Winter for Thistle!

Tula-Dil And Thistle are almost here, and should be for sale before x-mas! More details to follow. -Ion

The final hand!

So I know it`s been a wile sense I have made an update but progress has been very slow :( Just this one hand mod took weeks. Now on to the box and that my girls come home :) I will post a release date as soon as I get it! -Ion

I received my first Test-shot for Tula-Dil and I had to show her off! -Ion

Hand-disaster

So finally more news from the factory. Tula-Dil`s hands will not work. Only one in ten castings

works on all four fingers. So a new hand sculpt must be made with all four fingers attached. There goes my plans for gloves. :( -Ion

Pantones!!

These are for the paint colors:

And these are for the vinyl colors:The pantone system is awesomely specific as to avoid any off color characters. -Ion

Changes...

Back From SDCC I am as always overwhelmed at all the amazing artwork out there. I came back to several more Tula-Dil changes Before the final production. Her arms will have to be closer to her sides, her breast and tummy size were also increased. I don`t hate the changes but they do make her look older. -Ion

Tula-Dil 2nd wax test shot...

This is Tula-Dil`s second test in wax. All edges are refined and this is the point that joints are added. I just love the color don`y you?

-Ion

First vinyl pic!!

I am getting much closer now! This is the first picture of thistle in vinyl! because this is a "testshot" it is made from old product in non production colors. Just as an adorable side note Thistles tummy is smaller than a dime! -Ion

Introducing Bon-Bun!

Bon-Bun is thistle`s twin sister! On the figure Bon-Bun will only be visible from the back. Thistle is very protective of his baby sister and she sleeps almost all the time so their relationship works perfectly. When Bon-Bun is awake she mostly sings and hums songs only her and Thistle understand. -Ion

Together

Here you can see little Thistle and Tula-Dil together. Keep in mind Tula-dil is only 6" tall. If you looks very closly you might just see Thistle`s Twin sister Bon-Bun. -Ion

The difference between okay and perfect!!!

So Tula-Dil`s face was okay but not perfect and I need perfect. With just a few small changes she goes from gloomy gus to an agriculture amazon! -Ion

You can`t be to bootylicious.

So here we have Tula-Dil`s backside! As you can see there are still some proportional issues, butt (LOL!) they can be fixed quickly in the next step of production. After the clay sculpt is complete a mold is made, and from that mold wax castings. The wax is great for smoothing things out, perfecting, proportions and finding anything mistake wise and finishing it. -Ion

A new side of Thistle

So Thistle has a gigantic head and is very very small. So I never thought there was any way he would stand on his own but he does! Under that massive head he also features a ball jointed neck for additional adorable poseability .

A doll like no other..

Good morning! Here is a three quarter view of Tula-Dil about half way through revisions. The eyes and the petals around them are perfect. Also notice how the feet are at the correct size. I love this picture :) She really looks like a sweet little naked creature. -Ion

Revisions, Revisions, Revisions! So this is a first look at the actual production sculpts for Thistle and Tula-Dil! As you can see they are marked with the necessary changes that had to be made before the production started. The changes are as follows: For Tula-Dil 1. The feet are to small. This is an issue with my illustration so the feet have to be made bigger to make her balance and stand properly. 2. Tula-Dil has crazy eyes! Tula-Dil is a soft sweet character and these eyes make her look crazy. They will have to be rounded out more.

3. She can look sweet or timid but not upset or like a duck! This frown and duck-bill is not what I wanted the mouth will be made smaller and she will get a mona lisa smile with cupids bow lips. 4. Tula-Dil is a center part giving her an overall heart shaped head not egg shaped as seen here. 5. This eye is a constant issue. It`s always bigger and buggy. 6. Tula has soft rounded petals around her eyes, not razor sharp leafs of doom! This will be rounded out and perfectly symmetrical. 7. Simple fix Tula-Dil has to have flawless hair. Both sides need to be identical before production. 8. Last but not least where is Tula`s belly button? Will have to add that last.

Lucky for me Thistle had less than half of the revisions Tula-Dil did. 1. That eye is in to far it will need to be brought forward a bit. 2. Thistle`s Chin has three even petals not two! To me this looks a little scrotum-ish and is not acceptable even for a 2" figure. 3. The always missing belly button. Why do Garden have belly buttons if they grow from seeds? Well I think belly buttons are adorable so belly buttons all around! -Ion

So more than a year later I built up the nerve to submit Tula-Dil And Thistle to Patchtogether.com. A website that has artists vote for other artists designs the best designs win. Surprisingly despite 71 positive votes(most only need 50 or so) Tula-dil and Thistle were passed over. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel! Patchtogether did hook me up with a fantastic manufacturer! Below are the designs I submitted to patchtogether:

The alternate colorways in pink and blue have been shelved for the time being. I do plan on them showing up as convention exclusives in the future.

Tula-Dil`s page on Patchtogether:

http://www.patchtogether.com/designs/designs/view/id/2607

The patchtogether webpage:

http://www.patchtogether.com/

-Ion

Welcome to the Tula-blog! A home on the internet and the only place you can read follow Tula-Dil and Thistle on their way to being vinyl toys from start to finnish! Above is my first sculpt of Thistle. His body was from a Tyco Quints doll. On the right is the first pain work and on the left you can see the updated colors.

Just like Thistle Tula-Dil was sculpted over an old messed up Eloise doll in 2008. The one on the right is an updated repaint I did this year to better reflect the character and personality of Tula. I wanted to make a doll that reflected the beauty and power of motherhood. Tula-Dil & Thistle are part of a matriarchal race of plant people known as the Garden. They are not mother and child but brother and sister. Tula-Dil will be the next great leader of the garden people folloed by her mother Ruba-Lentil. Note: These are just my first sculpts and not a first look at the new figures. -Ion