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leitan

help! how do i do it right? [Face-up problems]

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leitan

so, before i ever got any of my 5 character DDs, i had a blank floating head that i ended up painting. she eventually found a body, although it was some time as i wanted her to be an MDD and those are a bit hard to come by right now.

 

her first face-up i was...maybe 60-80% happy with. it was okay, and i'll share some pics of what it looked like although i do not have any clear ones.

 

things i liked about it: i mixed the paint into a multi-hue dark auburn brown which suited her wig perfectly. i also got the correct expression i wanted on her (she's supposed to be an moody, sulky kind of teenage girl, so i didn't want her to look superhappyjoyjoycute like my other MDD)

 

what went wrong: at the time, i had no idea how to mix or thin out acrylic paint properly. as a result, her faceup lash and brow lines dried into this clumpy mess. it was much more noticable IRL than in pictures, where it could be edited or favorable lighting could make it seem less clumpy and thick. the other problem i had was some of her lash lines were way too thick and overlapping. i know they say "a bad workman shouldn't blame his tools" but i cannot figure out why i was having so much trouble with this - i do my own make-up with liquid eyeliner in a perfect cat-eye shape that tapers out to a fine point, but i *cannot* get the same effect on my doll - her lash lines become blunt points at the end and look bad. the brush i was/am using is also the thinnest brush i could find at the craft store, but maybe i should have sacrificied a make-up brush to do this after all?

 

okay, so first of all here are some pictures of the first face-up she (Rilena is her name) had:

 

6923981226_343ebf2c4b_z.jpg

ril-sitting-0 by ___rei, on Flickr

 

6d0036b2d30211e1a2e022000a1e8b2d_7.jpg

 

you can see in the 2nd image what i mean about the paint clumping. i took the 2nd image last night, because i decided to try repainting her.

 

well.. now i feel the same as before, but after spending another 1+ hour pouring over her face last night and killing all my braincells with acetone, of course.

 

progress pics were made:

 

8a937f2cd30211e19ed51231381000d3_7.jpg

 

(half and half - old on left, new on right)

 

b246ecfcd30211e1ba4022000a1e8932_7.jpg

 

finished repaint. there is still so much wrong with it. my problem is not that i can't identify what's wrong, it's that i don't know how to do things right.

 

- the eyebrow on the left still has some paint clumping, but aside from that brow, i overall managed to thin the paint out 'smoothly' which is what i wanted. but...

- i mixed the paint too dark. before, it was this glossy mid-brown mix which matched her wig perfectly. now it is a dark brown that is practically black, it's monotone, it doesn't look as good with her wig any more.

- i feel like i changed the expression too much even though i tried to copy the original as much as possible

- lashes are still clumpy and uneven, and do not "mirror" eachother - compare the eye on left to the eye on the right (which is the better one, i think). lash ends are still "blunt" and messy, even though i tried repainting them something like 5 times during the course of the session, i could not get them to look right.

- wanted to give her a nice blush and freckles, but i chose the wrong color for the freckles (used watercolor pencil which i lightly smudged) and it makes her look a bit sickly, not like she has real cute freckles.

 

the above 3 progress pics are unedited, to finish up here's an instagram of her. in photos it can be hidden, but i feel like i did just as badly as before. i feel like i know what mistakes i am making, i just don't know HOW to improve or not make them. can anyone help?

 

ff1755e4d30211e1b18c12313d051969_7.jpg

 

part of me feels that even though her old face-up was "worse" and "messier", since this one is still imperfect, the old one actually looked much better. i really want to try and re-do it again, but i want to do it right.

 

Rilena might be as unhappy as i am about this, but thank you if you took the time to read my post!

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XOHimitsuOX

What tools and materials do you use?

It looks like there was too much paint on the brush. When i do the lashes, dip the brush in the paint and remove the excess paint and create a pointy tip at the side of the paint tray. Did you prime the head with a clear coat before painting?

 

My tools and materials consist of:

- artists acrylics

- retarding medium (thins the paint and gives you more working time with it)

- paint trays

- 000 & 00 paintbrushes

- airbrush with matt clear for sealing (but a spray can will do, but i have more control with an airbrush)

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leitan

i have (and try to use) every material you listed *except* an airbrush. i do not have one - i could get one but i do not know how to use an airbrush. i would be interested in learning if there is any guidance you can give about that.

 

the first time i did her faceup i used a clear primer. second time i did, last night, i skipped the primer (not sure why i decided to do that, i have it, maybe i was being absent minded as i am inexperienced and forgot about that step).

 

i was dipping the brush in paint and then i would "swipe" it on the side of the paint tray to get rid of excess - but i guess i didn't do it enough and need to be even more careful?

 

as i said i have/was using 0 and 00 brushes too. but they still feel too big, they don't "point" at the end enough. that's why i was thinking of trying a liquid liner make-up brush, because those are "hard" brushes that are deliberately designed to taper into a point when you make a brush stroke with them. when i make a brush stroke with my store-purchased brushes, even though they are so tiny i cannot make good lash points, and everything appears too "thick". i want it to be more "thin, delicate" brush style but maybe i just need to practice and there is no good answer to that?

 

thanks for your advice - i welcome any more.

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XOHimitsuOX

I just went up to look at my paintbrushes, and i actually have a 0000 Cotman III Winsor & Newton brush which has a pointier tip than my 000 Ginza brush. The 0000 brush was used for doing the lashes.

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leitan

ooh, okay. i'll see if i can get ahold of one of those brush types, then.

 

it could be that i just need to practice a lot, i have all the correct materials for the most part, i am just inept at executing my idea.

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Ara

I usually work like that:

- coat the head with a sealer (usually use MSC flat)

- blush it (lips, cheeks, maybe ears and chin), coat it again

- blush the eyebrows first, for getting the shape right and having a base you just have to follow with the acryl then

- sketch the lashes very soft with a watercolor pencil till they look right

- coat again

- put a bit of acrylic paint on a little plate, use water or something like Liquitex Flow Aid to make the paint thinner, smoother and easier to apply

- apply paint in thin layers, use a steady hand and a good brush. You can also first apply a layer, coat again, apply another layer, coat again etc. if you fear to smudge something away.

- coat again a last time to seal your work

(- apply gloss, if wanted, on the lips afterwards)

- FINISHED

 

Problem I see here is the fact that you didn't make the color but instead used the color right away in its thick state. That only leads to problems and waaaay too thick layers, it's also harder to control and gets blotchy fast.

 

If you will give her a new face-up, clean her very good before and make sure nothing has stained.

If you need very small brushes also try going to a Games Workshop store (no idea if you have one nearby), they need very small brushes for painting their Warhammer figures and they also sell Citadel Purity Seal, a sealant that can be used instead of MSC or the stuff from Volks.

But beware: It tends to shine after a few layers :I


ZZ0WsD1.jpg

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leitan

hey Ara, thank you for your guide! is there any particular watercolor pencil type you like, or does it not matter at all? (i have some already, as mentioned i tried to do freckles with them but those failed... *goes to read the freckle painting guide*)

 

i used acetone to clean off her face before, also i consider her my "practice girl", as she is my first and only blank head DD, so i do the best i can and try to make sure nothing stained, but if it did i could accept it as part of the learning curve. i don't really want to attempt to do face-ups on other dolls (unless i got free practice heads... like barbies heads!) til i learn the techniques better.

 

i actually have Volks MSC, i purchased it back when i purchased her blank "floating head" and have some left.

 

i feel like aside from paint-thinning technique i need to work on brushwork and find the correct brush, i find it hard to work with the current brushe(s) i use even though they are small.

 

i will definitely be doing the face over again, but not sure when yet. when i do, i will bump this thread and ask for more critique on the new one.

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Ara
is there any particular watercolor pencil type you like, or does it not matter at all?

 

I don't really think that it matters, the ones I used back then were Faber Castell ones, but the most important part is to make them very sharp and use them gently on the hand.

Don't put too much pressure on them or they will break, damage the head or coating. If it looks very rough on the head try to use a brush, put a bit water on it and trace the lines you made with the pencil, it will make them look softer.

 

In case of freckles and anything else I can only say: Look at references! Look at pictures of real people with freckles (to see their shape, color, size etc.) and at other face-ups. Try to copy what you see and try to understand how they did it.

 

i used acetone to clean off her face before, also i consider her my "practice girl", as she is my first and only blank head DD

 

Acetone is a very risky thing to use for cleaning heads, be it resin or vinyl, since it's very aggressive. Some heads have been melted away by it or softened so much they were unusable anymore afterwards. IF you use it, you have to be very quick, careful and rinse the head very often with water inbetween.

 

Other, safe things you can use are Isopropanyl 100% and Mr. Thinner.

 

i feel like aside from paint-thinning technique i need to work on brushwork and find the correct brush, i find it hard to work with the current brushe(s) i use even though they are small.

 

Most important is usually not only a very small brush, but also one that is pointy at the end.

You should get a thick brush at the base, but pointy and thin in the end; it will be a lot easier to handle than a brush that is overall very thin.

You can also make the end of the brush pointy with "rolling" it on the plate. Dip the brush into the water+paint mix and then roll it gently on the plate to get rid of too much color and shaping the brush into something like this form: /\


ZZ0WsD1.jpg

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leitan

sorry for the late reply - all your advice has been really helpful to me, Ara. i'm going to experiment with watercolor pencils a little more and follow your guidance.

 

also, thanks for letting me know about acetone eating away at… stuff. i know acetone is extremely strong but i didnt know it was strong enough to degrade the head itself. i will get around to buying one or the other of the things you suggested before i try repaint #3

 

i definitely agree my problem regarding brushes is the pointiness. i purchased tiny brushes but they are just not pointy enough… i can try the rolling technique, but i might buy the ones recommended as well.

 

thanks for everything - i'll update this thread when i do her third repaint, which could be weeks or months depending on how i feel. actually i have some cheap dolls to practice face-ups on right now, so i might practice on them before re-doing Rilena.

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mangaemi
sorry for the late reply - all your advice has been really helpful to me, Ara. i'm going to experiment with watercolor pencils a little more and follow your guidance.

 

also, thanks for letting me know about acetone eating away at… stuff. i know acetone is extremely strong but i didnt know it was strong enough to degrade the head itself. i will get around to buying one or the other of the things you suggested before i try repaint #3

 

i definitely agree my problem regarding brushes is the pointiness. i purchased tiny brushes but they are just not pointy enough… i can try the rolling technique, but i might buy the ones recommended as well.

 

thanks for everything - i'll update this thread when i do her third repaint, which could be weeks or months depending on how i feel. actually i have some cheap dolls to practice face-ups on right now, so i might practice on them before re-doing Rilena.

 

 

I'd like to offer one tid bit - especially with working with very dark colors (I don't say this b/c I'm awesome at faceups b/c I have a long way to go, this is just advice from general painting). Build up color and values *slowly*. The brush is very much like a pencil, and when you start out with a drawing you try to do really light strokes then go back over them again and again building up value, gradually making things darker (this is especially true if you're using thinner). If you live near a Hobby Lobby the 20/0 and 18/0 brushes worked really well for my first try. I'd also get a small little eye dropper and just put one or two drops of thinner near whatever color you're using (helps if you're using a pallete or dish ) and just dab a little bit on your brush, dab a little in the thinner, and back and forth then do a few light strokes on paper jsut to get the excess off. not sure of the substitue for the Make Pen that volks has on their website, but it was super helpful especially with planning out everything and if you make a mistake in the preplanning it would just wash right off or use qtips to help shape and refine lines before actually going in and painting.

 

also, the super precision qtips in the beauty isle does wonders for lightly (and I mean quickly b/c the paint dries fairly quickly) adjusting imperfections in your lines.

 

can't wait to see it when you're done! : )


♥ ★ ✮ ~ Amassing an army of Anime Cuties ~ ✮ ★ ♥

The Family: Sheryl, Ranka, Kirika, Arlex2, Yoko, Snow Miku, Haruka, Student Mariko, Prisma Illya, Akira, Maria, Cirno, Noumi, Asuna Titania, Sakuya

on the way: want: Sailor Moon, Miki, Yukiho

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HimeNeko

Okay, so first before you start drawing any faceup, find the right tools. You will need a very thin brush for drawing the lines. I would recommend drawing a sketch of the faceup you want to make before drawing it. Also, buying a cheap doll and practising different styles/ ways of drawing faceups helps too.

When you feel ready to draw on a DD, Be careful with the way you draw. I'm not sure if you meant the brown dots as freckles on your third faceup, and if so, remember that if you want the freckles on the nose-to-cheek area, the freckles are usually close together. If you want freckles kind of all over the place, do absolutely not do it with ear sticks (?). I would recommend doing it with either a brush or a special faceup pencil.

Well, that's all! Good luck with your faceup!

(Sorry for my english, I am not a native speaker >.<)


On temporary hiatus.

 

 

Home: Charlotte (DDS Mayu)

Saving: currently none

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Yukamina

I used to have trouble getting clean thin lines (for eyes) with a paint brush, and I always thought I needed a smaller one... In the end, I just needed to build the skills/experience to use the 18/0 size liner brush that I already had (and I bought a fresh new one, paint brushes don't last forever). Like this http://www.loew-cornell.com/product-page-pages-43.php?cid=184&pid=15The

Brushes that are tiny and really short don't do the job for me, they aren't as smooth and they run out of paint too quickly. I think just having the best materials don't suddenly enable someone to do a good face up, they need the practice to be able to use those materials. So just keep working at it and try different looks!

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Lina

The best advice I found for getting smoother lines when it comes to thick paint is to thin your paint to the consistency of milk. After trying that I stopped having that problem. It will take longer since you have to do many layers to achieve a rich color, but it looks so much more smooth, and will give you great control over how harsh the coloring of the lines winds up.

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