Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Adorable!     

Thank you Pauline!  

Thank you Debora and Pink!     

Thanks everybody for your praise!       

Hello!
Please, meet SAHARA, the caracal lynx.
Sahara is now on auction on e-bay. I hope you will go and say hello to her!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181599036880…

How cute they are!   

I also love dogs Julia. I keep telling myself I should go back doing some dog puppy....but then I can't seem to stop doing cats!

Thank you Lisa!!! Yes, I must admit that even though pride is a sin....I am proud of this one!

So cute!  

  Peter, next time I finish a cat, I will ask you to suggest a name! 'Santa' the cat!!! LOL

Thank you so much for your praise!   

They are  both wonderful creations, as always!     

Please meet Cinders, my new tabby cat!
He is now available for adoption here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181579831518?ss … 1555.l2649

Needle felting is also a useful technique, not so difficult even for a beginner. When I started with it, I just did some needle felting around the eye area, and then painted an eye rim that included the white area.
My inspiration to try the needle felting on a stuffed head came from this wonderful tutorial made by Joanne Livingstone. You could say that I started what I do now thanks to this illuminating piece of her kindness!
http://desertmountainbear.blogspot.ch/s … 20a%20face

If you have time for a good, long and interesting read, I would suggest you to look into our library (on the bar at the top). There are all sorts of topics: about eyes, eye whites, shading, needle felting and so on. It is huge, and full of interesting tips and suggestions about almost anything you might want to know...and more!   I spent the first months after discovering Teddy Talk some years ago, just reading what had been written....and learning!  

Some of us also keep blogs and make interesting tutorials (I have made some tutorials as well on my blog). You might also check this:
http://bestbearartistblogs.gotop100.com/
It is basically a list with links to all sorts of wonderful bear artists blogs!
Have fun!

I don't think it is the kind of eyes that is wrong. The wired eyes are what is generally used. The 'realistic' look, or the appealing look (it can still be appealing, even if not realistic....) come from what you do around the eyes. You can give your critter eyelids in many different ways for example. There are techniques you could try, with leather eyelids, needle felting around the eyes and such. Another way is using colour to shade around the eye area to give it depth. It really all depends on the look you want to achieve, but the eye alone with no shading or maybe eye white, can sure look unnatural and kind of 'dead'.

I personally use needle felting to give 'flesh' and shape to the eye area. After needle felting I use acrylics and oils to paint-shade. That is what works for me!

Thank you girls for your praise!    

Thank you Peter!  

Thanks TC! I have a soft spot for grey! 

He's very sweet!

I'm very pleased to present my latest kitty, FROST.
Frost will be available for adoption at the ABI (Artist Bears International) October auction event HERE
...starting on Friday (October the 24th).

Thank you Peter and Becky!    

Thank you all for your praise ladies!     

Pink, yes, I have been on cats for quite some time, and I'm going back to a couple of kitties now....but you know, I like too much to experiment new things to stay on only one theme for too long, I am restless and I like to try new ideas all the time. This 'one piece design' that I tried for the first time with this raccoon was in my mind for a long time, and I finally decided it was time to try it. I think it might be a new direction I'm taking, as it solves many issues that I had with a jointed design. We will see....all I can say is that yes, I'm having great fun!     

Pantagruel is my new raccoon....a real glutton. He loves any sort of sweets, so I had to sew him a nice felt dessert! 
Pantagruel is now on auction on e-bay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181556969385?ss … 1555.l2649

What a handsome bear!