while you make lentil soup and a cheese and mushroom quiche for dinner. Bon appetit!