Some Obitsu customizing newb questions (hair/clothes)...

[MeltedCaramel]

Hello all there. Well, to make a long story short I was one of the few people that saw Azone's "Asterisk Collection Series" Kuroshitsuji dolls and went "not only must I have them, I must have them in duplicate and make Claude and Alois as well." Now...Claude seems pretty easy, right? Rip off a button or two, movie the chains, simple new faceup, tada! Except...

I cannot find any information on styling Obitsu style hair into those silly anime hairstyles we all love! So far the most sound(I think?) advice seems to be the cosplayers with their "Got2be" line of rock hard gels and sprays on synthetic wigs. I have no idea if using a human product on a doll with a head that fits in my palm is a good idea though.... The only other thing I can find is Volk's "dolly mist" which is exclusive to the website (i.e. doesn't want to let me pay for it) and might be for something completely different.

Anyone know the magic ingredient to style synthetic Obitsu/Azone wigs?

Also, customizers for clothing: Where are you!? Am I, in my admitted newbishness, missing some entire subsection of willing commissioners just waiting for my money so I can tell them to make that super rare anime outfit that I'll never find anywhere else? So far I've only worked with one commissioner, and we've just been chatting, waiting for her queue to lighten up since I commissioned a full Alois outfit.

(Yes, after all my chatter, should I succeed, there will be pictures of my modified dolls. X3)

Hope everyone is doing super, and hope I put this in the right place!! O__O

[SetsunaKou]

Yes, we use the Got2B hair gel and freezing spray to create the gravity defying anime hairstyling on our dolls. Here is our site:

http://www.setsunakou.com

Click on the "Custom Anime dolls" section to see some samples of our work. (Though I'm SO behind in updating with the new dolls we've been making the past year or so!)
Yami Yugi from YGO is the best example of a Got2B hairstyle on a 1/6 dollfie. ^^ (We actually just made another one just a few days ago!)

We do accept commissions for anime/doll outfits but our turnaround is a long time right now, due to our backlog. If you don't mind that, we'd be glad to estimate a commission for you. ^^

:hugs:

Setsuna

[MeltedCaramel]

You mean I was actually right about the whole "Got2be" thing? And I have to ask...are all of the amazing dolls on your website made by you?!? I see about seven I'd commission from you right off the bat, and about ten more my empty wallet would wail and cry over.

Can I just...massively fangirl over the body of work on show here for a moment?

If you don't mind a few newbie questions... Nightcrawler...is he ever on the commission block again? I saw some closeups of him on the other thread and was completely crazy over him.

Also, your Yu-Gi-Oh! collection nearly had me in tears. The work that had to take! If you don't mind me asking, what scale is your Seto and Mokuba customs on? And...how much would something like that run me? ^^;

As for your costume commission business, what do you mean by a "long turnaround"? I've had people say that and mean anywhere from more than seven months to under a week. <_< Is there any way to private message you and chat about the different costume possibilities and/or pricing? Also, do you work with the Medicom RAH 12'' scale for costumes?

Sorry, last few questions I promise!

You seem to be the master of what I call "hard faceups" (basically the same type of faceup as your Yu-Gi-Oh! line and the Kuroshitsuji Azone line, where there is little to no "soft" blushing or shading, just bold painted on features)...any tips for an aspiring customizer working on this type of faceup?

One last one: What sort of doll faces do you modify to get such a diversity in your character's faces!? This is the single hardest thing I have found, to the point that I'm thinking of doing the dreaded "custom head" route.

Wow, sorry for talking so much, your talent blew me away and made me have a million questions!!

<3

[SetsunaKou]

You mean I was actually right about the whole "Got2be" thing? And I have to ask...are all of the amazing dolls on your website made by you?!? I see about seven I'd commission from you right off the bat, and about ten more my empty wallet would wail and cry over.

Can I just...massively fangirl over the body of work on show here for a moment?

If you don't mind a few newbie questions... Nightcrawler...is he ever on the commission block again? I saw some closeups of him on the other thread and was completely crazy over him.

Also, your Yu-Gi-Oh! collection nearly had me in tears. The work that had to take! If you don't mind me asking, what scale is your Seto and Mokuba customs on? And...how much would something like that run me? ^^;

As for your costume commission business, what do you mean by a "long turnaround"? I've had people say that and mean anywhere from more than seven months to under a week. <_< Is there any way to private message you and chat about the different costume possibilities and/or pricing? Also, do you work with the Medicom RAH 12'' scale for costumes?

Sorry, last few questions I promise!

You seem to be the master of what I call "hard faceups" (basically the same type of faceup as your Yu-Gi-Oh! line and the Kuroshitsuji Azone line, where there is little to no "soft" blushing or shading, just bold painted on features)...any tips for an aspiring customizer working on this type of faceup?

One last one: What sort of doll faces do you modify to get such a diversity in your character's faces!? This is the single hardest thing I have found, to the point that I'm thinking of doing the dreaded "custom head" route.

Wow, sorry for talking so much, your talent blew me away and made me have a million questions!!

<3

Wow! Thanks so much for all your kind words---you blew me away! :laughs:

On to the answers! ^^

The Nightcrawler---did you mean the 1/6, 1/4 or the 1/3 doll or the plushie we've made? He's my sis' favorite X-Men character, so we've done him in many sizes and types.

The Yugioh dolls are all 1/6 and we also have 7 of them that we've done in 1/3 scale (my own large Seto and Serenity, my sister's Yugi and Tea, and a commissioned Thief Bakura, Ryou Bakura and Rebecca. Which sizes were you interested in the pricing of?

The turnaround is approx. 12-14 weeks. Sometimes, it's sooner but hardly ever longer (maybe once or twice, we were so behind or had gotten ill that it became a week late.) I'm so sorry it's such a long time! ^^;;

We can work with any type/style of doll/figure. We don't own any Medicom Rah figures however, so if you need an outfit for that type, we may need you to send us your doll body so the outfit will fit perfectly. ^^

All my faceups actually do have shading and blushing (I just have a terrible camera that hardly picks up the nuances---argh!) but yes, I really believe I've done almost a thousand faceups for 1/6 dolls.
All you need is a super fine tip brush (I use the Volks natural hair (not synthetic, that works but only lasts about 20 faceups. The natural bristle can do hundreds), quality pastels (again, I use Volks Zoukei Mura which are smooth and soft, not too stark and contrasting, they're easy to apply with q-tips), artist grade acrylics (I like Liquitex, especially the white sclera sections are very important to be high viscosity paint.), and a good matte sealant. (Again, I've found the liquitex brush on matte to be the best.)

You can deviate on the sealant---it just may get a bit more 'shiny' than matte, but it doesn't affect the faceup, and the paint---in a pinch, you can use lower cost acrylics, but I'd never recommend the lower cost ones for the sclera. They will just 'peel' up off the head like a sticker!! (Yes, that actually happened to us a few times before I found the Liquitex white acrylic, which is so great to use and never peels up!)

With all acrylics, you'll need to dilute them to get them the consistency of heavy cream or half and half. That gives the best look/feel when done.

Then, you just work in layers. I start off with the white scleras, then the irises, then the pupils and lining around the pupils and sclera. Then, I blush with the pastels, add in the eyelid lines and eyelashes, then the eyebrows, and finally when the irises are totally dry. I add in the shading in them and the highlights. When dry, I seal them with the matte sealant.
Some people use the spray on sealant (like MSC or Volks Zoukei Mura Finishing Powder). I use those on my resin faceups, but the vinyl faceups reject them and become 'shiny' and 'sticky', particularly Volks 1/6 heads. The Obitsu 1/6 heads do allow MSC and don't get tacky so you might like to do that, but the Volks heads are more rubbery and neither type can be sprayed or else you end up with a shiny, tacky, sticky head in a few days! It's terrible! So for the 1/6, I tend to stick with the brush on stuff and just seal their painted parts. (I used extra glossy Tamiya clear varnish for the lips and some eye areas. It really makes a doll 'pop'.)

Oh, and I recommend styling the hair BEFORE the faceup, so it doesn't get hurt in the process of hairstyling. ^^

We've been doing this for so long (Since 1998) that I've found, over the years, all the various head molds that the Japanese doll companies make and choose one that best suits each character we create. It's a shame that some of the heads have been 'discontinued' now, and it does cut down on the options for facemolds, but still, a good faceup can overcome that.
I mostly use Volks, Obitsu, NDR (mostly discontinued now :Cries: ) and Azone heads. We also use Irwin/BanDai heads when a customer wants to match a particular set of dolls. (Like Sailor Moon dolls, etc.)

I myself like Volks best for anime styles and Obitsu for realistic. NDR had an 'elf' anime head which was useful and some okay realistic heads but they're not too terrible a loss for being discontinued. Azone, is a little too cutesy for me, but I've used their Doll Edit kits in the past for extra cute anime characters.
Parabox recently came out with a line of heads that suit the new style of anime-----the big, childlike heads---which I've been making recently, for series like Gosick, My Bride is a Mermaid, Shakugan no Shana, Ningyou Hime, K-On, etc.

I made a few charts several years ago, depicting all the various 1/6 heads offered by these companies. I'll try to dig them up and post them for you so you can see, all together, which heads might be best for your projects.

Thanks again for your kind words and reply! :hugs:

[MeltedCaramel]

Oh, you're just the biggest sweetheart ever, answering so thoroughly and sweetly!!! ;_____;

Let me tackle your long reply now (I love long replies. XD)!

Hrrrmm, as for Nightcrawler, I was talking about this one specifically:

http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/x ... volks.html <----There are no words for how much talent is just brimming from this project. Is he a 1/6 model? I'm one of those weird folks who like their collection to all match "Character Height" when they stand side by side. (I'm making a custom Maes Hughes from FMA when my health gets a little better which is going to require a complete face resculpt stuck on a Roy Mustang RAH body. So may dolls, so little time!)

Do you work in different size classes? Like say....okay, I have a Pure-Neemo Winter Gymnasium boy hanging out doing nothing that would be perfect for a Mokuba next to a 27cm Azone/Obitsu Seto, something like that, or do you guys only work in the size class you feel fits the doll best? ^_^

As for Seto and Mokuba, I adore the faceup done on this Mokuba:
http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/y ... volks.html (Do you mind me asking which faces you use on each doll? I notice you mention body type but not face type.) This one seems made for Mokuba's face, which isn't an easy feat considering the style of the anime itself.)

And this Seto's faceup:
http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/y ... volks.html

But steal the outfit off of this Seto:
http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/y ... volks.html

And you'd have my perfect commission set! X3

"We can work with any type/style of doll/figure. We don't own any Medicom Rah figures however, so if you need an outfit for that type, we may need you to send us your doll body so the outfit will fit perfectly. ^^" <---The fact alone that you'd be willing to WORK on an RAH doll just....I feel like I need to give you (two? I notice an I/we thing going on if I'm not being too nosy! ^^;; ) a hug!!

I'm having money issues at the moment (I spent my last $60 on that custom Alois Trancy outfit XD;; ) so I have to ask...you (two? So confused now!) aren't planning on going anywhere soon right? I'd love to save up and commission something from you! Also, how much does it cost to commission either a faceup or an outfit, doll custom itself not included?

On to faceups: Well, since I draw and paint I have fine tip brushes to spare! I also ordered a can of MSC since I knew I'd be working with a faceup on Azone/Obitsu Ciel, turning him into Alois. That's part of the reason I'm so interested in your knowledge of the different face shapes and sizes, because my Pure-Neemo Gymnasium boy was an ill-thought out buy before I realized that he was a)way too short (with a round face to boot!) to be Alois, and b) that Azone had done specific face sculpts for Sebastian and Ciel, which meant if I really wanted to "match" the four as a set I'd have to re-buy and re-paint as well as kitbash Sebastian's outfit into Claude's, make wire-rim glasses from my jewelry-making hobby, and commission someone for Alois' outfit. (I have to try to make his boots myself....scary adventures in doll making much? ^^;; )

As for paints, I have Testor's Acrylics, a high-end acrylic usually used on everything from toy-car modelling to what many people who customize high end figures like Figmas and whatnot use. Does this sound like a decent solution for the paint? They're matte, and very bright, coming with an optional clear gloss if you want to add some "shine" to your doll's eyes/tattoos/whatever you may be painting.

"Oh, and I recommend styling the hair BEFORE the faceup, so it doesn't get hurt in the process of hairstyling. ^^ "

<---Both Claude and Alois were going to get the saran-wrap and paper towel treatment since both have some distinctive styles, before I attempted a face up.

Also, I hope you don't mind me asking...where do you get the 1/6 Volks heads and bodies? I can find Obitsu stuff no problem (although it's a shame they never released the Sebastian or Ciel headsculpts for the "sharper" anime faces out there), but Volks doesn't come up anywhere in my usual haunts.

One more question...how do you safely take off the factory paint of an Azone/Obitsu like Ciel or Sebastian? I keep reading horror stories and now I'm terrified to take a solvent to them!

"I made a few charts several years ago, depicting all the various 1/6 heads offered by these companies. I'll try to dig them up and post them for you so you can see, all together, which heads might be best for your projects." <----*Giant pleading eyes of want* That would be amazing!!!! ;____;

Thank you again for being so amazing and patient and such an incredible help!!! I cannot find the words for how kind and sweet you are!!!

As one last thing:

http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/f ... midnew.jpg <----SO. MUCH. TALENT.

<3
~Caramel

[DollyKim]

An easy way to practice face-ups is to get some thrift store dolls and some acrylic paint. As an artist you know you get better by doing. Just paint directly on the dolls and learn what works for you and what doesn't.

[SetsunaKou]

Oh, you're just the biggest sweetheart ever, answering so thoroughly and sweetly!!! ;_____;

Let me tackle your long reply now (I love long replies. XD)!

Hrrrmm, as for Nightcrawler, I was talking about this one specifically:

http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/x ... volks.html <----There are no words for how much talent is just brimming from this project. Is he a 1/6 model? I'm one of those weird folks who like their collection to all match "Character Height" when they stand side by side. (I'm making a custom Maes Hughes from FMA when my health gets a little better which is going to require a complete face resculpt stuck on a Roy Mustang RAH body. So may dolls, so little time!)

Do you work in different size classes? Like say....okay, I have a Pure-Neemo Winter Gymnasium boy hanging out doing nothing that would be perfect for a Mokuba next to a 27cm Azone/Obitsu Seto, something like that, or do you guys only work in the size class you feel fits the doll best? ^_^

As for Seto and Mokuba, I adore the faceup done on this Mokuba:
http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/y ... volks.html (Do you mind me asking which faces you use on each doll? I notice you mention body type but not face type.) This one seems made for Mokuba's face, which isn't an easy feat considering the style of the anime itself.)

And this Seto's faceup:
http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/y ... volks.html

But steal the outfit off of this Seto:
http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/y ... volks.html

And you'd have my perfect commission set! X3

"We can work with any type/style of doll/figure. We don't own any Medicom Rah figures however, so if you need an outfit for that type, we may need you to send us your doll body so the outfit will fit perfectly. ^^" <---The fact alone that you'd be willing to WORK on an RAH doll just....I feel like I need to give you (two? I notice an I/we thing going on if I'm not being too nosy! ^^;; ) a hug!!

I'm having money issues at the moment (I spent my last $60 on that custom Alois Trancy outfit XD;; ) so I have to ask...you (two? So confused now!) aren't planning on going anywhere soon right? I'd love to save up and commission something from you! Also, how much does it cost to commission either a faceup or an outfit, doll custom itself not included?

On to faceups: Well, since I draw and paint I have fine tip brushes to spare! I also ordered a can of MSC since I knew I'd be working with a faceup on Azone/Obitsu Ciel, turning him into Alois. That's part of the reason I'm so interested in your knowledge of the different face shapes and sizes, because my Pure-Neemo Gymnasium boy was an ill-thought out buy before I realized that he was a)way too short (with a round face to boot!) to be Alois, and b) that Azone had done specific face sculpts for Sebastian and Ciel, which meant if I really wanted to "match" the four as a set I'd have to re-buy and re-paint as well as kitbash Sebastian's outfit into Claude's, make wire-rim glasses from my jewelry-making hobby, and commission someone for Alois' outfit. (I have to try to make his boots myself....scary adventures in doll making much? ^^;; )

As for paints, I have Testor's Acrylics, a high-end acrylic usually used on everything from toy-car modelling to what many people who customize high end figures like Figmas and whatnot use. Does this sound like a decent solution for the paint? They're matte, and very bright, coming with an optional clear gloss if you want to add some "shine" to your doll's eyes/tattoos/whatever you may be painting.

"Oh, and I recommend styling the hair BEFORE the faceup, so it doesn't get hurt in the process of hairstyling. ^^ "

<---Both Claude and Alois were going to get the saran-wrap and paper towel treatment since both have some distinctive styles, before I attempted a face up.

Also, I hope you don't mind me asking...where do you get the 1/6 Volks heads and bodies? I can find Obitsu stuff no problem (although it's a shame they never released the Sebastian or Ciel headsculpts for the "sharper" anime faces out there), but Volks doesn't come up anywhere in my usual haunts.

One more question...how do you safely take off the factory paint of an Azone/Obitsu like Ciel or Sebastian? I keep reading horror stories and now I'm terrified to take a solvent to them!

"I made a few charts several years ago, depicting all the various 1/6 heads offered by these companies. I'll try to dig them up and post them for you so you can see, all together, which heads might be best for your projects." <----*Giant pleading eyes of want* That would be amazing!!!! ;____;

Thank you again for being so amazing and patient and such an incredible help!!! I cannot find the words for how kind and sweet you are!!!

As one last thing:

http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/f ... midnew.jpg <----SO. MUCH. TALENT.

<3
~Caramel

Awww, thank you for being so kind to us! (My sister and I make the dolls together---she makes the clothing usually and I do the hair and faceups and choosing which sculpt/body goes for which chara.)

For Nightcrawler, yes, he's the 1/6 version. ^^ He is really cute and I'm glad we were able to use the hands, feet and tail from the 1/6 action figure in conjunction on the Volks 1/6 EBC body. And they all still work! It was just one of those things that came together really well! Thank you for liking him!! Yes, you can commission him if you'd like whenever you can. We've been making dolls on commission since 1999, so hopefully, we're not going anywhere anytime soon. ^^ :hopes: THANK YOU!
We're also the same way! I MUST have all my characters in the correct heights and sizes and even head sizes matching in a set at least. It has caused me to buy and rebuy, and resell several times when something wasn't 'quite' right, but finally, I think, they're about set! We are doll collectors ourselves and have nearly a thousand dolls of our own, (in curio cabinets) because I'm a 'full set' insane collector. If I have one character from a series I like....I'll go crazy until I make all the main characters and have a full set. ^^;; My sis thinks I'm crazy but she knows me by now and always helps me in my obsessiveness. ^^ :laughs:

So, we work in all sizes---from 1/25 mini teeny figures up to 70cm bjd or larger 4-5 foot dolls. ^^ I'm comfortable making any size doll or plush.

Sure, whenever you'd like to commission Seto and Mokuba, we can make them any way you'd like. That Seto's face you like is the SH-08 head by Volks. Mokuba is the Volks Midi head (Sh-9). The SH-08 has been 'retired' by Volks but I have a few I've stocked in, I think. The Midi heads I have coming out of my ears! :laughs: So that style is no problem at all. ^^

The cost of the commission depends on the complexity of the outfit. A 1/6 faceup, anime style, I think I just charge $5-7. Realistic faceup is $8-10, I think.
The outfits, they range from $30 - 100 each, depending on difficulty, and we include shoes and most accessories usually. (Not earrings, unless requested.)

I think the Testors Acrylics should be fine---I've used them myself on figures, but not on heads, and they've always been good on the action figures. If you use the 'airbrush' type, they're already nicely 'diluted' for a clean/smooth faceup. ^^ However, since I've not used them on the vinyl heads, I can't be 100% sure they'll work. If they're 'acrylic' they should be, though. ^^

Just don't use the Testors enamels----they are evil and will never dry on vinyl/rubber surfaces. Well, actually, they will dry after about 3 years. I know because we once used the gold testors enamel on a pair of vinyl doll boots in a pinch. They seemed fine at first but after a few hours, they started to get sticky and tacky and icky. YUCK!
So instead of cleaning them up, we just started a new pair with acrylic gold paint (we went out to buy some now.). After a week, the 'bad' boots got more and more sticky and disgusting! We put them in a jar so they would stop leaking 'gold' on surrounding items and just ignored them! We forgot all about them, until we were digging in our 'junk' drawer and saw the jar. This was 3 years later, and they are now dry! :faints: So.....at least in this one instance, the Testors enamel gold did dry on vinyl. ^^ :laughs:

We get the Volks parts from either Volks Japan or Volks USA. About 5 years ago, I'd order exclusively from Volks Japan but then the currency exchange got TERRIBLE, and I started ordering from Volks USA. But then, just this year, the exchange rate became decent again, so I've ordered from Japan once more.
It's that the stores have different pieces! Some things the USA store has that Japan doesn't and vice versa.

Ah! The best faceup removal is "TEA TREE OIL" It's safe and the factory faceups come right off!!! It was a long story how we figured this out, but we've used it on many hundreds of heads, always works, never any bad side effects. ^^ Just take q-tips, dip them in the oil, then rub on the faceup for a few minutes. Change the q-tip to a fresh one, dip, rub more and then repeat until it's all off.
After it's off, wash the head in soap and water and you're all set! ^^

Here are the charts (the 'x' ones are discontinued) for the various 1/6 heads:






(Except the OBM01 head doesn't have the 'large' neck hole. However, the head is huge so I put it in that section.)

There are always various anime heads that come on dolls, lilke Tomy, Sega, Irwin, BanDai, Takara. The Tomy heads are pretty nice, too and make a great anime girl:
http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/v ... 1tomy.html

I generally don't like BanDai heads/bodies much, except for the '1996' poseable type like this:
http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/v ... japan.html
http://www.setsunakou.com/customdolls/r ... japan.html

The Takara anime heads and bodies are quality but a little 'cutesy'. The NDR heads actually seemed to 'copy' the style of the Tokimemo Takara dolls EXACTLY. I have the Tokimemo set and the NDR head is a near exact duplicate of it.

Segacharadolls are crazy stylized, but nice enough, nonetheless. (Mainly 'Magic Knights Rayearth' dolls depict their style.)

Almost all the Japanese 'playline' dolls have hollow bodies and ZERO articulation. The only ones who make decent bodies is Takara.

Hope the charts help and, talk to you soon!!! :hugs:

God bless!!!!!

~Setsuna ^^

[MeltedCaramel]

I'm PMing you two a few questions, I hope you don't mind. ^^;;

Wow, I'm glad I asked these questions, in just one thread I've gotten more information on gorgeous customs than I've seen compiled on any other site, including some of the rarer aspects like painted-on faceups and doll types. You two are a fountain of wisdom!!! <3 More fangirling(womaning?) in my PM, but I just wanted to publicly thank you two for the kind, patient answers and for being so incredibly sweet.

Semi-confession time. I'd heard (by some shop owners, and customizers) that the BJD doll was an insular, rather petty community and that by doing something as simple as calling a "fashion doll" a BJD I could incite a riot (the person who told me this was nice about it, very nice, but she scared me off the community a bit longer) but then I saw the site's tagline "No Dollieh Left Behind" and I thought perhaps this might be the site for me. I was right. Everyone is so incredible and welcoming!!! I'm so glad to have found this place. :3

[MeltedCaramel]

OH, also, because I'm a fool, what does "SH" stand for? I know "OB" is Obitsu and the rest pretty much explain themselves but...that one I'm not able to ponder out. ^^:

[MeltedCaramel]

Errr...also the NGG-01 head at the top. You know, would it be asking too much of you two to list the full company names beside the abbreviations? If it is, I completely understand and you've helped so much already, I just feel like I'm looking at moon-speak when I try and decipher the names. ^^;; I apologize for the blinding sheen of newbie that's sparkling off my skin and burning everyone's retinas.