Animator Madness

After finding myself in the mood to play around with face-ups and re-styling dolls, I went a little crazy last month and purchased these four 16" Disney Animator dolls.

I have great plans for Anna, she will be dressed in a nautical outfit, not unlike Sailor Moon, but not the exactly the same either . . . she just doesn't have the figure or the long legs that SM has. I shall keep her red hair, as it's quite cute tied in pony tails, and simply repaint her face.

I can easily see Elsa dressed elegantly in black and white, with long blond tresses, wide brim hat and black sunglasses . . . a little like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but with a slight twist. Her hair was really fine, so it has already been replaced with a wig. Elsa's face will be completely repainted and her eyes given a cheeky wink.

Mulan's still in limbo and I'm not sure where she is headed, as she hasn't "spoken" to me yet and is still cosy in her box. Perhaps she will keep her Asian heritage, or maybe she will undergo a complete transformation, only time will tell . . . I'm waiting for some inspiration.

Merida on the other hand, is well on her way to being finished. I have knitted her a pair of fingerless gloves, hat, scarf and leg warmers and sewn her a dress. I have kept her gorgeous red curls, but the face will be repainted. She was the only doll that was pre-loved, and came without a box, though in very good condition. The other three were all mint . . . NRFB.

Upgraded shoes were a slight problem for all of them, as these dolls have a rather unusual foot size, however, the shoes have finally been ordered and should be arriving soon.

Make Over: Step 3

I've been working on My Pretty Topsy Tail and decided to open her head up so I could remove all the hair that was still protruding through her scalp. Unlike many of the recent vinyl dolls who have tensioned hair, this doll had looped/stitched hair so it was difficult to remove the stubble any other way. 

You can see there was quite a bit to remove and it took me hours and by the time I had finished, my poor fingers were so sore from using the haemostats.

Having opened up her head, I figured rather than painting her eyes, I could now insert acrylic eyes. I would have preferred glass eyes, but I think they will be far too heavy to hold in place.

It took some doing cutting through the vinyl, it was quite thick, but eventually it was done.

I also gave her head a final wipe over with the acetone to remove the paint residue that didn't come off before because of the remaining stubble. Next step will be doing her face up.

Using Sealants

The purpose of spraying a base coat on bare plastic/vinyl or resin, is to give your doll a coat of flat matte, providing a microscopic uneven surface, which will enable your acrylic paints, pencils and/or pastels to adhere.

Spraying sealant in between applications is how layers are protected during the repaint process. It's much like what artists do, when illustrating with charcoal, to stop it smudging. It also enhances the colours, allowing you to create depth, even a degree of translucency to areas where you require it, such as the eyes.

This is especially so, when a final spot coat of gloss is applied to specific areas with a brush, after the final matt top coat has been applied. My sealant preference for this is Mr. Colour Gloss.

Applying a top coat not only seals and protects your beautiful artwork for years to come, it hides any minor imperfections in the surface and allows you to take photos of your finished dolls without a reflective glare, which is more often found on uncoated plastic/vinyl dolls like Blythe here on the right.

Things to watch out for when using sealants are:
Dust, hair and other miscellaneous airborne particles.
Extremes in temperature ~ it's advisable to work in temperatures ranging from 23-27C (73-81F)
Humidity ~ moisture in the air will create fine droplets or spotting on your work, so definitely don't use when it's raining!
Don't breath it in ~ most sealants are toxic, so it's advisable to use a protective mask in a ventilated area or a professional ventilated spray booth.
Avoid eye & skin contact ~ use gloves when holding your doll.
Distance ~ hold your can about 45 cm (approx.18 inches) from your doll and limit spraying to about 3-5 seconds, so it's just enough to apply a thin, even coat to the surface.

My ideal conditions are ~ 25C (77F) with 50-60% humidity, outdoors on a still day.

My go to sealant is Mr Super Clear UV Flat, as it can be used on both my plastic/vinyl and resin dolls, it also has the UV protection which helps prevent yellowing. Yes it's a bit smelly when applying, but that dissipates quickly.

Obtainable in Australia from Japan Toys in Melbourne, at a reasonable price, but please note MSC can only be shipped by road to other states.
Email: sales@japantoys.com.au or Phone: 0490 678 559.

Also available from Brunel Hobbies 20 Station Road, Cheltenham. Scroll to the bottom of their website page, it's just above Paint Pens.
Email: sales@brunelhobbies.com.au or Phone: 1300 278635.