My second-ever BJD, Winter, bought long ago (and also the second-ever doll faceup I did). Inexperienced as I was, I still think her faceup looks really good. In the head-only pics, that’s the original unchanged faceup; In the others, she’s been modified just a tiiiiiny bit after I found her again (her head has been missing for like two years because I have only one body that I share between two heads, and hers wound up in a drawer I never looked in somehow).
I darkened her brows just a little (I used pale grey instead of light brown, because I always put her in that white wig and white clothes, but her bangs are too much in the way to see). I filled in her lower lashes just a touch, added subtle white eyeliner, and re-glossed her lips. Otherwise, she’s still as pretty as I somehow managed to make her five-ish years ago. (IMHO, anyway. Um.)
Minifee Chloe, of course (I have three; well, two-and-a-head, I guess). The tiny necklace I made for her is genuine freshwater pearls.
The lighting is less good in the “after” photos, which is why her lips/blush look more washed-out. Blargh.
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WELCOME TO WINTER SALE!
Get 10% off all orders of $10 or more, now through January 10th, using coupon code 10FOR10 at Novus Antiquae!
Fantasy and neo-pagan jewelry, unisex fandom fragrances, geeky pins, handmade scented soaps, and so much more! Buy yourself a little something with all of those holiday gift cards, or get a loved one a special belated present that says “I was waiting for the perfect thing to give you”.
Some items, fragrances, and soaps are already out-of-stock, so don’t delay! Take advantage of the post-holiday sale!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NovusAntiquae
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FINALLY getting back to working on dolls. This here is a re-re-redo faceup/body-blushing (I’ve redone this MSD Fairyland Chloe SO MANY TIMES and have never been satisfied with the outcome.)
However, I sometimes forget how this sort of thing might look to OTHER people...
“I know this looks bad, officer, but I SWEAR she was like this when I found her!”
Anyway, my next goal is to get back in the swing of Monster High repaints. Hopefully I’ll be able to re-open my doll shop (Vanilla Mint Designs on Etsy) so I can offer lovely repaints, handmade doll jewelry, and BJD/MH custom faceup/repaint services again!
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MH Doll Giveaway Contest Update
I’m SO sorry, but it looks like I’m going to have to cancel the MH doll giveaway contest due to disheartening lack of interest. :( I got only two or three responses, which hardly a contest doth make.
I’ll probably repaint Operetta when I have some free time, then try the giveaway again. Thank you to the few people who entered, and I’m sorry to disappoint.
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I’M NOT ACTUALLY DEAD!
Custom repainted Monster High doll giveaway contest! I’m trying to exercise my waning creativity, and repainting a doll for a lucky winner seems like a great way to flex my brain-muscles.
Just take a look at the above picture for more details on this contest. This doll will be absolutely FREE, painted as you request, and shipped to your address of choice. Winner will be chosen via a random drawing on December 1st!
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SHOPS ON HIATUS
Just an update: Novus Antiquae and Vanilla Mint Designs, my Etsy shops, are currently on hiatus. I’ll announce it here the moment I open back up for business again.
Thank you all for your support and patronage so far. I’m hoping to be back soon with new jewelry, scents, and doll repaints that you’ll all love!
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Super-good advice for aspiring artists. Lily has tried to help me with my own drawing skills (unfortunately, I’m a lazy and terrible student who doesn’t practice), so I can say her tips are top-notch if you’re dedicated and willing to put in the effort!
Hi there! I was fortunate enough to take 4 years of life drawing sessions in my college which helped me feel much more comfortable with drawing from life at a faster pace, but mostly what improvement comes down to is repetition. You have to unlearn the instinct that’s afraid of making mistakes, and get hungry for the mistakes instead.
If you had a 4 hour life drawing session, for instance, and you come out of it with a pile of drawings you hate, then that’s still fantastic progress if you can pinpoint the pattern in the drawings you’ve done that’s bothering you. For most of us I think it takes piles upon piles of trash drawings to push yourself up to the level you want (this blog is continuing proof of my own trash pile) As long as you pay attention to the weakest areas, it will help your subconscious navigate what to improve, gesture by gesture, in the fast pace of a life drawing session. If you can let go of the pressure to make something pretty, it’ll make the short timing much less stressful too.
I guess in short, avoid the poison that is perfectionism at all costs if you’re looking for improvement, and don’t stop drawing! Accuracy will come naturally with repetition, your eye will get better at comparing proportions and noticing trends in anatomy. It’ll be great, just keep going \(ツ)/
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I have GOT to find a better backdrop for my doll. She looks so ~ugh~ just sitting on the floor in front of my Ikea shelf.
Anyway, I trimmed her bangs just a tiiiiny bit more; I’m going for my Inquisitor’s hairstyle/color from Dragon Age: Inquisition (hence the Dalish face tattoos as well). Her black asymmetrical dress is a bit plain for my tastes, but I tried to jazz it up a bit with jewelry and a belt (all made by me). Thanks to @lilyvonk for the focal piece on the necklace; it was perfect for what I needed!
Her gorgeous eyes are, as always, from Candy Kitten’s Emporium on Etsy. I think the shop is currently on hiatus, but it’s worth the wait-- I don’t buy my dolls eyes from anywhere else. (This color is, I believe, “Bewitched” in 16mm.)
(Pssst! Faceup commissions are still a thing I do. I LOVE painting dolls, but when I don’t have any commissions in line I obsessively erase and re-do my own poor dolls. Save them from my meddling by stopping by the shop; any size/model BJD (I’ve done everything from the Feeple65 SD down to tiny Obitsu heads), any Monster High doll, only $20! Body blushing just $5 extra! Your doll, your specifications!)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/VanillaMintDesigns
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