Doll Manicures and Pedicures

I did a manicure tutorial way back when for Dollicieux online mag, but I have since simplified it even more.

All you need is 4 things:

Peach/flesh tone pastel
Kneadable eraser
Small flat brush or cotton swab
Mr. Super Clear Flat
Gloss Sealer - my sealer of choice is Tamiya X-22 Gloss, but Golden or Liquitex are okay too.

Okay, so 5 things. :P Here is a very simplified explanation of how I did the manicure in the pic below:

(ETA: This assumes you have base sealed the hands with MSC so the pastel will stick.)

1. With brush (or swab) apply pastel to the nail bed starting at the cuticle end (you want the heavier color here) and brushing toward the tip (lighter here) - like a gradient.

2. Take your kneadable eraser and erase the pastel at the cuticle end in a half moon shape (see pic).

3. Use eraser to erase the lighter pastel at the tip of the nail too.

4. Repeat as needed until the depth of color is to your liking.

5. Spray with MSC to prevent smears and gloss.

Viola! Done! Just one way of doing it...your mileage may vary. ^_^

 

Wow thats really beautiful

 

That's a lovely way of doing it, Lyn! They really do look natural

 

I would add that if your doll is white resin, you should probably use a pale translucent pink for the nails, peach is too dark/orange. Very thin sheer pink acrylic (mix in lots of matte medium,) plus thinned white acrylic for the tips and cuticle moons is how I did my white resin doll, and then a top coat of clear acrylic gloss sealant.

 

lyn_r Beautiful nails. Simple tutorial. I will definatly have to try this.

 

Lyn_r is amazing. She did a freckle class at the Goga and her freckles were the best I have ever seen. Lyn_r is a face up godess. Okay I am done with my Lyn worship.

 

i really am interested in that tutorial! did you make it?

 

There is a fabulous one by Lyn_r If you do not know who lyn_r is your missing out.
She is my idol and her face up are just so amazing. Anyhow here ya go.
Okay here you go. Gotta love that search function. It really is your friend.
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5292693&postcount=8

 

that would be great! i just cant seem to find any nailpolish tutorials..

 

oOO I think i'll do one for my boy when he arrives i'm so glad i read this! i had been wondering if i could use nail polish on him @__@;

 

i wanna go for a black nailpolish, so i really dont wanna mess up at all, its my first bjd >_<

 

i really would like to see how to give a doll a french manicure

 

ooooooh. Once I get a girl, I'm totally going to give her a manicure. I love having them myself soooo my girl will automatically get one Thanks for the info!

 

Definitely do NOT use human fingernail polish! It's impossible to remove & will stain & sometimes even bleed. Just spray a coat of MSC then paint with acrylics. Sprat again to seal & apply several coats of gloss varnish. Some folks do a French manicure where the tips of the nails are white. Same process, just paint the tips of the nails white.

 

does anyone have a link to a tutorial with pictures?

 

You are all so brave. I could never paint anything on my dolls. Hats off to bravery! LOL

Pat

 

well its removeable and i really want my doll to wear black nailpolish

 

I've been meaning to redo my doll's blushing, so give me a little bit and I can probably make one - it's beyond easy.

*wanders off to find the W&N Brush Cleaner*

 

thats nice, thank you

 

here we go Quick & Dirty Mani / Pedi Tutorial (Flickr)
It's not perfect, but it gets the idea across.
Hope it helps!

 

thank you very much, that helps a lot. and its really fully removeable? without damaging the resin?

 

so quick question... If im too lazy/bad weather to coat the entire hand in msc, might i be able to just do a base layer of clearcoat, paint the nail, then do topcoat so that she doesnt get stained? or would that make the paint look strange?

 

It is completely removable - I actually removed the majority of the last manicure (and all the blushing) with nothing more than Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and water. I had to use a bit of the W&N to get the fiddly bits off the nails. (the first photo in the set is the freshly cleaned nails - it's small, but there was no damage)
I've actually removed the toenail polish since posting this earlier - it just wasn't working for me. I had to use a pin to get all the paint out of the grooves (cuticle area?) - the cleaner softens the paint enough that you don't need to use any pressure to pick the paint out

That's actually what I did for the tutorial above - I have a brush on acrylic sealer. I chose to use that instead of spraying because I didn't really want to go outside and it's too cold to spray. As long as you use a good sealer, you won't notice a thing - I had to use two coats to ensure I got the whole nail bed, because the sealer dried too well I couldn't tell I had even put it on.
(the brand of paint and sealer I was using is Reaper Master Series acrylic paints for miniatures, not too expensive and good quality.)

 

excuse me, what means W&N? im new to this thanks for your help

 

sorry, Windsor & Newton Brush Cleaner & Restorer - it breaks down the paint and sealer without harming the resin. You can usually find it at art supply stores (depending on where you're from)

 

thank you. and im from germany. no idea if they sell that here...

 

Make sure you read this first before using it:

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248590

It can be used, but you want to make sure you don't damage your doll and clean all of it off after using it.

 

Hey guys!
I am wanting to give my doll a manicure!
I have NO clue at all how hehe...
I saw the thread of Manicure's but no strict how to, what i need.
So, please give me a tutorial.
Hehe i appreciate it...

So please include what i need and how to
Also: I am just wanting to do a manicure,
Something just kinda basic
Thanks~
Anna!~!~!~

 

Besides all the other threads that you could find if you did a search in this forum . . . in the same Customizing Index Sticky where I presume you found the Manicures and Pedicures thread, there is a tutorial for blushing and glossing realistic hands.

Tutorial: Realistic Hands! http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18568

If you want the look of nail polish rather than a natural buffed nail, of course you would just use a different color as the first layer after MSC. If you don't want the blushing on the knuckles, then you wouldn't do the blushing.

The Manicures and Pedicures thread does have many people's specific instructions about the steps and materials they used to paint nails, by the way. You just have to skim through the thread to find those posts.

 

Thanks for the above link Cynthia in FlintHills. Am off now to read up a bit whist waiting for some jointed hands from DikaDoll to arrive . . .

 

That is absolutely gorgeous.

 

I have an idea... I am going to go ahead and buy s pair of hands, and a pair of feet for my Iris. I am going to use those to practice with. I am going to do real nail polish, acrilics and going to try the french manicure with pastels and white. I am going to seal them properly before I start with the MSC and I am going to gloss over them when I'm done, too, to make sure. I'll get to see results PLUS most importantly, I'll get to practice painting so I need: Bodyparts; MSC; pastels; brushes; white paint or polish; glossy stuff; clear polish; the purest alcohol I can find; cotton pads; and LUCK... for a steady hand

 

Hi!! I recently got my first MSD girl shipped to me. I would like to do her nails bright colors. I've searched for thread like this, but I couldn't find one that gives a direct answer.
Is it okay to use acrylic paints to do this? I would think so . . only I don't have any MSC or anything else I could spray to protect the resin. So would it stain? Should I use something else? I can't get any MSC currently, but should I wait till I can get MSC? (Could be years -_-)

Thanks! ^_^


EDIT: I should maybe add this here >.> instead of at the bottom of the page.
I was wondering, since my doll is in white skin (and Bobobie white is paper white), what if I painted her nails with white acrylic first, and then put the color on? Would that prevent/help prevent staining?

 

Since the nails are such a small area, what you can do is a layer of gloss, then the colored acrylic, then another layer of gloss to protect. This should help prevent any staining (which namely happens with reds and black. )

 

I would also like to say that there's a thread a couple pages back in this forum dedicated to the use of different sprays and what is and is not okay to use for your doll. You don't HAVE to use MSC, checking your local craft store for sealants and then searching the thread can do a wonder for saving you money in case you didn't already know :]

Thank you for asking though, I was also wondering about painting my boy's nails when he gets here. I may rethink using black for a while since it stains easier than other acrylics, at least until I get confident in my sealant skills

 

o01101011: That's a good idea! I could probably get some gloss . . . as long as I don't have to buy a big tin XD I wouldn't have any use for it. Thanks for the idea!!

Icecrystals: Okay thanks, I'll have to check out that thread ^_^

 

Oo, I just thought of something. Since my doll is in white skin (And bobobie white is like, paper white), what if i painted her nails with white acrylic first and then the color? Would that prevent/help prevent staining?

 

Not that it's a good idea, but since the nails are so small, I used actual nail polish. It stays a lot longer and I use the sheer colors. A very small brush, not the one in the jar. Dio would be the only one with any bright colors! And Diamond knows my Dio! Nice to see you're saving for another.

 

OMG. Dont use nail polish on the dolls! It'll probably stain the nails worst than the acrylic. Just get some testor dullcoat or MSC and seal her hands before painting. That's the best and safe way around. If you cant get any sealent, I suggest you get another pair of hands from BBB[way cheap] so even if one pair of the hands are stained, you have a spare for her :3

 

I'd also recommend using a sealant anyway - even if it's a light color, even if it's 'protected' with gloss or white acrylics underneath. The strong pigment might seep through the layers of acrylics and still stain your doll. Not very likely, but why risk something you paid so much for when you can just get a can of resin-friendly sealant and be sure of your doll's safety.

 

2otaku: Omg, hai! Thanks for the idea ^_^

bullets: Yeah. . . I can't really get any of those right now. Which is why I was asking for a different idea. But thanks anyway ^_^

Smaug: I would have done that if I could get some MSC now . . but I can't :\ Thanks tho

 

i did pretty much what o01101011 suggested when i did my MSD's nails except i added pigments and shimmer powders to the gloss and made it like a glossy paint. i applied it onto pre-glossed nails and gave it another coat of gloss when it dried. They look beautiful ^^

 

Fixed and thanks for the replies. It was his black nails staining his jaw. I got the stains off just fine with the magic eraser. The new problem is that he's now stained across his upper lip so I can't scrub it and under his nose. It's a little stain but since I know about it, you might as well be red with neon signs pointing to it. I also can't scrub off his 'flakes' with the eraser. Flakes as in these white random dots that look like paint dust on his face. I wish I knew what I knew now before asking to get his nails painted. I'm having a hard time looking at him without noticing the flaws.

Highlight to see original post text.
Not time sensitive. Finally, after 69 days (I've been counting), I got my Chiron Souldoll Human version grey skin (on Tuesday of this week). The website said the grey wouldn't be perfect through out. I've noticed some darkening on the knees (that look like he's been handled) but I'm not too bothered by it. I take the plastic protector off his face and what do I see? Paint on his jaw. How am I supposed to take pics with that there? Did the makers not notice this? Maybe they did and did it to spite me? (I'm kinda serious. I expected my doll on Christmas. I ordered him the first week of November. They mail me saying they won't paint his nails for no reason. Then they tell me he'll be shipped Dec 28th only to email me that day and say there would be a delay. I sent a nasty gram and they painted the nails and threw in a wig.) So my question is, how do I remove this? From the pics, it doesn't look that bad but it looks very noticeable when looking at it. ((The red circle is hard to see. It's located on the right of the bottom his lips on his jaw.))

 

If it is on top of the faceup, it might come off with a dry magic eraser- wet would get it off faster, but you have to be SUPER careful not to take off too much face. However, if the artist got paint spots or smudges on the face and sealed it, it could be difficult to remove it without messing up the rest of the face. (I have taken off part of a faceup and saved the rest, but it doesn't always work.) Maybe you don't want to have to deal with the company after waiting so long, but if you paid extra for a faceup, you should at least get your money back.

 

Could you see the stain clearly? Do I need to upload a bigger pic? After dealing with them, I'm not eager to do it again. I also wonder if they will blame me and said I did the damage. Their website says

For returns for any reason other than damage, buyers have to charge all return shipping cost and no refund of shipping costs.
But, the Souldoll will not accept returns on items that have been exposed to cigarette or any other type of smoke, mold/mildew, water, or is returned in any condition other than the original shipping condition.
And no returns on doll itself, sale or clearance items, or anything marked 'special'.
All sales on these items are final!

Not looking forward to paying EMS and then waiting. It took the doll forever to get here as it is. I fear my guy would be headless for weeks.

Bigger pic, might see more detail
http://i52.tinypic.com/21aln3n.jpg

 

Well, I don't think its worth returning over, but asking for a little money back because of this isn't unreasonable.

The best way to prove that you did not do the damage is if you had box opening pictures that showed the damage in the faceup. Otherwise its hard to prove. I would email the pictures to them though, and say that you would like a full or partial refund for your faceup (if you paid extra for it that is), so you can fix it. After all the trouble you've had with them its understandable that you don't want to send the head back to them.

You might be able to send it to a customizer who can take off just the bits of the faceup that have the dark spots and reseal it, or in the worst case try and duplicate the faceup if the have to take it all off. I would try to get it off with a magic eraser first though, just to make sure it isn't something on the surface.

 

if it didnt come off with all these suggestions...one one flip side..it could be looked at like a birthmark... something that makes him unique

 

Seeing that close up picture makes me think it is something on the surface that will come off with magic eraser. I would at least hope no one would seal that onto the face. Once, I got a new doll and rubbed him against the box he came in which caused a smudge that looked like that. It came off with dry magic eraser. I would try to gently wipe it with the eraser before anything else.

 

I wouldn't say I'm in panic mode but I am starting to doubt myself. My hubs took pics of the box opening. Maybe it's the angle but I do not see the stain. There was less lighting in the living room where I opened him vs the office.

Big pic with face cover
http://i54.tinypic.com/3586s5y.jpg

Big pic without face cover
http://i51.tinypic.com/2pyuyyh.jpg

And then I dress him on my lap mind you on the couch. After I dress him, I simply take him into the office (where my other dolls are kept) and that's when I see the stain.
Big pic with clothes on
http://i54.tinypic.com/2utjh5h.jpg

So with that said, my paranoid mind wants to know if *I* somehow did it? I have no idea what would leave that kind of mark and not be easy to wipe off. I also can't see anything out of the ordinary that I did when dressing him and carrying him to the office. We didn't bump anything.

 

could you have bumped his face with his painted nails when you dressed him?

 

It has to be that. The stain in black just like his nails. I didn't know it could rub off onto....well anything really. I'm going to have to watch out for this. Thanks everyone.

 

Wait you painted his nails did you do it with real nail polish if so get clear nail polish remover.

 

He came with painted nails and they keep staining everything

 

You could just paint over his nails with gloss; the clear coat will both give it a nice sheen and help it not to rub off. (Also please do not use nail polish on your dolls. Remover either, unless you're aware of the possible hazards are and willing to do so anyways.)

 

I've seen in previous threads about the hazards of nail polish and acetone remover. I requested the doll makers to have my doll's nails painted when he was made. I really like the gloss idea. What kind of gloss do you recommend?

 

Liquitex, Golden and Tamiya all make great glosses. You can sometimes find satin finishes too, if you don't want it too glossy. Any finish meant for using with acrylics if fine for dolls.

 

Basically to the effect of what Kate. said. Anything that says "gloss medium" in the acrylics section or plain ol' "acrylic gloss medium" will do just fine. I don't think they make it in the "cheap" brands because people who get the really low-end supplies don't worry about mediums and additives usually. Anyways, good luck!!

 

At this point I really don't think they will help you out but rather ignore you, so you will have to rely on your own to get rid of the marks, as it might seem something really BAD from the company, we have to be realistic and use a criteria based on facts, now, I'm sure you'll feel bad for paying the makeup and get a ruined job, but truth is it's very difficult to do this without removing more or messing the head up, sure you could try some thinner (if possible, Japanese Mr.Hobby thinner, some BJD store sells it), on a small piece of clothing, do it very delicate, and try not to apply too much thinner, just enough to remove the stain and try not to touch any other surface than the one that's stained, that should help the stain to get at very least less noticeable...hope you find a solution to this true disaster...

 

I would call the company of the doll and ask about this.