Getting a piece of art to look lifelike is a goal for many artists, but sometimes, achieving that realism can be unexpectedly unsettling. After all, there's a comfort in knowing that you're not actually looking at a tiny human!
But then there's the work of artist and dollmaker Michael Zajkov, who creates dolls using just polymer clay and paint. He makes his dolls look so realistic that watching him hold their heads in his hands is actually a little creepy!
While Zajkov's dolls are technically inanimate, his talent at sculpting and painting their faces makes it look like they could start breathing, blinking, and talking at any moment.
And just like the artist who alarmed animal lovers with his incredibly lifelike sculptures of fish, Zajkov's dolls have startled people all over the world. Today, his work has gone on to become a main attraction at doll expos in his native Russia.
Take a look at his creations below, and you might find yourself both amazed at his skill and a little unnerved at the same time! And just as impressive as his hand-sculpted dolls are their historically accurate clothes and accessories.
[H/T: BoredPanda]
Looking at these faces, you might think they were real people at first glance.
They have all the tiny detail and color of a real human face, but they're actually miniature creations made from polymer clay and paint.
To create his dolls, Zajkov carefully sculpts the clay over a foil structure. He includes all the anatomical details, too, like eyes and teeth, and then builds the face around them, just like how our faces are formed over our bones.
The process is slow, but as he builds up the layers of clay, an unique face is formed. Because each of his dolls is made by hand, with no two ever alike.
A drill bit is used to refine some of the smaller features and to create depth, especially in the mouth.
Separate and set in later, the eyes are made of painted glass.
When the face is fully sculpted, Zajkov goes in with paints to create a lifelike skin tone and add character to the face.
The detail he can achieve is incredible. It looks like this face might start moving at any moment!
Looking at the dolls in pieces when they're this lifelike is admittedly a bit unsettling. These disembodied heads are way too real!
But don't worry, each doll gets their own body, and Zajkov spends just as much time and attention on the rest of them as he does with their faces.
Just like the faces, the doll bodies are hand-sculpted using polymer clay and feature moveable joints so they can be posed.
When the dolls are complete, Zajkov adds hair and historical clothing, turning his dolls into fully-formed characters.
Everything, from the hairstyles to the delicate clothing, is truly remarkable.
And because they're all different, his dolls seem to have distinct personalities.
Zajkov, whose background also includes working in a puppet theater, became famous in the doll world after showing off his work at an expo in Moscow in 2013.
Here's Zajkov with some of his dolls at a show. When you consider their small size, the detail on these dolls becomes all the more impressive!
You can see more of Michael's work, including some short videos of his process on his Instagram.
And if you know anyone who loves amazing craftsmanship, be sure to SHARE these amazing dolls with them!
