07-06-2015, 07:46 AM
I can't say I've ever done the whole body on a doll, but I'm wanting to try it out soon so I've done some looking into it.
As has already been mentioned, dyeing is possible, but you should be aware that results can vary quite a bit, even on different parts of the same doll (since the hard plastic takes dye differently than the vinyl) so it's a bit risky. Spray paint is another popular option, like you said, but most don't work for vinyl- you can look for vinyl-specific spray paints but the colors are going to be somewhat limited there.
Chalk pastels for blushing the entire body is another option, so you might try that. Other options I've found in my searching: thin layers of acrylic paint, airbrushing, or thin layers of enamel paint. All of these work more or less along the same basic concept so it's kinda a matter of preference.
The one thing that seems to be common across the board is to e
ect some chipping at the joints no matter what you do if you move them much, so it's good to be aware of that in advance. It's also important to remember if you're going to paint or blush your doll, seal it first and move the joints around as you're working so you get paint on every part.
An alternate option, of course, is to use an Ever After High doll, since they're already flesh-toned. That's what I usually do! Alternately you could use an EAH body and a MH head if you prefer the head style, since the heads are easier to color match on their own (either through pastel blushing or thin paint layers).
I hope this helps! Like I said, I haven't actually tried any of this yet, so I can't say what works for me, but when I do get around to trying it I'll definitely share my journey!
As has already been mentioned, dyeing is possible, but you should be aware that results can vary quite a bit, even on different parts of the same doll (since the hard plastic takes dye differently than the vinyl) so it's a bit risky. Spray paint is another popular option, like you said, but most don't work for vinyl- you can look for vinyl-specific spray paints but the colors are going to be somewhat limited there.
Chalk pastels for blushing the entire body is another option, so you might try that. Other options I've found in my searching: thin layers of acrylic paint, airbrushing, or thin layers of enamel paint. All of these work more or less along the same basic concept so it's kinda a matter of preference.
The one thing that seems to be common across the board is to e
ect some chipping at the joints no matter what you do if you move them much, so it's good to be aware of that in advance. It's also important to remember if you're going to paint or blush your doll, seal it first and move the joints around as you're working so you get paint on every part. An alternate option, of course, is to use an Ever After High doll, since they're already flesh-toned. That's what I usually do! Alternately you could use an EAH body and a MH head if you prefer the head style, since the heads are easier to color match on their own (either through pastel blushing or thin paint layers).
I hope this helps! Like I said, I haven't actually tried any of this yet, so I can't say what works for me, but when I do get around to trying it I'll definitely share my journey!