Some help please, looking to make a 1/6 tan girl!

[PaleAmethyst]

Hey everybody!

I feel like deer in headlights here, but I need some advice since I'm a little newbie with the 1/6 vinyls.

Anyway, one character I've be determined to put into doll form is a tan girl, and I'm looking for advice on the selections. I was initially going to make her using a resin, but the selection is pretty poor, and the larger prices and extra maintenance is kind of annoying. My first resin was a tan doll, dyed all the way though, and just removing the original face-up discolored him. I don't want that again, so I'm turning to vinyl to put her together.

I'm just so new to this type of doll that I'm wondering what to look at for getting a tan girl. I see that Volks makes a good selection of tan, but most of their Dollfies are being discontinued. I know Obitsu made a dark tan (maroon, wasn't it?) for a while, too, but I don't see bodies for sale anymore. I've even looked at repainting a Monster High girl.

Are than any other lines out there of 1/6 girls with tan skin? Is tan tricky to work with in vinyl and plastic, too?

[DollyKim]

Liv girls come in several skin tones, Daniela is tan.

[kittyasauras]

You can also get a black barbie Fashionista. I saw some of the new ones the other day at walmart, with the chest joint. (not swapping styles). I'm sure you can find a new head for them, if you don't like it. You can also repaint it.

Volks makes a tan, I don't have one, so I'm not sure how dark/light it is.

If you have obitsus, the normal color of a Barbie fashionista looks VERY tan next to them.

[PaleAmethyst]

Wow, thanks for the suggestions! It looks like Toys R Us is in my near future, haha.

Ah, I forgot about the Barbie Fashionista line. Is it possible to re-rote the hair on them? I probably should've mentioned it, but my tan girl has very green hair. I just assumed I'd buy a wig!

[DollyKim]

You can reroot any Fashionista, they use regular squishy Barbie heads, you can also change heads on them as with any Barbie or make a hybrid. I have a Volks tan and he's no darker than a regular Fashionista.

[embyquinn]

Wow, thanks for the suggestions! It looks like Toys R Us is in my near future, haha.

Ah, I forgot about the Barbie Fashionista line. Is it possible to re-rote the hair on them? I probably should've mentioned it, but my tan girl has very green hair. I just assumed I'd buy a wig!

You can always buy a blonde Fashionista and dye her hair green with acrylic paint. It's a bit tricky dyeing rooted hair, but with a flea comb and patience, it CAN be done.

[PaleAmethyst]

Looking at Barbie, I think the default tan color that they come in may be the right shade. I just need to get one in hand and check. I may buy a few of those Basics dolls to do some practice on.

[kittyasauras]

http://www.fatcat.com/dollraves/arttips/dye.html

There is the link/tutorial on dyeing light colored hair. : )

[PaleAmethyst]

Thank you for the tutorial!

I dug around and found Volks Rooting Hair tutorial, too.

I think I may attempt to fend off insane parents to bring home a girl to practice on. That dyeing tutorial just looks fun, and I already have the materials to repaint.

I keep going back to the Volks Dollfie, so I may bring her home either way.

[embyquinn]

Thank you for the tutorial!

I dug around and found Volks Rooting Hair tutorial, too.

I think I may attempt to fend off insane parents to bring home a girl to practice on. That dyeing tutorial just looks fun, and I already have the materials to repaint.

I keep going back to the Volks Dollfie, so I may bring her home either way.

Take it from someone who has literally customized dozens of dolls: Dyeing hair with acrylic paint (via the Doll Raves method) is FAR easier than a reroot. You just have to be careful not to let the wet dyed hair touch anything else, including the doll in question.

Of course, Cherry wears wigs, so I don't have to worry so much about that anymore--but her current favorite long-haired light pink wig is dyed the Doll Raves way and looks fabulous. I have also dyed faux fur wigs using this method.