The head, if you want a good size neck, will need an extra long section of straight wire. It should be at least 2 centimeters (0. 8 in) long.

Study how muscle groups look and work if you want to get better at this. This will make for a more realistic looking doll. For example, real legs don’t look like tubes: they’re curved because under the skin there are actually lots and lots of different shapes that just get covered up.

Generally, the areas where there should be a hole (like a mouth) should be cut away to make the rough shape. Areas that stick out (like a nose) should be shaped roughly as a separate piece and then added on. Use your finger or a tool to smooth the clay and make the additions and subtractions transition in a way that looks natural. Any general changes in topography (like cheek bones) might be able to be created by shifting the existing material, but they may also require new material to be laid down. Just make the transition as smooth as you can. If you use Sculpey clay, you can use liquid Sculpey to smooth transitions and create details, but realize that you’ll have to deal with changes in the curing and coloring process.

For air drying, 2 or more hours are often needed for the clay to cure completely. A general rule of thumb with oven baking clay is to cook it for longer at a lower temperature than what is recommended by the manufacturer. This reduces the chance of burning. Polymer clays are best suited for baking in an oven. Some clays will require a kiln in order to cure them. This is standard for traditional clays. You may be able to rent time with a local commercial kiln if you do not own one, but you should take this into account when you choose your clay.

If you want to avoid the difficulty of painting the eyes, you can cheat and use plastic doll eyes, which are embedded in the clay of the head and then a clay “eyelid” placed over them to keep them in place and make them look realistic. You can if you want to add just a little, faint color, you can use watercolor and sealant or you can even apply makeup to the doll. Avoid using the color black for details like the mouth. Real faces don’t have the color black at the line of the mouth, so your doll shouldn’t either. Go for softer shades, like dark brown or pink.

Clothes that cover the joints are desirable, as this will hide cosmetic problems.