The Bottom Line
If I was choosing only one book on making dolls from polymer clay I would choose this one. The basic techniques are well laid out and illustrated and allow a beginner to go on to very detailed work with polymer clay dolls if they wish. The links to photos of real people let you to create dolls which resemble friends, or create fun caricatures from photos. Information on proportions means you can create miniature dolls of any size and scale, without constant measuring, and the information on various body types (armatures for poseable dolls, puppet, button and bolster bodies) allows a wide variety of techniques.
Pros
- Clear well illustrated instructions for every step.
- Photo comparisons to real individuals show how to exaggerate features in a flattering way.
- Great instructions for proportions and armatures for doll bodies.
- Lots of polymer clay techniques, including caning to reproduce fabrics.
- Good information on setting characters into a display with polymer clay accessories.
Cons
- The techniques and examples are so appealing it is hard to start working on characters of your own!
- Explanations and photos are related mainly to adult faces although they work for children as well.
Description
- This is basically a book on figure sculpting. Any medium could be used, not just polymer clay.
- This is a fun book, Carlson is an entertaining writer who enjoys her subject.
- Simple tools are used. Carlson discusses what type of item to use, rather than particular tools.
- Advanced techniques are discussed (using a food processor or pasta machine) but are not required.
- There is good advice on safe handling and storage of materials.
- A wide range of methods are discussed and demonstrated.
- The photos stand alone without explanation, but captions build on what you can instantly see in the photos.
- There are ideas and material in this book for any level of interest or skill.
Guide Review - Book Review - Family and Friends in Polymer Clay by Maureen Carlson
Maureen Carlson does a beautiful job of guiding her reader through the process of understanding how slight exaggeration of facial features can capture the spirit of a person, without requiring an exact replica. She demonstrates a series of experiments showing what happens to a character if it’s mouth is open or closed, has prominent teeth, more wrinkles, or a different nose. Instead of one technique, she demonstrates different methods of building up the shapes so that an individual can pick a method that works best for them. She uses different materials for adding hair showing how hair can add to the character’s personality and clearly explains how to model hands and feet.
Although some of her figures are miniature, most are larger than dollhouse size. Still, the techniques she uses are easily adapted to smaller scales, and none are based on the availability of a certain tool, or specific materials, eyes or hair. With practice, the methods she outlines will allow you to create dolls of any size, based on real or imagined models.
Most polymer clay doll books focus only on the heads and bodies. Carlson shows you techniques to copy upholstery fabric, shoes and common clothing with polymer clay. She describes several techniques for posing hands and body parts and propping them during different stages of the curing or baking process.
This is a thorough book which introduces a beginner to facial features and proportions, body proportions, polymer clay techniques and doll making techniques. All of these techniques can be used in other areas, to help you draw or see features better, to help you create textures in polymer clay, to make soft bodies for stuffed dolls.
Although written for adults, this book could easily be used by children or students interested in modeling characters and beginning to sculpt using polymer clay or other mediums.
