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NIADA 2018 Dollmaking School

Monday, June 25th –  ­ Wednesday, June 27th
Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California

The NIADA Dollmaking School offers classes for anyone wishing to learn dollmaking techniques from NIADA Artists. Classes are taught for all skill levels in techniques such as sculpting, painting, fabric-figure making, textile design, armature design, costuming and more. NIADA Conference registration is not required to attend the Dollmaking School.

2018 Dollmaking School Dates

Monday, June 25th to Wednesday, June 27th

Class Location

Asilomar Conference Grounds, 800 Asilomar Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA

Dollmaking School Registration

When you have paid via paypal you will be automatically sent back to this website to fill out the Conference, Critique and Dollmaking School Registration form.

 

Full-day classes run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a break for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Evening classes run from 7 p.m to 10 p.m.

Some classes require payment of a fee for a kit providing materials necessary for participating in the class. All kit fees will be collected by the teachers on the first day of class.

Class Registrar and Paypal Liaison: Stephanie Blythe

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Cancellation Policy
Frequently Asked Questions

Class Details and Payment

Digitally sculpting a doll head in Zbrush

With Tanya Marriott and Robert Tonner

Two Day Class
Monday, June 25th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 26th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Description
In this class students will be introduced to Zbrush, and the process of digital sculpting and 3D printing through the development of a doll head. Tanya and Robert will demonstrate the process of design from initial drawings, to digital sculpting in Zbrush, texturing, file preparation and 3D printing. Students are encouraged to bring a doll design that they would like to work on.  This workshop will suit both students who are already practicing doll artists, and also nurture those who are new to sculpture. This class will also cover how to upload  files to 3D printing Bureau shapeways where students can purchase a print of their design.

Class level
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Digital sculpting experience is not necessary, but a good level of confidence working on computers is encouraged.

Class Fee

What will students take away?
Students will receive an instruction PDF which explains all of the steps covered during the class. They will need to pay to have their doll head printed at Shapeways – usually  $20-50.

Teacher provides:
Instruction pdf

Kit Fee
No Kit fee

Students must bring:
Students will need to bring their own computer (mac or PC) and Wacom tablet. They will need to download and install the free 45 day trial of Zbrush prior to class – https://pixologic.com/zbrush/trial/ Zbrush recommends the following computer spec to run the program – https://pixologic.com/zbrush/system/
Wacom tablets are readily purchased online and are recommended to use over a mouse.

Class Size
Minimum 6, Maximum 15.

A cloth head : Needle sculpting with a fabric skin covering.

With Shelley Thornton

Two Day Class
Monday, June 25th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 26th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Description
In this class students will make a head, learning the techniques Shelley has developed for her own work, constructing a stuffed, seamed understructure, refining the shape with needle-sculpting, then covering it with a knit fabric “skin”. Demos for face embroidery, quilted-ear application, and ball joints for cloth dolls will also be included.

Class level
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Basic machine sewing and hand sewing skills required.

Class Fee

What will students take away?
Students will take away  a cloth head shaped with needle sculpting, covered with a seamless fabric skin. Through demos, you will also learn about face embroidery, quilted-ear application, and ball joints for cloth dolls. Students will also receive a torso pattern and discussions regarding how to make the head into a complete doll if they want to continue the work at home.

Teacher provides:
Printed patterns and illustrated instruction booklet. Printed Materials, threads and floss to share.

Kit Fee
$12
Teacher will collect payment during class.

Students must bring:
Sewing machine (If posible), Scissors (for paper and fabric), Fabric eraser, Brown coloured pencil, Pencil sharpener, Stuffing, Stuffing tool, Pin Vice, Thread, Needles, Ball point pins, Paper and Pencil for drawing, Hemostats, Thimble. Detailed instructions for what to bring will be sent to students enrolled in this class.

Class Size
Minimum 5, Maximum 15.

Stuffed Hair Construction – First time ever offered!

With Shelley Thornton

One Day Class
Wednesday, June 27th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Description
The unique stuffed hair construction and design methods that Shelley has used throughout her career will be demystified. You will learn how to make patterns for a hair cap, and receive valuable tips on drawing and constructing complex stuffed fabric forms to assemble into a fantastic hair-do. (If you have not taken the head class, you will make a very simple stuffed head structure that you can use as a base to work on.)

Class level
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Basic machine sewing and hand sewing skills required.

Class Fee

What will students take away?
Students will learn the design and construction techniques used by Shelley Thornton to make the type of stuffed hair that she uses on her work. They can work on their heads made in the cloth head class, if they have attended it, or can make a simple head shape to work on in class.

Teacher provides:
Printed illustrated instruction booklet. Fabric for head shaped base.

Kit Fee
$5, or $2 if student brings their head from the previous class.
Teacher will collect payment during class.

Students must bring:
Sewing machine (If posible), Scissors (for paper and fabric), Fray Check, Fabric eraser, Brown coloured pencil, Pencil sharpener, Stuffing, Stuffing tool, Pin Vice, Thread, Needles, Ball point pins, Paper and Pencil for drawing, Hemostats, Thimble. Detailed instructions for what to bring will be sent to students enrolled in this class.

Class Size
Minimum 5, Maximum 15.

Hands, Feet, Pose, Stance

With Connie Smith

One Day and One Evening Class
Wednesday, June 27th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, June 27th – 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Description
In this class Connie will share techniques she uses to create realistic appendages for your dolls. Students will explore techniques for establishing proportion, through the construction of  hands and feet.

Class level
Beginner.

Class Fee

What will students take away?
Students will take away the knowledge of how to scale proportionate hands/feet/limbs to their dolls face and body, and a sculpted set of hands and feet.

Teacher provides:
A PDF with step-by-step illustrations, a small variety of tools, plasticine to share in class.

Kit Fee
A kit can be made available if there is interest.
Contact Teacher during class.

Students must bring:
Favorite sculpting tools, Paper Clay.
Optional: doll bust of their own construction to use as a basis for sculpting their appendage/parts, if desired, but teacher will provide

Class Size
Minimum 3, Maximum 12.

Making props for dolls

With Tanya Marriott

Two Evening Classes
Tuesday, June 26th – 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Wednesday, June 27th – 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Description
In this class students will be introduced to the fundamental processes and techniques in building props and miniatures for dolls. Students will explore the basic skill sets required to construct a miniature chair from card, taking them through a simple, effective and versatile modelling material, cardboard. Tanya will also explain through examples and slides further techniques developed by herself, and film minaturist husband Garry Buckley to construct more detailed and imaginative props and sets in a variety of materials.

Class level
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Steady hand with a Scalpel required.

Class Fee

What will students take away?
Students will take away a cardboard model of a chair.

Teacher provides:
A material kit consiting of a Scalpel, scalpel blades and Super Glue, sanding blocks.

Kit Fee
$30
Teacher will collect payment during class.

Students must bring:
Cutting Matt, Steel rule, A selection of Acrylic paint ( to paint their chair)  180,220 and 400 grit sandpaper.

Class Size
Minimum 5, Maximum 10.

Hair Styling

With Tatiana Baeva

Evening Class
Wednesday, June 27th – 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Description
In this class Tatiana will share techniques and tricks she uses in creating hair styles for her figurines. She will demonstrate various ways of handling fibers to achieve desired effects. Students  will do some styling tests on sample heads provided in a kit.

Class level
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. All skill levels are welcome.

Class Fee

What will students take away?
Students will take away head mannequin with hair glued and modeled in various techniques taught by Tatiana. In the slideshow Tatiana will share her experiences and techniques creating various hairstyles for her dolls. Students will learn how to manipulate the fibers to achieve their goals in hair-styling.

Teacher provides:
Glue, paint, pins, napkins, water cups

Kit Fee
$20
Teacher will collect payment during class.

Students must bring:
Sharp, medium-size scissors.

Class Size
Minimum 5, Maximum 12.

Choosing, Coloring, Manipulating and Embellishing Textiles for Your Doll

With Stephanie Blythe

Evening Class
Tuesday, June 26th – 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Description
In this class students will explore techniques and materials for dyeing, sewing, draping and printing to create fabrics and trims for their dolls.  Each student will take home directions, sources and samples.

Class level
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. No experience required.

Class Fee

What will students take away?
Students will take away directions, sources and samples.

Teacher provides:
All Supplies

Kit Fee
$10
Teacher will collect payment during class.

Students must bring:
Scissors, apron, needles and thread.

Class Size
Minimum 6, Maximum 20.

Basic Pattern Making for Doll Artists

With Donna May Robinson

Two Day Class
Monday, June 25th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 26th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Description
In this class students with learn how to either draft or drape basic clothing items for your dolls- bodice, skirts, pants, sleeves.

Class level
Beginner. Basic knowledge of sewing, sewing patterns and fabric handling.

Class Fee

What will students take away?
Students will learn how to make basic patterns for clothing that will fit their doll, as well as how to make certain variations of basic patterns.

Teacher provides:
Printed guide, Muslin squares, Elastic Tape.Students will use small dress forms in class provided by teacher for class only and returned if not purchased

Kit Fee
$30 – If student wishes to keep dress form used in class.
Teacher will collect payment during class.

Students must bring:
Grid ruler, pencils, pins, scissors, Student may bring doll to address certain issues that may come up with making particular clothing items.

Class Size
Minimum 4, Maximum 8.

Mold Making Demystified

With Stephanie Blythe

One Day Class
Wednesday, June 27th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Description
This class offers students an overview of the moldmaking process. We will explore a variety of materials and techniques. Students will learn the limitations as well as the possibilities mold making has to offer. Students will make a one piece silicone mold and a two piece plaster mold.

Class level
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced.

Sorry – This class is now full.

What will students take away?
Students will make a one piece silicone mold and a two piece plaster mold.

Teacher provides:
Detailed instructions for making a plaster and silicone mold, Silicone, Plaster, Sculpting tools and clay.

Kit Fee
$20
Teacher will collect payment during class.

Students must bring:
An assortment of objects no larger than will fit in a 3″ cube to cast. Students need to wear work clothes or bring an apron.

Class Size
Minimum 3, Maximum 10.

Laughter is the best medicine

With Lesley Keeble

One and a half Day Class
Monday, June 25th – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, June 26th – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Description
Expect to laugh out loud while exploring Lesley`s unique method for creating character faces. Being mindful of facial anatomy, students will stretch their imagination and doll heads into the delightful arena of humor. Each student will create a variety of related character faces with the aid of flexible Silicone Shell molds and Premier Paper Clay. This is a low tech-high imagination class easy to continue without specialized equipment. Expect to add a neck, ears and skull back to at least one face front and take away lots of sample faces to finish at home. Lesley will demonstrate tricks to apply cloth over exaggerated clay faces and discuss the properties of a variety of textiles for potential skin fabrics. Who knows? You may begin to discover your own unique signature style !

Class level
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced.

Sorry – This class is now full.

What will students take away?
Students will take away a  variety of related paper clay face forms and the shell molds to replicate their favorites.  An understanding of what a signature style is, and  the ability to create a cohesive body of faces. Basic tool skills,  and an awareness of correct facial anatomy.

Teacher provides:
Material source list, Book list, Silicon mold material.

Kit Fee
$35-$50 depending on share between students.
Teacher will collect payment during class.

Students must bring:
One package of Premier Paper clay, small water cup, 1/4 and 1/2 inch flat Takalon brushes, Zip lock bag for paper clay, Plastic container for any undehydrated heads. A few basic, inexpensive modeling tools, Apron. A detailed supply list will be sent to class registants.
Optional: 12” x 12” of knit fabric. Natural fabrics are best. White glue optional for applying fabric to faces. Aleene’s is preferable.

Class Size
Minimum 5, Maximum 10.