Modification Would it be bad to use Velcro on my doll to swap out facial features?

I can’t speak to the effect of Velcro, but if I’m picturing your idea correctly, maybe you could use eye putty (or whatever kind of adhesive putty) to stick the features in place?

 

I can't think of a single on-topic doll where this seems feasible. There are face plates of course, and other dolls that use magnets for certain interchangeable parts. Velcro can also be used to hold a wig in place. But I think what you're describing is entirely different. Besides any residue, the adhesive could damage the faceup if you were to try to remove it.

 

I'm not sure what do you mean by sticking velcro into a doll's face to change the expression. I never saw an eyebrow or lips piece (there's teeth and tongue, etc pieces that you can change them from behind their head or faceplate).

For your message I understand that you saw some kind of doll that has "Mr Potato" style face pieces? Do you have a link? (Not sure how to explain what I understood). Maybe you can find a doll that has different heads and faceplate if you want different expressions.

Also, for extra parts is way easier and more clean to use putty. Velcro glue can harm the resin and leave stains. Velcro works well for wigs as the head top/lid isn't visible.

 

I think some simple photo editing could help you achieve your goals! If you have an iPhone I recommend Procreate Pocket, but there are free options too!

 

I would agree that the residue left by the sticky backing on the Velcro would be a problem when you go to eventually remove it if you think the Velcro pieces aren't working.

If you don't like the idea of putty, would Photoshop be the easiest way? It would definitely be more time consuming but then you could make sure your doll isn't damaged, unless you want the features to be changed outside the scope of photography. In that case, putty I think would honestly be the best bet for the least intrusive method!

 

I personally wouldn't stick any sort of adhesive on a place that has painting. It runs the risk of leaving residue or possibly causing damage. For instance, I once used eye putty to stick a resin horn on the forehead of one of my dolls, and it left a slight residue in the sealant that I could never remove. I now cover that spot with hair, but it would be sad to have that same damage occur on a more visible place - especially since your goal is to have the different expressions visible!

I second the suggestions to try using an image editor to change expressions. Photopea is a free website that lets you use basic Photoshop tools on your desktop, and it's my usual go-to for photo editing.

 

If you stick neodymium magnets inside the head, with putty, above the eyes and you craft the eyebrows out of something magnetic (you could try removing the flexible magnetic sheet off a fridge magnet) you might be able to do something like movable eyebrows and it might even look nice if your doll is anime/cartoony. That said I have no idea if that would hold, and it will inevitably scratch the faceup.

 

This is not just the issue of residue, but also scale. Anything stuck using velcro, or even poster putty, would not sit flush against the face, first of all creating shadows in photos and optically enhancing the odd "floating" effect. What you also need to remember is that face expression is a whole face kind of movement, not just eyes/mouth. Even if the movement of other face muscles is subtle in a lot of expressions, it is still there and a static face with those parts out of alignment would look caricatural and/or even quite creepy. A bit like this:



One sure subtle way to add some life to the face for photos is to move the eyeballs to look in different directions than dead straight. But I think your idea comes from misunderstanding the scale of doll faces and the effect that would create when put next to human-size appropriate craft materials. The velcro on your doll would be the equivalent to using something around the thickness of an average paperback novel to stick decorative elements to your own face.

 

Ahh, I see I see, I think people were perplexed because a lot of dolls have thin lines as eyebrows, so the effect of floating eyebrows would stand out a lot more than the chunky, 3D dots that Splatoon has. You might still have an issue the features looking like they're floating, but you can possibly smooth those out in image editing. Honestly, you won't know how something looks until you try it.

The adhesive itself shouldn't damage the resin. Using PVA glue (school glue) in place of the adhesive that comes on the strips is also an option that wouldn't cause damage.

A lot of people also use Nendoroid Dolls or other tiny dolls like that for Splatoon dolls. They're off-topic in the main forums here, but they also have changeable face plates for easily switching up the expression without removing the whole head. (There are on-topic BJDs that use face plate systems as well, but I'm not familiar with any of them, and all this kinda veers away from your original questions anyway.)

Anyway, good luck! I'm curious how this would look.

 

Typically if you're painting a head, regardless of how much detail you're going to add, you spray sealant on the entire head so the surface is adequately prepared to receive paint. This protects the material, and it's also necessary for the paint to stick. For an even coat, you'd probably do several layers. Unless you have a perfect stencil, it would be a good idea to spray the entire head in sealant, or at least the entire front. So if you're putting adhesive on, this could cause the sealant to be pulled up and chip, eventually effecting a larger area than the adhesive directly touched.

I think everyone is just trying to give alternatives for the same effect because we want to help your doll be as cute as possible! Shortcuts sometimes end up taking longer and being more expensive in the long run, and if you've never seen any other instances of velcro being used similarly on a forum this old with many seasoned hobbiests, there's probably a good reason for it

But I second that you won't know how something looks until you try. Go for it! Good luck and please share your project!

 

Seconding elmer's glue as safe.

I never played Splatoon, and I am probably not the only one here, so you could probably get some more relevant advice if you posted a visual reference for the character.

If the faceup is simple cartoon line work and if you were taking pics at home or somewhere with a table, you could also consider temporary faceup for photo shoots. Sealing the head, then applying elements that are going to be changed with watercolour pencils without sealing them and wiping away with a damp cloth could work and give more convincing results. As long as you seal it well and don't have a hand heavy enough to scratch away the sealant, it would be safe for the resin.