Skip to main content

Banner Sponsors

Intercal Trading Group - Your mohair supplier
Tedsby - Handmade teddy bears and other cute stuffed animals. Hundreds of teddy artists from all over the world and thousands of OOAK creations.

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568

When you are doing the head/face what order do you do the ears, eyes and nose in?

Another survey question! I ask because I wonder if there might be a different way that's more fool proof. And this fool needs all the help she can get sometimes!!:rolleyes:

I do the ears, get them placed evenly on the head, then do the eyes, centering them between the ears (which, if I'm really lucky, is also evenly spaced from the gusset seams) then I do the nose last, centering it between the eyes which, again, if I'm lucky, will be centered on the muzzle!

Thanks for your input!
Daphne

SueAnn Past Time Bears
Double Oak, Texas
Posts: 21,707

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

Hmmmm, Daphne . . . I do just the opposite.  I put in the eyes first, then position the ears based on the distance from the top of the eye.  Nose is last and centered between the eyes . . . like yours!  bear_laugh

Shelli SHELLI MAKES
Chico, California
Posts: 9,939
Website

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

Hysterical.

I do the nose, and the mouth... then set the eyes.  Then needle sculpt.  Then add the ears.

Variety is the spice of life!

Dilu Posts: 8,574

Wow....you guys are done and I'm still trying to figure out the sex!

Dily

bearsbybeesley bears by beesley TM
Tofield Alberta Canada
Posts: 6,818

What a funny question but a good one when you think about what should come first. I tend to do the eyes ears then nose and I have no idea why?????? Now you guys got me to thinking? Not a good thing when that happens.:lol:

Hugs Louise

Laure Fool's Gold Bears
San Luis Obispo, CA
Posts: 351

Eyes, ears, nose...just cuz! bear_grin

Delartful Bears Delartful Bears
Australia
Posts: 3,518

Oh good question.  I do the sculpting, then eyes, then nose, then ears bear_laugh

Marie_ Kiprie Bears
Yokohama, Japan
Posts: 2,735

I do the nose first and eyes ears at last. but before I do the nose I mark the eye place(or use true eye) :)

Hugs/Marie

Marion Acid Attic Bears
Versailles
Posts: 2,284

I'm the worst. Eyes first, then nose.

...

Ears are fixed 3 or 4 bears later, when I tell myself : Hey, if you want to take a photo, these pins won't look good...

Shame on me....:/

sockerplinga Sundsvall
Posts: 142
Website

I do eyes, then nose and then ears... bear_original

doodlebears Doodlebears
UK
Posts: 7,414

doodlebears Celebration Ambassador

Nose first, mouth second, eyes third ears last! I've always done it this way..oh yes! needle and scissor sculping in there somewhere according to the bear.

I am going to try something different over the next week or so(as well as making bears of course) My daughter, Sarah bought a Pat Secrist doll for me to Reborn. It will be the first time I've done this so if any of you tallented people know any good tips I would love to hear them. The doll was bought at a car-boot sale for £20 which is around $36 USD so I think she was a real bargan. I'll post some pictures when I finally finish her.
Jane.
website:
http://www.doodlebears.co.uk
http://www.craftyfolksads.co.uk

All Bear All Bear by Paula
Kent
Posts: 5,162
Website

I always follow the same routine ... stuff head (!) add neck joint THEN get started on the good stuff ... first, I pin the ears in place, then I place pins for the eyes ... then, I needlesculpt.  After that, I scissor sculpt and when that's done I fix the eyes into their permanent position.  Then I reassess the ear situation - often the eye shaping means they could do with a slight move in position (the ears that is) ... are you following, or have I lost you yet?  So, once the eyes are in and I've reset the ears with pins, I haul out the compressor, paint pots etc and get going with the airbrush, if I'm using it on that bear.  When the paint's dry, I give the head a good brush, readjust the ears again (I have a thing about the ears ... they never go where I want them!) and stitch the nose and mouth.  Only then, does the head get a body! bear_original

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568

Isn't art wonderful? NO RULES!
This is fun. I can picture each of you as you put your bear's 'face' on.
And reposition the ears and reposition the ears and.....:lol::lol::lol:
You've each given me inspiration to try doing things in a different order. I haven't been pleased with how my heads have been coming out. I think when I first started making bears I began with the nose, then eyes, then ears. Don't know why I switched but it's time to go back!!

Thanks for sharing!!:)
Variety is indeed the spice of life!!

gotobedbears Posts: 3,177

Eyes - ears - nose

Eyes first because to balance the head the bottom of the ears need to be level with the eyes -that's only my theory, so feel free to shoot me down girls.

Nose - last because noses are always a pain in the butt :P

Penny

Winney Winneybears and Friends
White City, Oregon
Posts: 1,103

I use to measure from the nose seam junction and do the eyes first, that way I know they are on evenly.
Then I would measure from the eye ( top center ) for the inner top edge of the ear   ...that way they would be on accurately...last I would do the nose.

Now ...I do the nose and mouth first...then the eyes...then the ears last.
I still place new  things the same way...relative to the last thing I placed ...never fails , they always end up going on more evenly  than anything else I have ever tried....Winney

Kirsten So. Cal.
Posts: 302
Website

I have NO idea how I put on my bear's face!?!? All I know is that I use test eyes to know hwere my eyes are going to be, I do everything else, and I always do eyes LAST! That's all I really know, eyes last. bear_rolleyes

Laure Fool's Gold Bears
San Luis Obispo, CA
Posts: 351

I know how it is, going into an artistic daze, Kirsten.  I lose all track of time and just kind of zone out into creative bliss.......this often occurs after midnight.  It can be a disadvantage if I find I want to repeat something that occurred during a bliss blitz!!! bear_grin

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568

I would be lost without my test eyes!!!! Ok, 'True Eyes' but whatever they are called... they are great!! I used to cut out circles of black felt, put straight pins thru the centers and use those to find the right placement of the eyes. But nothing beats the True Eyes.... they are pretty expensive but it saves me some time and preserves a bit of my sanity!! :rolleyes:

Daphne

Delartful Bears Delartful Bears
Australia
Posts: 3,518

I'm with you Daphne, I love my test eyes. I couldn't live without them!

Patscrafts Originals Michigan
Posts: 15

Hi All!! I was curiously reading all the posts, and I wanted to join in. I used to do the eyes 1st, nose 2nd, mouth 3rd, then ears last, after scissor sculpting. But I changed my order after awhile. I make mostly real fur, so theres no re-doing noses, I only get one shot at getting it right. So now, I do noses 1st always. No sense in doing any other steps if the nose doesn't work out. Also, when I use eyelashes, I put the eyes on last, so I dont mess them up with all the other steps. That feels so weird to me though, scissor sculpting with no eyes! ....I never used 'tru eyes' I just made-do with pins if i needed. I guess I just got used to not using them.

Shelli SHELLI MAKES
Chico, California
Posts: 9,939
Website

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

Pat, what IS that fur on the big bear in your avatar?  It's lovely!  Looks kinda like Mongolian lamb... but then, not... ???

Patscrafts Originals Michigan
Posts: 15

Hi Shelli, I was told it was Spanish lamb. But its super thick and soft, not like any Spanish lamb I've used before! It may be something else, you never know when buying used fur. I was thinking it may be cashmere goat or something else?

Shelli SHELLI MAKES
Chico, California
Posts: 9,939
Website

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

Well, whatever it is, it's absolutely gorgeous.  I can just feel the plushness of it from here.

I'm too chicken -- and, frankly, lazy -- to work with real fur for now.  But someday...!  Certainly, a fur like this one could inspire me to try.  Lots to learn about that, tho, with all the lining and conditioning, etc., required.  I've paid half-attention to posts where people discuss it; it's an area of expertise all its own.

Thanks!

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB

Banner Sponsors


Johnna's Mohair Store - Specializing in hand dyed mohair and alpaca
Past Time Bears - Artist bears designed and handcrafted by Sue Ann Holcomb