Best way to give a doll a repaint?

[sd_dreamcrystal]

Ok I wasn't sure if I should have asked this in customs or here.. but since I figured it was sort of doll related I might try here first.

I've been putting off working on a 'doll' from a toy set that I've been wanting to give her a new look (It's one of the Build a Bear Furfabulous friends) and while I have some paint on her already (trying to turn her from yellow to white) I'm running into the problem of the areas where she pivots having the paint come off...

I admit I wasn't using an airbrush to paint her but I figured if I can avoid the air brush right now till I can get to it then I'll do that...

[kCherry]

I had the same problem with a OOAK Sonic figurine with points of articulation. And I never found a way to get around it; thankfully my customer didn't mind near as much as I did.
   I would be very interested to know if anyone has come up with a way to keep the paint from rubbing. I think I did ask in customs for advice, but this was years ago; it wouldn't hurt asking over there, too.

[Radiance]

I don't think you can prevent it, really. Using a sealant like Mr. Super Clear over the paint will help a little, but eventually the paint will rub.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

I had the same problem with a OOAK Sonic figurine with points of articulation. And I never found a way to get around it; thankfully my customer didn't mind near as much as I did.
   I would be very interested to know if anyone has come up with a way to keep the paint from rubbing. I think I did ask in customs for advice, but this was years ago; it wouldn't hurt asking over there, too.

That's what I did after 3 days of nothing here Someone on FB said I might consider seeking advice from two doll customizers who she gave me their FB pages for.. I'm going to wait a few more days to be sure just in case someone here or in customs might have the answer

I don't think you can prevent it, really. Using a sealant like Mr. Super Clear over the paint will help a little, but eventually the paint will rub.

the closest I can get is Dullcote because it's at least local xD

[SoldierofTwilight]

No matter what you do, the paint will rub off or may even be stained by clothing or wigs eventually. The only thing I can suggest is having a doll maker actually make you a doll in the color you want. I mean, you can certainly try out spray paints to see how it ends up, but I'm not too sure how the resin would react to spray paint. Apparently, dyes don't work either. *rock* *hard place*

I wanted a doll dark enough to be a Drow, but since I had no luck, I just commissioned Dalilah Dolls on the DA to make me one:
http://daliladolls.deviantart.com/gallery/

She is working with me on payments and was negotiable on pricing too. :3
$750 and I even get handmade leather armor.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

Going to cross quote from the x-post at customs

Points of articulation are just plain prone to paint wear.  If you can, pull it apart and paint the pieces separately, seal really well with dullcoat, and give it a couple days to make certain it's fully cured before reassembling.  Even then, it'll still rub quite easily if you move it frequently.

It may help to tell us what kind of material the doll you're painting is made of?

Well one of the 'dolls' is a build-a-bear that I posted in off topic a while back (http://mlparena.com/index.php/topic,319960.0.html)

I'm not 100% sure what kind of plastic she is but I can tell you the head holds paint better than the body seems to... and really I saw no visible seams in the body so wasn't sure how I'd put her back together later... The other is two Cupcake dolls from the 80's that have a a harder plastic body and softer plastic head/arms (I was honestly able to take one fully apart... Never again!)

So I'm hitting a crossroads now

No matter what you do, the paint will rub off or may even be stained by clothing or wigs eventually. The only thing I can suggest is having a doll maker actually make you a doll in the color you want. I mean, you can certainly try out spray paints to see how it ends up, but I'm not too sure how the resin would react to spray paint. Apparently, dyes don't work either. *rock* *hard place*

I wanted a doll dark enough to be a Drow, but since I had no luck, I just commissioned Dalilah Dolls on the DA to make me one:
http://daliladolls.deviantart.com/gallery/

She is working with me on payments and was negotiable on pricing too. :3
$750 and I even get handmade leather armor.

Sadly having someone make a doll for me isn't really in my budget at all, even with payments... This was something I was just trying to do for various reason.

[Wardah]

I think, short of dying, paint wear is just something you have to live with. Even factory painted dolls suffer from wear at the joints after a while.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

I think, short of dying, paint wear is just something you have to live with. Even factory painted dolls suffer from wear at the joints after a while.

Oh I wish I could dye this one, but the color change is going to white and well you can't dye to white (I wish I could though)

[SoldierofTwilight]

Look what I found:

http://www.vivcore.com/dolly_daydream/monster_high_modding.html
Now the painting!

   
With monster High dolls especially, there is a good chance you'll want to change the color of the skin. Lot's of people have different ways they like to achieve this, but the way I prefer is spray paint.

There are spray paints out there that specifically bond with plastics which is great for dolls where there are a lot of moving parts to help prevent scratching..

Spray with light layers and build up letting each layer dry first. Also remember the different poses you might want! Once the 1st coat dries try to change the pose and spray any new parts that are showing up in the original color till your whole doll is the color you desire.

Spray Paint Pointers:

While most spray paints will set well on the hard plastic. The soft Vinyl head can be problematic. Krylon Fusion is wonderful on the body, but will never set on the head.

For regular spray paint a generous coating of primer will help the paint cure. My favorite option is to look for vinyl spray dyes. They come in relatively limited colors, but are designed to bond with plastics hard and soft. Brands to look out for are...

Brillo   VHT (loved this one)*
Grisson/Magix (leather dye) *   SEM
Meltonian Nu-Life Color Spray   Krylon Fusion* (body only)
(* indicates paints I have tested and used I'll be adding new paints and dyes to the list as I find and try them so keep checking back!)
 

Check that out. Maybe this will work for you.