Jorge Rubicce Basic Doll Head Demo

Cold Porcelain figure by Jorge Rubicce

In the following video, master craftsman Jorge Rubicce, shows us his method for modeling the head of his cute cold porcelain figures.   He starts with a Styrofoam ball (for armature) and an equal size ball of cold porcelain to create an egg shaped head.   Notice that he uses his palms to form the cold porcelain and always works toward center.  He also applies hand cream to his hands while smoothing out surface of cold porcelain.

Modeling a Simple Doll Face

In this video, Christina Albuquerque of Brazil shows us how to model a simple face.  This cute doll head has an easy 'button' nose and the eyes will be painted on after clay dries.  Learn this basic face first and then you can customize with different expressions.

Christina starts with a ball of cold porcelain that is the same size as the Styrofoam ball that will be the head armature. She also shows how to carefully mold the clay around the Styrofoam ball so that you end up with a smooth surface and no trapped air. This is an important skill that must be practiced many times.   Other air-dry clays can be modeled using the same methods as cold porcelain, especially the softer clays.

How to Use a Doll Face Push Mold

Baby Face "Scarecrow" Doll by Jorge Rubicce

In this video from the South American TV show "Bienvenidas" (Welcome), Jorge Rubicce demonstrates the proper method for using his doll face push molds. Rubicce is a well-known cold porcelain clay artist and is designer of these molds, which are much larger than the doll push molds commonly found in USA (such as those designed for polymer clay). These molds are commonly found in South America (where air-dry clay is extremely

Step by Step: Skinny Doll with Pink Dress

Art instructor Evelyn Fonseca shows us how to dress a "skinny doll", step by step. Evelyn is from Brazil and narration is in Portuguese. If you don't understand the language, just mute the video and follow along as she demonstrates each step.   The "Fox" clay used in demo is a commercial cold porcelain. You'll also need a Styrofoam ball for the head, a

Make This Cute Pizza Man Figure

Make this cute pizza man as a free-standing figure or cake topper!  Step-by-step instructions at Manualidades.   If you need to translate the webpage try Google Translate.

Modeling a Walking Doll

This short video demonstrates how to make a simple body for a cold porcelain figure.   It also shows how to make some easy shoes and how to create a walking pose.

Make This Cute Little Rascal

Make this cute little rascal in his overalls and ballcap following the steps in this cold porcelain tutorial.   Tutorial was scanned from a Portuguese-language magazine and kindly translated to English by our friend Evelyne.  Please visit her blog 'Sowl Mini'.    Click images to view larger photos for each step.

Materials needed: 

Cold porcelain (pre-tinted in colors needed)
Hot glue (or white glue, to adhere parts)
Scissors
Silicon mold (for head, optional)
Acrylic paint & paintbrushes  (or paint markers)
Toothpicks (to strengthen joints)
Doll hair or brown macrame cord (unraveled to make hair)
Tiny wood buttons (optional)
Modeling tools  (needle tool, roller and optional rolling stitch marker)
Wood base

How to Sculpt Doll Hands and Feet with CP

Bebidoll demonstrates modeling hands and feet for a doll made with cold porcelain.

In this second video,  Bebidoll sculpts a dolls head with cold porcelain. She's using techniques more often seen with polymer clay than cold porcelain.   Her doll's face has a more realistic look to it than the typical 'cute' face seen on cold porcelain dolls.

Another hair demonstration!

This video demo from Donna Lane will show you how she applies hair to her cute figures using a clay gun.  This is actually a video demo for gumpaste, but the process is exactly the same for cold porcelain....just use regular glue where needed instead of "edible" glue!

This video stops suddenly before she adds the bangs to the hairdo. There's suppose to be a "Part 2" to this demo but I can't find it posted anywhere.   I'll post this Part One for you because it seems to contain most of the demo.  If you know where Part 2 is....please leave a comment and let us know!!  ;-)

How to Make a Cute Character Head

This video demo from Tammy's Cakes uses gumpaste and fondant to create the character, but the process is exactly the same for cold porcelain.   Just use regular white glue instead of edible glue and paint or felt tip instead of edible ink!

Demo for adding hair was posted last week.

How to Make Doll Hair with CP Paste

Two methods shown for creating hair for your cold porcelain dolls or figures.   These video demos from Tammy's Cakes are using gumpaste and fondant, but the process is exactly the same for cold porcelain....just use regular glue instead of "edible" glue!

Part 1... Making hair without extruder

Part 2... Making hair WITH extruder

Spotlight on CP artist Guilherme Pires

Guilherme Pires is a clay artist from Brazil who creates the cutest clown figures and other clever characters.  Making his own cold porcelain and using some simple tools, wire, foam and a lot of imagination, he comes up with some very unique art dolls he calls 'guibonecos'.    Some have very sweet faces, some are funny and some are quite strange.  LOL   Visit his blog at http://guibonecos.blogspot.com.

In the following 3 videos, he shares with us how it's done.    Quite the production line he has going in these videos! *sigh*   He accomplishes so much in one day!!

In the first video, he makes the cold porcelain and takes it into his modeling room where he creates a series of heads and models the arms, hands and big feet for his clowns.

In the second video, he assembles all the pieces with wire and foam and paints the adorable clown faces.


The last video shows his creative costuming, wigging and finishing.

   

  

Part One

Part 2

Part 3

Step-by-Step: How to Paint Eyes

This is a companion tutorial to yesterday's video series showing how to create a Jester Clown with cold porcelain.   In today's video, Marisol Romero shows us how to paint eyes (using acrylics).    The clown's eyes are shown in the demonstration, but, of course, this could be eyes for any cute clay figure!  She makes it look very easy!  ;-)

How to Make a Cute CP Doll Jar Topper

This video demonstration from Marizete Souza shows us how to create cute doll figures as jar toppers.   They'd make cute shelf sitters too!

How to Model a Cute CP Doll Head (Diego Dutra)

Today we have a cold porcelain doll video demonstration by the well known artist, Diego Dutra.  He shows us how he models a cute child's face.  Only the modeling of cold porcelain is shown, not the painting of details.  We'll be posting some face painting tutorials soon.

Make This Cute CP Round-Face Doll

I just love those cute round-faced, skinny-legged doll figures that are seen on many websites and blogs, usually made of cold porcelain.  The figures are very simple, but with just a few touches here and there, lots of personality can be added.   Here is a video slideshow showing you how to create a seated version of these doll figures, step by step.   My humble attempt at translation of the text is below the video.

Create these cute doll figures with CP

From Arte Brasil TV show...Create cute skinny-legged doll figures with cold porcelain (video demonstration).

Create a Dolls Head with Cold Porcelain [step-by-step]

Many cold porcelain figures, dolls and animals, all start by modeling a basic cute head and then adding the eyes, expression, hair, etc to create the character (such as the doll shown above).   This 'basic cute head' tutorial was originally published in a Portuguese magazine and I have done my best to translate the instructions into English for those that cannot read the Portuguese.  .

Materials needed are some cold porcelain paste (or other soft air-dry-clay) and a Styrofoam ball.   Tools used are your fingers, a cutting tool, a crochet hook and a ball-end tool.    The first step is to tint your clay/cold porcelain a peach tone or other flesh tone unless your prefer tinting or painting after it has cured.   

  

Next, wrap the Styrofoam ball in clay or cold porcelain (CP).   Select enough CP paste to completely cover the foam ball (approximately 2" ball shown here).  Press the foam ball into the CP and shape the CP around it 

   

Close any gaps that appear as you wrap the CP so that you completely enclose the foam ball inside.  Avoid trapping any air. 

With the palms of your hands, smooth and shape the CP into an egg shape.   Using your thumbs, enhance the curvature of the nose and forehead.

Refine the shape of the head and add a neck.

With a crochet hook, push the CP paste from the bottom up and then form the nose with your fingers 

.....leaving a pointed nose shape.

Strengthen the shape around the area of the eye with your thumb.   Add nostrils.

To mark the mouth, envision an imaginary line that creates a cross between the nose and neck and from one cheek to the other cheek.    Where the imaginary line crosses,  insert the tool straight in to form a mouth.

(note:  The numbering of photos in original tutorial skipped #4...it's not missing)

With the end of a crochet hook, create a diagonal crease in each corner of mouth.

Using the diagonal mark as a guide, use your thumb to lift the cheek and indent the chin, smoothing down toward the neck.

With the small end of a ball-end tool, shape the lower lip....running tool from one side to another.

Shape the upper lip with the same tool, using gentle movements.

Define the corners of the mouth by dimpling with large end of ball-end tool.

With smaller end of ball-end tool, create small mark on top of the upper lip.

Ears ... create 2 ears and glue onto the head of the doll.   Shape 2 equal amounts of CP into 2 small ovals.  Roll between fingers to indent slightly.  Attach an ear to each side of head using round-end tool to apply pressure to center of ear.  

After CP has dried and cured, flesh color can be painted (if you didn't pre-tint) and eye decals can be glued on or eyes painted on.  Hair can be molded from additional CP paste or various types of doll hair material can be glued on.  Lots of  different characters can be made by varying the embellishments.  The boy doll and girl doll shown below both started with this basic "cute" head.   The boy's hair is molded clay, but the girl has purchased doll hair glued on.   The head for the little kitty was modeled in a similar way as basic doll's head.

Model a Dolls Head with Cold Porcelain [video]

Today we have a 2-part video demo by Rosangela Alencar, showing her methods for shaping a cold porcelain (CP) doll's head. Well worth watching to see how she neatly wraps the Styrofoam ball with CP and shapes the head.  It's amazing how quickly she shapes a nose!  She makes it look so easy!! ;-)    

Also take note of how she uses her fingers to measure placement of mouth and chin and how she forms neck at the same time she is shaping those pudgy cheeks!


Part 1...Getting Started

Part 2....Adding Details

Hello world!

This blog will be about crafting cute kritters and kids with homemade or purchased cold porcelain paste.  We'll feature cold porcelain recipes and tutorials.   We'll also spotlight artists making some very cute dolls, animals and other cute figures! 


Cold porcelain is extremely popular for sculpting figures and crafting flowers in South America (and a few other countries) but it has only recently made it's way to the USA.   Because of that, most tutorials and other information are in Spanish-language magazines and on Spanish or Portuguese websites.   We're going to do our best to make a great cold porcelain resource for the English-speaking audience.


We'll be focusing on dolls and figures, for the most part.   I know of many websites devoted to clay flowers and I don't want to repeat their efforts....but we'll share some links so you can go take a look!  Let us know what you'd like to see here!