Although different versions and many variations exist in the dolls, they are all of the same unspecified, generic identity (Van Leeuwen, 2009). However, this rag doll has interesting physical and cultural identity features that we wanted to portray in this edition. The doll has a very typical childlike build with a relatively big round head and big eyes. The black hair is worn in thick braids adorned with bright ribbons, and the clothing of the doll reflects the traditional clothing worn in the community the doll originates. These features simultaneously reflect the dolls' cultural identity: they represent the appearance of Otomí and Mazahua women.
The doll has intricate textures that are crucial for the telling of the story. The fabrics the doll is made from are traditionally made by hand by indigenous women, so it was important that the textures of these fabrics be translated well into 3D form. Extensive photographing and close-ups of the object (specifically the fabrics) allowed the software to realistically reconstruct the textures and allowed us to fully make use of the affordances of the 3D medium - zooming in on the fabrics so that the viewer can get a feeling and experience them without being able to touch them.
Furthermore, the object is a rag doll, so it was important that the object does not come out too sleek, but rather has an unfinished and somewhat worn down texture - which worked out well and can be seen mainly in the back of the doll where the seams are unfinished. The doll’s hair was very messy (fuzzy) as it’s made of individual strands of yarn. These were cleaned up a bit both before taking photos, as well as during masking, but only so that the program could render them correctly.
The texture of the lace trims around the neckline and bottom hem of the skirt is very intricate, which formed a challenge of its own while masking. While it may have been possible to mask around each little fibre of the lace, it was simply not feasible to do so within the time span of this project. More detail in the texture could probably be achieved by more precise masking of these areas.