How to Recolor Doll Skin Without an Airbrush

No airbrush? No problem! I have a way to create awesome-looking skin with just a dry paintbrush, acrylic, and some fixative. Even if you aren't recoloring, this simple technique adds some texture, and if the paint is the same as the existing skin, you won't even notice chipped paint at the joints!

Materials

The fixative I use is Mr. Super Clear, as per usual with doll customization. If you really want extra protection, Mr. Hobby Top Coat supposedly offers enough protection that the joints don't chip so easily. I've never pushed my luck with testing it, but it can't hurt. If you do buy this kind, just be aware that paint doesn't sit on it easily. It beads up. So, do this layer last or spray a layer of MSC on top to give it some grip.

Get some acrylic, satin acrylic, or model paints. I like to thin my acrylic paint down using acrylic glazing liquid. Not necessary, but keeping the layers thin will keep the skin smooth. Quick tip for mixing your skin color: adding a small bit of red gives skin color sooo much life. Just be careful not to add too much, or your doll will end up looking sunburnt. If it does turn out too red, correct it with a bit of light green.

The Process

The process itself is super easy. First, paint a patch of skin with a DRY brush and dry paint (meaning don't add any extra water to the paint), and dab the brush over it. I like to use a second, larger brush for the dabbing. Don't over load the brush so it doesn't get goopy, and don't paint a large space at one time because it will dry quickly, and you want it to dry after you've dabbed.

And that's it! Do that for the whole body. It only took me two layers to go from tan to ghoulish white for my Sandman doll.

Dabbing gives a nice texture which emulates skin pretty well and avoids streaks from the paintbrush.

Some Advice

Spray often to save your work, and paint multiple layers rather than laying the paint on thick. Thin layers avoids raised areas/bumps in the skin.

Avoid painting over any unsealed paint you've already put down, wet or dry. This is because the paint will rub off, making your paint job uneven. To avoid this, spray your fixative for every layer of paint you add. Not only can the color turn out uneven, but there could also be a puckered edge around the gap, and your only hope there is careful sanding or restarting the whole project.

One last thing: Avoid putting your dried doll on any hard surfaces. Painted hard plastic bodies gets nicked very easily. It helps to rest your doll on a paper towel or a piece of fabric.

As for avoiding chips in the joints, you really just have to keep spraying and hope for the best Mod Podge kinda helps, but it isn't perfect. Doesn't hurt to try.

With the neck joint, I like to glue a little cotton ball on the inside of the head to avoid scraping there. It's not a perfect method, but worth the extra effort since the neck joint is noticeable when it chips.

Whenever you the repaint skin of a posable doll, you're going to run into chipping. But, hey, this way is quicker than a bazillion layers of pastel, and it's so much cheaper than an airbrush. Feel free to share your creations with me on Facebook or Instagram!

Love,

Haley

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