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Airbrush Faceup Step-by-step

May 1, 2007

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    1. Hi everyone :aheartbea

      I'm no pro at face-ups, but I'm beginning to learn some new things about using my airbrush properly, and what order is most comfortable (for me) to do face-ups in. I just thought I'd share since I really can't find a lot of good resources for airbrushing dolls~ and I believe in sharing knowledge, not hoarding it to myself. XD


      Step 1.
      [​IMG]
      This face-up will be done on my CP Lishe. She had an old face-up, and to remove old face-ups I use Windsor and Newton Brush Cleaner and Restorer. I've tried a million different products from acetone to isoprophly alcohol, and nothing works as well, and is as safe as W&N. Also Mr. Clean Magic erasers help a lot, dip a magic eraser into some W&N and it's a face-up removing miracle :D
      After I removed her old faceup I washed her off with clean water and soap, then rinsed her in clean water again to make sure there is no residue still sticking to the resin or anything. I let her air dry, and then when she's dry I spray her in a couple light coats of MR. Super Clear for the base. Before you spray make sure the head hasn't been like, covered in dust or anything, it'll stick and stay when you spray MSC. Not very pretty, and makes an uneven surface to paint on. blech.



      Step 2
      [​IMG]
      My first step, and others may do things differently (whatever works for you), is to do the basic skin colored shading on her face, even if she will have darker make-up or whatever, right now i'm just doing the base.
      This step was using the airbrush, I use an iwata HP-A plus airbrush for face-ups, and it's great. It has the perfect little cup size, since you're not using a lot of paint anyways. I only ever use a few drops of a color for each step, a little paint really does go a long way. The paints I use are Golden airbrush paints, and Com-Art air brush paints.
      The hp-a plus is a dual-action airbrush, and before I bought it I had never even held an airbrush so I had no idea what dual-action even meant. I was SUCH a nub lol. For a while I couldn't get my paint to stop speckling, I thought maybe the airbrush paint I bought was the problem. Wrong! I was pressing too light. Pressing down releases air, and pressing back will release paint! Once I figured that out, it was pretty smooth sailing, just press down firmly and release lot of air while pressing back lightly and releasing a little bit of paint, it'll go on beautifully without speckling. It should all go on in light layers, i try not to keep the airbrush pointed at one spot for too long, the paint will bead up and ruin whatever has just been done. Very frustrating.

      After this step I coated the head in MSC to save whatever I had done, and worked on some little details, as you can see I had started doing the details on the lips. (MSC is like a videogame save point, if you F up your game, just reset and go back to your save point. much like MSC, you can just wipe off newly painted things, and you'll still have your 'saved' paint untouched underneath the MSC... lol i'm such a dork)



      Anyways, Step 3
      [​IMG]
      after I sprayed MSC, I began working on the little details like eyelashes and the lips.... as you can see I repainted the lips a little darker here.
      For the eyelashes I use a Princton Mini 20/0 Monogram brush. I use golden acrylic paints that have matte medium and some water added to them, and just put the lashes on with very light strokes, and just go over the ones i want darker when they dry.
      I find it's kind of unnatural to use black for the lashes unless you want a really gothy looking face-up, here i've used a really dark brown. Also some lighter brown lashes to mix things up~

      I've added some cute little birth marks as well, I love seing moles and birthmarks and freckles on dolls, or any type of character artwork. It's just so much fun and really makes your doll 'unique'.



      Step 4
      [​IMG]
      Anyways, carrying on. After I've sealed the work I did with a few light coats of MSC, I began working on the darker shades around her eyes. I wanted to give her a very brown/orangey kind of eyeshadow, she'll have blue eyes and i think the colors will contrast nicely~ I also added a little bit of the same brown to her lips, only barely, to make them less pink. I added some light peach details to her lips. When doing the little lip line details, i've found that using white is a little boring, i try to do the highlights with a lighter color like peach, or pink depending on the shade i want for the lips, you can also add darker lines too when that is desired~

      Step 5
      [​IMG]
      once again, seal your work with MSC! (omg I use so much of that stuff, but your face-up will last a lot longer than if you only sealed like... once)
      Now it's onto the eyebrows, they're kinda... tough. I probably redo eyebrows more than I redo anything else. First I draw in a really light line with a pencil crayon or watercolor pencil to get a good guideline for the eyebrow shape. it's really really light and barely visible in the end, i use a light grey most often. Anyways, when painting I use the same paint as I used when doing the eyelashes, just diluted a liiittle more because I don't want the eyebrows as dark. I used the same monogram 20/0 brush, and just lightly brushed in little 'hairs' where i wanted them. they go on very light, don't press your brush down or you'll end up with thicker lines. if you want it darker wait for your first layer to dry and then add another layer. i usually add several layers, and for the last layer i make the paint slightly darker. i hope this makes sense ^^;

      having a little piece of a mr. clean eraser or a damp q-tip even is good for little mistakes, if one teensey brush stroke isn't where you want it, it shouldn't ruin the eyebrows, just fix it up a bix!


      step 6
      [​IMG]
      coat with msc several times. remember just light coats, wait a bit for them to dry between the coats too, you don't want it to bead up and end up dripping down your face-up! it has happened to me, not fun. ah well, live and learn. lol~

      once the final coat of MSC has dried, it's time for the gloss, i add a few layers of gloss varnish to her lips and eyes. more gloss goes on the corners of her eyes, and the lips because i want those to be a little bit more shiney.

      i also add the eyelashes at this point, not much to say, just white school glue, a toothpick, and some tweezers! i also trimmed them a bit so they would fit nicer. i was happy with how well the color matched the lower lashes.

      just a note about eyelashes, keep them away from intense heat, they MELT. haha. my last faceup was ruined because a hairdryer was pointed at my girl, totally melted her lashes. yikes.


      step 7
      [​IMG]
      once the gloss has dried, and the glue used to apply the lashes, the head can be put back on it's body safely! and we're done!


      [​IMG]

      thanks for veiwing, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask! and if you have any tips to share i'm sure theres more airbrush noobs like me who would appreciate it XD
       
      #1 Yumedust, May 1, 2007
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    2. Great tutorial with a beautiful result <3

      I bought a cheap air brush a while ago but I've yet to get a pump for it >.o;

      Your tutorial makes me want to go and set it up though! X3

      Edit: I just realised that you're THE yumedust! *worships* Your art work is amazing! No surprise you can get such wonderful results on your dolls too! ^o^
       
      #2 WolfeClaw, May 1, 2007
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    3. Hi, what sort of compressor do you use? My hubby wants me to 'make a list' of all the stuff I need to airbrush my dolls. :D
       
      #3 Buff, May 1, 2007
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    4. WolfeClaw: aww thank you very much! and good luck with your airbrush <3! ^___^

      Buff: Hi! I use an iwata smart jet pro compressor, i've been told it's really important to get a good compressor, it's like the heart of your airbrush! i'm glad i did, even if it was more expensive.
       
      #4 Yumedust, May 1, 2007
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    5. I like the "video game save point" analogy xD I think that's a very accurate way to describe how to use MSC :XD:

      Thanks for posting this tutorial. Like you said, it's nice to share knowledge. Not only do you get the satisfaction of helping out other beginners, but in some way you help contribute to future doll-art that you yourself might enjoy one day :D.

      That said, the tutorial doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I think that's probably because I don't have any airbrush tools (I have never even seen an airbrush ;_;;;;; ). Some things it might be cool to add would be like:
      -How far away from the dolls face do you hold the airbrush?
      -On average, how long do you keep the brush in one spot? I know you said the paint will bead up if you do it too long, but what do you find a good amount of time? Is it different for different parts of the face up o.o?
      -What kind of motion do you make with your hand as you paint? Do you go in circles or something else? Nothing at all?

      And some questions that are probably more personal/specific to your tools and may not help everyone while they're trying it out ... (but I'd still like to know out of curiosity cuz I still like to know how people do stuff xD!)
      -How big is the umm... "AoE/AoA" (keeping with the video games here lol ^^) of the brush XD?
      -Do you change it (AoE size) a lot depending on what area you're painting?
      -What is the "finest" detail that you usually do with an airbrush (ie.. what's the breaking point between doing a certain detail with an airbrush vs doing it with a paintbrush).
      -Are your eyebrows 100&#37; paintbrush or do you use airbrush too o.o? It might be cool to see your eyebrow process broken down into steps cuz I wasn't quite sure how you did that part *-* same goes for the lips.
      -Do you wear any sort of mask while airbrushing o.o?

      Sorry for the bombarding-ness of questions XD ~ this is really interesting to see your tutorial this here (I remember your posts in ragnainfo o.o!) and I'd like to know more about your process ^o^~.

      (P.S... Saber wig = awesome :XD: )
       
      #5 Turynn, May 1, 2007
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    6. Thanks for the tips! I really want to invest in an airbrush someday, but just haven't gotten up the will to spend the money on an airbrush instead of dolls. ;) You've detailed the descriptions I've seen elsewhere in a way that doesn't cause confusion. I'll definitely subscribe to this post and come back once I've gotten supplies!
       
      #6 plasticnoodles, May 1, 2007
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    7. Hi Turynn!
      I'm glad you found my steps helpful! I can try to answer some of your questions~

      -How far away from the dolls face do you hold the airbrush?
      aah probably about... umm 5-9 inches away, depending on what i'm spraying. if i want the paint to spray on softly then i will move the airbrush back, it will also make the area that gets hit with paint larger too... but if i want more opaque and a smaller area then i will move the airbrush closer. but i never go too close, no closer than around 4-5 inches probably... it's hard to remember off the top of my head! XD but if you spray too close the paint will also bead up on the surface.

      -On average, how long do you keep the brush in one spot?
      aah barely a second, always keep the brush moving, the paint can bead up very quick since airbrush paint is very watery. if you are only painting one little spot, and can't move the brush around, just spray a little tiny bit, wait till it's dry (doesn't take long) then spray again, and keep doing that, so it goes on in layers. it's the same for every part of the face ^^

      -What kind of motion do you make with your hand as you paint?
      thats a tough question, ummm... i guess i never really thought about it, i don't usualy go in circles unless i'm blushing the cheeks.. i hold the air brush faaar away and press down firmly to let lots of air out, and back only a little to just let a little paint out and go in slight circles, the paint goes on soft. but for the things like eyeshadow and lips, it's more of a point-a to point-b motion, releasing air and paint where i want it to go. it's hard to explain since it really is something that comes naturally... i hope at least some if this is making sense!

      -How big is the umm... "AoE/AoA"
      ....pardon?? whats AoE and AoA? XD sorry! *confused*

      -What is the "finest" detail that you usually do with an airbrush (ie.. what's the breaking point between doing a certain detail with an airbrush vs doing it with a paintbrush). i don't really do any fine details with the air brush, just the blushing of lips, cheeks and eyes! the details like eyelashes, eyebrows, and the little lip lines are paintbrushed. i don't think i've ever really experienced a breaking point... since the tools are very different.

      -Are your eyebrows 100% paintbrush or do you use airbrush too o.o? It might be cool to see your eyebrow process broken down into steps cuz I wasn't quite sure how you did that part *-* same goes for the lips.
      the eyebrows were 100% paintbrush. i just took a really thin brush (20/0) and did light very thin strokes over my pencil guideline. i used a damp cotton swab to blend in some edges as i went along. many layers of little brushstrokes later and they were eyebrows!
      as for the lips, the base color was airbrushed, then i added very small little lip line details in a light peachy orange, and then after i airbrushed some darker color onto the center of her lips (the brown color) and after that i think i may have added a few more little line details with the 20/0 paintbrush again. also the corners of the mouth i usually add a little dark color with a 15/0 liner

      -Do you wear any sort of mask while airbrushing o.o?
      no but i probably should... lol. i don't inhale when the airbrush is expelling paint though, masks make me uncomfortable. same with when i spray MSC. take a deep breath, spray, run into another room. XD

      pheeww thats about it ^o^ i hope some of that made sense, if you have any other questions feel free to ask!

      (P.S. haha i know, i saw the wig and it reminded me of her, so i couldn't pass it up!)
       
      #7 Yumedust, May 1, 2007
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    8. This is great!

      Thank you so very much for this!
       
      #8 Enki, May 3, 2007
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    9. hey no problem :D
      i'm glad people are finding this useful or interesting at least! :)
       
      #9 Yumedust, May 3, 2007
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    10. This is really neat Yume. I always find it really interesting to see how other people do face-ups, and sometimes even helpful when doing my own. I'm definitely jealous of your eyelashes. Mine always end up looking a little stylized/gothy... which is probably why I'm sending Savn to you. >.O Share some of your eyelash talent dernit! >.< lol
       
      #10 sleep_pattern, May 3, 2007
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    11. That was wonderful! Thank you very much. :D
       
      #11 DenaliWind, May 3, 2007
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    12. Amazing work, Yume! This is extremely helpful, considering I'm a newb when it comes to airbrushing. I'm borrowing my friend's Iwata HP-BS airbrush and Iwata Smart Jet Studio Series compressor... It does some amazing stuff -- just wish I could get the technique down. XD
       
      #12 timchener, May 3, 2007
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    13. Awesome!
      I'll have to look into getting an airbrush. :)
       
      #13 Aamir, May 3, 2007
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    14. *gawks*

      they makes me want to go and do airbushing for the next faceup i am planing :D :D

      seriously ur works are so nice :D :D
       
      #14 Kagari, May 3, 2007
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    15. thanks very much for the feedback everyone~

      a more experienced airbrusher PMed me about my topic and gave me some pointers, and suggested i should post for people who may be inexperienced in art, that it is SO important to practice!

      i come from a background of painting, i work as a digital painter, and for me it is sooo obvious that practicing is the only way to improve. i forget that some may be very new to the art world and not understand that fully! especially in the doll community... it is very different from the art communities i am used to.

      but something i have found while painting is that there is practicing correctly and incorrectly. you can draw something 100 times, but if you draw it wrong 100 times, you will not become better. which is why i really support sharing knowledge, so people better and more experienced can share what they've found, to newer people and make it a little bit easier for them. for me it's so inspiring when people who are better than i am, post their work and sometimes even tips, it gets me inspired and keeps me motivated.

      so i still encourage anyone who has tips to share them... but if they don't want to, thats their choice as well. and i remind anyone who is new to this, that it takes a lot of practice! an airbrush is an expensive piece of equipment (it is for me anyways, maybe i'm just poor haha), so it's really pointless to buy one if you do not intend to practice! you may as well buy another dollie ;D


      thanks again everyone for your awesome feedback, i'm really happy that even though i'm a nub i can still share something usefull! ^^
       
      #15 Yumedust, May 3, 2007
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    16. This was a great tutorial! I'm just wondering-how long does it normally take you to finish a face up? If you've done pastel face ups before, are there any advantageous to using an airbrush instead?

      Also, have you tried any other airbrushes? I'm really curious to try them out, but I don't want to shell out too much for a higher end model. But if the cheaper ones are total crap, then that would be a waste too :sweat.

      Thanks!
       
      #16 lovehaze, May 3, 2007
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    17. I'm really curious about how you "stay in the lines". I've used an airbrush a little bit, but I've always had problems getting the paint to go where I want it to on the face. Usually, it goes all over the place and I don't get an even look to it. And then it beads up or goes on too thick and I get frustrated! Your hints about the airflow/paint flow will be really helpful, I think!

      Also, how important is the kind of paint you use? Have you tried different varieties other than the one you mentioned? I don't think the paints I had were specific for airbrush use, which may have also been a problem!

      Thanks for the great tutorial!
       
      #17 chaosraven, May 11, 2007
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    18. lovehaze - i've gotten a lot faster at face-ups from when i started, i can complete one in a day easily if i have the time... I used pastels before, i like the airbrush because i kinda feel like i have more control over where the colors go. though i'm not good with real media to begin with, i've seen plenty of pastel face-ups that easily rival airbrush ones, though i've heard airbrush face-ups are more permanent?
      i'm a pretty big airbrush noob, so i haven't tried any others out, when i asked people they said getting a good airbrush was important, even more important is a good compressor, since it's like the heart of your airbrush :3

      chaosraven - i guess it's just practice controlling the airbrush, i practiced on some paper to get used to it before i pointed it at a doll head :3 the paint only beads up i think if you spray too much in one spot, keep the brush moving so the paint will go on and dry, and when you spray more it won't bead. thats the only reason i can think of... but i'm no expert.
      i've only tried the airbrush paints i mentioned, but i think it's important especially for a fine airbrush like mine, to get paints that are specifically made for airbrushes because they're already filtered/strained and won't clog. ^^
       
      #18 Yumedust, May 11, 2007
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    19. Very soft and cute :3nodding:
      Good tutorial...
       
      #19 SajiNoKami, May 12, 2007
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    20. ok I have a question:

      I looked up iwata smart jet pro compressor and it says:
      "Inherently quieter in public environments"

      Truely how quiet is it?
      -Shop vac quiet?
      -Air conditioner on high quiet?
      -low setting hair drier quiet?

      Currently I have a compressor, I can't use because it is horribly loud...
      and over ten years old...never seem to work right either....

      if this Iwata is worth it, I might look into one...
      but it needs to be really quiet...

      thanks for any help :)
       
      #20 SajiNoKami, May 12, 2007
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    21. Sharing my [very limited] airbrush knowledge (since I'm still somewhat of a 'n00b' as well)... clean your airbrush! XD No, seriously, sounds like common sense but I think it needs to be said anyway. Clean your airbrush thoroughly when you're done with it. Leaving paint in it is a sure fire way to muck it up a whole lot sooner, plus it makes smooth, even painting just though much harder.
       
      #21 sleep_pattern, May 12, 2007
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    22. that's awesome!! <3 your girl looks like natalie portman!!

      well, sorry for a stupid noob querry but...
      where do i buy mini airbrush thingies? ^^;
       
      #22 Ningyo_sama, May 12, 2007
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    23. This is AWESOME, especially since I want to do the face-up myself on my next doll ^^;

      What gloss do you use on the lips and tear ducts?
       
      #23 CalfLove, May 12, 2007
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    24. SajiNoKami - it's really quiet, i live in an apartment building and i can still use it, it's no where near as noisey as a shop vac, and i think it's even quieter than my hair dryer. it's pretty awesome :3

      sleep_pattern - SO true!!! I can't believe i forgot to point that out haha, cleaning is SO important!

      ningyo_sama - aah... what do you mean by mini airbrush thingies..?

      CalfLove - i can't quite remember what kind, just some gloss i got at the art store, it may be golden brand since thats what my paints are.. i dunno *_* most glosses will work anyways ^^
       
      #24 Yumedust, May 12, 2007
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    25. Thanks for answering the question!
      Neat!
      Now I can save for one!
      :mwahaha
      And finally the badger 150, that is over 10 years old,
      will get some use...:)
       
      #25 SajiNoKami, May 12, 2007
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    26. Eee thank you Yumedust ^^; Once the head I'll do practicing on arrives I'll terrorize my crafts store about gloss ;3 I'm usually in there for acrylics so they shouldn't be surprised XD
       
      #26 CalfLove, May 12, 2007
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    27. hehe lemme know what you find out, i'm always looking for new info! my gloss isn't quite as glossy as i'd like, i usually have to put on several coats before it's really shiney~
       
      #27 Yumedust, May 12, 2007
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    28. I will keep you informed Yumedust and show you my hopefully, not botched, first attempted at a face-up ;3 I'm being really hopeful here! I think everything I'll be alright on, just the eyebrows worry me a lot. I'll figure it out ;3
       
      #28 CalfLove, May 12, 2007
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    29. Your artwork is amazing!! I love how you do the colouring!:D And your so right about sharing knowledge, it's so helpfull to read about how others do their face-up work! And very interesting;)
      And I have a question about what sort of airbrush paint you use: do you use opaque paints or transparent paints?
       
      #29 Jubriel, May 20, 2007
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    30. CalfLove - awesome! i can't wait to see! and yeah, eyebrows can be so troublesome T_T;

      Jubriel - I have both opaque and transpearant, i use them both depending on how i want the colors to mix ^^ it's best to get both maybe and test them out for yourself. do a lot of color mixing and testing before starting a face-up!
       
      #30 Yumedust, May 20, 2007
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    31. Thanks for generously sharing your knowledge, Yumedust...I found this to be a very helpful tutorial (I need lots of pictures for guidance). I'm working on getting my first airbrush and a not-so-perfect head for my scrap canvas...I'm confident that with lots of practice, I can do a great job too!
       
      #31 Sakura_goth, May 20, 2007
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    32. You are a wonderful wonderful person for this. (and very talented) I'm a complete n00b at airbrushing and this has finally given me the courage to actually do a faceup with it.
       
      #32 Nodel, May 30, 2007
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    33. Thanks for sharing. Your tip about painting the eyebrow and eyelashs is really useful. Now I understand why I can not get those fine hairs done :(.

      I can not wait to try air brush this summer
       
      #33 kolra, Jun 2, 2007
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    34. OMG!!!! So THAT was my problem...:...( I sat up for three hours trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I even messed up my air gun...it's was onlt 4 bucks so i'm not mad. I'll just go and get another tomorrow. THANK YOU!!!! So much for that tip...my manual for the gun SUCKS so this was most helpful.:aheartbea
       
      #34 rikki_mew_chan, Jun 6, 2007
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    35. Fabulous tutorial! Would the el cheapo airbrush from Wally World suffice for blushing, or is the quality (or price tag) of the set up too big of a factor in the quality of the end product?
       
      #35 ChocoboDancer, Jun 7, 2007
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    36. Thanks Yumedust for this fantastic tutorial. Im collecting my airbrush and compressor this week. I have only one doll, he only arrived 3 weeks ago with a beautiful face up. Im not keen to wipe it off and start again, but I do want to blush his body. He's a white Kiss, and I want a very pink blush.. do you have any suggestions on particular colours or will I have to blend? Can you suggest what colours I might blend to get pink? Im in Australia, and had a quick look at airbrush paints tonight online... there don't seem to be any colours that jump out at me as being the colour I want. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge, and taking the time to do it.
       
      #36 nchanted, Jun 24, 2007
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    37. Ah! I just bought my hubby an airbrush for his last birthday for his resin models! Now I must steal it back! XD
       
      #37 thesacrificialmaiden, Jun 24, 2007
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    38. looking at the colors online isn't really showing you what the colors looks like airbrushed. if you use airbrush acrylic like regular paint it would come out differently than if you spray it. createx peach is a good pink based skintone color. its not actually peach like the fruit. if you want it more pink a drop of red for every 6-8 drops of peach should do it. for a msd sized doll you'd only need those 6-7 drops to blush the whole doll. test the color on paper before you spray your doll.
       
      #38 CHISA.TO, Jun 24, 2007
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    39. Thanks again Chisa.To, I will order some paints today or tomorrow. What other colours are "must have" for face ups and blushing.

      Take care
       
      #39 nchanted, Jun 24, 2007
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    40. That looks like so much fun!

      Thanks for making this tutorial ^^

      I would absolutely love to learn to use an airbrush, but it's so expensive to get one, I'm not sure I can justify getting one just for the fun of learning to use it. Do you use your airbrush other than for painting dolls? Like, do you do 2D art with it? Sorry if this is getting OT just curious!
       
      #40 babytarragon, Jun 24, 2007
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    41. ooh gosh i haven't checked this thread in a while ^^;

      ChocoboDancer - I don't really know what airbrush you're talking about... I really don't have a lot of expeirence, the HP-A plus is the only one I've ever used! ^^;

      nchanted - CHISA.TO answered better than i could! ^^ I do mix colors for blushing and everything else~

      babytarragon - I don't actually do any other 2D art with my airbrush.. I work as a digital painter, but i don't often use real media for work... just dolls~! ^^ I'm hoping my airbrush will pay for its self with face-up commissions :) i think it has so far, or almost!
       
      #41 Yumedust, Jun 25, 2007
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    42. I was just reading this thread when you posted, Yumedust - gorgeous work. I've been considering buying an airbrush but after reading about ideal equipment (ie, GOOD COMPRESSOR!) in other threads, I think I'll stick with my trusty pastels for a bit longer.
       
      #42 the_impassive, Jun 25, 2007
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    43. black, red, white and yellow and a basic brown are "must haves" you can make any skin tone by mixing these colors. red, white and a peach color would work for lips, if you want to do eyeshadow I'd just buy the colors as-needed since each bottle of airbrush paint is about 5 dollars and they do last a long time as long as you're not doing murals/t-shirts/etc with them. the only colors I'd say is a must to buy the bigger bottles of are black and white cause they are used the most, createx has the darkest black and the purest white, other than that I'd buy any brand for any other color since its easier on yourself when it comes to mixing colors to just buy the color that is closest to what you want.

      so the must haves are black, red, yellow, brown, white and peach (which is a light pinky/brown color sorta like this)
       
      #43 CHISA.TO, Jun 25, 2007
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    44. I'm really, really curious how you do the eyebrows. I know you mentioned earlier on what you use to paint them, but I've always had trouble deciding on the shape, or at least staying consistent with the shape of the eyebrows. Though not a bad painter, my face-ups always come out flat and lifeless and I think it has to do with the eyebrows being devoid of any personality. How do you get the eyebrows to portray an emotion without the eyebrows being too high or looking unnatural? Mine always come out looking blocky and 'fake' looking with very little depth to them, so I was hoping if you had any tips on how to make them look more real.

      I was so happy to find this thread and I'm so glad that you're sharing all this, I've always loved the faces and personalities of your drawings and had always wanted to have a bit of that style in my own dolls face. So I was really pleased to find out that you're into the Super Dollfie thing as well and I look forward to seeing more of your work on other dolls.

      /fangirl-ness. :roll:
       
      #44 scarlet_hands, Jun 26, 2007
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    45. There's a really short tutorial on eyebrows in Dollicieux Vol 1, Issue 5. It may help.
      http://www.dollicieux.com/vol1iss5/artist.html#tips

      Thanks to all that posted to this thread. I've always wanted an airbrush. I think I'm finally going to break open the piggy and get one. Just hope my drinking buddies don't find out I'm playing with dollies (again!)
       
      #45 roshi24, Jun 26, 2007
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    46. :sweat I know just what you mean. My husband got me an airbrush setup for Xmas a few years back. You gotta understand, he's a big picture, long term thinker, so after he did his research, he got me a dual action compressor that's powerful enough to drive nailguns, etc. and sensitive enough to use with an airbrush. However, it seems really loud when I use it indoors. Deafening, that's the word I'd use. Oh and distracting.

      I've also tinkered with a professional artist's portable setup, and it was better, quieter. Sort of a putt putt sound in a lower key.
       
      #46 Meldandy, Jun 26, 2007
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    47. I really wish I could see the in-process pictures. For some reason, they won't load my my 'puter. Based on the posts, I'm sure they're gorgeous!
       
      #47 Meldandy, Jun 26, 2007
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    48. GREAT :) Maybee i can see a pic of your paintgun?
       
      #48 lace84, Jul 11, 2007
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    49. You make it look so easy ^_^ and a great end result this is a very helpful tutorial
       
      #49 I-Dream-Of-Dollfies, Jul 11, 2007
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    50. Amazing tutorial Yume...I've been wanting an airbrush for years...and this makes me want to get one even more ><. Most people I know who do face ups use pastels instead...but the look isn't as soft and natural as this (well obviously)....still great work...so real...and reminiscent of your digital illustration.


      Anyhow thanks for posting your tutorial...as soon as i get an airbrush I'll be sure to use it ^^! Not many out there as you've said.
       
      #50 nefgoddess, Jul 12, 2007
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    51. This is helpful. And your dolls are very beautiful. I love the lips. Thanks for sharing. :3
       
      #51 hazywings, Aug 8, 2007
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    52. Great tutorial! thank u very much! i will use it ;)
       
      #52 Stella di Carta, Aug 8, 2007
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    53. Did anyone happen to save these pictures? They're gone in the OP's post and would be most helpful.
       
      #53 Xyria, Jan 2, 2009
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    54. Bump for this! I would like to see the pictures too >_<
       
      #54 JinXed, Feb 24, 2010
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    55. Yes, pictures please!!
       
      #55 Pink*Parasol, Nov 14, 2010
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    56. Oh man, Yumedust, I had no idea you were on DoA!

      And bump for pictures perhaps?
       
      #56 SmoteyMote, Dec 12, 2010
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    57. Also bumping for pictures. :)
       
      #57 GypsyRain, Dec 14, 2010
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    58. Bumping for the pics...I want to see the tutorial!!
       
      #58 Muffinator3000, Dec 14, 2010
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    59. Adding another bump for pics.
       
      #59 GypsyRain, Dec 20, 2010
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    60. Im jumping on this, I really want to see the photos too
       
      #60 Lady SleepsAlot, Jan 7, 2011
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