#face-ups

I’m still not that good a Face-ups (close-ups are a no go -_-), but I do think I improved quite a bit over the years. 

Sure—it’s never a bad idea to get into any new hobby slowly with a minimal investment. You have lots of options.

First, if you really want to make a business doing faceups, here is a list of what you may consider adding to your supplies:

a practice head (more on this below)

lots of time to practice (seriously—even great makeup artists have a  bit of a learning curve to getting those tiny eyelashes to look just right—I read somewhere that you need about 1000 hours to become an expert at any given thing.)

a wide variety of brushes (try getting some super tiny ones—faceup artists I’ve spoken to  tend to like the Mr. Brush line pretty well, but  use a pretty wide variety as well)

Mr. Superclear (I purchase mine from Emory at Junkyspot—his supply is fresh, since he goes through so many cans. I’ve never gotten a stale can) or another primer/sealer of your choice.

face mask (for you) and respirator (really—when working with resin, and resin sprays like MSC or Testors Dullcote, you need this)

Magic Eraser or similar

Liquitex gloss or something similar.

rubbing alcohol for cleaning—this is probably the safest solvent available. You can also use Winsor & Newton brush cleaner or pure acetone. However—the jury is still out on the longterm safety of Winsor & Newton (among some artists, at least) on polyurethane. Acetone is great for heavy-duty cleaning, but will soften resin until it’s completely evaporated (so it can cause damage to sculpts).

chalk pastels (not oil-based)

acrylic paints

Now—here are a few less expensive options if you want to start practicing faceups without spending a lot of money.

Lots of companies sell heads alone, so you have the option to purchase just the head before jumping in and buying a full doll. I’d suggest checking out Mint on Card or Denver Doll to see if they have any in-stock items that you like. (I might suggest looking for a large head to start. Some heads can run just $50 or less, depending on the company.

The secondary market is also a great place to look for heads as well. Definitely request a membership for Zone of Zen, The Resin Café and/or Den of Angels (if you don’t know a member, email [email protected] to request a membership), and get your marketplace privileges! There are lots of great shopping opportunities for you there. You can often find more main-stream large sculpts for $75 or less, used or damaged heads (or smaller sizes) can run just $25-30.

If you are considering a complete doll, you can find them for cheaper than you might expect. Some Chinese companies sell legitimate dolls for very reasonable prices. Check out the in-stock selection from Junkyspot, particularly Mystic Kids ($224 for a slim mini), Doll-Leaves (none currently in stock—but I’ve added a link to their website) and Bobobie ($195 for a slim mini). Plus, there’s a cool clearance section now at Junkyspot! Also, be sure to check out Mint on Card and Denver Doll as well. 

Additionally, if you’re really not set on resin yet, you might be able to practice on ABS plastic. Hujoo makes some fun little dolls that will definitely give you a great blank canvas for learning at an affordable price. Junkyspot often has these dolls in stock, too. While you will eventually want to switch to resin (there are some differences between painting ABS and polyurethane), Hujoo will give you a nice inexpensive starting place.

Or, to make it even easier—start painting what you have on hand, using any doll you have at home or easy access to—Barbie, Monster High, Liv, Blythe, or Pullip, and see if you like it. This would be a great way to save yourself some time, effort and a whole lot of money and hassle.

Do you have a portfolio? Get one started. Sometimes—you never know when—some benefactor might see your work and take pity on you, and just give you something! (Yes, there are those of us who have been in the hobby a long time and happen to have “extras.”) It never hurts to start a little artist page about yourself and why you want to get into this.

What if you invested all this time and money in gear and supplies, only to discover that you much prefer painting real life faces, or 2D surfaces, over dolls? For this route, you could save yourself a lot in supplies and stick to acrylic paints, and a sealant, like Liquitex, plus a few tiny brushes.

As far as choosing a sculpt—I’m always, always of the following opinion: it’s worth the time and money to save up for the doll (or face) you like best. Even if it’s just for practice, you don’t want to be looking at a face you dislike. So get one you like, or even love, if you can. Otherwise, that artist in you won’t want to make an appearance!

So I'm not on DoA or any other formal BJD forum with a marketplace, and am looking for someone with some experience with freckles and scar mods to do a face-up for me.

This will be paid work and the price is negotiable, though I am looking to pay around around $50 for my SD head.  (If this is super unreasonable, just let me know.  I have no idea what good face-up's actually go for.)