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Monster High Repaint Tutorial Part One: Materials Two

Here is the second part of the materials section of my repaint tutorial. Here are some more of the things I use to repaint my custom dolls. Again, I do not claim to be a expert in art supplies, these are just some of the things I have tried and kept on using because they’ve worked the best for me. ;)

You can find the first part of this section here.

6. Pastels

Pastels are used to add a soft, translucent layer of color to the doll. Generally you apply the blush, eyeshadow and/or lip color with pastels. They are also very useful for adding subtle shadows & contours that can give the doll's skin more realistic depth and make them appear alive. Depending on how you apply the pastel you can make edges fairly sharp or fade softly. You will need to use a spray sealant if you want to work with them. Pastel needs to have something to grip and generally the dolls surface does not have enough texture, so you need to add it on with a clear matte spray sealant (I covered these in the first part). Once you apply pastel, you need to seal it when you are done, so it won't just wipe off. Brush on sealants won't work and will just smear the pastel into an unsightly mess.

Only use soft chalk pastel on your customs. Oil pastels won't ever work and will most likely interact with your dolls plastic and sealant in some unpleasant way. Makeup for humans will only work if it contains no oil or any thing else similar. Artist's soft chalk pastels are just pigments suspended in a filler and nothing else. Cheap brands tend to have more filler than pigment, and will therefore not put down as much color in one layer. You can get away with using them, but you will have to use many layers (spray sealant down as base, apply pastel, spray more sealant to hold pastel, apply more pastel, rinse and repeat). Pastels with more pigment will be much faster to use, and tend to have brighter colors. But they're also more expensive.

The twenty-four set I have, pictured above, is made by the brand Alphacolor and was $15. It works pretty well, but it is not the best brand out there.

I also have two individually purchased colors by Rembrandt that are higher quality. They lay down more color.

In addition there's a small set of blushing colors from Volks. The quality is good, though some of the sticks seem to be harder than the others.

The Panpastel I have probably does one of the best jobs of laying down color, but it is also very expensive, at $7 a color. It differs from most other pastels in that it is not pressed into a firm stick, but loose powder packed into a pan.

7. Pastel Tools

These are some of the things I use to apply the pastel to my dolls.

First, pastels work the best if you grind them up into powder. You can do this in many different ways, but I find using a nail file is the easiest. Try to get one in a neutral gray so it doesn't affect how the color appears. If you can't find a grey one, black or white will do. Sandpaper will also work. Simply rub the pastel gently until you have a nice pile of powder. You can blend two different colors together this way, too.

Once you have the the pastels made into powder, you can use a brush to scoop it up and apply it to your doll. The first two big mop brushes up there I use to apply pastel softly in big areas, like for blush or contouring. You can get some nice cheap ones made to apply human makeup. The flat brush I use to apply dark, sharp layers of color. I use it for things like the eyeshadow and lips.

Finally, you can also use make-up sponges. They aren't pictured here (I forgot), but I do use them often. I use them when I want more control than a brush, or if I want darker color. They don't works well when applying large areas of color. Make-up sponges are either just a cut out shape or attached to a plastic handle. The ones with the handles are easier to use and tend to be smaller and more precise. Special ones are sold that are made specifically for pastel artists, however the ones for applying make up are much cheaper and just as well made. I bought a big pack with several bags of pastel applicators at Big Lots for just a couple dollars once. When you buy them, take a look at the place where two pieces were fused together to form a cover. Sometimes there is a edge that sticks out and it will interfere with applying the pastel smoothly.

8. Watercolor Pencils

When people talk about using colored pencil for their customs, these are probably what they mean. You should never just use normal colored pencils because most contain oil and can stain and be hard to remove. Again, you will need to use a spray sealant with wc pencils. Just like pastels, they need texture to grip and to be sealed when you're done so they won't come off. Brush on sealant will smear them just like pastels. There are many different brands you can use, but the cheaper ones will contain less pigment and it will be harder to get clear lines.

I use the Derwent brand, because I've found out of the ones I've tried, they work the best. Mind you, aside from some cheap kids brand, the only other one I tried was Prismacolor Watercolor. They worked, but were not as pigmented as the Derwents. I bought mine in a twelve pack for about $14, but you can find them on Amazon for $9. I also ordered a couple of additional colors individually, since the set didn't come with a white, grey or dark brown. Unless you want to only use wc pencils for your customs, I don't think you need any more colors. I only use these to mark down guide lines and sharp shadows.

Did you know that you can buy chalk pastel pencils? They have the same properties as soft pastels but apply like a pencil. That's what the white pencil at the very end is. I don't use it that often, I like the white wc pencil better, so it's just another option.

One very useful thing to have is a kneaded eraser. You can mold it into any shape, flat or pointy, to remove and blur unsealed pencil lines. It also works well to remove unsealed pastel. Another way is to just use a wet q-tip, but it's harder to control the results.

Keep in mind that the brands I mentioned are only the few I've tried. There are many more higher quality brands out there, that are very expensive. If you want to get the best, no matter the cost, it's very easy to do your own research using google. For soft chalk pastels and watercolor pencils, reviews that cover the traditional use on paper will also apply to how well they'll work on dolls.

Please ask me if you have any specific questions, or would simply like me to elaborate on any part. I can even take more pictures. It makes me happy to share the information that I’ve learned! I hope all the above info helped out again. There is still more to come! :)