Esthetics Adding spots to a doll without an airbrush?

I haven't heard of anyone using masking fluid on resin before, I would be a bit worried that it might react oddly or not come off. To the search!

After a search of the Customization and Maintenance archives it looks like the are two threads about the topic, one more recent thread showing a link to a video where someone used it on their own sculpt: /threads/masking-fluid-on-resin.800355/
and a much older thread where people where cautioning against it because on the possibility of chemical reactions from the ammonia in some of the brush-on formulations: /threads/is-it-safe-to-use-masking-fluid-on-resin.194044/
and a third thread in the Styling and Crafting archive where someone is talking about using some to mark off surface areas for dyeing resin: /threads/partial-dying-resin-hooves.741592/#post-12172012

The consensus seems to be to test your particular supplies beforehand on a spare piece of resin/inside a headcap. Since each company has slightly different formulations of masking fluid and each resin maker also has some differences it might be fine, or it might not and the only way to be sure is to test it before hand. Good luck with your search!

 

This is a tutorial for lightly dabbing a very fine layer of matte varnish on the doll (instead of using MSC). But I think the technique can be used with watered down acrylics as well. Lightly dab the colour on the doll like the video and you can add on layers of colours afterward.

But I do second what Seafoam said, try it on a different part of the body (or back of the headcap) first.
Good luck!

 

I used masking tape to do some solid blocks of color on a doll that was inspired by the client's masked tuxedo cat and just heavily heavily blushed with pastels.
It was a PIA and took forever. I don't really want to do it again lol.
right at the nose i didn't get a super tight seal, so the line blurred a little there, but where the tape was down properly, i got distinct lines
https://i.imgur.com/KB4ZquZ.jpg

 

Technically you can just use pastels.
Dab those areas on with a brush, use a piece of magic eraser to shape them/make the borders a little less fuzzy. Seal, repeat until desired opacity/saturation has been reached.

If you brush it on with acrylics it will most likely end up looking streaky.
If you sponge it on, you lack control.

And no need for masking fluid, and the above issues with it are a concern as well. Just try to blush on the shape as fitting as possible and then softly shape it more with the mentioned magic eraser. Do not use a regular eraser, else the edges will look very hard and unrealistic.

 

Seconding @Ara! I used this method with one of my Eve Studio cats and it worked out well. Get ready to be covered in whatever color you use though.

 

Look for "Dot painting mandela tools"

 

Latex could be an alternative to masking fluids if you want sharp edges. For softer edges I second Ara's suggestion of using a magic eraser sponge.
I use latex to make wigs. It comes off easily, leaves no residue and has not reacted to any resin I have used it on so far.

 

I agree with this. Pastels are my favorite for soft layers or to many things look even and not streaky. You could use a sponge, but it would require either a lot of thin layers, or it might end up having that "tiny dots effect" that sponges give sometimes. I like it for some things, but I wouldn't use this method for what you're trying to achieve.

Try to keep the edges as clean as possible without any masking fluid or tap, and instead clean them up with a magic eraser, as others have said, which is probably the best way to go about it. Or, if you did keep the edges pretty much almost clean, you can try a cotton swab, or going over them with your clean brush.