My first fanart!

[amanuensis1]

I've been wanting to do this for two years.

Warning: Image-heavy post behind the cut.

This is the hobby I'd been doing for a year, and set down when I fell into HP fandom. And I've been wanting to put the two together this way ever since, and I finally, FINALLY got back to it!

Look, everybody, my first HP fanart!

(Teaser thumbnail)

(Full shots at the top; scroll down for the close-ups.)



Okay. First off, all original face paint on the dolls was removed with acetone and a full repaint was done. Second, I made everything--yes, everything--by hand except for the shoes.



(Here's the same pose except Harry's wearing his glasses.)



The clothes are all hand-sewn (I don't yet know how to use a sewing machine, and most of the work is too fine for a machine anyway), and the materials include bridal satin, panné velvet, vinyl, and liquid lamé. All the clothes are removable, not just sewn or glued onto the dolls--they have snaps and velcro fasteners in the proper places. Hems were done with stitching and/or fabric glue.





The cloak clasps (I had SUCH fun with those) and the wands were hand-sculpted from clay and baked.



(Okay, I didn't make Harry's cufflinks--they're stud earrings. But that was my own idea!) Harry's glasses didn't quite come out as neatly as I wanted, but, hey, craft wire and two pairs of needlenose pliers can only take you so far.



Harry was originally a 007 Ken; Draco, a Dance Party Blaine (his head needed to be transferred to a similar 007 body so they'd match). I did little to Harry's hair save mess it up, but Draco got a dye job with watered-down acrylics and a small restyling. (Click here and here to see what these dolls looked like as manufactured, prior to the redesign.)

Painting the Dark Mark on Draco was fun!



So, there's my "thousand words" of story for you. Interpret it as you will. Is that Dark Mark Draco's present, or his past? And notice Harry's arms are hidden by his sleeves. Do their house-colored cloaks mark them as enemies, or merely rivals? Are they lovers? And which one bottoms?

And please do not ask me to put them into any obscene poses and photograph them for you. I don't do that. ^_^

Comments

[prurient-badger.livejournal.com]

Oh. Oh wow. That's...impressive. May I make < strike>themyou an altar? ;)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I think Draco would love one, though I'm not sure about Harry. Even if he's Dark Lord Harry in your interp, he'd still shy away from altars, I'd think! Thank you!

[pitchblackrose.livejournal.com]

Oh, they're really nice! I especially like your Harry in glasses. And I LOVE Harry's shirt.

And OMG - sculpting things in clay and baking them?! *giggles* you're such a nerd ;) (But removing all the original paint was good, if only for poor Draco's sideburns :p)

Nice work, you're really good at this :)

And it's obvious that Harry's on top - just look at Draco's face - he's obviously been fucked thoroughly not so long ago ;)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm very much an amateur at it, but I've had fun with it and it is something one gets better at, with practice. And I so wanted to incorporate it into the HP fandom!

(And Draco's meant to look just a little fey, definitely. ^_^)

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

WOW! They are just fantastic.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

So glad you liked! I hope people like them; I had such a good time making them!

[loony-moony.livejournal.com]

That is rather adorable. :) Can I schnug you now? :D

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Schnugs! Ooh, lovely, I always want your schnugs!

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow! Those dolls are gorgeous. I can only imagine the amount of time and effort it took to come up with something so realistic. To create something so detailed, with all the tiny parts -- just wonderful!

And thanks for sharing.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

The details can be so intimidating it's hard to get started, knowing it might not come out the way y'want it. The eyebrows are the HARDEST, doing them over and over until they come out right!

[ladysorka]

That?

Is so incredibly cool. I am in awe.

So, so cool.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I was on a whirlwind of energy yesterday and finished all the trimmy things! So glad I got them done!

[naltariel.livejournal.com]

OMG!

You ARE a girl of many talents. They're so pretty!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I'm really happy with the faces. The faces just have to be pretty, when I do this.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

*loves*

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

And you had your doubts that I'd ever do it! Whee! (What was it, a year since I brought it up? Yes, I think it was a year!)

[snapetoy.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! I can only imagine the level of work in them.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

It goes quickly when you get on a roll...the hard part is getting started, looking at the raw doll in front of you and thinking, "Oh, my god, how will I get this to look right?"

[linnpuzzle.livejournal.com]

That is too cool for words.

And the details you've put into this. First of all, the differences in their faces are great, and I'm so glad you made them differently. Some people just go by the first and best design they find. The Lion for Harry, and the Snake for Draco.. and... Draco's dark maaaaark! *faints* <3333

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm soooo happy you noticed the differences! Harry's face was supposed to look softer than Draco's, for example, and even the cut of their pants is slightly different, even though I started from the same hand-made pattern. And I didn't want the clothing to be identical under the cloaks either!

[cluegirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, Amy, this work is beautiful! I love the faces! What's the scale? I am stunned, and hugely impressed -- brilliant work!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

(Ooh, the ICON!) That's 1/6th scale--they're Barbie dolls, sure enough! Well, Ken dolls. (Or Blaine dolls.) You wouldn't believe how long the damn eyebrows take, of everything that needs doing on 'em! And mixing colors for male lips that don't look too femme-y. And choosing different clothing styles, before you even take scissors to cloth! I've never understand why the phrase "You have your work cut out for you" meant that things were going to be HARD--if someone would cut all my work out for me and just leave me the sewing, I'd think they'd done me a HUGE favor!

[marinarusalka.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, these are FABULOUS! I can't believe the workmanship and all the little details. Damn. I so admire people who can make stuff with their hands. I can't even sew on a button.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

The little details are both fun and frustrating with male dolls--you want them to look detailed and interesting, but with female dolls, that usually means beads and lace and sequins and jewelry--and you can't do too much of that on a male doll!

[maeglinyedi.livejournal.com]

Oh wow...now you have your own, custom-made Harry and Draco dolls to play with! They look lovely and I can only imagine the amount of work that went into all that. :-)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

And I think they're lots more fun than any ones that Mattel would make! Thank you so much!

[gmth.livejournal.com]

Hee! They look *wonderful!* I'm so impressed with the level of detail you added. How cool! :-)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

If one does not pay attention to the detail in doll making, you get this reputation that goes, "For her, a Fairy doll is four leaves and a set of Hobby Lobby wings." The PRESSURE! ^_^

[fiendling.livejournal.com]

SO COOL!
gotta link on hp_art_daily ^.^

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Eee, the one community you'd'a bet I'd NEVER have been on! *kisses you delightedly!*

[twigged.livejournal.com]

Draco, a Dance Party Blaine

*titters uncontrollably*

Very impressive work, especially on the detail in their clothing. I love Harry's little waistcoat!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

That's, like, the funniest sentence ever, isn't it? ^_^

[khames.livejournal.com]

You are... the coolest thing ever. o_o

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

*giggles* You total sweetheart.

[fabularasa.livejournal.com]

And just like that, a new slash genre is born: Snape/Dance Party Blaine.

This is amazing work. Just stunning. It's the same sort of painstaking attention to detail that your prose shows, but three-dimensional. I am blown away.

But I feel a right idiot, of course, for so totally misguessing the content of the Super Seekrit Project! I could never have imagined you would be able to do something like this -- mainly because of the injustice of it. I mean, it's simply rude to be talented in so many different areas. We all thought we were doing pretty well to be writing, y'know? And now you go and do this. Jeez. And you're right, you know, that it is your prose made flesh, that it is a story. They have all the quirkiness, all the are-they-or-aren't-they that your fiction does. And all the beauty, all the loveliness.

Brilliant.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

And I for one am delighted you DIDN'T guess the S.S.P.! Because that makes it all the more fun, see.

And you must understand--the doll-making arose because of my inability to do other graphic art. I want to draw these characters, y'see--all these book characters and story characters in my head whom I want made manifest, visually. And I can't--couldn't--do it. And one day I discovered this kind of dollcraft was an existing, legitimate art form (check out OOAK--for One-of-a-Kind--on ebay), and realized this was how it would have to work for me. And I had such fun with it, for a year.

And then I wandered into HP fandom and didn't touch the stuff for 2 years. Nice to have put the two together at last!

*smooches you intensely!*

[mawaridi.livejournal.com]

I am far too amused by the fact that Draco begal life as a Dance Party Blaine *g* And also? Wow, these are incredible. So much detail! I love that you sculpted the cloak closures and wands. Socool.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

The phrase, "And introducing Dance Party Blaine as Draco" will always be a terrific inside joke for me! And thankyousomuch!

[prillalar]

Awesome! I worship your stick-to-it-ive-ness!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

You have to get on a ROLL, that's the secret! (These guys sat around with eyes and nothing else for WAY too long.)

[sinick.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's gorgeous! Incredible work - I haaaate hand sewing. And the paintjob on their faces is terrific!

Geez, woman. Is there anything you don't do well?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Hee. Well, this is the kind of art one does when one can't draw, but has all these characters inside one's head. Thank you soooo much!

[falasama.livejournal.com]

By, but these are ace beyond all reason! As far as canon goes, I don't like Malfoy at all and I'm probably not as fond of Harry as I should be, but I would SO buy these dolls were they in stores and up for grabs. They are so perfect. Harry looks so noble and heroic and Draco's got that despicable little sneer of his in place, he he . . . You did a lovely job with both of them. Especially the costumes. Ooo, the COSTUMES! ::falls over muttering about silky, shiny velvetiness::

Makes me want to make dolls. I made a Remus plushie way back when with the intention making a Sirius, alas, the latter never happened. I should do that. Hm, that I should do ^_^;

Anyhoo, fabulous work. It makes this Prince happy, so it does ^_^ Thanks for sharing!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Eee, thank you so much for the lovely feedback! 'M so glad you thought the faces worked, and had their own distinctions!

And I looooove panne velvet. Am always trying to work it into doll costuming somehow!

I would loooove to see your Remus plushie!

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

aww, Draco's little Dark Mark is...well, it isn't cute...but whatever the evil version of cute is.

these are amazing! They put my silly My Scene Remus and Sirius to shame!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Your My Scene Sirius and Remus made me SO happy! You need to know that! I looked at them and said, "Yes, she understands!" And it motivated me to finish working on mine!

"Action" figures

[cellia.livejournal.com]

The *clothing*... I cannot imagine how long this all took.

These are great! I love that they are wearing these *sexy* outfits! Harry in black with the button shirt that opens low, and Draco in the *shiny* top and lilac sash. (Using stereotypes, I'd say Draco bottoms... as Harry's outfit shows less skin and is less flashy. Other stereotypes--Harry looks taller and his wand looks longer ^_^;;)

And velvet capes with shiny details! Whoo!

I am odd because my 1st "story" thoughts were that: 1.either the boys were about to go clubbing, or 2.that this was for an "artsy" photo shoot for some wizarding magazine (dark mark painted on or exposed to be shocking and avant-garde). *has strange thought processes*

Re: "Action" figures

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh, migod, now I'm visualizing the photo shoot! And Draco is telling Harry not to fidget, and Harry is saying, "I hate this cloak; it's too--formal!"

I couldn't possibly make them without making the outfits sexy; so glad you saw that, whee! Which is why Harry's shirt is satin and had that low opening, and Draco's in the sleeveless shirt. I said to myself, "Draco is going to be in a sleeveless vest. You cannot possibly worry about whether he's going to look gay. Of course he will look gay. Therefore, make it a bloody shiny silver vest. And give him a different belt. What the hell, make it purple."

(And is it possible that Draco is the more flamboyant of the two--but actually the top? No, I dunno either--it's just fun to speculate!)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

Wow! *grins* That's so wild! (as if you couldn't possibly be any more talented in my eyes) I love the Dark Mark and the cloak clasps. Very cool.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Those were especially fun parts. *fondles little clasps*