THERE IS NO WHITE!

I have been window shopping this week! I spent most of the week watching different doll bodies on E-bay, and hunting down places to outright buy new 1/6 scale bodies.  I found some on Amazon, but for the most part, the prices are not very attractive to someone who isn't 100% sure what they want.

I have a few articulated Barbies in my box, that I might separate their bodies from their heads for starters. I want some bodies a little less 'in-fashion' though. I want my gals to be able to support their own weight. There are some pretty cool looking female muscular bodies out there, and there are bodies with actual cleavage as well. There are so many ways to rearrange and mod dolls that I just can't imagine being happy with a doll that is all one brand... I want to make frankendolls!

Well, back to the faces; I got to go out and buy soft pastels yesterday, they may not be soft enough though. I couldn't find any sealant that I was comfortable to spray on the vinyl doll heads. The brand of watercolor pencil I wanted was sold-out as well. So, I can't do things the right way... But when has that ever stopped me.

I didn't want to wait. I was ready to be putting faces on tiny heads this weekend, and damnit, I wasn't going to change my plan!

I started digging, and I found an old pack of Crayola watercolor pencils I had from way-back-when. I dug out my paintbrushes, and I looked around for other things that might be of use. I found lots of stuff I forgot I had, but not much that would be useful to me in this endeavor.

So, I take everything to the table, and start lining everything out. I pick the most generic head out the lot to start practicing on. I get a cup of water, some paper towels, and some Q-tips. I sit down, open my box of pencils, and reach for the white... AND THERE IS NO WHITE! WTF!

I can't believe it. A frickin' set of colored pencils and no WHITE! I was pissed. I looked at the box. It is only a set of 8. I look again to see there is no brown or grey, either. What the hell... Well, at least there is black. I guess I shouldn't expect so much from a box of pencils I got years ago as a free trial attached to a 96 count box of crayons.

I went ahead and dug out my acrylic paints, because that is what people use for the classic Barbie look, and they are adequate, but I really wanted to avoid actually painting on her face. I am better at drawing and blending.

I was determined to get somewhere. My first try is always a bust, and I want to get my initial bust out of the way. I always have this anxiety over trying something new. Can I even do it? Will I ruin something? Will I be able to make it into what I envision? etc.

Once, I get my first fail over with, I always have ideas on how to improve. Normally, I have an even more exciting vision than I first started with, and there is this general creative rush that is just as awesome as adrenaline, only probably not as bad on my heart. It gives me something to think about during those moments through the day when I my body is in auto mode, it gives me something to envision at night, I dream about what I could be turning my work into...

Anyways, I went ahead a painted the whites of the eyes on. I made the eyes smaller than they were originally, a bit more lidded as well. I then used my watercolor pencils to make the irises and the outlines. Missing white, brown, and grey pencils meant that I had to leave shading detail out; detail that I really wanted to include with the pencils, but hey, I started my damn project.

I then tried to use my pastels to do the make-up, but without the sealer, it just wouldn't work. The pastel did stick to the white paint, which I have tucked away for future experimentation, but that was not what I was going for on this go-around. I had to abandon using them this weekend.

So, I penciled basic red on the lips, drew thicker, darker, lower brows, and did a simple purple shadow on the eyelids. Nothing at all like I envisioned, but I have a basic grasp of how it feels.

There is still much missing from the face, such as, the light/life points (white dots) in the eyes, lip detail, and white teeth, blushing, and shading. There is no keeping the face the way it is. I will  just wipe it clean, instead of finishing. I did start to get a feel for it though, which is good.

I have a more detailed shopping list now. Apparently, it is all stuff I will have to get online. I hate that, but it is probably better in the long run. I will probably save money, I know I will have more of a selection to choose from.

Hopefully, I will have enough time to get somewhere and find something that will allow me to do some more testing Christmas day, while everyone else is occupying themselves with their new stuff. If not, I guess I will break out my acrylics and brush up on my dry-brush techniques, maybe that will be close enough to the pastel effect I want.

I suppose I should start seriously considering what hair to put back on her as well...

Have a Merry Christmas, just in case I don't get back here before then!