Featured Sculptor: Sienna Niall
Meet the Sculptor: Sienna Niall
Next up in our Meet the Sculptor series, is the ever talented Sienna Niall. Originally from Sweden, Sienna recently married and is now living in Germany. She has been active in the reborn community since 2011 and operates under the studio name Sweet Tooth Nursery.
Her work encompasses portrait sculpting, sculpting, and the creation of both silicone and reborn babies. One of her notable creations is “Silicone Ines.” For those interested in viewing her work or seeking more information, Sienna maintains an active presence on Instagram and has a Facebook page for her nursery, Sweet Tooth Nursery where updates and announcements are posted
The Interview
What brought you to the reborn doll community?
I have always loved baby dolls and hyper-realistic art. In 2011 I found reborns and I was instantly hooked. I found a small community in Sweden but also started an Instagram account where I have met and made friends with people from all over the world.
What inspired you to start sculpting reborn dolls?
I was 13 years old when I found reborns and I couldn’t afford all the dolls I wanted at the time I bought materials to try sculpting a baby myself. I really enjoyed it and kept at it. It became one of my biggest hobbies and I had a ultimate goal of one day getting to produce a reborn kit.
Do you use real baby references or work from imagination?
I use real baby references and imagination almost 50/50. Whenever I use a real baby reference, I make sure to contact the parent or owner of the photo to ask if I can use it. I can sometimes draw inspiration from reference pictures but mainly work from imagination as well.
How long does it typically take you to complete a new sculpt from start to finish?
A newborn sized head can take anything from 7-15 hours to complete. The limbs and body take me a little longer as I have more experience sculpting heads than limbs/body. I have had sculptures ready to go within a couple weeks but I also have sculptures from five years ago that I haven’t finished. If I’m working with a client I try to get the sculpture done as soon as possible.
What materials do you prefer to work with, and why?
I work with Super Sculpey original/Living Doll and/or Cosclay. These clays weren’t available to me when I started sculpting and I tried lots of other polymer clays on the market, as well as plasticine clays and earth clays. These clays were sticky and hard to work with or would crack and/or melt. The first time I got to try Super Sculpey it was really eye opening. The clay was smooth and not sticky at all. It was easy to condition and blend. I never looked back.
What are the biggest challenges in sculpting a realistic reborn doll?
Getting the proportions right, especially when it comes to the limbs. I also struggled a bit with the flanges and how they would fit on a cloth body. When sculpting a full body baby the biggest challenge by far is making sure the front of the body doesn’t get squished whilst working on the back and vice versa.
How do you ensure the proportions and details are as lifelike as possible?
I use real life measurements as well as reference pictures. With heads it comes quite naturally to me after 13 years of sculpting. One thing I usually tell people who wants to start sculpting is to make sure your armature is as correct as possible when starting. It helps a lot trying to place everything in the right place.
Do you have a favorite sculpt you’ve created? If so, what makes it special?
I have lots of favorites but one that will always have a warm spot in my heart is my sculpt Etta which was made into a vinyl kit back in 2020/2021. It had been a dream for almost a decade at the time to have to opportunity to make a vinyl kit and Etta was the first sculpt that made it.
What’s your process for creating limbs and body parts to match the head sculpt?
I use reference pics for size and also real baby measurements. I then base the hands and feet on the expression of the face. If the baby is calmly sleeping I will sculpt relaxed hands and feet and if the baby is crying the hands and feet will be more expressive. I will also put the head and limbs on a cloth body throughout the process to make sure they look appropriate with each other
How has the reborn doll industry changed since you started?
In my home country of Sweden, the industry has gone from pretty much unheard of to quite big. Back when I started there was only a very small forum where you could meet other people who were collecting or creating. It was right at the shift where most dolls went from having 3/4 limbs to full limbs as well, so the kits were starting to evolve. Sculpting has grown a lot as when I started sculpting there weren’t really any videos, local classes or Facebook groups available to learn from and I had to figure it out on my own. I think more and more people feel excited to try and sculpt their own dolls. I have seen global changes that are mainly how common counterfeits are and how more and more people are leaning towards them without realizing or caring how damaging it is. Back when I started these counterfeits didn’t exist.
What trends do you see emerging in the reborn doll world?
I see more and more people wanting to try to create their own dolls through sculpting groups on Facebook and classes in doll shows. I also see an increase in peacefully sleeping dolls being very popular and I think it may have to do with realism when taking them out in strollers etc. as a peacefully sleeping doll looks more realistic that a permanently laughing or crying doll. However, in toddler reborns, expressions is everything!
How do you feel about AI-generated faces or digital sculpting tools?
I personally don’t like AI-generated faces. I feel like it cheats our amazing sculptors out of customers. It takes years to master the sculpting skill and to build up a client base. Hours, days, months or even years to sculpt a baby. It makes me sad that someone can come along, put a few words into a generator and get a perfect baby to 3D-print from in a very short period of time. Digital sculpting tools are a little different to me however as it still involves sculpting albeit digital. I think it’s 100% okay as long as it’s from scratch and not just small changes to an AI-generated image.
Do you ever collaborate with reborn doll painters or other artists?
I do! I have collaborated with both reborn and silicone artist, vinyl kit producers and silicone producers.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start sculpting reborn dolls?
Take it slow. When you feel you’re done, put the sculpt down for 24-48h and then come back to it. Almost always you find something you’d like to change. Ask for help when you get stuck. There are several Facebook groups dedicated to help sculptors, new and experienced, to get out of the sculpting rut. Don’t be afraid to scrap and restart. I have probably scrapped hundreds of sculpts, only a fraction has made it through. Have fun! It may be very hard to get a hang of it in the beginning. Lots of people find themselves in a ”old man” state where the baby looks like an old man. It scares a lot of people away, but almost all of us have been there at some point. Just keep pushing through it, ask for guidance, scrap, restart. Enjoy the process!
Do you take custom requests, or do you prefer to work on your own ideas?
I do not at the moment. If I’m sculpting for myself I do better work and usually I end up selling the sculpture without issues. I will then sometimes accept requests that are more custom, but I usually have free creativity within those collaborations.
Have you ever sculpted dolls based on real babies for customers?
I have, however I wouldn’t call them customers. I will sculpt dolls based on real babies if I feel inspired by the image and will always contact the owner of the photo (usually the parent) for approval. I currently don’t accept requests or custom orders for portraits, but I hope to do so in the future.
Are there any dream projects or special themes you’d love to explore?
I would love to make a large newborn full body silicone doll at some point. Hopefully within the next few years. I would also love to have one of my babies in a movie.
Where do you see your sculpting career going in the next five to ten years?
I hope to have produced both silicone and vinyl dolls for lots of people to enjoy. Maybe even work in a SFX movie setting. I would also love to have had a class at a doll show teaching sculpting.
What’s the most meaningful reaction you’ve received from someone about your work?
When I was asked if I wanted to have a sculpt made into a kit. It was a feeling of “I finally made it. I’m finally good enough.” I think that, and also being able to collab with one of the most well-known silicone artists in the world. Just being noticed and appreciated. It means so much
