Making The Only Doll Of It's Kind In The World
When one acquires a BJD, one immediately begins to seek out ways to make it truly unique. But that is often easier said than done. Here I describe all my adventures, quirks, mistakes, and discoveries.
Esthetic
Any modification to the body of the doll is referred to as an "esthetic." The seam lines on the body, make up, and eyes can be modified if the owner so chooses to do so. A doll can be customized by removing the factory make up and reapplying make up to create a truly unique look. This is referred to as a "face-up."
Acrylic paint and watercolor pencils are used to paint fine details, whereas pastels are used for shaded areas. Oil pastels should never be used for face-ups, however. And when selecting pastels, one should inquire as to if oil is has been used as a binding agent. Rubbing the pastel between one's fingertips is a good gage into how much oil has been used. There are a variety of tools that can be used for face ups that can be purchased directly through your favorite doll manufacturer or at your local art supply store.
Volks USA has posted their own tutorial for painting a doll's face.
A subtle application of color can be applied to the body as well, such as cleavage, knees, wrists, and ankles for a more natural look. This is referred to as "blushing." Both pastels and airbrush can be used to apply color in this manner.
Tools of the Trade
Acetone can be utilized to remove a faceup and any residue from sealants. However, there have been reports that acetone can dissolve or "melt" resin so it is advised to rinse the resin with water soon after its use. It is very volatile, so use in a well ventilated area away from open flames or heat sources. If concerned about the potential to damage resin, an alternative paint remover such as Mr. Paint Remover should be used.
Acrylic Paints
An alternative to watercolor pastels, acrylic paint can be used for painting fine details such as eyelashes and eyebrow hairs. Acrylic paint can also be used to paint lipcolor.
Airbrush
Used to apply color and shading, the airbrush can be used to create a subtle effect.Ceramic Knife
This tool is used to even out seam lines. While not sharp enough to cut skin, it will cut resin so exercise extreme care when using this tool. Hold the knife against the seam line and carefully scrape along the seam line to flatten it. The resin will need to be polished with sandpaper or a sanding sponge.Eye Beveling Tool
When eyes do not fit well in the eye socket, this tool can be used to sand the eye socket to achieve a shape that can accomodate the eyes to fit better.
Kips
Inserted into the neck, shoulder, and elbow joints, these silicone disks allow the doll to hold poses better
A pen used to draw eyebrows. This can be used instead of or in addition to watercolor pencils, pastels, and acyrlic paint. It is very convenient. If a mistake is made, immediately wipe the area clean with a dry cloth and start over.
Sanding And Sueding
Volks and various craft stores sell 3M sanding pads for removal of seam lines. However, Volks calls their 3M sanding pads Zoukei-Mura Sponge Paper and they do not differ much in price from the 3M labelled products found at other stores.
To make the doll sturdier, the dolls joints can be "sueded." Sueding refers to the application of suede to the hip and knee joints to help the doll stand sturdier.
Volks supplies a "Sueding Kit" that comes with suede, a diagram for cutting the suede, and elastic for restringing your doll. The diagram for cutting the suede looks like this:
This diagram applies only to Volks dolls. The suede may need to be cut slightly differently for non-Volks dolls due to size differences in the joint size and shape.
I will also be posting pictures of a doll's sueded joints.
Small squares of suede can also be purchased through a craft store and the appropriate sized piece of suede can be cut and applied to the joint.
There is also a technique called "hot glue sueding" where hot glue is applied to the hip and knee joints to provide friction to allow the doll to stand more stably. However, the glue application is often uneven and attracts a lot of dirt.
Suede can come loose with repeated movement of your dolls joints. Just apply more glue to secure it or replace it entirely.
Sanding can be a long process. Use a circular motion around the seam lines.
The VolksUSA blog Sumika Times has published a tutorial on removing seam lines.
Strining a Doll
The Volks USA blog Sumika Times has published a tutorial on stringing a Mini Super Dollfie. Stringing a swarrico body is the same as for a standard body.
I will also be posting a photo-tutorial on strining a M type Leeke body and a Luts Delf body soon.
As one continues to play with their doll, the string will become loose. A simple solution is to tighten the body. A doll can be tightened only so many times before the string looses its elasticity. When this occurs, restring the doll. There is also a tutorial on tightening dolls on the Volks USA blog Sumika Times.
