It's All in the Details....

Just wanted to talk a bit about one of my new diorama projects that was included in this photograph (and also in a recent MH photo here on the blog....)  Notably the "corkboard" you can see in this shot:

I absolutely CAN NOT take credit for this incredibly ingenious idea.  I saw something similar on someone's Etsy shop and it made my little brain spin for hours.  Just the shear genius of it.  Let's face it - dioramas are only as good as the elements that comprise them.  And while furniture is key - it's the little things that really make a good diorama stick out.  I have learned that time and again from the gifted doll photographers both here on blogspot and on Flickr.  Some of them create dioramas you would SWEAR were real living quarters.  I remain in awe every time I see some of these photographers post new photographs filled with all of the little things in life that make these photos feel - let's face it - REAL. 

Since 1/6 scale items can be so expensive, I try to draw deep from within my very shallow crafty waters to create as much content as I can.  I'm on a limited budget - but that doesn't mean I can't fill my dioramas with incredibly lifelike pieces. E.g. the corkboard (bulletin board) on the wall here.  I can't tell you how easy (and fun) this was to make.  Here's the breakdown:

I went to Michael's recently and they had (as they often do) a sale on their scrapbook pages.  And low and behold - there were sheets of cork on sale for less than $1/sheet!  I cut the piece into smaller, 1/6 scale pieces (with TONS left over for future projects) and then set to work to find items I had on hand to put on it.  Turns out, I had everything I needed right here at home!  Some time ago I found a site with 1/6 scale printables that is permanently bookmarked on my computer.  So many fun things.... I'll try to find a link and post it here.  From that page I was able to make the notebook paper and the passport hanging on the board!  Then I included a few stickers - including the clipboard, which I had purchased ages ago in the scrapbooking section of Target.  I have learned to keep my eye open for anything that can be used in 1/6 scale.  And once you open your eyes to the possibilities, you truly start to think "outside of the box."  So while the corkboard was easy to create, CHEAP, and is a very small detail in the grand scheme of things, I think it really adds a lot to the photograph. 

I love that with a little creativity and crafty thinking, the world is truly your oyster in creating 1/6 scale items that are affordable and easy to make. 

Now back to the "studio"!!!

- DollsinDystopia

Let's Talk About the Living Room...

Soooo.... time to talk about the living room.  *Sigh*  As I have learned, painting is a skill that requires some level of talent.  Even if the painting is with a can and should be pretty straightforward.  Again... *sigh*. 

First, here is the set I purchased:

It can be purchased here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0020PC97A/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Not a bad deal for all the pieces you get.  These sets can be a bear to put together (especially after they have been painted).... but it's not impossible.  Well, nothing is impossible when Gorilla Glue is involved. 

Now... here is a photograph of the main pieces I was interested in totally unretouched:

Darla says "Hello!" by the way!  Big thanks to her for being such an accommodating model...

As you can see, the silver on the furniture pieces is flat looking and a bit mottled.  Yeah.  It wasn't like that this morning when I first put it all together.  But then I decided to put on a layer of "clear coat" spraypaint in the hopes of protecting the paint layers.  While that worked out okay on the red (but not great... you can see some issues there too...), it was a DISASTER for the silver.  Luckily this little endeavor did NOT extend to the lamps and centerpiece so they are still a lovely shade of silver.  Take note of the color differences though.  LESSON: LEARNED. 

But this is not a total loss.  The reason?  I heavily Photoshop my images.  I admit that wholeheartedly and without any shame at all.  :)

Here is the same image after some rendering in Photoshop CS5:

Again... not perfect.  The silver on the furnishings doesn't have that "glow" that you see on the lamps... but still useable.  And MUCH better than how they came out of the box. 

I do have the chairs (which luckily I did NOT clear coat!) but they won't go together properly so I am waiting on my partner to come home tonight and put them together for me with his hands of steel. 

All in all - not a bad set up.  Just wish I hadn't jumped the shark with that whole clear coat thing.  Let this be a warning... if it looks good, STOP THERE. 

- DollsinDystopia

Furniture Update

So.... I got all of the pieces painted, put together... and then.  AND THEN.  Because I did not read the can, I put some clear coat on 4 of the pivotal pieces and it changed the silver metal paint into more of a flat chrome. 

*Sigh*.  Thank god for Photoshop. 

Pictures coming soon.  I will also reveal my shame by showing a comparison with one of the pieces that I didn't ruin by using clear coat. 

Furniture Re-Paint

I finished a new furniture re-paint project today!  This time a living room set.  I'll post before and after pictures tomorrow.... I haven't started assembling the furniture yet, but I can tell the color scheme I chose is going to look great.  I can't say enough about the Fusion spray paints.  They are made specifically for plastics and you can use them on doll furniture without the need for an advance coat of primer.  They come in a variety of colors, dry fast and neatly and, to be honest, can transform a crappy looking set of Barbie furniture into something truly fantastic. 

I have one more set in mind to purchase and re-paint so I need to get on that soon before the Pacific Northwest loses all of our sunlight and warm days!

Pics coming soon....

-DollsinDystopia

Spray Painting Is an Art Form

I am working on a new diorama piece right now and this has been a real learning experience.  I'm taking one of my older pieces (a pink Barbie refrigerator) and spray painting it to give it a more updated/classic look.  That is - not so hokey and pink and more like a real refrigerator.  ;o)  A very talented photographer and diorama master on Flickr advised me about Fusion spray paints and I have to say they are pretty amazing.  They are made specifically to bond to plastic.  I had no idea that spray paints were not all created equally and that very few of them actually work with plastic material.

The funny thing I am discovering is that actually getting the spray paint smoothly onto the plastic surface takes patience and skill.  So... this particular piece has been painted and sanded a few times in order for me to get it right (without lumps, running paint, and just generally looking like crap!)  I hope to be finished with it by early next week.  The body of the refrigerator is done - painted in a graphite-type, textured black.  For the doors I am going with a satin white.  Eventually I'll need to buy more kitchen pieces and paint them to match but I wanted to use this piece as a testing ground to see if I could even make this work.  So far, so good.  Hope to have some pictures up soon! 

Project

project, a photo by DollsinDystopia on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I'm working on some new diorama items right now and here is today's project. I found these little martini glasses at Marshall's... they had long plastic sticks attached so they could be used as stirrers in martinis. I'm using a dremel to remove the stems, flatten the bottoms. Then I'll use a buffer and some clear coat to make the bottoms look nice and clear again. They are adorable. Can't wait to use them.