Making Faces

I have two projects in the works right now. One is a new "Stuffie" for which I actually created "gasp" a drawing and a cardboard template [see, I am learning]. My other project is going to be my first OOAK Art Doll. As a novice doll maker, and seamstress, with no sewing machine, I have to make the entire doll part by part through trial and error. This includes clothing. So it may take some time until I manage it.

I started by cutting a panel of white flannel and tacking it down to a spare bit of cardboard. I drew the face in pencil in my own style, loosely placing all the features, then I went over that in vanishing purple fabric pen.   I pulled out a set of basic acrylic paints and a brush and began to work on the fabric, which is difficult because it is not a flat finish.  I painted the whites of the eyes and the irises first, then added the pupils in black and some white highlights. I developed a myriad palette of flesh tones and began to build on the features. In the first image I was very pleased with the forehead, but the lips and eyes needed work.

I continued to work on the face, actually not able to put it away, and added thin brown lines to highlight features. I had planned on doing eyelashes in pen or paint, but I am rethinking that step. The eyes came out smokier than I had planned, the brows more arched, but otherwise I think it is a good start, considering these are poor quality materials [all my good stuff is with my nephew].  The images are very dark, but the original is quite nice and the shading is complex.  I am planning on using a hand-spun wool roving to make the hair, but the body will be madke from the flannel, which means I will have to paint the hands perhaps.  We shall see.