How to Make a Gomi Doll

Create a Doll Model

• 1

  Sketch out a few to-scale drawings of the Gomi style ball-joint doll you would like to make, using a front view and a profile view of the doll. Mark down the measurements beside your drawings.

• 2

  Trace over your drawings, this time separating the doll into individual parts. Make separate drawings for the head, skull cap, torso with neck, upper arms, lower arms, hands, thighs, calves and feet. Leave space around each drawing.

• 3

  Add the joint design to your doll part drawings. Create ball joints for the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles and wrists by adding a ball shape to the upper end of each of these pieces and a matching socket to the part of the body into which they fit.

• 4

  Add the neck and head joint design to your drawing. Round out the top of the neck and extend it slightly so that it will fit inside the head. At the base of the head, mark where you will make the neck hole.

• 5

  Add a small, narrow piece to the inside top of the skull cap that protrudes downward. You will need to be able to drill a hole through this piece. Add similar pieces to the tops of the hand and foot ball joints.

• 6

  Re-create the general shape of each Gomi-style doll body piece out of tinfoil, using your drawings as a guide. This will reduce the amount of clay you need to use. Layer polymer modeling clay over the tinfoil until you have matched your drawings. Sculpt the clay to achieve the look you want.

• 7

  Bake the modeling clay, following the instructions on the packaging. Let the doll cool, and then sand the pieces until they are smooth. Test the fit of the joints into the sockets and sand again if needed.

Create a Two-Part Mold

• 8

  Make a two-part mold for each doll part. Begin by adding water-based clay to the back half of the torso, so that the torso piece looks like it is resting in a clay box. Build up the clay at the bottom edge of the torso, creating a slight rise, and press small wooden craft balls into the clay all around the torso to create keying depressions.

• 9

  Create a molding box by building up Legos or pieces of cardboard around the outside of the clay box. Make sure that the walls are taller than your Gomi ball-joint doll model. Mix together your silicone RTV rubber solution and pour it into the box, covering the torso completely.

• 10

  Let the silicone cure for 12 hours, and then disassemble the box and flip the mold over.

• 11

  Remove the wooden balls and water-based clay, except for the slight rise you added in Step 1. Build the molding box again and pour silicone into the box like you did in Step 2.

• 12

  Let the mold cure, and then take the box apart and remove the torso piece from the mold. Slice a pouring hole into the top of the mold with the razor blade.

Create a Core Mold

• 13

  Let the mold continue curing for three days. Then apply water-based clay to the insides of the mold halves, everywhere that you would like the resin to fill. Any open space will become the hollow space inside your ball-joint doll.

• 14

  Strap the mold halves together, using the rubber bands. Coat any remaining silicone with the mold release agent.

• 15

  Mix together another batch of silicone RTV rubber and pour it through the pouring hole into the mold. Let the mold cure for 12 hours.

• 16

  Take the mold apart and remove the core mold piece you just created. Wash the clay off all the mold pieces.

• 17

  Create a two-part mold and core mold for each body part.

Cast the Doll

• 18

  Set up a workspace in a well-ventilated room. Wear a vapor respirator, latex gloves and safety goggles. Cover your workspace with plastic.

• 19

  Strap the mold halves for each doll part together, with the core mold pieces inside. Mix together the resin and pour it into each mold. Let the molds cure for one day.

• 20

  Take the molds apart and remove the resin ball-joint doll pieces. Sand each piece until it is smooth. Hold the piece underwater while sanding so that you create a minimal amount of toxic resin dust.

• 21

  Drill holes in each of the joints at the ball side, so that the inner hollow cavity can be reached. Also drill holes straight through the pieces you added to the inside of the skull cap and top of the hands and feet.

• 22

  Run elastic string through the limbs and into the torso, connecting the string to the top of the skull cap, hands and feet with S-hooks. You can find a few different methods of stringing a Gomi-style ball-joint doll in the Resources section.