Some of the handiest tools in my studio are cheap or easy to make. Here are a couple to help handle doll parts while you’re working on them.

I made a bean bag to use as a support for my doll heads when painting them. I also rest my hand on it and it keeps me steady. I frequently dab my brush on the end of the bag to remove extra paint or pastel. I made my bag with a cotton diabetic crew sock from the discount store. They’re really stretchy and work great for this. Fill it loosely with dry beans and tie a knot in the end. When it gets dirty, empty the beans into the other sock and use that one for a while. Wash the first sock and it’s ready when you need it.

Many faceup artists wear gloves while painting. I like these white cotton gloves that are intended for handling delicate things in a museum. They’re very light-weight so you still have good tactile sensitivity. I just wear one on my left hand.  You can usually get a dozen for less than ten bucks. People in museums would throw them out when they get dirty but I just wash mine and reuse them.

When I’m finished painting for the day, I use the cardboard circle from a roll of packing tape to hold the doll head until my next painting session. I tuck a white paper towel in it first. This is especially handy if you’re working on several heads—they won’t roll around or get mussed. It’s also handy for taking pictures of a completed head.

Buy only white paper towels! Avoid any with cute little prints on them because those perky little designs will rub color onto your doll parts. Not good.. .

SPECIAL NOTE:  The doll modelling for this tutorial will be auctioned on 10/04/15 and ALL the proceeds will go to St. Jude’s Children’s hospital. https://www.stjude.org/

You can learn more and submit an online bid at: http://metrodolls.blogspot.com/p/proxy.html

The deadline is 10/02!!! Check out the link to see all the AMAZING dolls donated for this cause.  There are OOAK creations by Kingdom Doll, Paul Pham, Nigel Chia, Shannon Craven, Connie Lowe, Doug James, Laurie Lenz and more!

28 Sep This entry was published on September 28, 2015 at 4:26 pm. It’s filed under Ball Jointed Dolls, BJD Faceups, Doll Making, Tips, Tools, Tutorial and tagged ABJD, Ball Jointed Doll, BJD, Faceup, MetroDolls, Souldoll, Tips, Yewon. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.