Using Drawing Pencils Work Doll Faceups
I have finally finished my list of all the materials I use to paint my BJDs and Taeyang dolls. What initially started as a simple list soon exploded into a text file of over 2400 words as I decided to go all out and be as detailed as possible. If you're new to learning how to customize and paint your dolls, it can be quite overwhelming at first (it certainly was for me). With that, I've tried to break everything down into sections and focus on one thing at a time.
And no, you do not have to use "artist grade" paints, pastels, or anything else to make a good face-up. All the materials I use are "student grade" or less, and I've been very satisfied with the results 😀
Acrylic Paints & Paint Pens (aka Paint Markers)
The paint you use can be whatever brand you want. Folk Art, Apple Barrel, Artist's Loft, Craft Smart, Deco Art, etc. I personally like to use Artist's Loft. The reason is because it is a little bit thicker than, say, Deco Art. If I need it to be thinner, I can dilute it with water, and when I need it thick, then I can use it straight out of the bottle. Artist's Loft paint tends to dry with a slight sheen to it, where as Craft Smart, for example, is true matte.
A quick note about adding freckles:
If you're wanting to add freckles to a face-up, you can do so a couple ways. First is to apply them all manually with diluted acrylics. Or, you could also "splatter" them on. This method helps them to look much more realistic. You could use diluted acrylics for splattering or you could use watercolour. I actually recommend watercolour over acrylics for freckles as they're super easy to remove with a damp q-tip, and acrylics can be a bit stubborn. If you choose to splatter them onto your doll's face, be sure to use a brush with thick, stiff bristles. Using a toothbrush is also an excellent alternative.
As for paint pens, any brand will do. They tend to be more expensive than acrylics, but they're definately something worth trying out. The only downside is that you can't dilute them with water if you need to, as you can with bottled acrylics. The colour can also be a bit more stubborn to remove if you make a mistake. Just make sure that the pens you get are labeled as either being "acrylic" or "water based", as many paint pens also come in oil variations. If you use oil paints on Taeyang heads or BJDs, they will likely be a chemical reaction with the plastics and it could never fully dry and turn sticky.
Paintbrushes
Paintbrushes, from top to bottom:
Artist's Loft Marseille Mop Brush 1/2
Artist's Loft Marseille Scrumbler size 6
Princeton Select Artiste Series 3750 Lunar Blender Brush
Princeton Petite Round 5/0
Princeton Select Artiste Round size 0
Princeton Select Round size 0
Craft Smart Brown Taklon Round Tempera Brush size 3.
Craft Smart Gold Taklon Shader size 6
Note: I wrapped my Lunar Blender in tape as the finish on the handle flaked off after it accidentally stayed in a jar of water overnight. Totally my fault! The brush is awesome, though XD
The types of brushes you need depends on how you want to paint your doll. For example, if you want to paint eyebrows then you'll need a very fine tip brush. I've tried painting eyebrows before and found it to be too much of a hassle, so I make eyebrows by layering pastels and using different colours of watercolour pencils. When I first start on eyebrows, I use a size 6 shader brush to apply pastels. For shading around the eyes and colouring lips, I use a size 3 round brush. And for applying a blush, I use a size 6 scrumbler which is very similar to a small mop brush. For painting eyeliner around eyes, I use have several Princeton brushes that are my favourite, those being the Select Round Size 0, Petite Round 5/0, and Artiste Round size 0. They're all nearly identical in shape and size, and it's really nice having backup brushes. They all work beautifully with acrylics and I will never use another brush to paint around eyes. You can get them at Michael's with coupons, too 😀 Lastly, I also have a larger 1/2 inch mop brush I use for brushing excess pastels away.
Gloves
You'll want to wear gloves while handling your doll's head so you won't leave fingerprints or skin oils behind on the plastic. If you do, and then apply pastels, it will give the areas a viably different texture and you might be able to see your fingerprint through it. I did that once as my hands are naturally clammy.
You can use 100% cotton gloves, jersey gloves or even Latex, Neoprene, Nitrile, Poly or Vinyl gloves. Many of the plastic gloves come in "powdered" and "non powdered" choices. Also, if you have allergies or sensitive skin, it would be best to stay away from latex gloves as well as all "powdered" versions as that powder can contain allergens. Gloves that are 100% cotton are the best choice! I personally use jersey gloves I got at Walmart which were called "gardening" gloves; they came in a set of three for only $2.50. Also, depending on which of your hands is dominant, you might want to only use a glove for the hand you'll be holding you doll's head with, and not wearing one for the hand you'll hold your paintbrush with. I tried wearing a glove with my "painting" hand, but I didn't feel like I had adequate control of what I was doing. Try it out and do whatever works best for you.
Soft Pastels
You can use soft pastels of any brand. I use Faber Castell Creative Studio Quality and they work beautifully. I got my box of 72 online for less than $25. You can find that set in craft stores, but it's way overpriced even with coupons. You can find it much cheaper online. As alternatives, I've also heard good reviews about the student grade pastels by Mungyo, and Artist's Loft has a box of soft pastels for cheap, too. Some people prefer PanPastels since they are "artist grade" and highly pigmented. I have several of these and honestly I don't care for them because they are so pigmented. I like to layer my colours slowly for a more natural look, and that's hard to do when you're working with pastels that are very rich. Also, since they are insanely pigmented that makes them much harder to remove if you make a mistake. Also, some people use pastels wet. I've tried this and it looked awful on a Taeyang, but it might be something worth experimenting with. It simply all comes down to what works best for you, so don't be afraid to experiment.
A quick note about Chalk Pastels:
I've used Chalk Pastels to colour polymer clay for years and they work very well. The only real difference between them when you shave some colour off with an Xacto knife is that Soft Pastels have no hard particles in their dust. When using Chalk Pastels on clay, I've had some particles scratch the clay and remove colour at times. That might scratch the plastic on Taeyang heads or BJD heads, but that won't happen when using Soft Pastels 😀
Dust Masks
When using pastels I implore you to always wear a mask! Pastels consist of not only their pigments, but the binders that hold them together. The pigments – especially those that are inorganic – are toxic if inhaled. If you have respiratory issues, like Asthma, be sure to not only wear a mask but also work in a well ventilated area. I did not know this when I first started working with them and after I used them the first time I was coughing, wheezing and hacking for about 3 days afterwards, and felt like I had grit all in my sinuses and deep in my throat. Not all face masks are equal, but I highly recommend the 3M masks that protect against painting and sanding. They come in a pack of 2 or 3 and each have a valve/filter on the front which offers a much better level of protection against particles. My only complaint is that the bands on them are extremely tight. So tight, in fact, that I had to hand sew a new band on mine because it hurt so much.
Watercolour Pencils
An excellent, cheap brand of pencils to try out is Crayola. That's what I used first and I love them. Once I started using them more with face ups I decided to get a set with more colours, so I bought a student grade set of Faber Castell pencils with a count of 48; it only cost me about $20. And no, you don't have to buy the $200+ Albrecht Durer watercolour set to have good pencils. The student grade set is soft, vivid and super easy to use, as are the Crayola pencils. I use all of my watercolour pencils dry, and use them to draw eyebrow hairs as well as lines above the eyes. You could also use them to add lines to lips, or even facial hair. I've also heard that some people run a damp paintbrush over watercolour pencils lines to smooth them out. I've tried this before but never had success with it, and didn't care for the way it looked. Sharpening watercolour pencils can be tricky as they're softer then regular pencils and therefore more delicate. That's where the Xacto knife comes in!
X-acto Knife
You'll be using this a lot for shaving colour off of pastels and also sharpening watercolour pencils. All pencil sharpeners are not equal, and since watercolour pencils are generally softer than regular coloured pencils, it's better to use an Xacto knife to sharpen them. It takes longer, but will greatly lengthen the life of your pencils, and will also allow you to attain a really fine point. A type of sharpener you can use with your pencils is the plain ol', basic metal sharpener you can find at most craft stores. I got mine at Michael's for about $2. While it works really well, it doesn't sharpen the pencils to a super fine tip (you'll have to do that with an Xacto knife), but it can definitely help to decrease the time it takes to sharpen a pencil. Also, when sharpening a pencil with an Xacto knife, that creates a surprising amount of dust, so be sure to wear a mask.
Kneaded Eraser
Plain, basic kneaded eraser. I love these things. They will help you out a ton when using pastels and pencils. Depending on the size, they're anywhere from $1 to $3. Since they're malleable, you can shape it however you need; such as a fine point for use in small areas, or as a blob to use on larger areas. Also, when using one to remove excess pastel colour, don't rub the eraser back and fourth over the pastels (as you would with a pencil eraser on paper). This will cause the pastel colour to smear and will make it harder to remove. Instead…dab the area! This way the eraser picks up the colour off the plastic without spreading it. Works like a charm every time. Also, I once used a pencil eraser on a Taeyang head as a test to see how it compared to a kneaded eraser. While it removed the colour just fine, it left behind an odd residue. It wasn't sticky, but felt thick. Conclusion: kneaded erasers are your best friends 😀
How to clean your kneaded eraser?
After using your eraser to remove watercolour pencil marks and excess pastels, you will find it becomes quite dirty. The best way to clean it is actually to knead it. Tear pieces off, fold it back over itself, stretch it out, and roll it. That will remove all the colour that was originally on it's surface, and condition it as well, making it more malleable and easier to use.
Varnish
This is optional, but will help to give a sense of depth and realism when you use it on lips or at the inner eye corners. I use Liquitex Satin Varnish on lips and eyes and while it works very well, the bottles are expensive. It's about $18 for an 8 oz bottle at Michael's, but you can buy smaller and cheaper 4 oz bottles online. Although the Satin and Matte finished don't come in 4 oz bottle, the Gloss and High Gloss finishes do.
There are other types of varnish available which are cheaper, however I do not know which ones are safe to use on plastic or resin. Also, for the longest time I was confusing Varnish with Sealant and didn't know which was which. Varnish is typically applied to lips or eyes after you apply your final layer of sealant. However, when I apply varnish to lips or eyes, I like to do so before I apply my final layer of MSC sealant. I do that as I really like the subtle texture it adds to the lips; making them appear more neutral/realistic. However, if you want lips to be very glossy then you could use Liquitex Gloss or High Gloss Varnish on top of the sealant and not apply any sealant over it.
Sealant
Mr.Super Clear "Matt" is made by a Japanese Brand, Mr.Hobby, and is specifically for plastic. Sometimes acronymed as MSC, it works awesome on Taeyang heads and BJDs. The can is 6 oz and is a little expensive; $15 to $17. However, I also recommend "Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover Matte Clear" sealant as an alternative. It's right at $4 for a 12 oz can and works just as well as MSC. The only real difference I've noticed between them is that Rust-Oleum has a little more of a tooth/texture than MSC, which allows for paint/pastels to adhere to it better. Also, depending on how much you spray, the texture is a little more viable than MSC and not as smooth to the touch. I don't like the feel of the Rustoleum texture to be honest, but that's just me. Personally, I use MSC for my first layer of sealant, then lightly use Rust-Oleum for all of the "in between" coats, and finish it with one final layer of MSC. Then you not only get the benefit of the greater tooth of Rustoleum, but the smooth matte finish of MSC as well.
Many people say to seal the doll's head before you start working on it. However, I have tried this several times and it has not worked for me at all. After the head is sealed, the sealant gives the plastic a grit or "tooth" texture which allows colours to better adhere to it, and that makes it much harder to remove any initial mistakes. I like to decide on eyebrow placement as well apply paints and pastels before I seal the head for the first time. Doing this allows me to correct mistakes very easily as the pastels and paint don't have much to "cling" to yet. Once I've decided on eyebrow placement, I paint around the eyes, put down my first layer of pastel colour, and then seal it as I know where I need everything to be. This greatly reduces any future mistakes for me.
And that about sums it up! I hope I made it all easy to understand. I'm not that good at explaining things, I don't think. Just remember there is no single, proper way to go about painting a doll's face. You can do so however you wish, and don't be scared to experiment and find what works best for you. That's how we all learn 😀
I'm planning on customizing a new Taeyang doll soon, and I'll go over the best ways to remove a doll's face-up for customizing, be it a factory job or a custom job. I'll try to have that up by this time next week!
Using Drawing Pencils Work Doll Faceups
Source: https://greenworldminiatures.wordpress.com/2020/01/23/tutorial-doll-face-up-material-list/
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