Faceup Materials Primer [pastels, paints, thinners, etc.]

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Faceup Materials Primer [pastels, paints, thinners, etc.]

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Acrylic Paints​

Acrylic paints come in different varieties. There are different types for all expertise levels. You may find “professional,” “artist” and “student” grade levels. All kinds will work, but the better your paint quality, the better your faceup will be. The “student” type are not quite as high quality, and craft acrylic paints (very cheap kinds) are relatively low quality, but can still be used.
There are also different consistencies for acrylic paint. You can find “heavy body,” “medium body,” and “soft body” paints. You can use all of them, but you will need to use more thinner with the heavier body types.
Paints come in different levels of opaqueness as well. Most paints say on the label what kind of transparency they have, so you can figure out what kind will work best for you.

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Product: Acrylic paint
Where to buy it: Craft stores, art stores, some doll companies/shops, Volks
Correct usage: Thin paints with thinner or retarder to a milk-like consistency. Use very small brushes for painting eyelashes, eyebrow hairs, eyeliner, eye creases, lip lines, beauty marks. Do not load too much paint on the brush.
Incorrect usage:
Clumping – paint not thinned enough, paint and thinner not mixed well, old paint
Not going on smoothly – paint not thinned enough, paint and thinner not mixed enough, low-quality paint
Cracks when dry – paint applied too thickly, not enough thinner, low-quality paint
Chipping, flaking – paint applied too thickly, dirt underneath paint layer, low-quality paint
Too thick/lumpy application – paint not thinned enough, paint and thinner not mixed well, brush too big, too much paint on brush
Do not thin with water - there may be issues with uneven pigment, the paint beading up, and paint not sticking to resin
Possible damage: Vibrant colored paints may stain resin, even with appropriate sealant.
Brands to looks for: Games Workshop Citadel, Golden, Liquitex (most popular), Zoukeimura

 

Types of Brushes​

In order to apply pastels and paints, you will need to have a variety of brushes available. You will need soft, artist quality brushes in varying sizes. Generally for brush sizing, the smaller the number, the smaller the brush. As an example, from biggest to smallest: 3, 2, 1, 10/0, 20/0, 30/0, 100/0.
Do not use children's paintbrushes (the types with the colorful plastic handle); their hairs are much too large and made of very cheap plastic, so they will not hold any pastel dust. They are also much too large in general, and the wrong style for acrylic application.
Types of brushes you should look for: large wash or mop brush for applying pastel over large areas; filbert or flat brush for applying pastel on eyes, lips, and other smaller areas; flat brushes can also be used to apply more dramatic lines of pastel; very small liner brush for painting eyebrow hairs and eyelashes. For these small liner brushes, you can find them in 20/0 size pretty easily. 30/0, and even 100/0 sizes are even smaller, but harder to find.

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Product: Paintbrushes
Where to buy it: Craft stores, art stores, some doll companies/shops, Volks, nail-art brushes may be found at some beauty supply stores
Correct usage: Pick up small amounts of paint and apply one or two strokes at a time; clean frequently; use a brush cleaner to keep brushes in good condition
Incorrect usage: Do not load a lot of paint on at once; do not paint with a dirty brush
Possible damage: If you jab very forcefully with your brush while using it, you may damage the brush hairs, which will make it more difficult to apply color later.
Brands to looks for:
For all styes of brushes: Lowe-Cornell, Princeton, Seely's, Winsor & Newton
Specifically the small liner/script brushes: Artetje 100/0 Camlon Pro, Games Workshop Citadel, Princeton 3050 Mini series, ZM Face Painting brushes (both regular and NY types); various nail art paintbrushes may work as well



You may also choose to use an airbrush for sealant and paint application.
Airbrushes are a combination of a pen and a spray gun, which has a needle tip, covered by interchangeable nozzles. Airbrushes must be connected to air compressors to function.
Air compressors supply air pressure to the brush. The air is then released out of the brush's nozzle, spraying atomized paint onto your surface. Most people suggest looking for a good compressor that will last. Avoid getting just cans of compressed air. These are cheaper, but they will run out very quickly. You would need to buy them frequently, and end up spending much more money in the long run.
Airbrushes can be used to spray paint for bushing, or can be used to spray water-based sealants. All kinds of acrylic paints should work in an airbrush, just make sure to get high-quality paints and thinners to keep the airbrush working smoothly. Low-quality paints and thinners will clog the airbrush and make the paint splatter.
Most artists seem to still paint eyebrow hairs, eyelashes, and lips lines with a regular paint brush, though some high-quality models of airbrushes can paint very thin lines for individual hairs.
Purchasing an airbrush for faceups will be more expensive than a selection of brushes and pastels - airbrushes cost more than regular brushes, and good-quality compressors can be very expensive. However, in the right hands, airbrushes can deliver a very high-quality faceup that may look better than using regular brushes.

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Product: Airbrushes and compressors
Where to buy it: Craft stores, art stores, online
Correct usage: thin paints to a good consistency for your particular airbrush (most paint companies will recommend what kind of thinner to use with their paint), make sure that needles are not bent, and that there are no leakages through any parts or kinks in hoses; most airbrushes work best around 35-45 PSI. Spray light bursts of paint to apply blushing color on cheeks, eyes, lips, eyebrows. For sealant - spray thin, even coats over the entire head; spraying from further away can ensure complete coverage. May need multiple layers to make sure it is fully coated evenly.
Incorrect usage: using the incorrect type of paint, splattering due to paint being too thick/thin/not high enough or too high PSI; high humidity may interfere with application of paint.
Possible damage: Clogging can damage the airbrush - make sure to clean it after every use, as well as between colors. Use water or an airbrush cleaner after every use, and in between color changes - fill your airbrush pot with your cleaner, and empty it completely. You may need to run water through it after a cleaner, to make sure the cleaner itself is gone.
Brands to looks for:
Airbrush: Badger, Iwata, Golden, Tamiya
Compressors: Badger, Iwata, Paasche, Testors

CAUTION: a proper respirator should be worn when using an airbrush. Like any sealant, an airbrush will spray paint particulate into the air, which is dangerous to inhale. Try to use an airbrush in a well-ventilated room or outside, away from family members and pets. The paint can coat surrounding areas of your workspace, so make sure your work area is either covered to avoid damage, or that you don't mind the paint ending up everywhere.

 

Chalk Pastels​

Pastels come in different varieties. Do not purchase "oil pastels" - these are stick forms of oil paints and require the use of strong solvents like turpentine to remove. Make sure to only use the chalk kind. Some varieties of chalk pastel may be soft enough that you can just take some pastel dust off the stick with a brush, without needing to shave or grind anything.

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Product: Chalk pastels
Where to buy it: Craft stores, art stores, some doll companies/shops, Volks
Correct usage: Grind pastels to a powder with sandpaper or a pastel grinding tool, or shave some off with a knife. Use soft brushes to apply powder to resin. Apply lightly, and seal frequently to avoid smudging or splotchy spots. Use for coloring lips, eyes, eyebrow bases, and general shading on cheeks, chin, nose.
Incorrect usage:
Splotchy – too much pastel on same layer of sealant
Pastel does not stick – not enough sealant for pastel to stick to
Possible damage: Vibrant colored pastels may stain resin, even with appropriate sealant.
Brands to looks for: Derwent, Mungyo, PanPastels, Prismacolor NuPastels, Reeves, Rembrandt, Schminke, Senneleir

 

Glitter & Pearlescent Powders​

Pearlescent powders, shine powders, and glitter can be added during a faceup. They can be added into acrylics or gloss to give the paint a shimmery quality. Sealant does mask the effect. So you can use the powders on top of pastel blushing, but you will need multiple layers for it to shine through the sealant if you are not adding it to gloss.

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Product: Glitter, pearl/shine powders, mica
Where to buy it: Craft stores, art stores, some doll companies/shops, Volks
Correct usage: Multiple ways:
For light shimmer all over the face, lightly dust on resin with a soft brush after applying pastel blushing. Will need multiple layers for shine to show though sealant.
For accents, add into paint and mix thoroughly before application.
For lip-specific accents, add into gloss and mix thoroughly. Apply on the top layer.
For a stronger shine or glitter all over, add into a matte medium and mix thoroughly. Apply on the top layer.
Incorrect usage: Powders are very light, and can be blown off easily. Be careful to not blow the powders away when you spray sealant. You can spray lightly and from a little further away to avoid this.
Possible damage: If you have a very vibrant color, it may stain.
Brands to looks for: Leekeworld, Luts, Volks; Pearl Ex pigments
Pearl pigments/micas are good for the shimmery quality. If you want a very strong glitter, look for something actually labeled as 'glitter'. Craft stores can sell very fine glitter.

If pearl powders or glitters aren't what you are looking for, there are also 'interference' acrylics you can find. These are pre-made, shimmery acrylic paints. Or you can also find metallic acrylic paints.

 

Gloss​

Gloss is used on the very top layer of a faceup to add shine to eyes and lips.

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Product: Acrylic gloss
Where to buy it: Craft stores, art stores, some doll companies/shops, Volks
Correct usage: Apply over lips, on insides of eyes, and tear ducts, after final coat of sealant. May be thinned for different levels of shine.
Incorrect usage: Do not apply another coat of sealant over top, or it will not be glossy
Brands to looks for: Golden Gloss Polymer Varnish, Liquitex Gloss Varnish, Tamiya X-22 (can use the specially formulated Tamiya Acrylic Thinner X20A with this gloss), Winsor & Newton Galeria Gloss Varnish

 

Paint Thinners​

There are two general types of paint thinners for use with acrylic paints: "extenders" and "retarders." Extenders are used to thin the paint to a smoother consistency. Retarders are used to make the paint dry more slowly, so you have more time to work with it.
Many companies also make airbrush thinners, specifically formulated to mix with their paints for use in airbrushes.

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Product: Acrylic paint thinner/retarder/extender
Where to buy it: Craft stores, art stores, some doll companies/shops, Volks
Correct usage: Add thinner to acrylic paint and mix well.
Incorrect usage:
Paint too thick – not enough thinner
Paint too thin – too much thinner
Paint chunky – not mixed well enough
Brands to looks for: Golden Acrylic Retarder, Liquitex Flow Aid/Slow-Dri Blending Medium, Winsor & Newton Acrylic Flow Improver/Fluid Retarder, Zoukeimura Acrylic Color Thinner

 

Watercolor Pencils​

Watercolor pencils can be used to draw on eyelashes, eyebrow hairs, lip lines, tattoos, beauty marks, etc. Some people may find them easier to use than acrylics.

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Product: Watercolor Pencils
Where to buy it: Craft stores, art stores, some doll companies/shops
Correct usage: Sharpen to a very fine point. Draw with thin, light strokes to apply color. Add a layer of sealant, then reapply to add more color or depth, while keeping your lines sharp and thin. You may use a very slightly damp sponge or cloth to smooth out lines if you choose to.
Incorrect usage:
Do not use a dull pencil
Do not make lines too thick
Do not scratch the sealant off with sharp points - draw very lightly to avoid this
Possible damage: Vibrant colors may stain resin, even with appropriate sealant.
Brands to looks for: Caran d'Ache Supracolor, Derwent, Faber-Castell, Prismacolor, Staedtler Aquarell

 

Possible Use Items​

Some items may be used for faceups, but they might not look as nice, or might be less effective.

CAUTION
If you would like to attempt using any of these materials, make sure to seal properly and test thoroughly before use, and be aware of the potential differences and possible damage.

Regular colored pencils - non-oil based only
Generally too waxy, color too chunky/crumbly, pigments don't stay on, may be more prone to staining. Can be used in the same way watercolor pencils are.
If you choose to try using regular colored pencils, Prismacolor may be the best option.

Watercolor paints
Watercolor paints are meant to soak into paper/canvas for a specific look. The style does not work for faceups, because the paint does not absorb into a less porous surface like resin. Watercolors are generally too thin, too transparent when dry, and the paint beads up and may roll off. You may be able to use acrylic mediums to make the paint workable.
You should try to find varieties that are sold in tubes. Be careful to look for kinds labeled 'non-staining.' Pallet-style watercolors will not work well, as they will be too thin and watery.

Human Makeup
You can use a select few human makeups for faceups. Only use oil free, mineral types. You can use eyeshadows and blushes like pastels for blushing.

 

Items to Avoid​

The following is a list of items to NOT USE for faceups. All of these items may damage your doll. Possibilities include staining, fusing to resin, melting resin, pitting.

Copic Markers
Ink
Nail polish
Oil pastels
Oil paints
Pen
Sharpies