Faceups How to add paint or pastels to an existing faceup?

I know in the U.S. we can find 91% isopropyl alcohol at our local pharmacy. You might try looking there. (And I don't know that I'd mix them together). I just use the alcohol to remove face-ups.

I once removed just the lips on one of my boys and repainted them and it worked fine. Just be aware that if anything else on the face is glossed, you'll have to redo the gloss as MSC will make it matte.

 

Here are a few threads around with the question of removing and redoing parts of a face up

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115116
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41567
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21174

 

No, not together, but I switched between the two when one wasn't working good enough. Windsor and Newton brush cleaner is supposed to be good too.

 

Hmm, regarding this, so after re-painting her lips, should I spray MSC on the whole head or just on the lips part?

 

You'll want to respray the head after removing the lip paint, to seal it before repainting the lips. You could try masking off the rest and only spraying the lips I guess, but I don't know how well that would work.

 

The black will still show through; you might be able to put a brown or purple over it (similar dark color) to harmonize with any changes (hair, eyes, et c.) you make.

The only thing you have to be careful with is anything that has a chemical component that would remove "paint" (alcohol, acetone, and similar). Regular acrylic paints, chalks, charcoal, pastel (non-oil type), pencils (regular and watercolor) are okay.

Removing something is tricky... you might be able to remove separate areas, but you will remove most if not all paint in that area (so you might removed blushing that you may not be able to match to the rest of the face).

 

I added to my cousin's doll's default faceup and it worked well - I did go darker rather than lighter though. I sprayed over his head first, to give some grip on the areas that had been glossed so the pastel would stick.

 

I actually added to my girl's default face-up. I wanted to give her freckles but didn't see the point in redoing her whole face. After attempting freckles many times and spraying lots of MSC, her default face became a lot lighter and I ended up going over it again myself.
Here is my critique thread that shows all the progress and the final results on page 2.
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290790

 

I have a lovely Jun type doll with white skin and face up. I got to going over his character and Sun quite firmly insists he's a lionfish type merfolk. I know I'm going to need thin brushes, but when it comes down to paint/coloring supplies I have a few questions.

Sun already has a face up...will this affect my ideas? Would I have to get rid of the previous face up to add the second?

What type of tape should I use? I'm planning to tape off the ares of Sun's face and body that will not be painted so nothing smears, drips, or gets on areas I still want white. Or is tape a bad idea?

I'm planning on basing Sun skin first in a soft creamy yellow shade and working up to the darker colors the red, browns, and blacks. Can anyone suggest the best brand of paints to find the most vibriant shades?

Thanks

 

I think you won't have any problems painting over an existing faceup.

Tape, however, wouldn't be such a great idea I'm afraid. I've never tried it, but I can imagine it could damage the faceup underneath. You could just wrap cloth or something around the areas you want to protect - that's safer.

 

Assuming that you are taping his body, which has no blushing (if I recall correctly! xD), I would not have thought that something like masking tape would be an issue.
On the face, I agree with pepper, I would not tape if you wanted to preserve Sun's existing face-up.
I can't advise on paints at the moment however. Still unsure myself, but I know a lot of people use water-colour pencils.

 

If you're going to use any type of tape for masking purposes, the best to use is that blue "painters tape". It's made to go on lightly and remove easily.

 

I'll see if I can find some cloth and some way to keep it on his skin and use painters or artist tape when I work on his body. I have sketched a design...I just haven't scanned it yet. Mostly cause my scanners a real piece of work and doesn't like playing nice.

 

If you want the painter's tape to be just slightly tacky you can press it against your clothes first so it picks up lint and looses some of it's stickiness, then you can press it to the doll.

Post-it notes are also not very sticky but probably isn't sticky enough to pull off paint or leave residue.

With leaving residue, the longer you leave the tape on the more likely it is to leave some residue. If you use it the same day and pull it off as soon as the paint is dry it should be fine.

 

I've added to two of my boys. The first one I messed up by spraying too close to the face so the MSC bubbled, but I like his face better now so it's okay.

With my EID, I took him out side and sprayed his face thoroughly but carefully with MSC (removing his eyes of course)then freckled his cheeks and sprayed again. He actually has two new layers because the first one wasn't dark enough to be seen in pics...

 

I am completely new to doing face-ups, so if this doesn't belong here, please feel free to redirect me. I was looking into doing a face-up on my BBB Sprite, and I was wondering how many layers of MSC I should apply on the default face-up, if I just want to keep the original face, but add a few things?
Thanks~

 

On the Bobobie An I enhanced the faceup on, I just put one light coat over the default faceup - mostly just to make the glossed areas matte so the pastel would stick. The faceup's already sealed, so a coat or two would be enough, I'd think. I actually washed the head with a gentle dish soap on a soft cloth and rinsed under running water first, let it dry thoroughly, then coated it. I did that to get the oils off from it being handled, and to make sure there was no dirt or anything getting sealed onto the head. I was OK with wiping it if I had to, also, so I didn't worry about washing it.

 

I've been wanting to add a facial tattoo to my girl but I'm afraid to touch her. (for those of you that know Bleach, she's going to become Nel Tu. She is pictured in my sig but the pink tattoo in that pic is photoshopped) I don't currently have any sealers and I was wondering if it would be ok to simply paint over her existing Luts face up (I'm always extremely careful with my dolls and their faces are rarely if ever even touched, so I'm not concerned about the tattoo coming off) but my concern is that if I change my mind and want the tattoo removed, can this be done without harming the existing faceup?

Also since the tattoo has to be a dark pink solid color, would regular water colors work? I know it then would be able to be washed off with water but would it stain or harm the existing faceup after?

Thanks.

 

this is my question too ^_^ Is it possible to add to a face-up without removing any part of the original, just spray MSC and add? And how much MSC before and after?

 

I've often enhanced existing face-ups with no problem. Just spray a light layer of MSC before you begin. Even though most companies already seal the face-up, it's better to be safe & apply your own sealer before beginning. Also, it's very difficult to lighten an area but easy to darken or add a scar or tattoo.

 

For my next doll, I had planned to get her with the factory facup (since it matches her character), but I wanted to add a 'mask' (think raccoon) of bright orange across her face, enhance the lids with reds, etc.

-I've come to the understanding that this would be done with layers of MSC and pastels.
-If something goes awry, what are the chances that the bulk of the factory faceup would be harmed?
-Do the lids need to be re-glossed after?
-Is it a waste to spend the money on the face-up and then go to town on it?

I guess I'm looking for tips, tricks, encouragement and a list of the risks.

 

In my experience:

- yup, that's right - Remember to take the eyelashes out first.
- If you haven't sealed on top of your work, chance are fairly good you'll be able to wipe it off without doing too much damage to the factory faceup, if you have sealed it it will be much more difficult to remove it without removing the factory face-up.
- yup
- That's really your opinion. If you like the factory faceup as a base and think it's worth the money, then I don't think there's any problem with it.

 

I've gotten a few dolls with factory face-ups (3 right now, actually). 1 I have enhanced already, the other 2 I will be enhancing once I get goo weather to do so. I find that I like doing so when I don't get the doll blank to begin with as I'm still not as good at full face-ups as I'd like to be. When I'm more sure of myself, I'll wipe what they have, and re-do them myself.

When enhancing, you can seal beforehand, or not. The factory face-up IS already sealed, after all. When you get things how you want them on each layer you add, seal. But be SURE that you have things how you want! Once you seal a layer, if you decide you don't like it, getting that layer OFF WILL affect, likely REMOVE everything underneath the area you try to clean off. If you mess up and wipe off your work BEFORE sealing, it won't hurt anything underneath so long as you use water as your ONLY liquid! for pastels, erasers, especially clay/kneaded erasers, work beautifully without the need for water, magic eraser sponges, or damp cloths.

If you DO have to get the head wet to remove what you put on, make sure it has dried COMPLETELY before going back to work, or sealing. Especially sealing! water on the face will cause the sealer to peal, fog, go white, and/or chip if you try and seal over it.

Make sure that the weather is right for your sealer! Too humid, too cold, and the sealer can go white, fog, or chip. I'd test spray the headcap and wait for that to dry to see how it looks before spraying over the factory face-up the first time. Make sure the sealer is DRY before you work on it, you run the risk of ruining the faceup underneath it.

Other than that...just be patient, work slowly, and be sure you like what you've done before sealing every time you need to seal.

 

Thanks for the tips, and vote of confidence, guys. Now I'm quite excited about the whole process.
If anyone has anymore pro tips, I'd love to hear them.

 

Sorry for the sort of copy/paste/edit from another tattooing thread but I thought this method might be useful. ​

For anyone who wants a more long lasting facial tattoo, this is an example of one I gave my LE Elfdoll Red. His original faceup is from soom. Not something I wanted to remove, but simply modify.
(darkened around the eyes, touchups and teal tattoo)

To make the teal stripe across his nose I sprayed an extra coat of msc to create a fresh texture surface, then let it completeley dry. Then I took some plain scotch tape and used an exacto to cut an adhesive stensil to stick on his nose. From there as a precaution I lightly put together strips of tape around this stencil. Tape sticking to tape, not sticking actually plastered to the face, but just covering it enough to prevent any pastel I planned to use from dusting off onto other parts of his face. I then took a decent sized round paintbrush and blotted shaved/dusted pastels across the stencil. The color wasnt that dark, so I coated with msc and while it was still kinda wet applied another to make it darker. When i was ready I carefully peeled off the stencil and mask and applied finish coating. I like lots of msc.^^;;;; So paranoid that ill rub something off if I use a magic eraser to clean an unwanted mark on his face.


Hope this helps, and good lcuk with your modifications. ^^​

 

Alright I'll be ordering my very first BJD soon and I'm thinking that it might be best that I get the company face up...which is all well and good but I -really- want for her to have freckles to.

So would it be possible to add freckles to her after she arrives or should I just try to do the whole face up myself?

 

Yes I added to my boys faceup. I wanted his eyes and lips darker.
I sprayed him first with MSC, used my pastels and sprayed again with MSC.

 

It's definitely possibly, and freckles seems simple enough.
But you could also ask the company if they're willing to do it. Some companies take requests for faceups but some don't.

 

My friend's DZ Floy has freckles that she added herself that look BEAUTIFUL. It didn't mess anything up as long as your careful. (and, you know. Smart. No sharpie!! Hahaha)

 

I added to my BBB Apollo company face-up. I just wanted to make the area around his eyes darker, darken his eyebrows to match black or dark brown hair instead of blonde, gave him nostrils, shaded in his ears, and added small veins under his eyes. I am very pleased with the results.

 

Kidra- Do you have a picture?? He sounds beautiful...

 

This thread has been incredibly helpful!!

I'm buying my very first doll in a near future, a pukipuki from FairyLand. I'm trying to decide between two different face-scuplts BUT I don't really like either of their default face-ups. The shapes of them are okay but the colours are to light and too brown. Not confident enough to do my own from scratch either

So I was thinking of enhancing them myself with watercolour pencils and chalk pastels and now I know a lot more of how it should and could be done. Thank you everyone!!

Now I've some questions though. I've been looking through the different brand options for materials a bit, and it's a little confusing.

1.) In the best arts supplies store where I live they have watercolour pencils (brand "Derwent"), so that's all good, but they've dry pastel pencils also... I haven't seen it mentioned here or in any of the tutorials. Anyone know anything on how they're to work with? It's the same brand.

2.) I've found soft pastel crayons by the brand of "Rembrandt" and I know some face-up artists use that one. It doesn't say that it's a chalk pastel though. Direct translation would be "dry pastel crayon", like the pencils mentioned above. But there's also specifically oil pastel crayons so I think it should be safe to assume it's the same "Rembrandt" Right?

(Otherwise it's mostly about deciding on which sculpt now, but sadly only one of them are available as full package. It makes me sad )

 

I just did this the other night on my boy. And like many posts above had sad it's quite simple! Took me four months or so to work up the courage to touch my doll for any kind of changes like that...but I'm happy I did!
A coat or two of msc dulls all the glossy bits, I used Sennelier pastels. They're a high quality grade pastel even softer then Rembrandts. Soooo smooth!
And now my boy has rosy cheeks and more colour around his eyes where as before I found his default colouring very bland. I plan on going ahead and doing this to my only girl as well soon as I deside what sort of changes I want for her.

 

Hello there, Soon i'll be purchasing my second Dollzone doll and was thinking of building on an existing faceup.
my question is, how does MSC react with the dollzone sealant?
Is it possible to build on it or will i have to remove the faceup first?

if it helps at all i'll be more in depth, i plan to order the pearlescent powders from volks (these things: http://www.volksusa.com/matlpa0025.html)

Spray the head with MSC (the matte one)
blend a couple of the powders together and layer them carefully to acheive the color i want for her eyes (sealing each layer with a light coat)
i also plan to lighten and maybe regloss the lips, then seal them. will probably use volks gloss.

any opinions or advice you can give will be greatly appreciated.

 

From the Customizing Thread Index Sticky at the top of this forum: http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...to-add-paint-or-pastels-to-an-existing-faceup

If Dollzone isn't mentioned specifically in that thread, you can always add your question there.

 

Hi guys, i'd like to build on an existing DollZone faceup but i'm worried about how MSC reacts with DZ's coating.
what i'd like to do is layer the volks shine pearl powders to create a deep color and lighten the lips (using the same shimmer)

would i need to remove the entire faceup or is MSC pretty ok with DZ's coating?
thanks ^^

 

i left a reply there after coming through and not finding anything directly to DZ.
it wasn't really a question on how to, but rather whether or not MSC reacts badly with dollzones clearcoat like it can with others.

 

I just build on my DollZone Shoyos original face-up...
I went really well XD You can see it here: http://resingarden.forumotion.net/f...-feat-wolters-dukker-mange-billeder-t3023.htm don't mind the danish text XD

As you can see there where no MSC wierd reaction at all :3 And even now a few days later she still looks nice :3

 

thanks so much! i feel much better about what i'll be doing now ^^

 

Aha! This thread was just what I needed.

I'm wondering, if I'm going to just enhance the lower half of the face (cheeks and mouth) do I still take the eyelashes out? Or can I cover her eyes and go ahead?

 

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...to-add-paint-or-pastels-to-an-existing-faceup
A quick search of the Customizing Index turned up this thread. I hope it'll be useful!

 

Thanks. I went ahead and did the enhancement. Well, part of it. I blushed my girl and sealed her. I hope I haven't messed up...

 

So I kind of like an idiot. I ordered a doll with a face up, don't get me wrong it looks nice but the colors aren't dark enough for me. I want to redo her eye shadow and lips but I like the fact that she has real eyelashes. Is there anyway I can redo her face without having to take them off? Or are the eyelashes reusable. Thanks.

 

8E Usually eyelashes are attached after face up work is done. If you didn't damage them in the process of taking them off, i don't see why you can't re-use them. you could also buy some fake eyelashes for humans, cut them down to size, and pop them on your girl.

 

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...to-add-paint-or-pastels-to-an-existing-faceup Here ya go! Sounded like this was what you needed. And yeah, if you are very careful about removing the eyelashes you can glue them right back in later when you're done sealing whatever you add to her faceup.

 

Thank you so much, I think i will do that then.

 

(just dont forget that you can remove eyelashes by soak the head in water^^ the glue its attached with is usually wwater based and this way you really cant damage the lashes and wont harm the faceup itself neither ^^)

 

Ohh, good tip thanks!

 

Youre welcome ^^

 

I love my realskin Iple girl's custom face up. I just want to darken her blushing. I've noticed a couple of white spots of sealant coming off (away from any of the face up, closer to her ears) so I figured I can magic eraser the spots very carefully, seal her, then blush and seal again. I want to use volks uv cut powder finish. One tiny problem, I love her eyelashes...can I leave them on or is it not worth it if I'm adding to the faceup?

One more question: I noticed on her legs, the tan resin has slightly yellowed/greened a bit (she's a year old). Can I blush her to mask the appearance of yellowing? It's not noticeable unless you were told it was there.
Thanks for the help!

 

I dont know if this question has been asked or not.
I've ordered a doll from LoongSoul, XuanBing with his default face up. I imagine that will be sealed. But say i want to add to it?
I'd use pastels and such to do so, then I's seal it again?
but then what if i wanted to take of what I added later, wont I was away his default face up?

 

@guls: If you're talking about glued on upperlashes, leaving them on and spraying her will ruin them, so take them off first. They'll go back on just fine with a bit of white glue.

@pink_panda: Yes, you will. Once sealed. you can't take any addition off without taking the default faceup with it.

 

Thank you so much Hominivorax!

Also update: I tried to blush over the slight yellowing/greening and it fixed the problem...you do have to blush the entire body, but I think the overall effect is worth it and I'm not bothered by the legs anymore. I also magic erasered her legs a bit and it made a huge difference! (be careful with magic eraser if you have a tan doll...if you rub very hard it can take off the color a little).

 

Thanks Hominivorax. Gives me something to think about. Ill have to make sure I know what kind of face up I want before I start adding and such. Should I seal it one more time before adding to an exciting face up? Or is that like...futile because taking it off will result in taking it off anyway xD

 

Glad to help! ^^

Good to hear that you fixed your problem, guls. I actually had to do the same thing with a doll I dyed. Blushing does work wonders on that kind of unevenness.

Pink_Panda: I would say that it's a good idea to seal before you add anything, yes. It'll help make sure there's plenty of sealant for your materials to stick to. I've had pretty good results from doing this before adding colour myself, and I've tried it both ways. Sometimes the sealants some companies use don't have quite enough tooth and can use an extra coat.

 

Very helpful thread !

Since many points are repeated, I've read carefully everything before posting this. I simply want to add some eyeshadow to my Supia Rosy's eyes. I love her faceup and really don't want to damage it, but I find her eyes a bit too "nude"... I should have ordered "smoky faceup" instead of "natural"...

So from what I've read, I should first remove the eyelashes, which I understood can be done simply with some water. Then I should spray a layer of MSC (I just ordered MSC UV Cut Flat). I plan to use either chalk pastels or watercolor pencils (gotta go shop for these !). Then I should spray another layer of MSC, and put back eyelashes. Does it sound right ?

My question is : should I put MSC only on the eye area or on the whole face ? For some reason I'm afraid it will alter the rest of the faceup... especially, the lips are perfectly glossed and I don't want them to become matte ! And I don't think I'm ready to use gloss yet...

Any thoughts ?

 

Hinotori, I have almost the exact same question as you! I just want to make my girl's eyebrows darker.

What I was planning to do (please tell me if this is okay, gurus of dolly makeup in this thread!) is cover her face with some plastic wrap/paper towel and masking tape and JUST have her eyebrows showing. This way I am hoping to avoid the necessity to remove her eyelashes as well. I will just spray her brow line with MSC UV Cut Flat and then lightly dust her bright orange eyebrows with black chalk pastel and then add in some hair details with black water color pencils.

Is this totally going to be a folly or will it maybe work?

 

From what I understand about faceups...you don't want to put back on the eyelashes until the last. You don't want to spray MSC with them on the doll.

And I think I would spray a light coat of MSC over the whole face up (so you get an even coat)...if you want her lips to stay glossy...maybe you could mask over then with some low tack masking tape or after you are done add another layer of gloss to the lips.

 

Anneke, I did what you are thinking of doing for my boy (he also had peach eyebrows, he's in my signature and avatar) and it came out fine. I sent him to a pro eventually only because I wanted other parts changed that I couldn't do myself, but darkening eyebrows, especially over and existing template isn't so bad. Do make sure your pencils are very sharp! ^___^

 

YAY!! Thank you so much for the tip. I don't think I even own a pencil sharpener, LOL! I only ever used mechanical pencils for school. Shows how "artsy" I am...