So I really like when BJD companies/artists do metal jewelry/crowns/helmets/corsets/shoes. I want some of it for my dolls, but usually it is only available when you buy a fancy set, or if loose (like Chateau has a helmet I love) it fits only a specific doll and is very expensive to boot.
So I took a lost wax casting class. It was easier than I expected - and also a little harder, as you basically have to CARVE wax (some very soft and unforgiving of much handling) and some very hard (which takes a lot of patience and is unforgiving if you clip off more than you should have). I can sculpt just a bit but carving is so much different.
But I really want some doll jewelry/crowns/helmets/ect. And nobody is making this stuff for me!
So here is my first project. I really wanted THIS crown or something like it:
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loginThis is the Snow Queen by Tomislav Tomic (fairy tail illustrator)
I decided to use this thin soft wax- because the thick hard wax just wouldn't work with this design. But I made it way too elaborate, overhandled it- and... had to start all over. On my second try, I simplified the design a lot. I added a helmet piece because a) I like helmets and b) I'm not entirely sure how it would be easily worn otherwise... It was also too wide to fit into the cheaper casting bucket- so I narrowed a pretty good amount and shortened some spikes a lot.
I added some blue wax "dots" with a dental wax pen- definitely a technique I need to practice a lot more before my next project... I then attached blue "wax wire" to act as sprues (so the metal coudl fill evenly). Here it is ready to get cooked!
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loginSince it is a Snow Queen crown- I really wanted to do it in silver- but it turns out that silver casting is super expensive. Also- while I like what I made- I will be the first to admit my design has a lot of issues. There are uneven places the triangles on top of the spikes are uneven- the "dots" not of uniform size or spaced very well- and really a lot that makes me blush. But I didn't have time to do it all over again- and so rather than scrap the idea I decided to cast it in something cheap and see if I could sand out the issues- and try a better crown later-
So I had it cast- imperfections and all! I was going to get it in bronze (which is surprisingly cheap) but let the casting assistant guy (art student) talk me into copper - he was so cute and really thought it would look cool in gold
Here it is so far- I still need to pick it up, clip the "sprues" off- and sand it and finish it- but I am liking how it is turning out! (the crown bit will fit onto the helmet bit and I will solder the pieces together once I get it sanded and polished)
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loginSo far I've sunk a fair bit of time into it- so I am starting to see why this stuff isn't cheap, hehe I guess if I ever get a design that is really nice and perfect- what most jewelry people do is make a resin cast of the object, get it wax injected- and then cast a bunch of copies. But I'm not there yet...
Still- I do wish that more people made doll accessories out of metal! Have any of you done lost wax casting or metal work of any kind? I tried pretty hard to talk the art students/my teacher into getting into BJD accessories- and they seemed very interested (although they are not DOLL people if you know what I mean) but I don't really think they will be able to do much without an actual doll in hand to make it for- and I wasn't about to give them one of mine
Oh and my inspiration? Looking at all of the ridiculously amazing helmets and bodices and crowns by Marina Bychova
http://www.enchanteddoll.com/ I have no idea how she manages her incredibly complex and intricate designs- she is such an inspiration!
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