Friday, June 29, 2012

Adventures with the Airbrush

So I finally pulled out the airbrush.  How long have I been talking about doing that?  Too long!   I've had my airbrush set since 2005.  The last time I used it was 2005.  Pitiful!  I took a class on composition doll repair back then, and this was one of the required tools.  

Here is part of my airbrush set.  It is a complete set, but the other pieces are setting off to the side. Airbrushing allows for very thin coats of paint with great coverage.

You will need an air compressor to get your airbrush to work.

These are airbrush quality paints.  There are many more colors.  This is what I had on hand and what I used for my experiment.

This is my box of repair goodies.  This stuff is amazing.   It's not only used for repairs, but can be used to change a doll's features.  

These two dolls are in an upcoming story and it would be nice if they had articulated bodies.  Model #4 has been waiting a long time for a body.

I didn't want to practice on one of my really good articulated bodies, in case I really messed it up.  I had a couple of SIS articulated bodies and decided to use these.  Mixing colors is always a challenge.  That's why I always say one of the best classes I ever took is a Color Theory class.  It has come in handy so many times.

So this is the body in progress.  I was happy with the color mix and knew that adding additional coats would help me achieve my goal.  I added a few more coats, then let it dry.  You NEVER know what the color  will look like once it's dry.  It acts very similar to house paint.  It got a little darker once it was dry.  There wasn't any measuring to my color mixing.  I always try to see beyond the top surface color.  I look for the undertones to see what's there.  So I mixed mostly caramel brown (I was completely out of my regular brown), a few drops of black, some orange, some yellow and some royal blue.    That was my first color mix, and even though it's not a perfect match, I am pleased with my first results.

It's not as shiny as it appears in this picture.  After I painted it and let it dry, I added a porcelain MATTE glaze to the whole body.

So in this picture you can see more of the matte finish.  It looks the same way on the front.  I still have a few spots to touch up, then I will add one final coat of matte sealer just to make sure the color is protected.

Model #4 is happy to see a new body.

Like I said, not a perfect match, but for my first try after 7 yrs of not doing it, I am pleased.

I will more than likely paint a fashionista body for her.  She needs to be able to move her arms and wrists better than this SIS body allows.

I'm also excited because painting all that pink furniture will be a lot easier.  There's little, to no overspray with airbrushing, and much better coverage quicker.  So that makes it easier.  

51 comments:

  1. The results look great! But it also makes me annoyed that Mattel doesn't make articulated bodies in a variety of skin tones, and we have to tap into our brains to figure our way around that!

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    1. Verona - Thanks. I agree wholeheartedly about Mattel. That is a conscience decision on their part not to offer more articulated skin colors. It's not like they don't know how. They did the Alvin Ailey articulated doll.

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  2. Wow, from what I can tell of the photos, it's pretty darned close to perfect to me. You're amazing! She looks fabulous on her new body. Take that, Mattel! ;)

    I have a feeling, at some point...Ian will be next. I can't wait to see what he looks like. If you keep this up, I'm gonna ship one of my guys/girls to you for a fixin'. :)

    Love this blog.

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    1. Tracy - Thanks! That is a weight lifted off my shoulders. I've been wanting to do this for a long time. Ian's time is coming. Poor guy couldn't even sit down at the wedding. Did you get a chance to call into the Mattel designer and ask about the cheerleaders?

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    2. Oh, I tried logging on but because I'm not a Barbie Fan Club member, it wouldn't allow me to chat. I wasn't able to purchase a fan club card right now but maybe in the near future.

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  3. I totally agree with Verona! Mattel has limited views
    *thumbs down*
    You've done a surprising job Vanessa!! I can't wait to see your next body repaint!!

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    1. Sergio - Thanks. I am looking forward to doing the next one. I really wish I knew what Mattel was thinking when it comes to articulation.

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  4. Wow! You did a fan-tabulous job! The color match is near perfect.

    You could start another business.

    dbg

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    1. DBG - Thanks! You know that 'new business' idea popped into my head. For now I will just perfect my skills and keep it in my bag of new tricks.

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  5. This looks great! Did you do any scratch or chip tests to see if the base coat adhered well enough to the body or is the key to super seal and handle carefully?

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    1. Muff - As with most painting of dolls, there has to be a sealer. No need to handle so carefully once sealed. That's the beauty of airbrushing.

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  6. Awesome airbrushing job! Looks perfect.

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    1. Thanks Frannie! My package arrived today. I will open it tomorrow and send you an email.

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  7. Great! Those Mattel AA dolls are always different in color, so it's hard to find perfectly matching bodies for them. I never can. It would be great just to "make" those bodies. I also know, that's it's almost impossible to find matching articulated bodies for Janay dolls and this way you can also just repaint some other bodies for them. Oh, those Janay dolls are always a problem. I love their faces and have eleven dolls of three different skin colors, but I don't like their bodies at all...

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    1. Dukasha - Thanks! Those Janay dolls are hard to rebody in terms of color and fit. I have a total of 6 Janay dolls and only one of those is articulated. So maybe I will work on getting a couple of them new bodies, too.

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  8. Incredible. It looks great to my eyes.

    Feeling the eyes of several dolls and action figures (yes, not all action figures have good articulation) - no, I can't send you guys to Vanessa's for new bodies and repaints. Besides, she is busy with her own crew. And no, I can't afford an air brush at this time.

    Sigh. Now all the little backs are presented. But thanks for showing what can be done with paint and perseverance. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. D7ana - Thanks. I can feel the eye piercing of your dolls all the way down here. Scary. Glad I can't see the back side presentation. LOL!

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  9. WOW!! It's funny to read that you pulled out your airbrush machine. I was sitting here thinking about Curtis and if I need to send him to Morristown for a spa treatment! I think it turned out great.

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    1. Brini - That is funny. Curtis was just in Morristown. I should have done him up right after the wedding.

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  10. Great colour matching job, it looks perfect in the photos. I see some very happy dancing dolls in the future.

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    1. Carrickters - Thanks! Yes the dancing crew is already getting ready to flex their joints.

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  11. Awesome airbrushing job! Looks fan-tan-astic lol. Love how she came out so close to matching! Great job. Looks like a few of my gals will be joining the long line of dolls making their way over to the spa in Morristown for a tan :)

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    1. Chynadoll - Thanks! I can't wait to experiment some more. I can see the line forming at the door of Morristown.

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  12. Great job Vanessa! I would love to have a few articulated dark skinned divas. I'm also joining the "hope that you make it a business (commission)" line. Lol! Awesome work....wow!

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    1. Georgia Girl - Thanks! There definitely needs to be a articulated body business out there. I bet you Mattel would finally start making some if someone else started doing it.

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  13. Wow! Amazing job Vanessa!!! You continue to Wow me!!

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    1. Matty - Thanks! I used to be addicted to buying tools of all sizes. I'm always happy to put them to use and get my money's worth.

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  14. Wow, this looks great. I'm impressed!

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    1. Roxanne - Thanks! No more searching high and low for darker skinned bodies. What a relief!

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  15. Nice...Van...Nice. What do you think about the little sisters-1:12 dolls. There aren't really dark ones in that market either. Hobby Lobby doesn't even sell AA mini dolls. Good idea to get a dark haired white one and make her deep roasted brown.

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    1. Grandmommy - Thanks. I have a set of the AA 1:12 dolls, but my goal with my 1:12 family is to sculpt them. Or make porcelain ones with the doll molds I have. I do plan to airbrush some of the toddlers I have here to be used as extras in audiences,etc.

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  16. Pleased? You must be proud!!! It's nearly the exact tone, and the body looks as if it hasn't been repainted at all... Wonderful job! I'm lookinf for the fashionista repainted body, I'm sure that will be totally perfect.

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    1. Rossetti - Thanks so much! I can't wait to get to the fashionista bodies either. I think I have one here I can use, but I need to buy a few more.

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  17. Vanessa, and what about he joints? Don't they move harder because of the paint? And doesn't the process destroy the paint coat there?

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    1. Dukasha - With airbrushing, the coat of paint is thin, so there is no paint buildup. The joints act just like they did before I painted them. I'm not sure I understand the second question, but the answer is no.

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    2. Thanks. I mean, when the joints move, doesn't it destroy the paint inside them? Rubbing and so on...

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    3. Dukasha - The answer is still no. When you seal the paint properly it doesn't come off.

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    4. It's absolutely great then. Something, that every AA dolls collector dreams about. :)
      Didn't you think about non-Mattel bodies repainting? There are Obitsu, Volks and Pure Neemo bodies of the kids and teens size, but they are good for very pale dolls only. It would be wonderful to have such bodies of the darker color.

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    5. Dukasha - I have considered an Obitsu body for my little ones. I'm not really fond of the large joints. For the most part the bodies you mentioned cost more than I want to pay. That's why I've opted for painting the adult bodies, so I don't have to spend a lot of money on the few darker skinned bodies that are available for much more than the $10 fashionista bodies. It is nice having toddlers that are able to move about. I've been thinking of ways to make my own moveable toddler bodies. It won't be hard, I just haven't had the time to do it.

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  18. Hi from spain: wow, wow... you made a gorgeous job wiht this boby. Your Barbie Basic5 is perfect in that body.With the airbrush, can you paint the Barbie furniture?? I never bought any machine. Is it very expensive airbrush and paints for use with that machine? Keep in touch

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    1. Marta - Thanks. Yes painting the Barbie furniture is really easy, too. I've already started painting some. I'm looking forward to painting a couple of cars. Airbrush prices range from relatively inexpensive to really expensive. The compressor will cost more than the airbrush and is the most expensive of the ensemble. The paints aren't too bad. You can also use paints other than airbrush paints, but airbrush paints will probably give the best results.

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  19. Thanks for leading the way once again. I will have to start saving my pennies so I can get an air brush. Your doll came out looking fabulous!

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    1. limbe dolls - You're welcome. Sorry I haven't done it before now. Like they say, 'better late than never".

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  20. oh wow, looks wonderful!!! would never guess this body wasn't in that color from the beginning! I have to look for such airbrush, need to dye body of one of my boys. previously I was thinking about using water based acrylic paint and makeup sponge, but now I'm not so sure. anyway, your result left me speachless!

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    1. jewel snake - Thanks. The acrylic paint and makeup sponge may work just fine. You would need to seal it well using a matte finish sealer. It's worth a try.

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  21. I guess I'm in the back of the line of the folks who want their doll bodies repainted! Put me in the line. You did a great job. Those basic bodies are a bore! Snore, snore, snore! It is so hard to find a body that isn't too tall for that skintoned doll. You have opened a door for many. I will now be giving all the artist doing airbrushing a chat! Hey do you do anything besides shirts?

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    1. Ms. Leo - Some of those airbrush artists do incredible work. Have you seen the airbrush work that is done on real vehicles? Incredible. If I hadn't taken that class, I wouldn't have known the possibilities.

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    1. mustiwait - Thanks. I am as happy as a lark. Model 4 and I were conversating today and she said, "do you know how long I've been waiting for a body?" Poor thing.

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  23. Your work is amazing! Do you mind telling me what brand and model airbrush and compressor you use? I'm looking to buy one to paint items for my dollhouse and want to get one that works well. Thanks so much!!!

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    1. Zieglerzoo - Thanks! I have temporarily misplaced the brochure on my airbrush. I'm sure I will run across it soon. I think I ordered the airbrush from a company called Airbrush City. I've had it about 8 yrs I think, but really hadn't used it much. I will come back with info on my compressor, too, that I think I ordered from the same company.

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