Not Dead Pt. 2

I don't have anything good to report - just that my newly arrived K-r turned out to be defective, and I'm never going to buy Pentax equipment again. The switch for SR on my K10D broke off and I had to get it fixed, and on this newest incarnation, the K-r's mode dial was actually broken, rendering most of the advantages of quick, preset goodness completely unreachable. My K10D was metal, heavy, solid, weathersealed, but the K-r feels like a toy in my hands (and I have small, old lady hands! XD). I returned it to the AMAZING people at Amazon (who let me return it even though it was opened, and exactly 33 days after purchase when their policy only allows for 30). I'm now waiting for it to get to their hands/from their hands to the seller's hands (I purchased used to save money).

I had no idea how much it could hurt not having a camera. I am totally blowing this thing out of proportion, but I am really feeling down without it! Even the wonderful news of my MNF Shushu's shipment doesn't quite make it through the fog. Maybe when the girl gets here she'll cooperate with me while I'm giving her a faceup so that I don't want to throw her faceplates and cry like a toddler. >< I haven't even finished 1 cosplay for Otakon (out of my 4 - one for my friend, 3 for me). I have the feeling that I won't be motivated to do much of anything because I'm too distracted by my mental whining.

I'm a mature person.

Shadowing Haven

I stumbled across Shadowing Haven's faceup and photography work while browsing through the gallery on Den of Angels. Her interestingly multi-colored faceups and shadowy photography (no pun intended) really caught my eye! ^^

I love the delicate, gothic feel of her pictures and settings, and her faceups are quite good! I believe that she is restricted from taking splits and commission work on Den of Angels for an unknown reason, so I do not have a link to commission, but it is obvious that she is quite talented. ^^ If you're interested in seeing more from her, please visit her blog here.

Cup of Tea Esthetics Shop

I'm almost open for business! The MSC just came in today. I'll be having 5 $10 faceup slots to celebrate the opening of the shop, and to build up my portfolio. I have yet to open a DoA thread, but that's coming soon (tonight or tomorrow), and my website is finished. ^^ I'll be updating the grahpics for the site over the next few days. So excited!

Here's the website: http://cupofteaesthetics.tumblr.com/

Faceup Shop in the Works

I've ordered a huge pack of MSC Flat for my faceup shop! I'll be taking commissions as soon as the cans arrive. <3 In the meantime, I'm planning out the thread and deciding on prices, etc. There will be 5 'free faceup' slots so that I can build my portfolio. This Switch Milwha head belongs to me (I got him in the New Year's Event for my birthday... self presents for the win?) and I don't have a body for him yet, but I decided to faceup him. He's definitely not supposed to be so dark and gothy. T_T But I wanted a good 'technical' example of my work, so I went with whatever was easiest for me to do.

This Narae

...I need her (stole her picture from Andreja on DoA). Her owner has put her up for sale on the Marketplace and I really do absolutely love her. Maybe this is real dolly love? Lol. She would look so good with the Shushu and Tryphosa, too. I'm thinking she might be Leathie Rivers from my novel! Maybe, maybe not?

EDIT: Turns out not. I had a bit of trouble with her current owner, and I really don't want to go through with the transaction because it seems like it will be unpleasant for the both of us. I decided to try to give my Shushu the same expression, and hopefully it'll work out better that way. I bet I wouldn't like the Narae body anyway *tries to console self*

Clara and Marion Again

Some better photos of Clara, with her actual wig. I never thought that the Kurumi wig would look better on her.

I painted the Marion yet again... still no name, no character. I don't know what to think of her when I look at her. I think part of the reason is that I don't ever favor blonde dolls, so this is a new thing for me... she's just so... fair. @_@ Please let me know what you think when you look at her!!! I need some inspiration for her character and my brain is all wrung out. XD

Faceups Done, No Success to Report... :(

I've finally finished the other two faceplates' faceups. The first is a mod on the closed-eye Latea faceplate. I wanted it to be very anime-and-art-like, kind of like a resin Dollfie Dream or the bjd version of Blythe. I plan on getting animetic eyes at some point, so that she doesn't look like O_O all the time. She will have oddly colored hair, as well, to amplify the anime effect (I hope). I opened her eyes with a Cera-kanna knife and sanded the edges, then sanded off a lot of her nose.

The Marion faceplate didn't turn at all how I'd hoped. The expression is too bleh, the palette too plain, but that's how she'll have to be for a while. I posted so much of the Latea faceplate last time that I didn't want to post her here - she still has the same faceup, so nothing new anyway.

I wish I had the money and the time to invest in an air brush, although with my poor faceup skills it might be a waste anyway. I've redone these faces a billion times and I can't seem to get it right.

I finally got them faceupped, sorry, no tutorial...I don't think I'm good enough to give advice yet lol. I was really frustrated, I think I actually got worse at doing eyebrows and lower lashes. I'm really considering sending them away for a commissioned artist to do, I'm just so frustrated with the way they turned out. I got many more worthwhile pictures out of the Latea faceplate than Marion, even though I feel more connected with the Marion's personality. Still no names... Any suggestions welcome? I'm thinking that they could both be characters from my in-progress book project....

I love the Zero default wig! It's so soft. The only problem is that it has a TON of flyaways....

Estebebe's Faceups

I really love Estebebe's delicate and simplistic faceups. They lend an air of dreaminess to each doll and they are never too overdone or too heavy, always imparting fairy-like grace to their subjects. Fittingly, many of the faceups in their catalog include Bluefairy dolls; I believe that these dolls sport the look best, already having very light default faceups, and the beautiful work just complements the sculpts so well.

This is my personal favorite doll in their collection, a Tiny Fairy Kyle in White Skin.

Here's a White Skin Louis who looks just wonderful in his minimalistic dress.
Please head over to their website to find more examples of their work, both on Bluefairy dolls and other sculpts.

Not only is Estebebe extremely talented, but I believe that the studio really cares about their work. I found this at the bottom of the makeup order form:

We provide a 2 year free of charge after service makeup for makeup that has been damaged.

- Conditions for free of charge after service: Those who received makeup services from ESTEBEBE

(Includes those who ordered after August, 2009.)

- After service period: 2 years after delivery of finished head

- Conditions of free of charge after service:

Heads that have scratch marks, or heads that have had their makeup damaged over time.

They really seem to care about their customers and the dolls with which they are entrusted. If any of you have had experiences with Estebebe feel free to comment on your experience, and if you plan to use their services in the future, what do you have in mind?

Icchaeyo's Deviantart and Faceups

So...here I am, featuring yet another Shushu. What? Did you ask if she'd modified? Why yes, yes she is!! Just look at her beautiful slitted eyes!

And that faceup! So gorgeous! Whose doll could that be?
I answer, "Who else's? Icchaeyo's!"

+++

Yeah, sorry for the dumb little intro there. X3 To be honest, I'm always struck a little dumb by her masterful creations. She modified this Shushu by herself (as well as an open-eyed faceplate). Besides the Shushu, she has a gorgeous Unoa Lusis, a CP El and Woosoo, and she used to have a Domuya Fin.

^ Here's her gorgeous Woosoo!

She does her own faceup work and (as mentioned) modifications, and on top of all of it... just look at her gorgeous photography and illustration work!

I very much admire Icchaeyo. In fact, she is and always will be one of my favorite faceup artists/photographers. I am continually inspired by her and I absolutely adore her dolls. Her knack for muted colors, softer focus, sunlight-bleached environs and mysteriously beautiful figures always amazes me and I can't stop looking at it! Please go appreciate her gorgeous work at her Deviantart, Flickr and Blog.

EDIT: I used the word 'gorgeous' 3 times in this one little post. XD I really am losing it...

Korone and Strawberry Resin

I was just cruising on through the DoA gallery when I came across a lovely shoot featuring this doll, Milk. Curious and hoping to see more pretty dolls, I clicked on a number of the user's (Korone's) links.

What I found was that I must be the only person in the world not knowing who she is! I discovered that she was the one that had taken this famous picture on Deviantart! It was one of the pictures that made me, and I'm sure thousands of others, investigate what a bjd was. I started looking through the rest of the gallery, and found a number of bjd pictures as well as colorful, interesting graphic art as shown below.


She also takes faceup commissions here on DoA under the shop name 'Strawberry Resin'. Her faceups are colorful and somehow very sensitive-looking. I really admire her skill, and I hope she takes more frequent pictures of her ball jointed dolls!

But be warned, her gallery is full of yaoi and toplessness. I just wanted to let you know that most of it's not worksafe. ><; I personally do not prefer the yaoi and toplessness in her pictures, but I really admire the skill that's in the pictures, and the excellence with which she produces them. I'll keep watching her primarily for her less sexy works. :3