OSS - One Sixth Sense - 1/6 Scale One-Of-A-Kind OOAK Designs

Neither D.D.'s One Sixth Sense nor the artist has any affiliation whatsoever with any doll company or manufacturer.

Tutorial - Molded Hair on a Male Fashion Doll

I was asked by several people who saw a recent commission project of mine to do a tutorial on the hair technique. I am always eager to share what I know or what I've learned through trial and error. Most people who know me know that if I am given a challenge, I rarely if ever back away from it. My commission customer wanted me to do a look-alike male doll. She sent me photos of her son-in-law who is African American and who sports a short buzz cut as he is a military chaplain. AA male fashion dolls are extremely limited in number. There is, to my knowledge, only one face mold from Mattel. There is only one skin tone for that one AA face mold. Unable to allow myself to turn away from a challenge, I forged ahead, choosing to use a sun-tanned Blaine doll instead of the AA Steven doll. However, the Blaine doll had a full head of sun-streaked hair. What to do? Get out the scissors and molding paste!!

How To:

Go from this....

to THIS*

Supplies Needed:

Base Doll

Molding Paste

Acrylic Paint (color choice for hair)

Paint Brushes

Scissors

You can find molding paste at craft stores in the art section. It should be a matte finish...no sheen. I use a square tip paint brush for this technique. It has a stiffer surface area. I like to use two sizes, the smaller one for tighter areas (above the ears etc.). I prefer a small scissor with curved tips. It's easier to get closer to the doll's scalp.

Step 1:

The dolls occasionally have a stiffener in the factory hair. If necessary, wash the hair so you can better manage it. Use scissors to completely scalp the doll. This is a case of "it's going to look worse before it can look better". Do not remove head and pluck out the stubble with tweezers! The molding paste needs something to "grip". The stubble also helps give the molded hair more texture.

Step 2:

Prepare the molding paste. I use a glass custard dish, but you can use plastic, metal, whatever. Molding paste and acrylic paint both wash up easily with water.

Using your paint brush or a spoon or a craft stick, place a small amount (approximately a heaping teaspoon) of molding paste in dish. Add a drop or two of paint and mix. It's best to add drops gradually until you get the color you want. Remember, the molding paste is white, so it will lighten the paint. It is also worth remembering that you can (and will, in the case of this tutorial) touch up the molded hair with acrylics after the hair has set up.

Step 3:

Now the fun begins!! Using your larger flat brush, start applying the tinted molding paste to the doll's scalp area. Use an up and down patting motion rather than a smearing/painting motion. Right now, your goal is to apply the molding paste in a relatively even layer, working it into the stubble, and staying within the hairline of the original hair. More details will happen in the next step. And don't worry...it takes time for the molding paste to "set", so you don't have to rush through this step. Take your time and try not to get too sloppy. If you do get some molding paste on the doll's face or neck, use a damp paper towel or toothpick to clean it up. It will wipe right off. I keep a damp paper towel nearby for just this purpose. It also works well to drag a clumpy brush over the paper towel to remove some of the unwanted paste.

Step 4:

Now, you'll want to switch to your small brush. I usually do this step with my magnifying headgear because I am going to work past the stubble and onto the vinyl skin of the doll. I don't want it to look messy.

This step allows you to form sideburns, lower the hairline on the back of the neck, and form the hairline around the face. On this doll, I have lowered the back hairline as well as the hairline across the forehead. Give the hairline a bit of an uneven line. You are creating hair, not a helmet. When I've finished with the hairline and sideburns, I turn my attention to evening out the entire head of hair or adding thickness where I want it, etc. Again, you want it to look natural, not like he's wearing a cap of meringue!

At this point, you can simply stand back, admire your handiwork, and allow the molding paste to set up. You have a doll with a whole new look! The molding paste will retain a bit of a "spongy" feel to it. It will dry but not harden.

Or...

Step 5:

Since I'm a stickler for details, I'm not satisfied with simply recreating the guy's hair! I want, of course, to give him new facial features. I want to make him more realistic by adding texturing, contouring, and shading to his face and hair.

The first step to this process is removing the existing face paint. I use 100% pure acetone. It's inexpensive and can be found at beauty supply stores. I then wash the face with a mild soap and tepid water. I think he looks better already!

After the face is dry, I begin the repaint by painting in the whites of the eyes and shading around them with sienna and buff. I also do the eyebrows.

Step 6:

This is one of my favorite parts of repainting...shading, contouring, and texturing! I use thin washes of acrylic paint in colors that are a wee bit darker than the existing skin tones. You want the shadows to fall naturally. You don't want to see lines and blocks of color. Recessed areas are darker. Prominent areas are lighter.

I use a square tip brush and very watered down paint. I paint on the color and blend with my fingertip. I use the same technique for facial hair and freckles...very thin washes of blended in paint. We are creating illusion.

On our guy, I used this darker paint to shade along the hairline all around the head so that there is not such a stark color change between the molded hair and the "skin". It also creates a slight shadow where the hair would shade the skin beneath. I also used the same color but used a stippling type of stroke to create the first layer for the 5 o'clock shadow. At this time, use the same color to add some color variation to the molded hair if you choose to do so. Again, use the stippling/pouncing motion with the brush.

Can you see the darker colors? If you can see much more than the beginning 5 o'clock shadow, I didn't do my job correctly. So, at this point, I'm hoping you don't see much of anything as far as shadows are concerned. The difference will be much more apparent later.

Shading and the beginnings of facial hair.

Steps 7, 8, 9:

Whereas shading, texturing, and contouring are pure fun for me as a repaint artist, this next step often causes me stress. I find that when I begin working on the eyes of a doll, the process goes one of two ways. It goes smoothly or it fights me every stroke. I have taken off the eyes of a doll several times; usually after the 3rd removal, I put the doll down and go do something else to take my mind off of it. I shake off the stress and return later. Almost without fail, the eyes then paint on without a hitch!

My treat for successful eye painting is to paint the lips. I really enjoy painting lips. I have no idea why, but I do. I find that using an extender with a little gloss to it in the acrylic paint makes for more translucent lip color. If you want a matte finish, don't use the extender. For male dolls, I use the extender because I want the lip to look natural and slightly moist. I want to be able to see "through" the color so that it appears fleshy.

Once the features are finished, I complete the facial hair with several more layers. If I only want a subtle 5 o'clock shadow, I leave the initial layer and add no more. At this time, I enhance the chest after preparing the surface so that the paint will adhere to the hard plastic.

All painted surfaces are sealed with artist-grade varnishes. Use a matte varnish on the molded hair. And....

...the AMAZING TRANSFORMATION is complete!

Before

After

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This OSS Male Fashion Doll Repaint/Restyle is SOLD

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D.D.'s

for the diminutive diva