Letting the inner glow shine...

​One part of my dollmaking is not only looking at the overall character but what type of character it will be.  Will it be an outdoorsy type or an underground character?  Does it require tattooing or a wash layer (a wash is where I paint a layer of color over the porcelain that changes the base color)? 

The Blue Eemp on the left was poured in a liquid white porcelain, fired in a kiln, and then I painted it with a blue porcelain china paint to give her this magical skin tone.  The other Eemp was poured in French Glow liquid porcelain which is a natural light beige tone without changing the color of the porcelain.  All I needed to do after the kiln fire was to do the face painting with a blush and lip color with the eyebrows.  (Remember - I also have to kiln fire the paint to the porcelain so it can't be rubbed off.)

Now Dulbbe was poured in my favorite color and the one I use the most in my characters - Tender Beige.

I like Tender Beige because it has a nice tan overtone to it like a suntan which any outdoor type of character would need.  Also, Arnie is poured in this color as any Borrower running around looking for things to borrow would certainly have spent a lot of time outdoors.  Especially as Borrowers don't like slinking around in the dark shadows - its undignified.  They like to borrow things when others are not looking, not like a sneak thief in the night.

But ahhhh... a princess is special.  She deserves a peaches and cream look to her skin tone.  Something with a touch and delicacy of a beautiful rose to it.  Which is why I pulled out my specialty color of English Rose for Ffion.

So why the importance to a porcelain base color?  Because China Painting is all about working with translucence paints.  They blend over the porcelain but they don't cover it up.  The paints I choose will actually enhance this shade of porcelain and allow it's inner beauty to shine through once it is kiln fired to the porcelain.  What makes my characters come to life is because their inner glow is showing through.