Dollieh Sanctuary

Help! I am new with Watercolors, but they always seem to clump and drag on vinyl, and if i get them wet they still have this, but seem to spread and 'stain' the msc so they have black smudges or brown smudges.
How do I stop this from happening and is it the type of color pencil I'm using, the pressure or just is it a fickle mistress I have to get used to? And can I use watercolor liquids with vinyl and resin or is that going to stain, because it's dye based? I want an easier way to paint and the pencils are just not doing it for me. Can someone do a video on it or describe it in detail?
I'm using a generic brand of color pencils from Michaels. And I'm using obitsu heads. I'm planning on getting a Volks anime head so I really really really don't want to screw it up, I want perfection people!~ Haha

Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong?? Or anything to help? Or should I just use graphite to do basic work?

I suspect that you need better quality pencils. Keep them very sharp, use a light touch. Use a Q-tip to moisten the head, then use the pencils dry over that. When you coat the head with MSC, how many coats do you use? You need to hold the head about 12 to 15 inches away from the spray can. Start spraying before the head and continue past it. Do several passes in different directions. I can't really think why you are getting staining, otherwise. Remember that if you clean off a failed faceup you need to re-spray the MSC. If you are just redoing eyebrows, as long as you are only using water to clean you are ok, but if you are using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser you may be removing some of the MSC, and that could lead to staining the next time you use a dark color. I had that trouble with Hazel. Other than that, it really is just practice. IzabethS has a nice book available on Amazon that covers everything. http://www.amazon.com/Face-Handbook-Elisabeth-Iza-Suelli/dp/1105400514/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386273114&sr=1-1&keywords=suelli There are also tutorials on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ball+joined+doll+faceup&sm=3, I haven't watched many of them, so I really can't tell you which one would be best. Are you using pastels also? Because I would recommend it. The pencils are great for eyebrows and lashes, but not so great for lips and cheeks. Take lots of in progress pictures, and share them with us, it could really help to identify issues.

Did you seal the head (with a sealant like Mr. Super Clear) before using the watercolor pencils? If the head isn't sealed, the surface is likely the problem, the pencils need a good matte "tooth" so they can color smoothly.
(Also, generic watercolor pencils are usually on the "cheap" end of the pigment spectrum, having less pigment and more filler additives that may affect the smoothness of the colors. I suggest looking into Prismacolor watercolor pencils.)

To answer your staining question, if the head is sealed well enough, liquid watercolors shouldn't stain it. You may have beading issues with liquid watercolors, though, as they're made to be used on an absorbent paper, not a water resistant vinyl.

(edit: lol zirc you beat me )

I am just going to repeat (a bit) what the others have said. The very first thing you should do to the head you are going to paint is to wash and dry it with mild soap and water. Do this right before you start the face up, to remove any contaminants (like oil from your fingers) that may have been deposited on the head. Even one unseen fingerprint can adversely affect how your paints, pastels, and MSC behaves. Once the head is completely dry, next is the "sealing" spray of MSC that everyone has mentioned. At this point MSC is less sealer and more of a surface preparation. These initial coats of MSC on the blank head add "tooth", a fine coarseness to the surface that will give the paint or pastels something to grab on to. Coats of MSC between layers are like spraying a fixative on your pastel, chalk, or charcoal drawing. It locks down the previous layer and adds an even tooth for the next layer.

Okay! I seem to be getting similar responses. I do use MSC before spraying, and always wash the head. I think I need a lighter hand and I will dab water onto the head rather than on the pencil! And invest in prismacolor! I try to draw and I do have drag so I think that 'drawing' is not a really good idea! Haha, thank you for all your help!!

I actually use fairly cheap watercolor pencils. They have always worked well. And it is all about practice - you will be fine!

Most of mine are General Kimberly and Lowe Cornel. Most times just take a step above Rose Art, Crayola, or Prang but I've been happy with Prang clay. There's no need to splurge on Prismacolor unless you want them for general art work. Another way to go might be water color crayons.

I did one resin with water colors but I used very thin washes. I tried the pencils but it wasn't working out for me. You can try coloring a spot on some paper with a watercolor pencil then dipping your brush in that.

I chose Prismacolors because they are available individually at the local store. That way I didn't have to buy the 256 pencil set to get all the face-up colors I wanted.

When it came to colored pencils, I saved up and got myself the big box of Stadler Karat Aquarells. I've yet to actually use them on any dolls, though, as there I tend to stick with my thinned acrylic paints.