Most adventurous project

Probably sewing. I've never really sewn, and I'm not good at it, but the dolls have got me interested in learning more. So far, I've only done basic things like trousers and onesies. I hope to learn more complex patterns soon. I only really started because it's hard to find clothes to fit the dolls I have and the prices are so high. I know some are brilliant at it, but for me it really is a new skill and a big challenge, compared to face ups which came quite naturally (I'm a portrait artist anyway).

 

Hiking. I'd never gone before because I have a mild allergy of pine and didn't want to expose myself to it over a long period of time, but I wanted some pictures of one of my guys in the forest. I took some allergy medicine, and packed some just in case, and went to find a good beginner's trail. I even climbed a rock pile to get a good shot even though I have a small fear of heights. It was really quite fun and I've gone a few more times, with and without dolls.

 

What's the most adventurous/ambitious thing you've done in the BJD hobby?

Modding. Making my Nightcrawler doll (the blue dude in my icon) was probably the most adventurous thing I've done so far because it involved subtractive and additive modding. I cut off fingers and toes and then had to sculpt replacements, made elf ears, a tail. Oh. And I learned to use an airbrush because of him.



I'd like to refine his mods a bit still but I'm fairly happy with him, overall.

Did it teach you new skills which you've used for something else (BJD related or not)? Does patience count?

Did it introduce you to a new aspect of the hobby you hadn't considered as seriously before? It certainly helped me get over my fear of chopping up an expensive doll! I've modded other dolls since then and I have a new one queued up for an additive mod treatment. And one on the wish list!

 

Well, I suppose that these are planned projects, since I still haven't received my first dolls, but I'm being very ambitious with plans for my two dolls. I'm going to be making their wigs, since I couldn't find any purchasable ones that would work for their characters for any less than $90. And I'll be doing their faceups, and sewing their clothes. But I think the scariest bit is actually going to be painting their tattoos! I've done sewing and painting and drawing before, but the idea of forming a very definite image to the contours of a body is pretty intimidating. Since I'm new to the hobby, too, this whole thing is going to be a huge learning experience, both in terms of skills and in terms of knowledge about the hobby in general!

 

I've done acrylic painting, but wishing to give my first doll a beautiful faceup in the sort of ethereal style that seems to be popular has me learning to pastel as well.

Not to mention, I know how to sew and make patterns... but I'll be doing my smallest projects yet for him, and I'm sure it'll throw some new challenges my way!

 

I have all the usual set of skills for this hobby. I sew, I draw, I sculpt, I paint, I make jewelry, I work in leather, I make doll food, wigs....etc. The skill set I lack is so common that no one mentions it: I cannot drive. Or rather I cannot drive without it inducing panic attacks: to give you the back ground on this: My father died while I was a toddler, my mother was an agoraphobe who never learned to drive. I never intended to learn. Life changes though... and after a couple of years of therapy, and a session of hypnosis, I finally passed the drivers license test on my third attempt at the age of 48. I was still too afraid to drive though. For four years I stuck to this narrow little routine, I drove only to work and the grocery store, no where else. I had to want something desperately to get up the nerve to drive somewhere to obtain it.

Guess what I wanted that badly? You got it! BJDs! I drove to a doll meet! From where I live in the country into a large city. All by myself!
I was terrified, but I did it! It was great!

 

I started this hobby with the intent of only sewing wardrobes for my dolls as I am a seamstress by trade and though my bread and butter is mostly bridal, I began to do quite a bit of costuming for theater and cosplay commissions and enjoyed the creative side of this immensely. Thus entered BJD's with their mature figures and unique beauty. Since that time I have made wigs, shoes, diorama's, props, entered contests, done face-ups, re-stringing, sueding joints, making scale furniture, and even costumes for myself.
Never in a million years would I have imagined doing all these new things to me at 56 years of age.

 

Armouring for dolls. By this, I mean full plate. My first attempt was nice, but now I find it rather lacking. This time, I want to tackle something even more challenging - Gothic style. Means you can't just make a pattern and cut it, but you also have to include the raised lines. And I want more defined shapes, not just straight tubes. We shall see how it goes.

Before that, I will make a horse cuirass. That will also be quite challenging.

It is really an adventure. It taught me soldering, and now I will try my hands at a bit of serious metal shaping (though it is just aluminium).

 

The most adventurous think I have ever done in this hobby is actually something that I just started this week, so it's not very far a long. It's sculpting and casting custom parts and stuff. So far, so good!

 

Sorry, I don't have much to contribute. Hopefully in the future I will feel more brave and creative. However this might be my favorite thread. I love the diversity of everyone. Hearing stories about how you all got started and reading about how you push yourselves to learn new things just makes me really happy. It's just so amazing that everyone has such different backgrounds and they all tie into this hobby. Wonderful!

 

My most ambitious project is probably Aneirin. I'd done mods before but nothing quite so complete as him.

He's got a Dollshe Saint head which I actually worked myself up to dare to modify, taking the ears off and replacing them with magnets for his monster ears,
A Little Monica body which I resculpted the muscle of and dyed to match his Saint head,
Soom Benmore hands I scoured the MP for, for months,
Completely rebuilt thighs, totally resculpted knee joints,
gutted and rebuilt Soom Monzo calves and feet,
and ALL that had to be engineered so he could stand and pose at well over 80cm tall. He's my largest doll, hands down.

 

Holy Ned! He's beautiful!
That must have been so. much. work. o.O

 

The most ambitious thing I have on the table so far is planning to make specific costumes for my future dolls. I'm notoriously impatient, so sewing isn't exactly thrilling to me. And naturally the outfits I have my eye on making are all complicated fantasy ones....

 

So far, painting my Nanuri 14. Initially I really wanted to get her a faceup from elsewhere, but my financial situation isn't going to allow me to get a $150 faceup from an artist I love, so I've been slowly building up supplies so that I can do it myself. It's so scary because I'm horrified I won't seal her properly or damage her in some way. I feel a huge responsibility to keep her clean and beautiful!

 

thank you very much! Yeah it took me really long time.

 

The most ambitious thing that I have done is drafting patterns of a vintage Dior dress in 1/4 scale
So far so good, I have the skirt part drafted.

This is the dress I'm trying to replicate.
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