Hey everyone. I have a Tatjani" by Elisa Marx sculpt that I made but he looks terrible. I am not sure if it is the sculpt or my handiwork - i did make some mistakes like his eyebrows.
He is totally finished, won't sell, and I am thinking of redoing him. How can i do this? I do want to re-root his hair.
If you could give me any advice on how to fix him, and maybe show your finished Tatjani" by Elisa Marx dolls, maybe I can get some inspiration on how to fix him. He looks like chucky!!
Hello, His over all coloring doesn't look bad at all from what I can see. What does stand out for me are the eyebrows and his lips. I would lighted the coloring of his lips a bit and give him wispier eyebrows, maybe a lighter color? His hands and feet look great. Like I said his over all coloring looks good =)
As far as rerooting him if you haven't sealed him yet just pull the mohair out and re root. If you have sealed him then there are a couple ways you can try. Shave the mohair off then squeeze his head to loosen the glue inside, it should break apart and crack so you reach in and pull the pieces of glue out. You also can try shaving the head down then softening it from the inside by heating it up a bit with you heat gun and removing it that way. Both ways have worked for me.
thank-you, i will try removing his eyebrows and lips and start them again and see how he looks. more natural i think! if i need to do more, and need to reroot again - what about the holes that are left when i remove the hair? will these be disguised enough by the new hair? Thank-you!
I agree with Tina, I have made 12 babies and I still have to do my brows 2 or 3 times I think he will be fine when you redo the brows and lips good luck.
Eyebrows are so hard to get right. It takes a ton of practice.
When you do them next time, try a much lighter color, and try to make the brows more wispy with thinner and fewer strokes. Look at some photos of eyebrows and note how they slant as the brow goes away from the nose. I bet there are some YouTube videos out there somewhere to demonstrate???
Keep up the good work, and don't get discouraged. Although I was frustrated, I learned more from my mistakes than just about anything else.
Linda
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Linda Dreyer~ Forum Moderator Secrist Certified Newborning Teacher & Dealer Apple Valley DW Dealer Play Days Dolls & Collectibles PlayDaysDolls.com (Current Avatar: Erinfrom Secrist Dolls)
Most of them should reclose a bit to where you can't see them unless you drilled holes in, which I doubt you did LOL. Anything that may not close up, yes will be cover with the new hair you reroot just be sure to follow along your same original hair line so the new hair covers any holes that may be left.
if i have to seal the paints again in the oven, I just spray the hair so its wet to protect it and the eyes and eyelashes should be okay? or will the eyelashes need replacing? also, its all glued - will the glue melt? I have used secrist eyes. Started taking the eyebrows and lip paint off but is taking forever. Im supposed to use acetone yeh? anything else work faster? Thanks!!!
Misting the mohair and lashes should work just fine if you put it back in the oven. No the glue should not be harm but I would reseal it again once you done to be safe. Yes your removing it with the right type of remover.
Just make sure it's PURE acetone, from a home improvement store. Not nail polish remover. I tried that, thinking it would work, but it didn't. The acetone was worth the money I spent, it removes it very quickly.
How's the project going? I just re-read your question about the eyelashes. If you used the kind that you glue on, I doubt they will hold up in the oven. If you rooted them, they should be fine.
We feel your pain... It is a pain to strip the paint off the doll with acetone and it is hard work. Liselle is right that it should be the pure acetone from the hardware store and not nail polish remover with acetone in it.
Linda
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Linda Dreyer~ Forum Moderator Secrist Certified Newborning Teacher & Dealer Apple Valley DW Dealer Play Days Dolls & Collectibles PlayDaysDolls.com (Current Avatar: Erinfrom Secrist Dolls)
I don't know if any of you have tried this, but I was amazed. After removing hair and looking at holes in head, I took two bowls and put hot water in one and ice cold in the second on. I think put the head just past the hair line in the hot water and then in the cold water. As for time..maybe hot water was a minute and then the cold the same amount of time. I think it was expanding and then contracting...anyway afterwards I couldn"t see any holes..except in my own head..that's another story.
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AVIVA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Proud Mom of A Captain in the USAF
aviva , you just saved who knows how many babies from the bin or the dreaded wig.not to mention the sanity of their mummies.............you're great , my babies thank you.......clap....clap .......clap sage
Thats a wonderful tip I would have never thought of that. I might attend that make over for an Ashton kit I bought a few years ago. The hair was way too thick and i was afraid of the holes peeking through sparser hair.
Thanks, Aviva! I think you just made an A+ in reborning science. It all makes sense - heat expands, and cold contracts.
Linda
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Linda Dreyer~ Forum Moderator Secrist Certified Newborning Teacher & Dealer Apple Valley DW Dealer Play Days Dolls & Collectibles PlayDaysDolls.com (Current Avatar: Erinfrom Secrist Dolls)
I tried 3d medium on a collapsed head that wouldn't come back in the hot water method;)I built up the layers in the oven 1 at a time"VERY THINLY"then painted again with light pouncing!!)Maybe I'm not suppose too but it seens to be working:)