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MY PERSONAL PAINTING
SERVICE ~ I will now prepaint any molded doll (and
hair if applicable). If the doll also has molded hands and
feet, these will be painted as well. Style of painting must
be consistent with my presentation of the doll (no custom
requests). Prices vary depending on the doll involved
and its complexity, but run from $45 - 65 (on average) and
does not include cost of parts which are purchased separately
or are already in a kit you are purchasing. If you add this
item to your cart, we will email you with a confirmation
of actual price depending on the doll parts or kit that this
applies to. Add
to Cart Or, you may call us with inquiries.
Note: Stuffed dolls cannot be accomodated
due to the wide variance in other people's stuffing.
PAINT
BRUSHES
Brushes can be confusing. This is a complete selection of the
brushes I use in all aspects of my dollmaking. You don't need
to own all of these to get started, but if you continue, eventually
you will find you need every one and face the fact that you
will need to replace brushes now and then depending on how
much use they get and more importantly, how well you clean them.
Note about brush sizes - these are very inconsistent from brand to brand and even within a brand. For instance a size 18/0 can look and behave identically to the same type of brush labeled as 10/0. So, I have stopped putting in the sizes as stamped on the brush. Also, sometimes I get one type of brush from one company and other types from another depending on what I would choose myself. This may also be reflected in prices that are seemingly inconsistent. Just know that if you respect my work, I am using the same brushes as I sell.
A
BASIC SET TO GET STARTED (newly revised) - In doubt about what to
have? This basic set of 10 brushes has all the ones I use
the most, including the small concealer brush used for cheeks (see below). Price is about 10% less than buying the brushes individually. $75.00 Add
to Cart
LINERS -
These are used for painting stand alone lines (eyeliner, lashes, brows and stripes) and are designed for dragging along dispensing paint stored in their longer bristles to make
fine lines. I also sometimes use these to outline lips using a larger brush to fill in.
Use the script for painting longer lines (eyebrows, eyelids) on larger dolls (12" and up),
stripes or making starting lines for tops of painted doll shoes. Tip: never use a spotter or a typical round brush for lines (eyelining or eyebrows). Because they have shorter bristles it may look like you would have control, but they are not designed for holding paint along a line so you end up having to get more paint more often which interupts the painting of a smooth continous line.
• Fine Line - I use this brush, often trimmed finer (see below*Note) for nearly all my dolls eyelines. $7.50 Add
to Cart
• Script Liner - These are good for dragging longer
lines (eyebrows on larger dolls and garter stripes on legs). $8.00 Add
to Cart |
*Special Note for Liners -
I find that to get the just right size for doll painting
in my scale (dolls 14" or under), that the best lines
are painted by removing a quarter to a half of the bristles of all of the liners. I keep one of each brush on
hand - trimmed and untrimmed - and feel they are my most
important brushes. I used to offer to pre-trim these brushes for you, but with the new source of brushes I am now selling, it is not so necessary. But because it is something everyone should know when and how to do, I now include a little set of instructions with each of the liner brushes so that you will know when you might need to do this to your brush and how. If you do trim your liner brushes, I do recommend you have in addition untrimmed ones to use in other places where you may need a fatter stroke.
ROUNDS - Used for
outlining larger areas (such as hair or painted on shoes) where the filling in is done with a broader flat brush and filling in touch up areas such as when painting lips or eyes - the whites, irises or pupils. On tiny dolls, also are the filler-in brushes. Do not use for filling in larger areas or you can end up with too much paint and a choppy surface.
• Spotters - Think of this brush to dot, not paint.
Used for pupils on tiny dolls or repairing/filling in small areas on tiny dolls (not for painting lines!) $7.00 Add
to Cart
• Fine - This would be used on the smallest dolls.
$8.00 Add
to Cart
• Medium - Use this size on medium size areas. $9.50 Add
to Cart
• Large - Before I found cosmetic concealer brushes (below), this was my cheek brush. It is round large enough to stipple on cheek paint in a dry brush effect (dabbing with almost no paint on ends of bristles). I don't use it myself much due to preferring the concealer brushes, but there is still a call for this from dollmakers. $10.00 Add
to Cart |
FLAT BRUSHES - Good
for surface painting in broad strokes. I use the smallest for filling in whites of eyes, irises, and lips on dolls bigger than Hitty. I use the 1/8 - 1/4 for edging and filling in for hair and painted shoes. The 3/8" ones are used for spreading on larger areas of paint like
skin and sealing coats. Hint: I keep separate brushes in each size for dark paints and clear coating due to tiny bits of color pigment stay lodged in the bristles (no matter how much you clean) that get stuck in the finish clear coats.
• 1/8" $7.50 Add
to Cart
• 3/16" $7.75 Add
to Cart
• 1/4" 9.00 Add
to Cart
• 3/8" 13.00 Add
to Cart
Note: Some of my kits refer to using a 1/2" flat brush. This is still true and also for spreading paint or clear coats on larger dolls. I have stopped selling them since keeping a large stock of brushes is hard these days and I find I am using them less as I concentrate on smaller dolls (no larger than 12"). You can easily find 1/2" flat brushes at places like Michaels or other art supply departments. If you keep it really clean, one will last a long time since it is not used that often.
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CURVED END BRUSHES AND FILBERTS - These brushes are flat with curved ends. They are essential for good blending. The smaller concealer brush is the best brush for stippled on doll cheeks in special acrylics (called Open Acrylics) or oils. I use both sizes of Concealers for other stippling as well.
FOR CHEEKS AND STIPPLING - (Concealer
Brushes) ~ In my top most-used brushes the brushes I use for easiest-ever
cheeks are not available in art supplies. They are called
concealer brushes sold in the makeup section of drug stores.
I use two sizes and the ones I look for are called
Fine Concealer (3/16" across) and Concealer (5/16" across) brushes. As of this writing, I find it increasingly difficult to find the same quality, so I no longer recommend searching out your own unless you are willing to experiment. Although in the
art world these resemble filbert brushes, they behave much
better,
and for the low price you simply cannot get a better brush for this kind of job.
It seems to dry brush better and stipple better for lots
longer. I use them for cheeks and applying paint where
I want to stipple or pounce the paint on to achieve shading. Other brushes
lift off previous paint, but these are better at not. See section above to buy these or scroll down to get sets of paints with include one of these just for cheeks.
• Filberts - I used to offer filberts in 3 sizes, but over time I have evolved to using only the concealer brushes instead. So when I began to hone down my inventory, I eliminated Filberts.
• Concealer Brushes Set of two sizes (3/16" and 5/16"). Use the 3/16" for cheeks on small dolls 3-12" and fine stippling. Since most of my dolls are in the smaller range, I find that I use this size most often. Use the (5/16") for larger areas of stippling. I use this one when stippling in hair on my 12 or 18" Izannahs. $9.50 for set 2 brushes. Add
to Cart |
COMB OR RAKE BRUSHES -
These are for painting in the strokes that look like hair on
Columbians and Izannah Walkers. They are constructed of alternating
small clumps of long and short bristles. The longer bristles
absorb and transmit the paint (usually somewhat thinned down)
leaving spaces where the shorter bristles don't touch. At least
that's the theory, which more often than not does not work
as planned and you end up with a glob of paint where you really
wanted individual strokes like hair. I used to offer (and try
to use) varying sizes, but in 2011, I had a contract to make
250 dolls who would require using comb brushes. I tried every
brush out there and in the end I found two important tricks.
One is that unless your doll is very large (say 20" or
more), it is unlikely that you would ever really want more
than the one size brush I am now devoted to. It is sold as
a 1/8", but really is a bit wider especially when the
bristles spread as you put any pressure on the brush. Using
this size brush means that it might take you longer to cover
the intended area, but you will have so much more control over
what you are painting, that it is well worth a few extra strokes.
But what, you ask, do I do with my stash of bigger sizes of
this type of brush? You can trim in from either side right
next to the metal ferule and still get some good use or save
them for larger areas.
The key to success using comb (or rake) brushes is to run the bristles freshly
loaded with paint through a very fine tooth comb held in place
in a small stand which holds the tiny comb horizontally with
tines up so you hands are both free to hold the doll in one
hand and use the paint brush in the other. Every time you get
fresh paint (after cleaning off your brush), run the bristles
thru the tiny comb stand which will nicely separate your bristles
so as to paint nice parallel lines. This little tool makes comb brushing hair details easier, an otherwise difficult task to master. In fact, in my experience, I don't think you can use these brushes without this tool. Instructions included. Clean this tool
frequently and use for a long time.
• 1/8" Comb/Rake Brush (the smallest available).9.50 Add
to Cart
• Comb Tool Wooden Stand with Comb and Instructions
$5.75 Add
to Cart
• Extra Tiny Comb for Cleaning Comb (or Rake) Brushes (with Instructions)
$1.00 Add
to Cart |
FANTASTIX PAINT STICKS for
Blending and Cheek Painting on Tiny Dolls - These are like the insides of
felt tip markers. They can be used to dry brush (blot or blush)
on cheeks (on tiny dolls where even a small brush is too large) or other areas that need a blended-out look. They
are disposable, but can be used more than once if cleaned and
caps put on. I like to use them for small doll cheeks (Hitty
and smaller). They also make good erasers for stray paint.
They accomplish the same thing as the silk cheek tool above
but are ready made and disposable. Packages of 6.
• Fine Tip Size $6.30 Add
to Cart
SQUEEZE
BOTTLES (For dispensing paints, drops of water, drops of
retarder - These small squeeze bottles are a great
size to keep these supplies not only readily at hand but
ready to dispense while you work. And good to travel with
too. Set of 4 $6.50 Add
to Cart
PAINTS $2.95
ea.
These are my own blends and therefore more costly. You can
also use commercial liquid acrylic paints in similar colors.
These are all one oz. size containers:
Lighter Body Tan (a new blend of the Original Body Tan in a lighter version) Add
to Cart Note: This has become my preferred color and the only body color I am now using.
Darker Body Tan - My original Body Tan (rosier and lighter tan; FYI this color exactly
matches a vintage Izannah Walker as compared to a paint swatch
from under her clothes where no fading has occurred) Add
to Cart
Off-White (snowmen, angel wings,whites of eyes and general use) Add
to Cart
Cheek Color Add
to Cart
Lip Color Add
to Cart
Light Brown (softer brow & eyeliner and shading color) Add
to Cart
Blue Eyes Paint Add
to Cart
Dark Brown (shoes and hair and darker brow & eyeliner) Add
to Cart
Black-Brown (for pupils) Add
to Cart
Blonde Hair Paint (use Dark Antiquing below tp accent this color) Add
to Cart
PAINTS
FOR BLACK DOLLS $2.95 ea.
Black Doll Body Paint Add
to Cart
Black Doll Antiquing SOLD OUT
Black Doll Gesso - when body paint sanded, this golden color
shines through and brings the skin tone to life. Only use where
gesso is called for. Add
to Cart
A BASIC PAINT SET - All my basic colors in one set. Scroll down for more info.
PAINTS
FOR CHEEKS
MY FAVORITE
CHEEK PAINT SET TO THE RESCUE ~ Use acrylics for all other
painting, but use alkyd oils for at least cheeks for better,
easier cheeks. If you will be using these paints soon after
receipt, the best way to paint cheeks fairly effortlessly
is with alkyd oils (fast drying oils). Oils allow you to
easily feather out the edges using a dry brush and virtually
no paint on your brush. Clean up with turpentine or turp
substitute. You can then seal with varnish (recommended is
Mod Podge Matte) and antique as usual. Included with the set of three colors in small paint pots (Titanium White, Cadmium
Red Deep, and Burnt Sienna) are a special brush for applying (concealer brush), a small pot of Mod Podge Matte and basic instructions.
CHEEK PAINT SET
$9.95 Add
to Cart
JUST THE PAINTS
(no extras) $4.95 Add
to Cart
NEW -
CHEEK PAINT SET with OPEN ACRYLICS ~ My favorite technique for painting all of my dolls' cheeks is with oil paints (alkyds) using a concealer brush, but sometimes you just don't want to use oils, even fast drying ones, so I have discovered that the use of open acrylics is as close as you can come to using oils with the benefit of their being water based. The little pot I am supplying in this starter kit will last a long time and do many dolls' cheeks. The set includes the pot to get started of my special color mix and another pot of sealer, instructions and tips plus the recipe for making more and best of all, the special concealer brush. $5.95 Add
to Cart
WAX
ANTIQUING MEDIUM (Not for painted surfaces)
This is a product that I worked on for years. Its use is limited
to unpainted dolls or fabrics that can be ironed. Comes with
detailed instructions to "antique" dolls to really
look vintage - not just tea-dyed. Package comes with a small
tin of the wax medium, sandpaper and sample overdye, all that's
needed, except spray starch, to do a realistic job. $6.50 Add
to Cart
ANTIQUING
GLAZE FOR PAINTED SURFACES
This is my own antiquing formula and is painted on over painted
surfaces like a glaze that imparts the look of age. Best to
apply using a little of the Retarder to help the blending time
and over a sealed surface (use a matte or satin varnish - sold
above - or a spray sealer). Varying degrees of lightness are
achieved by adding more of the Retarder. For darker skinned
dolls, see next item. $3.50 1 oz. Add
to Cart
OIL BASED ANTIQUING
MADE SURE AND EASY - MAKE YOUR OWN
I know for so many through my classes that people have a hard
time with antiquing and are rightly afraid that in the end
after all the effort of painting, that they will jeopardize
their work. And yet it imparts such important depth and character
that is so necessary even on dolls intended to look more pristine
than primitive. This story goes back to my early days of going
primitive when I called upon a wonderful old standby from the
paint industry for my antiquing which was an oil based product
just for this. But when I wanted to kit my work, this oil based
products like the other oil based paints I only used in those
days, would not last once out of its metal can. So began the
long struggle for a water based antiquing, the best of which
came about after many long struggles and is the Antiquing Glaze
sold above. Due to my kits I became adept at antiquing and
so forgot about that old product until I too would have the
usual difficulties and then I would long for it. Recently a
classroom emergency caused me to have to improvise and when
I did I realized that though we could not put the new solution
into a kit either (no shelf life once the product is out of
its tube), I could help out dollmakers by letting them in on
how to do an oil based antique that is easy to mix up, doesn't
take too long to dry (overnight), can go on over acrylic paints
or oils, is easy to adjust and remove if you get too much and
is, in general pretty darn fool proof. You only need 2 ingredients:
an alkyd oil paint and turpentine or substitute. Here is a tube of alkyd Vandyke Brown which will last
you for many scores of dolls and the tube will probably still
be good for your children. The turps can be found readily at most craft stores - I
recommend Turpenoid in the blue can (not the green one).
Tube of Alkyd Vandyke Brown (Comes with How-To Instructions)
$7.95 Add
to Cart
Trial small paint pot (just to see - it won't last long
so be ready to try it) of the oil paint $2.50 (Comes with How-To Instructions) Add
to Cart
DARK ANTIQUING
(WATER BASE) FOR BLACK DOLLS AND HAIR ACCENTS ON LIGHT HAIR
This is a mahogany rich warm brown
antiquing glaze that is good to use on black doll skin and
as an accent color on lighter colors of hair (regular antiquing
is too close in color to lighter hair). $2.75 Add
to Cart (Same as Black
Doll Antiquing above)
VARNISH This
is a high quality varnish with a nice finish in a soft sheen.
2 oz. $3.75 Add
to Cart
HINT ~ My
recommendation for the best finish and sealer with a low
sheen is to use Mod Podge Matte, available most everywhere.
Also, read my Hints page about matte finishes.
RETARDER (painting extender) - This medium is standard
fare on my painting table - I use it in nearly every water
based paint I paint with, especially the detail painting
and antiquing which requires fuss time. This is a JoSonja
brand product that is more liquid than gels, but lots better
for allowing you to spread paints and antiquing with more
working time. Vastly helps the whole antiquing process and
also good for getting paint to paint fine lines with ease.This
is only added to water based paints. 2 ounce bottle will last a long time. $5.50 Add
to Cart |
