Embarking on my first ever customisation journey

[Trinity]

So I'm going to make my very first custom MH doll. And I'm going to start with two questions/problems...

1. Should I get a cheap or bait doll to practice on first? I've painted wargaming miniatures before, but I guess this is a much bigger leap!

2. I want her to have rooted hair. But it's a CAM with the hard plastic bit in the scalp. What can I do about this?

[kaskurgi]

I've heard you can remove the cap probably via the same method as you take MLP ponies plastic neck piece out. Exacto knife and boiling water to help with the glue. You can pick up a cheap doll from a dollar store and cut it's head to fit the hole. Or look at your local thrift store too. Or you can just make a faux fur wig to start off easy.

I would practice on some baits or get a sketch book that can tolerate acrylics on it and start practicing there with eyes etc. You can also use the dolls you snag to replace the plastic hard cap as your test dummies too.

[Melissa]

Definitely find a practice head. I found some knock-off Barbie busts at the dollar store... They turned out terribly, and it made me realize that I couldn't paint a MH face myself. I'm not saying you can't, but I am used to huge canvases and broad strokes. I have shaky hands and you can't tell on a huge canvas. You can tell on a tiny doll.

[saply]

There's nothing stopping you from practicing on a CAM head or something. If you make a mistake or don't like the result, you can always rub the paint off with acetone :>

[DiamondDreams]

Since you're used to minis, you have an advantage in being used to working with small scale...but the free hand eyes are a whole new world for MH....  I have four dolls waiting for me to stop being chicken and get down to it with their eyes and I'm going the water color pencil route so I can use a q tip and water to erase if need be ( and yet I still feel chicken, lol) if you search for MH custom tutorials I guarantee you'll get a lot of hits and a lot of great ideas in how to go about it .  The one I'm following the most is by nonaptime- I'm very visual so I appreciate how it's all pictured including a link on how to paint eyes.  . http://www.nonaptime.com/2012/07/an-illustrated-guide-to-repainting/

[Trinity]

Thanks everyone.

There's a little problem with using a cheap head for practice though... I don't feel inclined to work on a head sculpt I don't like. Maybe I'll use the Draculaura I've been hanging on to - or find a second-hand doll I like.