Miss TDP Dollmaker-Finale!

[Silver_Wolf_Kitty]

Welcome to the first ever Miss TDP competition! Before continuing to the theme for our grand finale, we ask that all members read the following rules and procedures if they are competing.

We must say goodbye to our competitor, kiwi_kat, who was disqualified for failing to get her entry in on tme. Congrats to her for working so hard! Congrats are also due to our final two contestants, who are the only ones allowed to post here:

• Aussiemum777
• prin367cess

THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION THREAD NOR IS IT THE PLACE TO SUBMIT HANDDRAWN DOLLS! Before you post here, I suggest you stop. All non-entry posts will be deleted. If you have questions, direct them to Silver_Wolf_Kitty. If you want to discuss the contest, the official Miss TDP clique(found here) is suggested.

Rules
1. Character. When entering Miss TDP, you need to enter with one character and stay with it the entire time. This means that your doll’s hair, eye, and skin colour must remain the same throughout, unless otherwise stated in the round theme.
2. Base. You must use the same base set throughout, so pick one with a variety of poses. This base should also be medium in size for handdrawn dollers (comparable in size to the "Moe" bases here: DHF : Doll on the Hill Factory). Dollmaker users should use the shuni style base.
3. Theft. No stealing the work of another. This applies to both handdrawn and dollmaker participants, so do not submit a doll that someone else made or, for handdrawn dollers, mix and match pieces of completed dolls that are not your own. All work should be original and failure to comply will result in disqualification.
4. Props. Props and backgrounds are encouraged, but should not be massive. We will ask too large of entries to reduce their size, so be reasonable.
5. Transparency. We ask that all dolls have transparent background and is a GIF file. If you don’t know how to do this, see the following thread: How to Make Backgrounds Transparent
6. Forbidden. Sexually explicit, nudity(artistic nudity must be okayed first by Silver_Wolf_Kitty), or overly bloody dolls are forbidden. Entering one could result in disqualification.
7. Theme. Every doll should relate to the theme. While we encourage creativity, failure to keep with the theme can get you eliminated automatically that round.
8. Judges. No one is allowed to use friendship or promises to sway a judge’s decision. Threats, bribery, and attempts to interfere or discover the judge’s decisions in anyway will result in disqualification. Arguing with the judges can result in an automatic elimination.
9. Competing. You can only submit one entry for each cometition, so choose wisely. The rules are being changed to allow crossover, but we ask that handdrawn dollers stick to the dollmakers if they are inclined to compete in that arena.
10. Animation. Animation is forbidden in the competition. We understand that many users like glitter, blinking, etc, but it takes away from the creativity and creates an unequal playing field for those who can’t animate.

Procedures
The audition round procedures are no longer in place, these are the procedures that will be followed in the future.

1. Participants enter a doll every two weeks in the set thread. They may enter it sooner, however further edits are not allowed after the doll is entered. No matter what, the two weeks are a guaranteed time slot(unless all entries are received before it).
2. Any participants who fail to meet this deadline will be eliminated. Deadlines are not being extended for anyone, so do not ask. Special extensions may be asked in the event of a long trip or medical/family emergency, but you must contact Silver_Wolf_Kitty immediately if this occurs.
3. After two weeks(or when all dolls are entered), the judges will then provide critique on each entry and select a bottom two for the round.
4. Several days are given for voting on who should stay. Voting will be a public affair, but you shouldn’t worry about hurting feelings. All you have to do is vote in the voting thread poll for the doll you think should go.
5. Votes are counted and the bottom participant is eliminated, then the next round begins.

Theme
The theme for our finale is "Formal Wear". We saw some cute dresses in the audition round, but not lets see just how dazzling you guys can really be. Make sure you take your time--this doll will be immortalized in your awards and will be displayed on the forums as well. Clearly no major character edits are allowed--this is your final shining moment and its only fair that we see the character that you started out with.

When your doll is ready, we ask participants to post their dollmaker doll in this thread. The finale will close the evening of December 30th! After that, the judges will submit their critiques and then public voting for our Miss TDP Dollmaker will begin! The winner will be announced on January 3rd on here and in the Dollsters monthly newsletter. At that time we will reveal the special prizes for our winners and the runner ups!

Questions

[prin367cess]

So i started this when the rules were posted, had doller's block halfway through, and finally finished it today.



Character: still me. XD
Story: I figured that, since this is the final round, it's only natural for me to be at an awards ceremony. Walking the red carpet, dressed in a beautiful designer gown, hair and makeup done by a professional. I was totally shocked when i found out i had been nominated! The emcee just called my category - Miss TDP Dollmaker. Even if i don't get the award, the experience has been awesome.

Judges' Critiques
First off, I'd like to say that I really LOVE the idea that you used a TDP maker's props for the last round. How perfect to have curtains that actually say TDP?! The dress itself is absolutely gorgeous and matches the character nicely (the eyes). So the props are pefect, the dress is fabulous, the doll is exceptionally well made...but one issue. The frame is black and boring. Oh how I would have loved to see a silver frame for this doll.

Throughout the competition you have made huge leaps and bounds! I remember thinking that your first doll was really 'plain jane' and didn't know how far you'd make it if you kept only making the doll and not adding pizazz. Well you're definately adding pizazz now and the dolls look way more complete!

I hope this experience carries with you and that you continue to grow as a Dollmaker Doller. I encourage you to move outside your comfort zones and start using more titles and more detailed frames. I would really love to see you start delving your hand into some prop/outfit making as your editing skills have really improved throughout this competition.

Congrats to you for making it so far, and good luck!
.:*LancasterPrincess*:.

I am in love with your background! Its perfect how you included awards, as well as "TDP". It fits perfectly with the theme of going to an awards show and customizing it like that was an incredible touch. You have dressed her the part too for such an occasion, with an eye catching dress. The colors are marvelous, blending well with the whole color scheme you have going here! I do agree with Lovie that the major issue that sticks out in the black border. A color change would've softened it up nicely, making this doll shine even more!

Your improvements in this competition are magnificent. You went from few props and a lone doll to complete scenes, which is incredibly desirable. It shows just how much can be done with some good props and an excellent doller behind them! I would love to see you turn your talents now to more personalization. Lets see you do some pixeling, bringing some new items to the table that haven't been seen before! It is certainly your time to shine now and you need to take it and run with it.
-Silver_Wolf_Kitty

First of all, I've got to say this; I absolutely adore this doll. I think that the curtains are a nice touch, as is the little bit of sparkle on the doll's sash. The dress is fantasic, and suits your doll perfectly, to the hair and eyes. The props, the little statuettes are good, and not overpowering. My only criticism is that the border is a little blocky, and I don't much like the black; a dark red or purple or even a silver or gold would have matched the doll better.

Your dolls have been improving, round by round. I think my favourite of all your dolls was your Seven Deadly Sins doll, with all its little touches and extras. It really represented the theme perfectly. I love the way you keep adding these little extras, and it really gives a spark to your dolls.
-Miranda_

[Aussiemum777]

Character-Ebony
Maker-PURRRFECTION
Backdrop-Google

It has been a long road & Ebony is really thrilled to be in the final round, she has made some really good friends along the way.
Ebony is on vacation in Spain, she is at a local gala event for aspiring artiists & didn't have anything to wear so she decided to make her own gown for the occasion, she couldnt afford any fabric so she used some old drapes that she had stored away that belonged to her grandmother, The flowers on her dress are freshly picked and she is really proud of what she came up with....She thinks her dress is absolutely gorgeous...Don't you?
Win or Lose...who cares, I had fun!

A BIG Thanks to everyone who entered this comp, there were some really good entries in some of the rounds, Thanks to Kitty & the judges for being completely honest with their critiques there was always a good balance of the positives & negatives.....Thanks guys!

Judges Note: Ness' doll was changed due to an image problem that messed it up. She submitted a new doll instead with our permission due to the problem.

Judges' Critiques
Ebony in Spain, and what a BEAUTIFUL senorita she makes! How perfectly the pops of red go with your character! And that hand made dress is really pretty. How creative to decorate it with bows and roses from the scenery behind her, it really brings the doll together. I do have one issue with the doll though and that is the roses behind her. It seems a bit messy that they don't cut off at the top of the frame like they do at the sides. I also have a bit of advice and that's to use colors that pop for text. The Ebony signature is really hard to read, and though it matches the doll because of the deep red, I feel a silver would have been a better choice.

From the beginning to end of the competition your dolls have stayed consistently beautiful. Always having a background and props has ensured Ebony's place at the Finals. Gorgeous dolls are your specialty, and your use of props/background blends are always something I look forward to seeing.

Throughout the competition I haven't seen Ebony grow a whole lot. I hope to see your Dollmaker skills grow in the future. Even the best need to switch things up from time to time just to keep things interesting. I would love to see some fresh and new ideas from you, start some new trends, make some new impressions.

Congrats to you for making it to the Finals! Good Luck!
.:*LancasterPrincess*:.

This is a well put together doll, that certainly is elegant to say the least! The red jumps out nicely against the dark background and was an excellent choice in making your doll. I like too how they really match the light shades of red in the dress, matching them look less like they were tossed in and more like intentional elements to bring the entire doll together. I'm not sure this particular dress shape was the most flattering, with the large fold in the front being more of a distraction than anything else. My other major issue is how the roses extend onto the frame above the doll, while not doing so on the edges. It looks inconsistent, though still pretty.

I haven't doubted for a second that you would be here in the finals. You have always produced beautiful work, with elegant backgrounds and props, but now you need to expand your work. You have the abilities to do so, so lets see some more new props and clothing. I am also interested in seeing you take your pixeled backgrounds from your handdrawn dolls and utilizing them here too. With practice, you could start a trend that is sure to catch on fast.
-Silver_Wolf_Kitty

I absolutely love the roses in this doll; they match her gorgeous red dress perfectly! I would have prefered them to make a complete border, tho. She looks all dressed up, tho I would have prefered a smaller bow, personally. The text could have been in a different font and colour; it doesn't really stand out enough. The full moon looks gorgeous, and really helps to set the scene. I can imagine her to be standing on that balcony, perhaps waiting for her perfect moment to enter.

Your dolls have always been beautiful; always with a background, and always with a nice border to set it off. I'd like to see, however, you to step out of your comfort zone and try a few new things, maybe a gothic style doll, or a chubby doll. Just a few new things to keep things fresh.
-Miranda_