Tute 4:- Applying an overall wash on porcelain
Firstly - WHY WASH
Using China paints (on-glazes) :-
provides control of complexion of a finished doll.
Adds a lustre and transparency which more equates to skin.
In this case it was to match complexion tone on a repair for a doll made by another artist.
The secret to getting a good wash on porcelain is in the greenware prep and cone 6 firing.
Underfiring will cause the wash to be dull and often patchy.
Overfiring will cause areas not to take paint so well.
Undercleaning will cause you to be unable to get a good sanded finish on your porcelain and will cause the paint to "grab" and show up the blemishes due to poor cleaning.
Washes are easy - but finnicky
1 - ensure your piece is well sanded - baby bum smooth
2 - clean the entire piece with methylated spirits to remove all dust and any finger grease
3 - mix your paint thinner than usual - I use glycerin (very cheap and water based - non-toxic and no odour)
Using China paints (on-glazes) :-
provides control of complexion of a finished doll.
Adds a lustre and transparency which more equates to skin.
In this case it was to match complexion tone on a repair for a doll made by another artist.
The secret to getting a good wash on porcelain is in the greenware prep and cone 6 firing.
Underfiring will cause the wash to be dull and often patchy.
Overfiring will cause areas not to take paint so well.
Undercleaning will cause you to be unable to get a good sanded finish on your porcelain and will cause the paint to "grab" and show up the blemishes due to poor cleaning.
Washes are easy - but finnicky
1 - ensure your piece is well sanded - baby bum smooth
2 - clean the entire piece with methylated spirits to remove all dust and any finger grease
3 - mix your paint thinner than usual - I use glycerin (very cheap and water based - non-toxic and no odour)
4 - apply paint with a broad brush - this can be quite rough and needs to work into all creases and crevices.
The brush bristles will push paint where sponge applicators will never reach assuring you will not have any missed "pale" spots in the corners of mouths or other features.
The brush bristles will push paint where sponge applicators will never reach assuring you will not have any missed "pale" spots in the corners of mouths or other features.
5 - I use stockings for the next bit - work the paint over the area making sure you have a reasonably even, BUT as thin as possible coat on the piece.
6 - using a shader or other large soft brush - work any excess paint out of the crevices and creases.
7 - re-visit with stocking and soften even more
8 - Using a blush brush in circles, polish the area you have put paint on.
9 - using an appropriate shaped brush for the detail required - wet the brush in water - shake it off and gently pull the bristles through your fingers to remove any loose water - then un-paint details like
teeth, whites of eyes.
9 - using an appropriate shaped brush for the detail required - wet the brush in water - shake it off and gently pull the bristles through your fingers to remove any loose water - then un-paint details like
teeth, whites of eyes.
10 - repeat from 4 until you have completed the pieces you are washing.
To match complexion with original this took 2 layers of overall wash, firing each time.
Why I recommend this approach :-
If you are looking at an Asian or a Dark doll, you will be looking at anything up to 7 layers of wash to get an amazing result.
Warning - be sure not to miss step 6 - any excess paint left in crevices such as filtrums, corners of the mouth, in ears will likely go shiny when fired - this is as a result of the flux that is often used in flesh tones - simply - the thicker the paint, especially fluxed paint, the more likely it is to give you "glossy" patches.
Creativity applied to washes makes for great fantasy options.
- You don't end up with massive cramps in your hands trying to hold a sponge to apply paint.
- You have good control over paint application and spread.
- You don't miss any features because the sponge/applicator does not get into them and thereby avoid white or pale spots around features.
- The item that does most of the work (and therefore cops most of the wear) is cheap - stocking does an excellent job and you can have different stockings for different complexions.
- I have also gone from the standard "paint/art" blush brushes to the large fan style ones in make-up kits - they seem to be more even in the way they distribute the paint.
- The round one pictured is also a make-up brush - it is comparably cheap, much larger than readily available blush brushes and does an excellent job
If you are looking at an Asian or a Dark doll, you will be looking at anything up to 7 layers of wash to get an amazing result.
Warning - be sure not to miss step 6 - any excess paint left in crevices such as filtrums, corners of the mouth, in ears will likely go shiny when fired - this is as a result of the flux that is often used in flesh tones - simply - the thicker the paint, especially fluxed paint, the more likely it is to give you "glossy" patches.
Creativity applied to washes makes for great fantasy options.