Hi Shindeluxe!  Thanks for the warm welcome!  That's super awesome you are majoring in costume design (another love!).  Good luck in all your doll making efforts.  I for one am a little lazy (and a perfectionist) so I'm waiting to learn 3D sculpting before I really get going on making my own so I can just send them off to be 3D printed haha.

Post Merge: December 30, 2014, 12:38:30 PM

Hey Mascarah! I had a somewhat similar experience with my mom discouraging me from going to school in NY years ago, which I think if you really want to get into fashion design, you should make all effort to do so...at least for a time.  But I'm grateful for what happened because I hated working in the industry and really am more of an illustrator anyway. I was surprised when my parents were so supportive of me going back for additional studies, but I guess I've been so into this for so long they realized how important it is to me.

The best part with art and design though is you really don't need a degree anyway, just a great portfolio!  I've seen so many insanely talented artists who are self taught and have awesome jobs, so never give up on it if you want it!

I look forward to chatting more too!

Hi everyone,

It's super nice to meet you!  I'm Courtney.

As a little about me, I've lived in many places in the US, and am currently living in Los Angeles going to school at what I think is one of the greatest places on Earth, the Gnomon School of Visual Effects & Animation in Hollywood.  I'm studying my own curriculum of design (less focus on the visual effects and animation).  I loooove to draw and create.

I've always liked fashion dolls and got into Monster High when I first saw the line (in my late twenties, woot!) and for the longest time just had an original Lagoona doll.  But my collection has expanded because HOW can it not!?  I have a MH original Robecca, a Rochelle Goyle Ghouls Night Out, and many of the make your own monster sets (I wanted to see how the dolls fit together!).  I loooooove fairy tales so was also a big fan when Ever After High debuted.  I have Apple White, Raven Queen, CA Cupid, Lizzie Hearts, Legacy Day Apple White, & Legacy Day Ashlynn Ella.

If you ever need an opinion on stuff I would love to connect!  I have a degree in Fashion Design, and while I'm seriously not the best patternmaker, I do have some skills with which I would be happy to share an opinion.  Hopefully I can bring something to the community, as I'd really like to one day work on my own line of dolls and better my skills at painting them.  I think fashion dolls are an incredible art medium, and while I love bjds, I think MH and EAH are way cooler in many ways since they are more affordable and durable.

Cheers & thanks for listening!