I found your channel in about 2016 and I have watched most of your videos about doll making, i've thought so much about little characters I want to create all this time but was never really confident enough to give it a try. A couple of years ago I made a less detailed soft human doll but never added her face, again due to lack of confidence. Lately I've been struggling with depression and I ordered some armature wire because my ideas couldn't wait any longer. It sat on my desk for a week until today lightning struck, so to speak, and I spent a few hours making my first wired doll using a lot of the methods you have demonstrated in your videos. It's not finished yet but I have really enjoyed these hours spent on something creative and so happy to be making my ideas into reality FINALLY
Don't feel bad about the "delay." Sometimes we need time to think about how our thoughts, inspirations and ideas will come together. The process can easily take years. So much of our society is about the quick and easy, we think that everything should be quick and easy! When the time is right, sometimes things fall into place, but often, it does take a lot of effort. When you watch a professional of any type, thier work looks so easy, but what you don't see is the years of practice and the many not-quite-rights.Good luck with your new works. Embrace the challenges because they tell as much about the process as the succeses!
I've been doing a lot of research when it comes to doll making and by far this is one of the best tips I've come across for easy poseable hands, thanks so much for sharing!!!
Thanks Teresa!, although I can't take credit. I learned the technique from Akira Blount, who was a profoundly talented artist. I don't know if she learned from another person. Obviously the benefit is making clean looking fingers and I don't know of any other way to get tiny pose-able hands. Let me know if you try the method and how it works for you.
Fantastic! I am getting a resin ball jointed dolls head here soon but cannot afford a resin body at the moment. Your videos are inspiring me to make a full cloth body and this hand tutorial has convinced me that that is the way to go! Thank you so much for sharing your art and methods for doll making!
Thanks! There are pros and cons to every type of body and joint. The key is finding something that works for you OR finding a way to alter something. If you are looking for a jointed body to pose, be aware that cloth bodies must be stuffed VERY firmly so that they don't flop. When you do this, the body and appendages become heavy. Twenty inches is pretty much the ideal size; smaller and it is difficult to make, larger and it becomes unwieldy. Ball and socket is light, but many people have difficultly forming the body they want over the frame. As for the hands, this size (for my 20" dolls) is about as small as you can go easily with the materials. Any smaller and you have to give up individual fingers. But, these hands are fantastic! Best of luck with your doll adventures! Alana
Wonderful technique and instruction. I am thrilled to have come across this. Thank you so very much. I will be adapting this technique for my doll making.
Hello Carmen! I am thrilled to find your video on hands. I am making hands for my dolly today and have been cringing at the thought of pulling fingers through. However, having watched your video, I see it is not anywhere near as complicated as other videos have made it out to be. Kudos to you and thank you for doing such lovely work! You are the best. I have subscribed to your channel. Be well! Martha
As with anything, practice is key! Make sure you sew up an extra - just in case. It isn't difficult, but does take some time. Best wishes and thanks for the compliments!
I struggled over a week making hands. When turning the fingers always blew out. Finally, I found using a men's black dress sock was the key to success. The material is stretchy & thin enough to turn. All thanks to Carmens videos.
Interesting idea with the socks. I have not had luck with very stretchy knits - I find them to be too stretchy. I'm glad that you found something that works for you - that's the important part!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! This is exactly what I was looking for. I'm making my nephew a rat doll and I wanted to be able to pose the fingers.
This is a fairly straightforward technique, but just in case, make an extra hand. Also, make sure you bend the tip of the chenile stem into a tiny loop so the sharp tip of the wire doesn't poke thru the fabric. Love rats! I had many as pets when I was kid. Have fun making your doll.
Agosia Arts solo quisiera un tutorial de como inserir la cabeza al cuerpo quando ya hicimos la cabeza donde se hace el hueco , o al estar haciendo preparamos tambien hueco para inserir al cuerpo?? Espero un tutorial, mil gracias de antemano,
amazing , youre a very talented creative doll maker. i love youre techniques. i learned a lot. i did a lot of dolls, i just dont know how i will sell it.
onoa mindorensis Thank you! I started small, and my business grew slowly. It is hard work selling art dolls; I spend a lot of time marketibg and running the business end of things. I spend only about 20% of my time making artwork - the rest is business related. Selling art is not a casual endeavor!
Thanks! I sell patterns for a few animals, but no foxes - sorry. You can purchase downloadable PDFs from Agosia Arts Digital, one of my Etsy shops. I have patterns for a rabbit (2 sizes) an owl, a raven and a swan.
Hi Karineh, I hope I can help you out. Another name for hemostat is locking forceps. These are surgical tools, but used by all kinds of artists, especially those working with small parts. There are two types, curved and straight and you want the straight tip. The tips have tiny grooves, or teeth to get a good hold of something. Near the finger holes, or handles, there is another set of teeth so that you can lock the hemostats closed. The part that opens and closes, kind of like scissor blades, are about 3 cm long. The tips, when closed are 2mm wide. This tiny width is what makes them key for turning the tiny fingers. There are various lenths available and I suggest the 5 inch or 15cm length - these are easist to handle. You might also run across aligator forceps, but I find these difficult to use.They are easy to buy online here in the US and I think they should be easy to find there. Are there any doll supply companies? Other places to look are model railroad or minature supply stores, electronics/computor components suppliers and auto repair stores. Anyone who works with small things that have to be held in place will know about this tool, although it may be called something different in their profession. One more option: jewelry or bead supply stores. I hope that helps!
@@AgosiaArts Thank you so much for your quick and helpful reply, finally I was able to find and order a 5" one on amazon today! looking forward to getting it! BTW I am a huge fan of your work, your art is the most inspiring to me and the reason I started my own dolls :)
Thanks! Durability is a tricky issue - it depends on how often you bend the fingers. My dolls are meant to be displayed and customers may change the gesture of the hands once a year or so, but that's it. In a scenario like that, the pipe cleaners can last decades, quite likely more. If you were making a sculpture that was going to have repeated movement, say for a stop motion animation figure, pipe cleaners would be a poor choice. I think they would last for maybe 50 bends; maybe more, but the wire isn't meant for that purpose. If you are thinking of making a doll that will undergo a lot of gesture changes, I would use a thicker gauge wire, maybe with a pipe cleaner to "flesh out" the fingers. As for degradation of the materials themselves, if the hands are kept dry, the wire and bristles are stable over time.
I went to go check. 🙂 The package says 6mm, but, honestly, I've never paid attention to the size. The fuzz squishes down to fit the fingers & at the same time fills the hand part. I buy the common pack at bigbox or craft stores & I don't think thete's ever been a change in size.... Color doesn't matter unless you are making white hands; in this case buy the lightest color you can.
@@AgosiaArts thank you. They looked so much bigger than regular size, but it must be because they are close up. You've inspired me to make dolls again after a hiatus of 30 years. Mine are kinda weird.
@@carolinegollan Well, people tell me mine are wierd, so we can be wierd together! 😄 Embrace your style. It's what makes your work, yours. I find it kindof depressing to go to shows and see things that are similar, or that fit into a particular, well known style. The world needs different.
Hi I am going mad...I don't know what kind of hemostat to order, I live in Europe and the ones suggested on amazon are for animal grooming!...Are those good for this purpose? It's been days I'm looking for an answer.... ruined my first tiny beautiful hand because nothing I tried helped for turning the fingers...the hemostats I was saying they mentioned has a very sharp edge...also the tiny turning tubes you can't get those either here...found on US sites that either won't ship here or has rediculous shipping and custom fees...I'm frustrated...doll all done and waiting for hands now for weeks..... :/....will appreciate greatly any suggestions and help. p.s. Doll making is not big here, we don't get any of the supplies you guys get in the USA....any kind of tool or item and supplies takes ages to gather....very slow process :)
My favorite step is the one where you don't have to stuff the fingers. ;w; I love making dolls, but sometimes getting fluff in small spaces with out any tools to help can be so, very, very, annoying.
Yes! Stuffing is a vital skill in dollmaking, and one that many people get wrong (in my opinion). Folks don't stuff when they should (upper bodies & necks) , and stuff when they shouldn't (hands). I think hands always look best when minimally stuffed. In fact, the most realistic hands have no stuffing at all; the outline of the wires looks just like bone and tendon. I don't know where people got the idea that everything has to be stuffed. Sadly, too many hand suffer from what I call snakebite syndrome - doll hands that look horribly swollen.
I found your channel in about 2016 and I have watched most of your videos about doll making, i've thought so much about little characters I want to create all this time but was never really confident enough to give it a try. A couple of years ago I made a less detailed soft human doll but never added her face, again due to lack of confidence. Lately I've been struggling with depression and I ordered some armature wire because my ideas couldn't wait any longer. It sat on my desk for a week until today lightning struck, so to speak, and I spent a few hours making my first wired doll using a lot of the methods you have demonstrated in your videos. It's not finished yet but I have really enjoyed these hours spent on something creative and so happy to be making my ideas into reality FINALLY
Don't feel bad about the "delay." Sometimes we need time to think about how our thoughts, inspirations and ideas will come together. The process can easily take years. So much of our society is about the quick and easy, we think that everything should be quick and easy! When the time is right, sometimes things fall into place, but often, it does take a lot of effort. When you watch a professional of any type, thier work looks so easy, but what you don't see is the years of practice and the many not-quite-rights.Good luck with your new works. Embrace the challenges because they tell as much about the process as the succeses!
I've been doing a lot of research when it comes to doll making and by far this is one of the best tips I've come across for easy poseable hands, thanks so much for sharing!!!
Thanks Teresa!, although I can't take credit. I learned the technique from Akira Blount, who was a profoundly talented artist. I don't know if she learned from another person. Obviously the benefit is making clean looking fingers and I don't know of any other way to get tiny pose-able hands. Let me know if you try the method and how it works for you.
Thanks I'll let you know when I get some time!
Fantastic! I am getting a resin ball jointed dolls head here soon but cannot afford a resin body at the moment. Your videos are inspiring me to make a full cloth body and this hand tutorial has convinced me that that is the way to go! Thank you so much for sharing your art and methods for doll making!
Thanks! There are pros and cons to every type of body and joint. The key is finding something that works for you OR finding a way to alter something. If you are looking for a jointed body to pose, be aware that cloth bodies must be stuffed VERY firmly so that they don't flop. When you do this, the body and appendages become heavy. Twenty inches is pretty much the ideal size; smaller and it is difficult to make, larger and it becomes unwieldy. Ball and socket is light, but many people have difficultly forming the body they want over the frame. As for the hands, this size (for my 20" dolls) is about as small as you can go easily with the materials. Any smaller and you have to give up individual fingers. But, these hands are fantastic! Best of luck with your doll adventures! Alana
Wonderful technique and instruction. I am thrilled to have come across this. Thank you so very much. I will be adapting this technique for my doll making.
wonderful demonstration thank you for your demonstration so clear and informative. have a lovely Christmas!
Hello Carmen! I am thrilled to find your video on hands. I am making hands for my dolly today and have been cringing at the thought of pulling fingers through. However, having watched your video, I see it is not anywhere near as complicated as other videos have made it out to be. Kudos to you and thank you for doing such lovely work! You are the best.
I have subscribed to your channel. Be well! Martha
As with anything, practice is key! Make sure you sew up an extra - just in case. It isn't difficult, but does take some time. Best wishes and thanks for the compliments!
I struggled over a week making hands. When turning the fingers always blew out. Finally, I found using a men's black dress sock was the key to success. The material is stretchy & thin enough to turn. All thanks to Carmens videos.
Interesting idea with the socks. I have not had luck with very stretchy knits - I find them to be too stretchy. I'm glad that you found something that works for you - that's the important part!
Thank you so much for sharing your process, these videos really help me hone my own personal technique. Beautiful dolls
Still you are my favorite doll maker
How very informative and i dont even have to pay to learn this info so thank you so much for taking time out to show us this much appreciated
Thank you so much for all your videos. Bought the rabbit pattern and I am very pleased with him. I am just missing your videos
I hope you are OK x
I love your videos. Informative and easy to follow.
That is so helpful, thank you!
Fantastic work love your video.
Absolutely perfect!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! This is exactly what I was looking for. I'm making my nephew a rat doll and I wanted to be able to pose the fingers.
This is a fairly straightforward technique, but just in case, make an extra hand. Also, make sure you bend the tip of the chenile stem into a tiny loop so the sharp tip of the wire doesn't poke thru the fabric. Love rats! I had many as pets when I was kid. Have fun making your doll.
So good explain :) Lovely doll too, I want to try this technique in mines :) Send you my best for the next year!!!
Thank you for sharing !!!
Tu arte es hermosoooooo * 0 * ❤
thank you
Agosia Arts solo quisiera un tutorial de como inserir la cabeza al cuerpo quando ya hicimos la cabeza donde se hace el hueco , o al estar haciendo preparamos tambien hueco para inserir al cuerpo?? Espero un tutorial, mil gracias de antemano,
amazing , youre a very talented creative doll maker. i love youre techniques. i learned a lot. i did a lot of dolls, i just dont know how i will sell it.
onoa mindorensis Thank you! I started small, and my business grew slowly. It is hard work selling art dolls; I spend a lot of time marketibg and running the business end of things. I spend only about 20% of my time making artwork - the rest is business related. Selling art is not a casual endeavor!
Perfect!!!😍
It is a joy watching it all come together, thank you 😊
do you sell patterns for your dolls? I love this fox!
Thanks! I sell patterns for a few animals, but no foxes - sorry. You can purchase downloadable PDFs from Agosia Arts Digital, one of my Etsy shops. I have patterns for a rabbit (2 sizes) an owl, a raven and a swan.
Valuable information
Thanks! Glad I could be helpful.
@@AgosiaArts This procedure cut down my workload when creating Hands. Those pipe cleaners are great solution
If you could kindly give more specifics as to what kind of hemostat you use and where those can be found please....thanks :)
Hi Karineh, I hope I can help you out. Another name for hemostat is locking forceps. These are surgical tools, but used by all kinds of artists, especially those working with small parts. There are two types, curved and straight and you want the straight tip. The tips have tiny grooves, or teeth to get a good hold of something. Near the finger holes, or handles, there is another set of teeth so that you can lock the hemostats closed. The part that opens and closes, kind of like scissor blades, are about 3 cm long. The tips, when closed are 2mm wide. This tiny width is what makes them key for turning the tiny fingers. There are various lenths available and I suggest the 5 inch or 15cm length - these are easist to handle. You might also run across aligator forceps, but I find these difficult to use.They are easy to buy online here in the US and I think they should be easy to find there. Are there any doll supply companies? Other places to look are model railroad or minature supply stores, electronics/computor components suppliers and auto repair stores. Anyone who works with small things that have to be held in place will know about this tool, although it may be called something different in their profession. One more option: jewelry or bead supply stores. I hope that helps!
@@AgosiaArts Thank you so much for your quick and helpful reply, finally I was able to find and order a 5" one on amazon today! looking forward to getting it! BTW I am a huge fan of your work, your art is the most inspiring to me and the reason I started my own dolls :)
awesome tutorial. how durable are the pipe cleaners over time?
Thanks! Durability is a tricky issue - it depends on how often you bend the fingers. My dolls are meant to be displayed and customers may change the gesture of the hands once a year or so, but that's it. In a scenario like that, the pipe cleaners can last decades, quite likely more. If you were making a sculpture that was going to have repeated movement, say for a stop motion animation figure, pipe cleaners would be a poor choice. I think they would last for maybe 50 bends; maybe more, but the wire isn't meant for that purpose. If you are thinking of making a doll that will undergo a lot of gesture changes, I would use a thicker gauge wire, maybe with a pipe cleaner to "flesh out" the fingers. As for degradation of the materials themselves, if the hands are kept dry, the wire and bristles are stable over time.
Thank you so much for your channel. What size chenille stems do you use please?
I went to go check. 🙂 The package says 6mm, but, honestly, I've never paid attention to the size. The fuzz squishes down to fit the fingers & at the same time fills the hand part. I buy the common pack at bigbox or craft stores & I don't think thete's ever been a change in size.... Color doesn't matter unless you are making white hands; in this case buy the lightest color you can.
@@AgosiaArts thank you. They looked so much bigger than regular size, but it must be because they are close up. You've inspired me to make dolls again after a hiatus of 30 years. Mine are kinda weird.
@@carolinegollan Well, people tell me mine are wierd, so we can be wierd together! 😄 Embrace your style. It's what makes your work, yours. I find it kindof depressing to go to shows and see things that are similar, or that fit into a particular, well known style. The world needs different.
Hi I am going mad...I don't know what kind of hemostat to order, I live in Europe and the ones suggested on amazon are for animal grooming!...Are those good for this purpose? It's been days I'm looking for an answer.... ruined my first tiny beautiful hand because nothing I tried helped for turning the fingers...the hemostats I was saying they mentioned has a very sharp edge...also the tiny turning tubes you can't get those either here...found on US sites that either won't ship here or has rediculous shipping and custom fees...I'm frustrated...doll all done and waiting for hands now for weeks..... :/....will appreciate greatly any suggestions and help.
p.s. Doll making is not big here, we don't get any of the supplies you guys get in the USA....any kind of tool or item and supplies takes ages to gather....very slow process :)
My favorite step is the one where you don't have to stuff the fingers. ;w; I love making dolls, but sometimes getting fluff in small spaces with out any tools to help can be so, very, very, annoying.
Yes! Stuffing is a vital skill in dollmaking, and one that many people get wrong (in my opinion). Folks don't stuff when they should (upper bodies & necks) , and stuff when they shouldn't (hands). I think hands always look best when minimally stuffed. In fact, the most realistic hands have no stuffing at all; the outline of the wires looks just like bone and tendon. I don't know where people got the idea that everything has to be stuffed. Sadly, too many hand suffer from what I call snakebite syndrome - doll hands that look horribly swollen.
Snake bite 😂😂😂