Can a Barbie head be sanded?

[Nko]

Just a quick question: is it possible to slightly sand a barbie head to modify a bit face features ? Or is this not possible as these heads are soft? Because I heard some people that do it on Monster High so I thought it could be possible to make it on barbies aswell...
In case it's possible what sanding paper would you need?

[MitisFeles]

I never tried sanding a Barbie head, but I sanded my Neo Go hands and feet with no problems of sort, using wet 400 gr sandpaper, the black one. Someone here used sandpaper to remove a freakish navel from a vinyl doll's belly, and to remove paint from a Moxie Teen head. I don't know if softer vinyl can be an issue, if no one more experienced than me has an answers I can test it for you on one of my Guinea Pig dolls...

[DollyKim]

I wonder if an Xacto knife or carving tools would be of any use? The best way to find out is go to a junk store and buy some Barbies that look like they've seen better days and experiment!

What is it you're wanting to do to change the features?

[kittyasauras]

I had a Monchhichi with scrapes on his cheeks and forehead that I sanded out, it was a harder vinyl, but it still worked. I varied with the strength of paper.
I don't see why you couldn't do it.

I think I remember reading on a website a while back that you could, just to be careful because some heads are very thin in some areas.

[maywong]

This might help you.
http://dolls-n-daggers.com/Dolls/OOAKtipspainting.php

[magkelly]

I tried it with very fine sandpaper once on a Fashion Fever head that had marker on it that I couldn't get out with zit cream. The results were not pretty. The sandpaper was the finest I could buy and it still left a sort of stucco effect behind it. The faces on some Barbie dolls they apparently just shred under sandpaper like rubber.

[Nko]

Thank you a lot for your replies!

I never tried sanding a Barbie head, but I sanded my Neo Go hands and feet with no problems of sort, using wet 400 gr sandpaper, the black one. Someone here used sandpaper to remove a freakish navel from a vinyl doll's belly, and to remove paint from a Moxie Teen head. I don't know if softer vinyl can be an issue, if no one more experienced than me has an answers I can test it for you on one of my Guinea Pig dolls...

But neo go feet and hands were hard plastic, weren't they? (btw, If you tell me that could be done without problems I'd like to sand the feet of my obitsu boy as they're too long and not very good-shaped...)
I have some Guinea Pig chinese "barbies" but the head's plastic is much harder that barbie's, anyhow the doll of which I need the head is going to wear a wig so maybe I can try the sanding effect on the top of the head...

I wonder if an Xacto knife or carving tools would be of any use? The best way to find out is go to a junk store and buy some Barbies that look like they've seen better days and experiment!

What is it you're wanting to do to change the features?

It's quite hard to find used Barbies here...people don't even think to re-sell them and you have more chances to find some in the rubbish than in a shop!
I found an used Mariko barbie for sale on internet and as I needed a head of that size and the face mold is pretty I wanted to repaint it. It's not I don't like this doll it's just I already have my Mariko and I'd need this one to make one of my characters (that's going to have a fully poseable body). This is the doll:

The modifications I'd like to do are making the mark between nose and lips a bit less evident, removing the eyelid mark to paint her bigger eyes and modify the nose as it's too flat for my character (that is indian not east asian as this doll seems to be). If it's possible I'd like to sand the cheeks and jaws a bit to make her a more adult look as I saw in the tutorial maywong linked me, (thanks, that was very helpful! ^_^) but I'm afraid to make a hole in her cheeks...

I tried it with very fine sandpaper once on a Fashion Fever head that had marker on it that I couldn't get out with zit cream. The results were not pretty. The sandpaper was the finest I could buy and it still left a sort of stucco effect behind it. The faces on some Barbie dolls they apparently just shred under sandpaper like rubber.

I was afraid of that too, that the sanded part will look different from the others... Can I ask you what number of sanding paper did you use? I ordered the finest I found on the web and they're 2601 and the other is a bit less bit it's still over 2000, (even if they probably should be used for final retouch rather than for sanding...)

Another question! In case I don't manage to paint any good face up I'd like to put her acrylic eyes as I did on the head of my 11 cm Obitsu... Has anybody of you ever seen a Barbie with acrilyc eyes? Some monster high have them bur I never seen any barbie!

[magkelly]

I've seen eyes in a My Scene Barbie but not in a regular one. I would imagine that would be hard. I don't remember the number, sorry it's been a long while, but it was the finest grade you could buy. It was the type used to sand fiberglass cars at the very end of the paint cycle. I had to special order it from a local car parts shop because my local craft store didn't even carry sand paper that fine.

I can't see the pic you tried to post but I know the doll you likely mean. The Mariko doll is pretty. I like her. I think I have two beach Mariko dolls actually, but they have the smaller Barbie heads as I recall. I rather covet the FF one. She's got red streaks and dark hair sort of like the Stardoll only with bangs. I actually have most of the outfit but not the doll. She's been kind of like FF Drew for me. I'm seemingly on a sort of never ending quest for a perfect FF Mariko but so far the only FF Mariko head I've ever gotten was marked up and had chopped hair besides. I keep running across her stuff, but not her.

Same thing with FF Drew. IF I see her she's totally messed up or costs $50. I'm very happy I have my RH Basics Drew but FF Drew is totally a different doll in terms of personality and I'm still hoping that one of these days I'll run across a RH FF Drew in all her glory and the FF Mariko. It would be nice to have the doll to go with the outfit...

[Nko]

Yes my scenes and Barbies are bigger so it's more easy to make eyeholes...

The mariko I have and that I found used is this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/monevor/2409908775/ I think it'a a dance party but I didn't know as here she came out only in this version, I never seen other marikos before! XD
I saw this pic that shows tho of her but I like mine most! http://www.flickr.com/photos/barbiebeauties/6691742787/
Can you find or take a picture of the beach ones you have? I'm curious!
Yes it's weird because some collectible barbies released in the same years now are 15 € while the new in box Generation Girls are over 50€ ! °_°'
Actually I wanted them as they have small heads and could stay near obitsus without great proportions problems (even if that're sill bigger) http://www.flickr.com/photos/n-k-o/6576 ... hotostream
Could you please explain me what FF and RH mean? ^^

[knittnkitten]

barbies have such small heads/eyes.. you'd have to use like puki sized ones...