So I dug up and finished the dolls I started making this summer. I can't believe it took me so long to complete them, but I guess I was distracted onto other projects for a while. I'm glad I didn't abandon these two, after all, since I think they came out just fine. I'm especially glad that I just stuck with them and finished them even though I didn't really feel like painting. The next challenge, of course, will be to make their clothes. I decided at the last minute to go ahead and do them in full color (instead of just sepia tints). I am hoping this won't end up a poor choice since I am pretty sure the daunting problem of color was what caused me to stop working on the first version of this particular 1840s James doll back in January.
I've been wanting to make these two dolls for a long time. Partly because this is an era I don't do a lot of work in, and partly because I thought it would be fun since James is such a clothes horse. Emmaline's clothes, I suspect will be much simpler, though I am sure I will make her a few nice things. But I am particularly looking forward to James's wardrobe because he is the one inclined to be stylish and fashionable, and to make a bold use of colors, etc.
I have some pretty good sources for clothing from the 1840s, but I want to be careful to construct my own designs and not just copy patterns, etc., from images. That might take a little extra work, but I have such a broad set of dress elements to work from that it hopefully won't make it too difficult. I already know, more or less, what I want for these two. I just have to settle into actually doing it.
For the coming week I am going to challenge myself to make their garden party clothes (the outfits they were wearing when they first met).
Click on the image to the right to see a close up of the detail on their faces. I am more or less pleased with their expressions, etc. Although Emmaline still does look entirely too much like me. It's probably the freckles more than anything.
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