Tutorial: DIY neck donut for hybrid dolls

If there's anything that has made me very frustrated in the BJD hobby, it's hybrids. XD There's so much problems with it. One of which is particularly annoying; neck fitting.
It's easier if the neck is thicker than you need, because you can just easily sand it. But if the neck is too thin for your head, it also comes with poseability issues. Believe me, I've dealt with these issues a lot.

But! There is a relatively easy solution, and here is a small tutorial on how to do it. Do-it-yourself neck donut, customized to fit perfectly. It helps with posing and makes your hybrid look less awkward. :D

List of what you need:

• A doll, obviously.
• Milliput (Superfine White), or other air-drying epoxy. I guess you could also use Fimo or others, but I'm not sure if those can be sanded. And it's always easier if you don't need to bake anything.
• Masking tape / painter's tape
• Plastic wrap (optional)
• Sculpting tools (optional)
• Exacto knife
• Sanding paper (various grits; I used mainly 600 and 360)
• Water

That is pretty much it. 

1. PROTECTING THE HEAD

Here's my beautiful (test) subject, LittleRebel Jelle! The body is a Souldoll Zenith body, which has a 8cm neck if I remember correctly - way too thin for this head, even though it does work somehow.

This doll is moving to another home, so I wanted to protect this the best I could, so there wouldn't be Milliput all over her face up. I used plastic wrap and masking tape to do this!

So much tape... I really wanted to make sure the head was safe, so I just covered everything I could. I used two pieces of plastic wrap, and made sure it wasn't on too tight around the eyes, as I didn't want the eyelashes to get damaged.

The final result. Also I protected the neck, in case I wanted to fit the head on it in the middle of sculpting. On to the next stage!

2. MIXING THE MILLIPUT

Here are also my sculpting tools - ended up only using three of the darker brown ones.

Now then. Milliput Superfine White is a two-part epoxy clay which is an air-drying clay. It's super easy to use, and is pretty much as durable as resin, which is why it's ideal for a neck donut - as it needs to endure moving the head often.

Milliput comes in two different coloured plastic bags. You have to cut identical amounts of both and mix it together. If the ratio is off, it won't cure. But I have used this stuff for a dozen times and have had no issues, so don't be too nervous.

Here's the amount I went with, this is both parts combined. After this, I just kneaded, rolled, twisted and mixed the Milliput until it was warm, soft and smooth.

Like this! This is actually only a half of what I initially thought I'd need to use - I quickly realized that the amount was too much. But no worries! I'll just make another neck donut for my own doll. :D

3. SCULPTING

I couldn't take much pictures at this stage because my hands were in Milliput all the time and I didn't want to get my camera dirty. Sorry!

Basically I just kneaded the Milliput into a donut shape and then started pressing it into the neck hole with my fingers. On the background you can see the leftovers; I really did take too much Milliput for just one neck piece.

Then I just used my fingers and my sculpting tools to make the neck donut fit into the neck hole as well as I can. I spread it pretty thin nearer the edges. Use water at the sculpting stage. I dipped my tools and my fingers in it if the Milliput felt too hard to smooth without moisture.

That's it! I was satisfied with the shape, so lastly I dipped my finger in water and smoothed the surface with it. 

3.1 FITTING (optional)

I decided to pop on the head to see if the s-hook goes through the hole I made.

It did. :D I actually did this before smoothing out the the Milliput, but this is an optional stage so I'll put it here, haha. This is in no way necessary, but as it was my first time making a neck donut, I wanted to try. Also if I didn't, I would have protected the neck of the body all for nothing, lol.

3.2 SCULPT ANOTHER NECK DONUT BECAUSE YOU'RE A DOOF AND GOT THE WRONG AMOUNT OF IT THE FIRST TIME AROUND (optional)

So, my other test subject was my Soom Heliot. He has a Dollzone body, and I think there's about 0.5 cm difference there. Or maybe a full 1cm. Anyway, it doesn't really interfere with his posing, but I didn't want to waste this Milliput, and thought I'd try anyway. XD

Because I am not as careful with my own dolls, I just lazily used masking tape only, and just made sure my Milliput-stained fingers wouldn't touch his face. XD Using only masking tape for the neck hole actually resulted in a cleaner looking neck donut. You'll see this in a later stage.

TA-DAH! Good enough for me. :D

4. CURING

Here's both of the test subjects, waiting for the Milliput to dry enough. I left the neck donuts to dry inside the neck holes for a few hours, because I felt that if I took them out before the epoxy hardened, they'd lose their shape. So I only did this later on (around 3 hours later), carefully prying the neck donuts out. I'm sorry I have no pictures of this stage, I forgot to take any. I also cleaned all the masking tape and plastic wrap away at this stage.

The Milliput had not cured completely, but was still a little sticky. Yet it was hard enough not to break when I carefully lifted from the neck hole. I left the pieces to cure next to each other on the table.

5. CLEANING

This stage I did the next day, when I could be sure that the Milliput had been cured and hardened completely.

There they are! My lovely heads and their neck donuts. And the tool that will come very useful in a moment. :D

That's how they looked like before I started cleaning the shapes. Very rough, and the one on the left (for LR Jelle) had a pretty big creases in it from the plastic wrap. The other one was cleaner, the masking tape did leave some marks but not as big ones. But the looks don't matter in this case - the pieces will be inside the neck where no one can see how ugly they are. XD

I used the exacto knife to clean all the edges. And I used protection! XD Masking tape around my thumb helps me not to murder my fingers at this stage - because that blade is VERY sharp. Be careful with it!

Roughly cleaned pieces inside the neck holes. :) Later on I had to carve the hole on the one I made for Heliot, as the s-hook wouldn't go through it. This happens when you skip the fitting part, haha.

6. SANDING

Woo...hoo... I love sanding... so much... >_>

Some sand papers I thought might be good for this project. Didn't use the P1000 though, as I was lazy and in my opinion the neck piece didn't need to be that smooth anyway. 

Sanded pieces! Not the prettiest but good enough. I used P360 for overall sanding and especially the edges, and then P600 for the part of the donut that rests against the neck. I wet-sanded, you can see my plastic box that was full of water in the pictures. I just dipped either the piece or the sand paper in the water and then just sanded.

Sanding is easy, but I hate it so much. XD

Anyway, ta-dah! We have finished some neck donuts! Of course, you can make yours a lot prettier. XD

7. TESTING & BEFORE - AFTER PICTURES

My favourite stage is when everything is ready and you can start testing. ;D

Here's what the neck piece looks on the neck. I wouldn't rest the s-hook on the piece though, not sure if it can handle that. I just put the head on the piece and then pull the s-hook to the head.

I hope you can see the difference! Before her neck looked a tad too short, and for example she couldn't look up at all. But now she can! I think she looks more elegant now, and she is definitely easier to handle now. ♥ Her head also tilts easier. Nice job, me! :D

Now I just hope her new owner approves of this. I can't wait to ship her to her new home soon ♥ So happy that the new owner also wanted to keep all the modifications and styling I did on her. *__*

ANYWAY, that is it! I hope this was helpful at least to someone. Please post questions if you have any! ♥  This was my first tutorial so it wasn't the best, but I hope it is still useful.

Love,
Asileh Backwards

PS. I'm sorry that the pictures are a little grey, I used jpeg formatting rather than my usual png this time.

Liebster Award!

I was graciously presented with something called Liebster Award. Whaaaaat!? Thank you so much, Jaya! I am truly honoured. ♥ And pleasantly surprised.

Since I blog in English, I took the liberty to ruthlessly copy-paste the rules from sherimi, who had translated them in her blog. The questions I received from Jaya I translated by myself. Here's her post in her blog with the original Finnish questions! (Also check out the beautiful Fairyland F60 boy body in white skin she has for sale! Man was I tempted... XD)

The rules:

1. Thank the person who presented you the award and link back to their blog.
2. Post the award image on your blog.
3. Answer 11 questions posted by the presenter.
4. Nominate 5-11 blogs with less than 200 followers.
5. Create 11 questions for the nominees to answer.
6. List these rules in your post.
7. Inform the people you chose of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog and link them your post.

Now then!

1. When and why did you start the doll hobby?
I first stumbled upon BJDs in the spring of 2009. It wasn't actually love at first sight, I was more confused at first than infatuated. But it didn't take long until my curiosity grew, and I started googling more information about these dolls. This is how I found Hartsilapset forums, and fell in love with these pieces of resin for real.
As to why... Well, I've always been a creative type of person, swearing that I'd be an Artist with a capital A ever since I was like five years old. I used to draw a lot and I wrote poetry ever since I was 9. Later I got into photography. Well, you get the picture; I had idle hands and I was in love with art. What fascinated me about BJDs at first was the photography aspect, as it was during that time that I discovered my passion for taking pictures. But also I was really passionate about creating characters and stories, and that was also one big reason why I got into BJDs. And later on, I became very intrigued with all the aspects of the hobby. It just felt like this was the hobby for me right from the start, you know, the most important hobby I could have. I wasn't wrong. ♥

2. Why did you want to start blogging?
Haaaaahhhhh well, just to share what I do in this hobby. During these past two years I've started doing more for my dolls than I ever did before, tackling bigger and bigger projects. Well, now I feel like the projects got too big to just post on Flickr or Instagram, so I figured that a blog could be a good way to share them. Especially since I want to post tutorials, and since some people are now on doll forums, this is a good way to let those people see what I do. If they're even interested. XD
Also easier for me to keep track of my projects if I post them all in the same place, instead of scattering them across 2-3 big doll forums.

3. What are your expectations in regards to blogging?
Honestly I'm just here to have fun. :D I'm not expecting to get many followers, and I don't think I consider this my "main outlet" for my hobby. My main will probably still be Instagram, because I like the atmosphere there a lot, but as I can't really post long and heavy-imaged projects there... Here I am. I hope to post a lot of content, sharing my projects and tutorials, techniques, tools, face ups, random pictures, stories... Everything that I can't fit into my IG. :D

4. What is the strangest thing about yourself in your opinion? What about others, has someone said something?
Probably my name, Helisa. I've never met anyone with the same name, and apparently all my namesakes are Spanish people, haha. There's actually a story behind my name too, it wasn't just a typing error or anything, but it's kind of a long story and apparently my replies to these questions are already very lengthy (oops, sorry!), so I won't share it here. :'D
Also this one is not technically a strange thing about myself, but about my family; I have three sisters all born on the same day, February 2nd, but they're not triplets. I myself still think it's a pretty cool coincidence. :D

5. What was the first doll you fell in love with?
DollZone Hid, I guess. Well, he was my first doll, but I fell pretty quickly out of love with him. I kind of picked him because he was in the right price range for the 16-year-old me, and looked cool. But my character for him was pretty vague/not in-depth and very much a cliche.
My serious first love with a doll (god that sounds kind of dirty) didn't occur until 2011, when I got my darling Soom Heliot, Aed. With him I was able to forge that bond everyone else seem to have with their first doll, so in many ways I consider him both my first doll love, and my first doll. He's still with me, of course. ♥

6. Have you ever had to make "creative" solutions to get dolls?
Hmmm, not really, no. Due to certain developments in my life, I was easily able to afford dolls until I turned 18. After that it became more difficult to scrape money for my resin beauties, but I've managed. Sometimes too well. *looks at least year and regrets* XD

7. Who is your doll idol/role model?
Oh gosh, everyone! I truly admire everyone in this doll hobby. Everybody is so creative and talented, it blows my mind.
But of course, there is someone who inspires me, encourages me and guides me, and that is Britt Miscast. I've always admired her skills ever since I first stumbled upon her Deviantart, and nothing makes me prouder now than to call her my best friend in the world of BJDs. ♥ ♥ ♥

8. What is the most amusing thing that has ever happened to you with dolls?
This question is always so difficult! XD Nothing ever comes to mind. I don't have any great and amusing stories or mishaps. Boo!
But I guess I'll say that Mercury's accidental nickname still amuses me. At the time Mercury was still an unpainted head with no body, and I sent Britt a picture of my girl Avi sitting in my doll cabinet, holding his head. On his head I had placed a crown. It was a crappy phone picture, very grainy, so you couldn't really see the fine details... Which made Britt first see an egg with a crown, instead of my white Switch Ahi head. Long story short, now Mercury is sometimes referred as King Egg. XD

9. What dolls are in your dreams still?
Well firstly there's BeYours Pansy, which will be my new Agatha. Then there's BeYours Olive, who will be her "brother" Gaia. And then I need a Mocha Brown Switch Waseon in my life, to be my character O-a, and MerryDollRound Zuri to be Enki.
That is all - although one teeeeeeny tiny MDR Mousse might be in order! I think it might be really fun to balance my 60cm+ crew with a super small girl. :D

10. Do you have any projects going on?
Yes! Projects never end! *wants to fall into a coma* Just kidding, but yes, I have an ongoing project. As usual it's taking me forever to get back into it, it's been months... I'm customizing my BeYours Glisten up for sale, trying to create a unique "fullset". I'm almost there, I just need to finish her body blushing and -painting. Here's a picture of her face up! I call her "Project Indian Rose".
(Also here's her Flickr album. I'll post her here too once I finish.)

11. Did you do any doll New Year resolutions? If not, what do you wish to accomplish in the hobby during 2016?
Yes, I did! I never make any resolutions at New Year's, because I never keep them anyway. But this time I did! They are as follows:

1. Make a blog.
2. Stop being so lazy with editing photos, having them lay around for over a year is not acceptable anymore!
3. Buy just ONE doll. ONE. OOOOONE. NO MORE.
4. Make a body for Kasima.

Also I hope to buy a smaller pocket camera for filming purposes, because it would be nice to try to film some doll stuff. Like tips and stuff. But that is not my priority, so it's not on the official list. :D

ALL RIGHT, THAT WAS IT! ♥ Thank you again for the award and questions, Jaya! This was fun!

Since I'm very new to this blogging and don't really know enough people to nominate so many, I'll just nominate one. ;__; So Britt, my kind-of-an-obvious-choice, here are your questions!

1. Something you have always wanted to try in the BJD hobby, but still haven't?
2. Something about the hobby that makes you proud of yourself?
3. The scariest moment you've had with dolls?
4. Something you're super excited about right now?
5. A doll that you could never own, and why?
6. What is your favourite thing about BJDs?
7. Your "doll crush" - a doll of someone else's that you really love?
8. What is your favourite resin colour? (Normal skin, white, grey, tan, etc. etc.)
9. Favourite piece of doll clothing you own?
10. Your doll goals for 2016?
11. The thing that inspires you most in the hobby?

I tried to make up questions to which I don't already know the answer. XD

ANYWAY thank you for reading this longer-than-long post and excuse me for any mistakes, it's almost 3AM and I am very tired. I enjoyed writing my answers though, and thank you again for the nomination for this fabulous Liebster award! ♥

Love,
Asileh Backwards

The name of the blog

I forgot to explain this in the introduction, but I'll make a separate post for it, because this is something very close to me. I've always been fascinated with the idea of continuity; even more, eternity. The eternity symbol ∞ is one of my favourites. It's a perfect, nice loop, just like I imagine life is (now I can't say anything about afterlife, but according to my theory/wish, life is a loop) - and in its simplicity it's absolutely beautiful.

Now, Ab Aeterno derives from my desire of eternity - that reassurance that even after you're gone, something, some piece of you keeps on living on Earth. I first came upon this Latin phrase while just simply trying to find a title for a doll picture. This one.

This was taken of my Agatha, BeYours Glisten, soon-to-be BeYours Pansy. I usually name my pictures after some feeling they give me; usually I utilize song lyrics. But this time, I somehow felt I needed to go all Latin. So after a while of searching Google for "Latin phrases", I found Ab Aeterno.
The translation given with the phrase was "from the beginning of time" - although I have found alternative translations for the phrase since then - and it immediately kind of struck me. You could say I kind of fell in love with it. It entwined beautifully with my fascination of eternity. It had this sense of immortality I had always wanted my dolls and their characters to portray, even the most human ones. I want my art to be sort of "ageless"; so that it can carry on my legacy even after my death. I know, it's a very corny thing to say, but it is still true. :'D

The phrase Ab Aeterno has kind of been with me ever since, and after some discussion with my dear friend Britt, I decided to change my face up shop name to Aeterno Aesthetics. Now, I don't really know Latin, but from dictionaries I have understood that the word "Aeterno" alone means something along the lines of "immortalise" or "perpetually", and even "always". I've also reserved the name Aeternodoll/Aeternodolls for when and if I ever start making my own dolls. The name makes sense to me, as in their own way these dolls are very immortal and ageless. And that is ultimately what I want to achieve.

Alright, that was probably incredibly boring, but it's night and I get very deep at nights. :D I promise in the next blog entry I'll actually talk more about the hobby and what I do in it, haha.

Love,
Asileh Backwards

PS. Asileh Backwards is just a "clever" play with my first name, Helisa. If you were curious and didn't figure that out already. XD

Introductions

Introductions are probably in order, although some might recognize me from Instagram or my deader-than-dead tumblr blog with the same name.

I'm Asileh Backwards, also commonly known as Helisa. Or tekkonkinkreet (DoA and Hartsilapset forums). I'm a 22-year-old female from Finland, born in 1993. I'm enthusiastic about many things: photography, films, literature, writing, painting, drawing... Well, arts in general. But one thing is bigger than all the others - my enthusiasm for ball-jointed dolls, which I discovered in 2009 and soon after that I got my first one.

Well, seven years later my passion for BJDs hasn't diminished - actually I think it has done the opposite. I've never been this happy and inspired in this hobby. I own five dolls currently, plus one head waiting for a body of his own. In 2016 I hope to add one to that number, and build a body for the lonely rolling head.

My doll family is as follows:

• Aed [Soom Heliot on a Dollzone B70-003 body, white skin] - my oldest doll, soon 5 years old.
• Jack [Elfdoll Sian on a Dollzone B60-004 body, normal skin] - my second oldest from 2012.
• Avi [Withdoll Cecily, blue skin with clear hands & feet] - arrived in 2015, my dear robot girl!
• Mercury [Switch Ahi on an Fdoll body with Withdoll blue hands] - 2015 & the cutest.
• Skipper [GlobalTranz Lensv2 on a Spiritdoll Elegance, dyed purple] - a full doll since 2015 and the biggest and longest project I have ever done. Ever.
• Kasima [K-doll Kasis head] - arrived in 2014, a dream head I never thought I'd get. ♥
  

This year I hope to get another character of mine, Agatha, back (formerly BeYours Glisten) as a BeYours Pansy.
Other future dolls include Switch Waseon, BeYours Olive, MerryDollRound Zuri and possibly one little critter to balance my SD sized crew, MerryDollRound Mousse.

I also enjoy painting dolls very much, which is why I opened a face up shop for BJDs. It's called Aeterno Aesthetics, and has been up and running since 2014. I have had the pleasure to paint so many lovely dolls already, and I'm excited to tackle new challenges in the future.

That's pretty much it. In this blog I'll post pictures of my dolls, share my projects, commissions face ups, stories - all in all everything I do in the hobby. BJDs are and always will be a very dear part of life, which I would like to share with all of you. Thank you to everyone who has supported me during these years, and thank you to everyone who just stumbled upon my blog for the first time and maybe liked what they read. 

Love,
Asileh Backwards


PS. Oh right, links!
Instagram
Flickr
Aeterno Aesthetics

Email