It has been a little bit crazy around here the last few weeks and actually still is, but I took some time off today, after I had run a few errands (for 6 hours!) and decided it was time to start on Bailey’s face. I’m SO glad I did! I’m not finished, but I’ve got a bit of a start and I’m really encouraged to keep going until I’m finished. She is such a little cutie and I’m being very particular with things… I bet I erased her eyebrows 10 times before I got them to where I liked them… I’ve studied so many pictures but it really all boils down to what I like when I’m doing it… so she will definitely be an original.
I’m using watercolor pencils and chalk pastels to bring Bailey to life. I’ve read so many blog posts on how to do doll faceups and I’ve watched more tutorials than I care to mention…usually late at night, when I should be in bed. But, hey, I gotta get this right and not spend too much time on it, BECAUSE I want to get something made for her. She’s a My Meadow doll, or sometimes just called a Meadow doll, and her 11 or 11 1/2″ size is called a Dumpling. My little 6″ Navi is called a Twinkle.
The first thing I did was spray her blank face with MSC (Mister Super Clear) so the pencils and pastels you use will have some tooth and not slide off her slick face. I gave her two coats of MSC and let it dry in between… (You need to use a mask because it’s pretty potent stuff!)
If you click on the pictures they will enlarge.
I started with the eyes first and colored in the inside eye lids…
Then I just kept going… adding a little pink pastel, a little brown on the eyebrows (I think they look a little reddish, but they are already sealed, so I’m at a point where I’m not sure what to do… start over or add a lighter brown to them… I think she’s cute as a red head, but not so much as a brunette…and I sort of wanted her to be a “winter” like Ten Ping is now…
Somehow I LOST her tiny little blue eyes (found them 2 hours later…IN MY DOLL’S GLASS EYES CASE….duh!) So I had to give them a try…
I DON’T have her upper eyelashes glued on yet, and I might still do some work on her face tomorrow, before adding the, but I couldn’t resist putting her eyes in… You use Mack’s Ear Plugs silicone and roll it into 2 pieces and fiddle with it until you get the eyes centered… I think she looks pretty cute even without eyelashes…but I have them so they will be added… :o)
So here she is “eyelashless” as a redhead…
Here she is as a brunette…not to crazy about this wig on her… or maybe it’s those eyebrows…
…and then of course we had to try out a blonde wig… :o)
I’m hoping to get her finished tomorrow… YAY! Who knows… I might wake up and wipe her face clean and start over!
In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m going to start over… (Zooming in can be your BEST and your WORST friend!) I don’t like the color of her eyebrows and I think there is a smudge under her left eye… looking at her…
I’m going to do my best to get back to my blog like I had been..that means answering your comments…YAY again!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
So good to see a “regular” post from you again, Jeanne!!
Wow, you are brave to do Bailey’s face by yourself. I’m not sure I could do that. I mean, I’ve done faces on cloth dolls, but usually have some kind of guidelines to go by (a lightly traced outline, often).
I have found that it works best for me if I turn the head upside down to do the left eye/eyebrow/lashes, as I have a really hard time doing them right-side up, and matching the right side (which, since I’m right-handed, is easier for me). Somehow, turning the head upside down fools my brain into thinking I’m doing the right eye again!! haha….just that this time the brow is below the eye.
Anyway, I can really see Bailey’s personality starting to emerge now.
As to wigs, believe it or not, even though I usually prefer red hair, my favorite is the blonde one!! At least with her brows as they are now. She looks so cute in that blonde bob!! I like the red one, too, although I’m not sure her brows are quite red enough to carry it off. I think the brown one is just a little too “dull” a color for her, if that makes sense. It’s a sort of flat brown, without much life to it. If it were just a tiny bit reddish, or just a wee bit golden, it might be better. Of course, that is most likely just my own personal preference.
Hope your mom is doing well and settling into her new place now, and you and your siblings are feeling a little more comfortable with where she is, health-wise, at the moment.
Bailey is going to be one little cutie pie, that’s for sure, Jeanne! You are doing a wonderful job, and I can see her cutie little pixie personality coming through! I too, like the red and blonde wigs the best. The brown one makes her look like a little waif!
Are you a make-up artist too? 🙂 If not, you certainly could be!
While I would like to say more, I have to get going, since we are leaving early this morning for a short getaway to Branson! I may not be able to comment in the next few days, but for sure I will be reading and will be back soon.
She is a real cutie and I love the red wig. My favorite.
Very interesting. I do not possess the talent to use a brush on the fine features of a doll so it is quite amazing to view the steps. I just looked at my Bailey closely, and her brows are very fine strokes in a line in reddish brown. She can wear any wig color, but currently is a brunette. She has barely visible lashes extended below her eyes just a smidgen not even an 1/8 of an inch and does have attached upper lashes. Her lips are a bit darker with no peach coloring. In a lot of the photos, Bailey’s left eye seems to have a shiny spot in the lower lashes near the inter corner of the eye. Maybe you found it for the photo with the dark wig as I don’t see it there. Your Bailey is just the sweetest thing. With her brow color, I prefer the blond wig. Maybe she can pull off a lighter red/blond wig too. Did you get the photo I sent of my Bailey/Amanda? Know you have been getting tons of mail and may not have seen it. She says “Hi” to your girl. I think she wants a play date. 🙂
On a sad note, after watching the iconic landmark of Paris burn yesterday, I can only hope for reconstruction that may be complete within my lifetime. So sad.
Dear Joy, I echo your comments about Paris. I wish we, as a doll community, could do something. But what?
Now you are a doll artist for sure. You did a great job! Her eyes especially…it is fun fiddling with them to get them just right. She is looking right at you and they look perfect. Now you are going to want to do faces all the time! If you do her over does the basic spray come off too or just the color you have added?
Is there a basic pattern for her or will you be making your own?
She’s a wonderful addition to your family! Enjoy her and have fun dressing her. Can’t wait to see what you do!
Okay, now I’m really intimidated. My hubby is good at this sort of thing and would probably do a fine job with a faceup, but I’m not sure I have the patience or the steady hand to do it. As for the eyes, does her head come apart? I was wondering how you put in the eyes since they come separate. Thanks for the pictures of how to do the eyes. I’m trying to gather information on all this before my Lolla arrives. I’m used to dolls showing up with all their parts (face, eyes, hair) already in place. I’ve been looking at wigs for my Lolla trying to decide what I like best. I don’t plan on changing her “look” down the road so I want something that I’m sure she and I will be happy with. Can’t wait to see Bailey’s first outfit.
Dear Jeanne, Bailey is adorable. The eyes did it for me. Once they were in, her personality just popped. I like the red wig the best.
Jeanne, I love the way you have Bailey’s eyes looking right at you, like great artist do with their paintings. She is such a cutie, the brown hair brings her down, but the red hair makes her pop, she looks already for playing at the beach to getting ready for first day of school with that red hair, you do such a wonderful job on showing what you are doing and how it’s done and information on products you used to get there, that means so much to us. Hope your Mom is doing okay, I was a caregiver to my Mom, I was so busy with her I didn’t get to ask her all the questions I wish I could now, and wish I had taken pictures of her hands, she was also such a craft person, crocheted a lot fantastic biscuit maker those hands did a lot for us.
You have yourself a real cutie there. I like her as a redhead best as well.
Yes, so sad about Notre Dame Cathedral. The good thing is the apostle statues had been removed last week, and thus saved. The altar and cross survived as well as at least one of the rose windows. Those rose windows are lovely. My church has one above the organ.
She’s so cute! Eyebrows are the hardest, and one of the most important features as they determine so much about the overall expression. Just a tilt can take a face from happy to quizzicalto sad.I dislike bushy dark eyebrows that a few artists do.
Can’t wait to see Bailey all done and modeling one of her sweet outfits ?
Busy you have been and hoping that in the next weeks it will settle down. I hope Mom is feeling better, making progress in rehab and you and your siblings are at peace with the choice of place for her to live. Busy has been my world but with health issues.
Wow, Bailey is looking so sweet and I can’t believe you just jumped in and started her face up. You didn’t say or I missed it but have you don’t face up’s before. I have a doll I want to purchase, she’s not terribly expense but I love her but am super nervous about doing the face up even though I have been drawing faces for years. So the color, shading and drawing of features I know how to do. She is looking too cute but she came alive after you put her eyes in. I see only a slight difference between the eyes but that is on the monitor and I guess she looks difference to you. Sometimes stepping back makes all the difference. Can’t wait to see her finished and what outfit you have in store.
I agree with everyone about Bailey’s eyes — they are beautiful and make her come to life. You had other people’s Meadow dolls on the blog the other day — I liked the brown hair best — maybe it was chestnut — the added red tint was very becoming. I like Charlotte’s idea of turning the doll upside down to paint the second eye. Too bad I can’t do that for mascara.
Speaking of pictures, you did send in more of Hannah, didn’t you? Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a Hannah doll? A Rebecca doll might be my first choice though. You didn’t send pictures of her? Do it now.
I found some addresses for donating to Notre Dame. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-how-to-donate-repair/ I do think I will. Think of looking at pictures of the reconstruction and thinking, “I contributed to that.” We all contribute time, thought, money, and on and on to all kinds of things, but this is world class beauty we are all familiar with and seems like such a nice idea.
In our area, we are all relieved that the body of the young woman who admired the Columbine killers has been found. Most of us are sorry about the whole thing while being terribly grateful not to have another Columbine on our hands and TV screens. What a week. I hope it gets better.
My Dumpling Bailey is waving to your girl, as is her sister, Dumpling Patti. I love these kids, such a nice size and they pose so well. Enjoy her! 🙂