For the Dark Art Movement
I have nearly finished repainting this doll. I have considered sealing it in resin but that can take a while to set. True it would protect the doll better, but I think I should test it before potentially ruining this artwork.

I am painting this in acrylic. I think I will make the breaks in the white coat red rather than greenish brown. My original intention had been to create something very natural looking. I want the material inside the breaks to look like moss or grass. But I think the blood red will provide a more shocking contrast with the white. I had at one time considered breaking up the white using a thin wash of Agrax Earthshade, but I think the blood red and ghost white contrast is the winner.
The hands are made of straw, which is bound onto the wire from using waxed cord from Hobbycraft. The body is made from wool, and fabric, also from Hobbycraft. There is more wax cord wrapped around the wrists. This is aesthetic not practical. It gives the doll more of a crafted look.
The head is made of monster clay, and the body from wire and wool. Strangely I found the clay much easier to shape, even without heating it up first. I wonder if your hands sort of………adapt to using it. One of the most difficult aspects of the project was making the monster clay grip onto the aluminum wire frame. I had to use some thinner to wrap around the spot where the frame meets the clay. But as I have said before I am very pleased with how the anatomy of the head has turned out. The reddening around the eyes is a brilliant piece of colouring. If the head was the most rewarding part, making the base was the simplest. The whole thing is attached to a wooden base using a Topelek glue gun and two nails. I have also used Warhammer paints to try and give the colours more depth. But I think in all honesty acrylics with water will be better for this. I need to be more subtle with the acrylics and pay more attention to detail. I know I can make the colours look less intense in some places.
William Keleny Artist | Buy Dark Works Of Art by William Keleny
