To begin just get your hands wet and start shaping your doll. Have a bowl of water at hand to keep dipping your fingers in and keep shaping. My dolls will look like the girls in my paintings so I shaped them accordingly.
I attached the clay to the stair rail spindle and then finished shaping it. This clay attaches itself to most everything and it shrinks a bit as it dries. The railings are a great way to give your dolls height and, if attached to another block on the bottom, keep them standing securely.
Drying times vary, but give it a few days to cure or fully dry. The paint works as a sealer so it's important that it be dry first before painting.
Here I have started painting my black americana girl. I put a close-hanger wire through the upper body to make space to attach her arms. You can use wire, small dowls, string and buttons to attach arms. I don't think I will use this fabric but it was handy for the picture and it does look good against her facial coloring.
Paperclay is super to work with. Keep it wet and you don't need many tools. Your fingers can smooth out everything as long as they are wet. A wet sponge buffs it like a light sanding when it's wet. You can also sand when it's completely dry. I've heard people say the finished doll looks like china. Especially with a glossy finish.
For this doll it took 1 1/3 packages of paperclay. 6 oz. packages. Check back for the finished doll! She will be up for sale on yes, you guessed it, ebay.
