Dyeing ponies?

[Prince Primbrose]

Hi guys,

Long story short my friend and I want to make each other a custom; I'll be making them a MH pony, they're making me a MLP Doll. I want to make them Lagoona Blue, and have a white bait. I'd like to try to dye it, but don't know how. I've never done a custom in my life.  What kind of dye do you use to dye pony plastic; how do you do it, and will it stay? Do I need to seal it?

Thanks in advance; I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions later.

[Thrice]

I've never tried to dye a white bait, though to be fair I've only done a few customs.  I've heard they are much more difficult to dye than ponies that already have some color on them.  Have you considered obtaining a blue bait to start with?  Most customizers will probably tell you that it's better to do a full body repaint than try to dye a white pony blue; however, if you're absolutely set on the white bait...

I use RIT dye, the powder form.  Creampuf has a very good tutorial on how to dye properly: http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-dye-my-little-pony.  Assuming you get a good dye job, keep in mind that there's a risk of bleed-through with paintwork over the dyed pony.  I don't personally seal mine because I usually let them sit for a while before I paint them (I also use heavy body paint, which seems to help?)  Also, be sure to keep your dyed pony away from bright sunlight to help prevent fading.  Good luck! 

[blackestbird]

If you're wanting to do this project soon, and giving it to your friend soon, you might not want to dye. If you're going to dye a pony, it needs to sit untouched for a long time, to let the dye settle. The longer the better really, but at least a month. And even then, the dye can and often does still bleed into the detail paint (eyes, symbols). Especially in the whites of the eyes. And if you've never done a custom, I think doing an FBR would be easier and less stressful. With your paint thinned enough, you can get a nice smooth finish.

There's always sunfading too. Another lengthy process, but you could probably achieve Lagoona's light blue by sunfading an existing blue pony.

Another thing, if you're using a G4 base, you'll be best off with an FBR. The heads and bodies are made of different material, so sunfading would be at different paces and may be difficult to match, and in the case of dying, I believe the body doesn't take dye well; I can't remember if it's the head or the body, but one of them doesn't really take to the dye. Other bases don't have these issues, because their head and body are the same materials. The point here is that depending on your base, dye might not even be an option anyway.

Best of luck! I haven't dyed a pony yet, and I don't know that I will, because I worry what the dye may do to my paintwork for the long haul. I'd hate my hard work be ruined by dye bleedthrough. We have many talented customizes that do sometimes dye though, so I'm sure you'll get some more advice. This is all just stuff I've picked up from lurking the customs forum and researching for my own customs. Just to say I'm not speaking from experience per se, just trying to help based on what I've picked up.

Sorry for rambling >.>

[SoldierofTwilight]

I dye all the time, but I've only done G1s & G3s. Apparently, the G4s don't take dye so well due to the difference in plastic material. If you're doing a G4, you'll need to FBR or airbrush.

If it's a G1 or G3, I haven't had a problem working on it some time after dying, but I do wait at least a few weeks. Hopefully none have had a bleeding problem. >.>

The process is a bit tedious though, because even if you completely strip the pony down, there could be unseen strips of glue or something to cause the dye to not take in certain areas. This mainly happens near the neck and legs for me. You can probably work your designs around and cover it, but you can expect that to happen.

I basically get the water to a slight boil after adding in the dye (and no, I don't measure the dye )..then dunk in the pony WITH the head on. I use a pair of metal tongs to keep it under and flip every so often to make sure both sides get even and I take it out, rinse with cold water, check if it's the color I want and either dunk some more and repeat till desired color is achieved or set out on a plate with paper towels and let her dry. Just make sure all of the water is drained out and then rinse it with cold water. I know some people like to use a little vinegar in the water bowls, but I personally can't STAND the smell..

Then again, I'm one to experiment! Cause I'm craaazy like that.

Anywho, let it sit for some time, as BB mentioned..at least close to a month, not just a few days. I like to take the head off after it's a bit cool so that they can dry better too.

[maycrestmom]

I agree with the don't dye if you want this project done in less than a year... go find a lagoona blue blue pony  and take it from there...

dye will bleed if the pony hasn't had months to "cure"

here's hoping your white pose comes in blue!

[Prince Primbrose]

Thank you for the advice everyone! I think I'll save the white bait for some other time, and seek out a blue one for this project.