Customizing your own Dolls - a way to appreciate them even more!

Happy weekend, dollies!

Saturdays are often work days for me, but half of it and some part of Sunday were spent with family in a nice little resort nearby - the kids always loved swimming by the pool and having barbeque ;)

The past two work weeks, on the other hand, I finally tried repainting and rerooting my dolls. And I am so happy I did! Tamica, my first reroot (post here) was really adorable and I realized that if only we give extra time for our dolls, like customizing them, we find so much more value in our collection.

A photo posted by Shasha 🌞 Ravacio (@ateliernishasha) on
My four successful repaints - Tamica, Lola, Ella and Aki - according to my standards LOL!

With the success I felt with my first try with Tamica, I went on with the second repaint and reroot candidate the next day. However, it was a sad mess because I forced myself to use the existing (very short to work with) hair she already had and add to that, tried doing a fringe - which is another sad story on its own.
Sometimes, we need to know when to stop. So I set this second doll aside,
and would rather create much better reroot and repaint plans with her for the future.

On the third day, I moved on and decided to work on Ella. I loved Ella's original faceup - she was a constant favorite in my photo shoots but I thought she would be even more special if she was OOAK.
After a day of painting and sketching, she's finally finished and was able to catch a good sunset lighting for her little photo shoot.

Ella, in her new, freckled face - note the mole just above her left brow


I love how more mature-looking she's become


... and sassier. Tee hee..

I was just overwhelmed in a positive way with the joy I felt after seeing my two repainted gals.
"I wanted to do more repaints!" -  I declared.

So on the following day, my fourth day focused on repaints, 
I went on and picked one of my Bambi MTM gals to give her some personality.
I love this mold but she has become too popular
and I wanted mine to be an OOAK.

Now named Lola, who was once unnamed in a corner because honestly,
I only bought the MTMs for their bodies.
Perhaps, repainting them would make them adorable, right?
Indeed, once I decided her repaint is already perfect for me,
I think Lola has become her own "woman" and is beyond adorable.

This sassy lady loves her new "personality"


Love this pose!


Sweet, but not too sweet...

And then came Friday, and my gal on queue was Briana or Bree.
At the end of the day, I loved how Bree looked
but there was something missing in her.


Lola (left) and Bree here in her first repaint, which looked cute but not as realistic-looking as the other gals

So I scheduled my Monday the next week retouching her, but everything went awry.


Bree's eyes (especially the left one) were weird to me so I decided to repaint her again some other day

Bree's eyes went from looking like she's wearing a pair of dilated contact lens
 (which I didn't want) to just weird. 
I don't know how else to describe her eyes so I erased the second repaint I made
and I put her aside for another repaint date that I hope will turn out well.

With still a few hours left from that Monday,
I grabbed Aki who was another double I had.
She was easy to work with and 
Aki eventually became just as adorable as my other successful repaints.

Love Aki's innocent expression - totally different from the other three girls

Her simple pose added some mystery to her look...

I think she looks mysterious...

I have always wanted to see my dolls as unique in their own special ways.
But I have never felt this strong about repaints until I tried it.
Repainting my dolls renewed my excitement for my dolls even more.

I could just stare at them all day, really!
And having OOAK dolls also inspired me even more
to give them their own bedrooms, and maybe,
boyfriends!
Oh my gosh - it just doesn't stop there!

But for now, I'll just be wishing you guys an awesome rest-of-weekend,
and of course an even more creative work week ahead.

Let's continue to inspire each other!

dolly hugs,
shasha

Comments

  1. You did an awesome job on your repaints! I love that you give them a more realistic look, especially with painting the individual teeth!

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    1. Hi Phyllis! Thanks so much - the teeth needs super steady hands but I tried my best to manage tee hee... I really enjoy looking at these "new" girls, they felt so brand new and very special...

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  2. The ladies are gorgeous! You have breathed life into them and gave them personalities all their own.

    I agree that "if we give extra time for our dolls... we find so much more value in our collection." However, I have to stay in my lane and do what I do best: bRedress, restyle, rewig, and other things that I do well. I have not realized an ability to paint with your expertise so I avoid the inevitable hideous look any repaint of mine would possess. I don't want to mess up an already okay face.

    dbg

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    1. Thank you so much, Debbie... I really like the way they look - at some point I would see flaws but I learned to accept them and love the girls for their uniqueness. So glad I tried repainting, for sure in time I will be able to repaint all my girls, and I'm so excited for that project to continue...

      Yes, I agree with staying with the skills you have as our way of giving our girls each of their unique personality but when the time comes when something interests you, I totally suggest you try it. Yes, for sure we will mess up things, like doll faces, but we can always redo them. I still have Briana and the fringe gal to redo, and I am positive I can give them personalities just like these lucky four. Thanks so much for the kind words, dear <3

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  3. They are so incredible! I could stare at them all day too! Your posts keep inspiring me to repaint my dolls! I have many thrift store finds that I have bought just incase one day I decided to repaint them! 🙈 I'm jus so nervous because I am not an artist! Though I am working on it! 😁
    -Lydia
    Lydia's Dolls

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    1. Thank you so much, Lydia! Yes, those thrift store finds are perfect for the process of getting to know your materials... I was already familiar with portrait painting using watercolor pencils and soft pastels so I skipped my thrift store ladies.. I do plan to repaint them in the future ;)

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  4. Their uniqueness is lovely. You are very talented.

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    1. Thank you so much, Roville... I do really aim for uniqueness in each of them - thanks so much for noticing <3

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  5. You did a fabulous job making your dolls unique! I really love the short haircuts. I wish I had more time to at least do unique haircuts. One day. Thanks for inspiring us to do more.

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    1. Thanks so much, Vanessa...Yes, the short haircuts are my faves, too --- it makes them look more realistic as most dolls are released with long voluminous hair =) That's so nice to hear I've inspired, I'm excited to see what you will be up to with your dollies soon =)

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