2nd face-up, disaster nr 2

How are you approaching making your lines with the watercolor pencils and paints? Are you using the pencils straight on the surface or using a wet brush to lift color from the lead? What type of brush are you using? You say it's a thin one, but the length of the hairs can also contribute to line control along with how thing it is and how much pressure you're using.

 

I think the eyebrows look quite nice! When it comes to acrylic paint, I like to use a pointy cotton swab with some water on it to wipe away any excess paint, it makes my lines nice and crisp. You can also use that to wipe away any pigment from pastels that you don’t want in certain areas. I will also take a pointy tooth pick to help get the edges of my paint to be sharp, just to push the paint out from its applied spot into a nice point.

 

Hi!! It doesn’t look that bad! You are just starting

I saw this video a while ago and it helped me! Hope it helps you as well!

 

I really don't think it looks bad for only a second try!

I do understand the disappointment, though, as I felt this myself when I first started repainting fashion dolls. I thought it was a disaster, and I was incapable of repainting. (Fast-forward 11 years, and that doll still has her original face-up I gave her, and she is my favorite.)

The only advice I can give is to keep practicing. There really is no other way to improve than that. And remind yourself that you are just beginning this, so it may not come out like what you see in your head. Those who are amazing at face-ups were once terrible when they first started, ha ha.

 

I wish my faceups were this good on my second try

 

A thin brush probably isn't sufficient. You need a GOOD thin brush. What kind of brush are you using(brand)? I highly recommend Cotmon brushes, the video linked above she's using them too, they are designed to give a perfect flow of paint when used correctly. From fibers chosen to shape and length. There's engineering even in brushes!

 

Hmm looking at that brush, i would maybe suggest a longer brush. With shorter bristles the brush isn't going to hold as much paint, and it's also not going to give you as much line weight variation, like tapering for eyelashes or liner. You may want to look into liner brushes instead of rounds. Some people even use nail art brushes.
You can use watercolor pencils directly on the surface, but on resin they may have a bit more of a textured look to them than they do in a faceup on a fashion doll, and you want to make sure they are extra sharp to get nice lines. You can pick the pigment up with a wet brush to apply it depending on the look that you're trying to achieve. Either way is fine it just depends on what you're going for. I'd suggest trying it out a few different ways to see what you like! They're a pretty versatile medium. Personally, I find using them that way instead of using paint is a bit easier, but it does dry a little more quickly on the brush. The good point is that it's pretty easy to reactivate it again if i need to.

 

Well practice will make perfect with that part give it some time, overall it still looks great for just starting out, you have good base to build from. I'm sure you'll get it to the level you want to see with some time!

 

This video might be helpful for painting lines

 

It's my honest opinion that I think you've done a great job on a second faceup, and already show a great foundation for future skill! The eyebrows turned out REALLY well in regards to controlling the softness of the pastel[?] vs. lines!

I saw in a reply you mention not having a lot of experience with drawing/painting, and I think you definitely need to give yourself more credit in regards to the results considering that. I'm an artist/graphic design student and I promise you, faceups are difficult even with experience in drawing/painting! If you're interested in practicing line control and such, there are really simple warm-up practices a lot of artists do to 'drill' those skills; there are lots of videos and blog posts out there covering the different practices people use. Sincerely, if you enjoy faceups, follow that passion and you'll find improvement in your skills. As said before, you're already showing great foundational knowledge!

I totally relate to the anxiety of working on dolls you love vs. practice dolls. All my dolls are blank besides 1 company faceup, because I've been so nervous about trying to do the faceups! I also get anxious about using my faceup supplies, as I don't have a lot of money to replace things as they get used up. I think something we could both keep in mind is that the faceup doesn't need to be permanent, and we'll learn more from taking the risk and than never trying. Like, we can just wipe off the faceup if it doesn't turn out satisfactory, lol.

A critique of the faceup I have is the eyeliner looks as though you may have used more paint than you could control at the moment, something I also do a lot of the time, lol!

Oops this got long. It can be so so difficult to balance our inner vision/expectations vs. what our hands can manage. Personally, the faceup looks super fun, and I can already see a lot of character coming through. Give yourself time and practice

 

Tip I've found for watercolor pencils is to gently moisten them (with a mist/spray bottle) which helps the lines come out smoother instead of catching the "grain" that sealant has. And when in doubt, use your pencil/paint sparingly, it's easier to control in parts.

 

That's a good shot for a second faceup, and I like the linework on the brows and how the blushing turned out! Gives the doll depth for sure.

I think my biggest tip on this particular faceup would be the shape of the brows - in the second picture especially, they look like they're straight across, like a dash. In my experience, brows generally have a bit of an arch or narrowing at the end to them. It's more or less pronounced for different folks, of course, but looking at pictures of them, there's some shaping going on. They're a tough one for sure, and practicing them (drawing from references, for example) might help.

I've only done a couple faceups on BJDs myself, but I've done more on thrifted playline dolls, and I think that helps to a degree. It's a somewhat different material, of course, and different scales, proportions, etc, but in my experience it helps with getting used to both the tools and working on the shaped surface of the face. Plus, if you get some beat up ones for cheap, it's much less less intimidating than an expensive new BJD.