Designing the Doll: From Concept to Construction

By Susanna Oroyan

Book Overview

Advance your dollmaking skills with this in-depth guide by master-dollmaker Susanna Oroyan Susanna introduces you to her concept of "imaginative engineering" with a collection of design directions and technical processes that will help your ideas translate into reality.

- Expands on concepts presented in Anatomy of a Doll and Fantastic Figures
- A wide variety of construction methods
- More than 250 full-color photos of dolls from 130 of the world's top doll artists
- Over 100 detailed illustrations
- Explains elements of design, such as focal point, scale, harmony, style, and the use of color, texture, and pattern. Learn techniques of proportion for working with the human figure.
- An excellent technical resource and reference book

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1571200606
• ISBN13: 9781571200600
• Release Date: June 2010
• Publisher: C&T Publishing
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 1.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.5" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

Would give it a 10

For any of you who believe that dolls are just children's toys or cutesy collector's items, you have obviously not seen this book. Oroyan's Designing the Doll: from Concept to Construction, is a very impressive book. While it is as advertised, a book on making dolls, it is first and foremost an art book. Throughout the book, the author is addressing the student as artist. She covers issues such as color, texture, drawing, abstract and impressionism, scale, etc. The details of construction are included as are some patterns, but the greatest value of the book is actually in the illustrations of finished dolls, some by the author and some by others. These are exceptional works of art. Some are actual portrait works, capturing in miniature the personalities of those portrayed. Others, while they may have had human models, are designed to capture an essence or spirit, an impression or meaningful event. When one sees dolls such as these, one understands instantly why a person would collect them: they are Michelangelos in miniature.

Excellent doll making book

I bought this book to learn more about doll and puppet making. I learn a lot about different types of dolls and the doll making process. If you are a puppeteer this is a great book with excellet ideas. If you just want to learn this book will inspire you.

Not only beautiful, but useful!

"Designing the Doll" gives many great examples of remarkable artist dolls, but it also gives some excellent how-tos that will help you realize your own designs. This isn't a project-oriented book; there are no real step-by-step instructions that will help you make a specific doll. Rather, this book gives the artist a good grounding in basic technique. Where you go from there is entirely your own business. Some of the techniques Oroyan covers are: sculpting, jointing, soft bodies, wire armature and materials. You'll come away from this book with enough information to design and follow through with your own projects.It's been a long time since I made a doll, but this book has got me wanting to try all sorts of new things.

Another great book by Susanna!!!

What would the doll world do without Susanna's books? Designing the Doll is just as informative and inspiring as her first two books. She provides very useful information along with fabulous pictures of all types of dolls. The details in this book are very helpful to the serious doll designer as well as the hobbiest. Her flow of information is logical and well thought out. If you make dolls or simply like to look at them, this book is for you!

If you love making dolls...you have to get this book!

Anatomy of a Doll was great....but Designing the Doll is absolutely fabulous! I eagerly anticipated this book and was not disappointed. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book, but the details included in Susanna's book are just incredible. Concise and thought provoking. You won't look at making a doll the same way again. Obviously I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in taking their doll making to the next step.