Painting seamless bodies (NSFW?)

Yeah, no it's not necessary that it's a rubber torso.  Most of the time I'm not particular about whether my bodies are jointed, hard plastic, rubber, seamless, doll-bodies....as long as they are the right *height* and the overall effect looks like the character, I'm pretty easy going about it. : )

Now, at the moment I have a number of in-progress and/or planned figures, and many of them are indeed female SW aliens.  But because I already have several extra bodies, most of which have rubber torsos, on-hand (ones that didn't work out for the non-alien projects, lol), I've been trying to use what I had, before buying even more.

So, yes, for most of these figures, I have planned the outfits strategically so that that the rubber areas won't show, and all I will have to paint are the harder plastic limbs. For one of them -- a younger character -- I have even been planning to use an Obitsu doll body, as it is all hard plastic and easier to paint the right colour.

BUT, there is one particular (version of a) character that I would really like to do that not only has an outfit that shows skin in the 'rubber' areas, but which also needs to be a particular height next to some of the other characters, and this is where it has been getting tricky for me. Because I have yet to find an 'all hard plastic' body that is the right height *and* body shape/bust-size/stature. This is why I had been trying to make the PopToys body work, as it met that criteria ...the only problem being that I had not realized at the time that I was planning it all out that rubber was almost impossible to 'paint'.

But, after reading this thread, I realized that I had been under an erroneous impression that seamless tbleague bodies and the regular rubber jointed bodies were all just as hard as each other to colour. I now see that , given the success of Ephiane's method, it seems that it's the latter that are more difficult, and which I'd have to resort to fabric dye to colour....something I'm not prepared to do at this stage.  

So, I am thinking that I may have to use a tbleague body for the above-mentioned project after all. But again, I'd need to have it in-hand to check next to the other figures to make sure it's the right height before proceeding. I'm definitely considering it, but first I was just trying to be thorough, especially since I've already had so many disappointments and I'm tired of buying bodies that don't work. I know it's all part of the hobby, but it's getting rather disheartening (and expensive) .... ;p

Yeah, unfortunately, that’s the thing with this hobby. Trial and error gets to be VERY expensive, but that is pretty much the only way to do this. Tips and advice can only go so far. I have yet to attempt this body painting technique on a TBLeague body again (I tried it once, and it was an absolute disaster). I’d actually like to see a video tutorial on how folks have done this correctly.

Stryker2011 wrote:Yeah, unfortunately, that’s the thing with this hobby. Trial and error gets to be VERY expensive, but that is pretty much the only way to do this. Tips and advice can only go so far. I have yet to attempt this body painting technique on a TBLeague body again (I tried it once, and it was an absolute disaster). I’d actually like to see a video tutorial on how folks have done this correctly.

Yeah, I understand, and have realized that. At least I'm able to use the extra bodies for some other figures, so they're not totally wasted purchases. If anything, this hobby is forcing me to be more creative and resourceful, which is the good kind of challenge. : )  I'm sure I'll figure something out -- was really just sharing my (lack of) results in case anyone else was daft stubborn enough to try it for themselves too. ;D

And I completely agree, it would be helpful to see the full process for the oil pastel (or even regular pastel!) technique(s)....

Apologies for spamming the thread, but I have some questions regarding *modifying* seamless bodies (not painting-related). I searched, but couldn't find a thread dedicated to that specifically -- should I start a new one, or is there already a space for discussing it somewhere that I missed? I just wanted to ask before going too far off-topic here...

skywalkersaga wrote:Apologies for spamming the thread, but I have some questions regarding *modifying* seamless bodies (not painting-related). I searched, but couldn't find a thread dedicated to that specifically -- should I start a new one, or is there already a space for discussing it somewhere that I missed? I just wanted to ask before going too far off-topic here...

Well, you haven't spammed it yet. If it is a question not dealing with the above (which is about painting), why not start a new topic/thread in the general talk section?

Thanks, will do! Just had wanted to make sure I hadn't missed an existing one. : )

While it’s not necessarily about painting the whole body, has anyone beside Very Cool had luck applying tattoos to a seamless body?

GubernatorFan, translucent powder is also known as setting powder in the makeup works, and some companies, like Laura Mercier, make translucent setting powder specifically for darker tones. Some of that might help keep your Finn body from getting dulled down with light setting powder.

Aria wrote:GubernatorFan, translucent powder is also known as setting powder in the makeup works, and some companies, like Laura Mercier, make translucent setting powder specifically for darker tones.  Some of that might help keep your Finn body from getting dulled down with light setting powder.

Thank you, Aria, I will keep that in mind in future. Just in case you happen to know, any tips for a powder with the appropriate properties (i.e., good for silicone and keeping it non-tacky) that does not show up too obviously in flash photos?

GubernatorFan wrote:

Aria wrote:GubernatorFan, translucent powder is also known as setting powder in the makeup works, and some companies, like Laura Mercier, make translucent setting powder specifically for darker tones.  Some of that might help keep your Finn body from getting dulled down with light setting powder.

Thank you, Aria, I will keep that in mind in future. Just in case you happen to know, any tips for a powder with the appropriate properties (i.e., good for silicone and keeping it non-tacky) that does not show up too obviously in flash photos?

The white, translucent powders show up the most, and so does too much of it. Use a flesh-toned powder, which can be anything from peachy to darker, anything but the powder-white stuff, press it onto the figure, and dust off any that's left over before photos. Use a diffuser over the flash. A diffuser itself won't entirely eliminate the issue, but will help, especially in combination with using a powder other than the super white stuff.

Try to avoid powders with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which is in SPF formulas. Those are meant to deflect UV rays, but will also reflect flash. Avoid silica as well, which is mostly found in HD powders. CoverFX Perfect Setting Powder is a good bet. Not cheap, but we all know this hobby isn't cheap.

I find reborn dolls incredibly creepy and shudder-inducing, but I came upon this tutorial on how to paint them today and immediately thought of this thread! I’m assuming most seamless bodies are made of silicone so perhaps the paints referred to here would work?

(Tw for creepy babies/body horror at the start)

https://donnaleeoriginals.com/siliconetutorial.html

Oh my god, I feel the same way, Lynkhart!!! I can barely stand to look at them....shudder!! O.O

That being said, I really appreciate you sharing this info here! Hopefully something good can come out of those terrors, lmao.

That paint mix could be a possibility— but, yeah. EWWW! Those babies seem like some creepy “can’t let go” sort of thing.

Aria wrote:The white, translucent powders show up the most, and so does too much of it.  Use a flesh-toned powder, which can be anything from peachy to darker, anything but the powder-white stuff, press it onto the figure, and dust off any that's left over before photos.  Use a diffuser over the flash.  A diffuser itself won't entirely eliminate the issue, but will help, especially in combination with using a powder other than the super white stuff. Try to avoid powders with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which is in SPF formulas.  Those are meant to deflect UV rays, but will also reflect flash.  Avoid silica as well, which is mostly found in HD powders.  CoverFX Perfect Setting Powder is a good bet.  Not cheap, but we all know this hobby isn't cheap.

Thank you for the advice, will keep it in mind.

Lynkhart wrote:I find reborn dolls incredibly creepy and shudder-inducing, but I came upon this tutorial on how to paint them today and immediately thought of this thread! I’m assuming most seamless bodies are made of silicone so perhaps the paints referred to here would work?

I agree, they are incredibly creepy, but thank you for providing the link. It is definitely an interesting tutorial or description, and it seems to lead to impressive results. That said, it seems to be more applicable to bigger (even 1:1) dolls, and subtler and semi-translucent coloring which might not be enough for the usual type of 1:6 customs. At any rate, working with special silicone coloring systems has always been an ideal solution, but also quite complicated and perhaps impractical for most of our limited purposes.

I may have found an option for painting seamless figures. There’s a company out there called Smooth-On that makes silicone mold-making products and pigments. I called them this morning and they think they have an option that could work. The pigment itself is super concentrated (called Silc-Pig), much like when you go to the hardware store to get paint, it doesn’t take much to get the color you want; then you add it to Sil-poxy Rubber Adhesive (this stuff is super thick), so it has to be diluted with Smooth-On NOVOCS Matte silicone solvent (this can be thinned down to any consistency, including the ability to use it with an air-brush). I ordered all three of these things off Amazon, and I’ll let you know what the results are. Altogether it cost about $112.00 for all this stuff.

Stryker2011 wrote:I may have found an option for painting seamless figures. There’s a company out there called Smooth-On that makes silicone mold-making products and pigments. I called them this morning and they think they have an option that could work. The pigment itself is super concentrated (called Silc-Pig), much like when you go to the hardware store to get paint, it doesn’t take much to get the color you want; then you add it to Sil-poxy Rubber Adhesive (this stuff is super thick), so it has to be diluted with Smooth-On NOVOCS Matte silicone solvent (this can be thinned down to any consistency, including the ability to use it with an air-brush). I ordered all three of these things off Amazon, and I’ll let you know what the results are. Altogether it cost about $112.00 for all this stuff.

I hope it works, but my experience has not been encouraging. I have experimented with Silc-Pig for years, mixing it with silicone glue (admittedly, not the same one you mention), and have on occasion attempted to thin it down (again not the same solvent). It worked poorly when I tried (though not air-brushing). The results were uneven; the best was when painting a small and concentrated area (like a nipple) -- the pigmented silicone stuck reasonably strongly, although if you really wanted to you could peel it off. Do remember to remove as much of the protective powder as you can before you start (it's easy to forget). The combination between the specific products you list above and air-brushing might lead to a better result, so let us know how it worked out. I personally gave up on that after Ephiane's breakthrough with the oil pastels.

Question about prepping the seamless body for the oil pastel method -- once the figure is washed, how long should I let it dry?

I thought it was better to let it air-dry, or else I might get 'fluff' from the paper towel on it. But it's somewhat difficult to tell if it's dry or not yet, given that it's now extremely sticky to the touch.

If it’s extremely sticky, you should be good to go.

My first attempt with the silc-pig was a failure. Going to make another attempt with a different bonding agent — I’ll let you know.

Ah ok, thanks!

And oh no.... wishing you luck on the next try!

Good question, to which I simply don't remember the answer. I washed with lukewarm water, and then dabbed it thoroughly with paper towels (the thick quilted kind that don't fall apart easily) to where I could see no obvious signs of wetness (and there was no fluff). Then it's oil pastel time.

Mark, I am sorry to hear the experiment didn't work -- although more serious and advanced than them, it does seem to confirm my own attempts. Remember mixing silk pig with actual silicone glue is still an option, at least for small stuff. And it being "reversible" (really, "peelable") might actually be a good thing.

Ok....immediately i have run into a problem: the makeup sponge keeps 'sticking' to the seamless body. It's blending the colour into it just fine, but leaving residue from the sponge onto the body in the process. I'm not even sure how to fix that, or if I've totally wrecked it now! :/

What kind of makeup sponge are you supposed to blend it with???

skywalkersaga wrote:Ok....immediately i have run into a problem: the makeup sponge keeps 'sticking' to the seamless body. It's blending the colour into it just fine, but leaving residue from the sponge onto the body in the process. I'm not even sure how to fix that, or if I've totally wrecked it now! :/

What kind of makeup sponge are you supposed to blend it with???

Don't panic. I don't know if there is a specific type to use, or a specific type not to use (though you seem to have discovered that -- I am assuming you mean parts of the actual sponge are becoming loose and sticking to the body). Try using one of those small travel-sized lint rollers to pick up stuff that shouldn't be on the body (though now that the body is sticky, it would be harder to pick it up). Or go carefully by hand or tweezers -- patience is something we need with this hobby from time to time. If you are not doing so already, try using a specially designated blending sponge (I noticed some of mine had that description on the packaging).

By the way, if your colors are blending, you're already ahead of the curve.

GubernatorFan wrote:

skywalkersaga wrote:Ok....immediately i have run into a problem: the makeup sponge keeps 'sticking' to the seamless body. It's blending the colour into it just fine, but leaving residue from the sponge onto the body in the process. I'm not even sure how to fix that, or if I've totally wrecked it now! :/

What kind of makeup sponge are you supposed to blend it with???

Don't panic. I don't know if there is a specific type to use, or a specific type not to use (though you seem to have discovered that -- I am assuming you mean parts of the actual sponge are becoming loose and sticking to the body). Try using one of those small travel-sized lint rollers to pick up stuff that shouldn't be on the body (though now that the body is sticky, it would be harder to pick it up). Or go carefully by hand or tweezers -- patience is something we need with this hobby from time to time. If you are not doing so already, try using a specially designated blending sponge (I noticed some of mine had that description on the packaging).

By the way, if your colors are blending, you're already ahead of the curve.

Thanks for the calming advice, GF.  :'D

I'm still not really sure what happened there -- I had decided to experiment on parts of the body that wouldn't be showing by trying different colours and also making layers, but then it just started looking weird and almost 'scaly'. O.o  It could have been coming off the sponge, or might have been partially some residue from the pastels themselves that was sort of 'caking' on the surface of the body.... it was like, it blended a little, but then started building up a bit perhaps. But i was also worried that maybe the sponge I was using might have been scraping the silicone itself and that the residue on it was from that.

Weirdly, the parts that I *hadn't* blended with the sponge and had just applied one single layer of colour directly looked better and smoother. But I can't achieve the colour I want without several layers, so.... :/

I've taken a little break from applying the pastels and decided to try to wash the body to see what happened, just in some some soap and water. It does seem to have removed the residue and some of the 'caking' bits, leaving the underlying colour.  I was panicking also that maybe I hadn't washed it thoroughly enough to begin with, and that perhaps the residue was actually the pastels sticking to the tbleague powder. So i thought giving it a wash might help... at least that way, the parts I hadn't 'painted' yet might still be useable.

Once it dries again, I'll try to muster the courage to keep working on it... :3

skywalkersaga wrote:Thanks for the calming advice, GF.  :'D

I'm still not really sure what happened there -- I had decided to experiment on parts of the body that wouldn't be showing by trying different colours and also making layers, but then it just started looking weird and almost 'scaly'. O.o  It could have been coming off the sponge, or might have been partially some residue from the pastels themselves that was sort of 'caking' on the surface of the body.... it was like, it blended a little, but then started building up a bit perhaps. But i was also worried that maybe the sponge I was using might have been scraping the silicone itself and that the residue on it was from that.

Weirdly, the parts that I *hadn't* blended with the sponge and had just applied one single layer of colour directly looked better and smoother. But I can't achieve the colour I want without several layers, so.... :/

I've taken a little break from applying the pastels and decided to try to wash the body to see what happened, just in some some soap and water. It does seem to have removed the residue and some of the 'caking' bits, leaving the underlying colour.  I was panicking also that maybe I hadn't washed it thoroughly enough to begin with, and that perhaps the residue was actually the pastels sticking to the tbleague powder. So i thought giving it a wash might help... at least that way, the parts I hadn't 'painted' yet might still be useable.

Once it dries again, I'll try to muster the courage to keep working on it... :3

Welcome. I was off running an errand, and thought to myself I should suggest to you simply to wash the body again, but am glad you tried that anyway, with success. You really can pat/dab it dry, unless you have some particularly unhardy paper towels that will leave remnants stuck on it. Isn't it neat how the color sticks to the body, even if some of the water from washing it seems to run with a bit of dye?

Anyway, caking is normal when working with pastels of any sort on any sort of surface. You are probably not scraping the silicone "skin" or at least not enough to damage it. The use of the makeup sponge is specifically to rub the color more into the surface and to remove excess oil pastel, so your second description seems to indicate this was in fact normal. Keep going over it with the sponge until no oil pastel rubs off from the surface onto cloth or paper towel that you use to test it. Washing it with water is fine, but be careful with soap -- if you go back to earlier posts from Ephiane, you will see it is used to make the skin shinier, and that may or may not be what you want -- of course this might be a different process so it might not apply.

GubernatorFan wrote:

Welcome. I was off running an errand, and thought to myself I should suggest to you simply to wash the body again, but am glad you tried that anyway, with success. You really can pat/dab it dry, unless you have some particularly unhardy paper towels that will leave remnants stuck on it. Isn't it neat how the color sticks to the body, even if some of the water from washing it seems to run with a bit of dye?

Anyway, caking is normal when working with pastels of any sort on any sort of surface. You are probably not scraping the silicone "skin" or at least not enough to damage it. The use of the makeup sponge is specifically to rub the color more into the surface and to remove excess oil pastel, so your second description seems to indicate this was in fact normal. Keep going over it with the sponge until no oil pastel rubs off from the surface onto cloth or paper towel that you use to test it. Washing it with water is fine, but be careful with soap -- if you go back to earlier posts from Ephiane, you will see it is used to make the skin shinier, and that may or may not be what you want -- of course this might be a different process so it might not apply.

Oh, phew, I'm glad most of what I was experiencing is 'normal'. And yes, it was really neat to see how well the colour had taken to the silicone!

I just tried dabbing with the paper towel and it seems to be fine...I think I was just being overly paranoid. ;p

And thanks for the reminder about the soap making it shiny.... I decided to use the soap cause the only parts I had coloured were those that weren't going to show, so I was actually kind of curious to see the effect. I used type of handsoap that had tea tree oil in it, and this seemed to work ok. But even if it had turned extremely shiny, I was still interested to see what that looked like vs. the more matte appearance. As is probably obvious, I'm attempting to do some SW aliens, and so I've perhaps got a little more wiggle room with skin surface texture. Though, I do personally prefer a 'matte' finish for most things, but thought it was worth risking some soap to get the residue off, either way.

I went back over the earlier posts, and the shiny skin trick apparently includes specifically rubbing the body with some soap and water on the sponge (and then presumably letting it set in/dry). Normal use of soap is certainly ok when you first prepare the body for painting (to remove the protective powder) and that apparently has no effect on shininess. What happens if you wash the painted body with soap and water, I don't know or recall if I did that with mine (or if I just used water). Mine haven't turned shiny. And remember to reapply protective powder when you are all done, although there is a theory that the oil pastel itself protects the silicone surface a bit.

I did use soap to wash the painted layers I'd done on the legs, and it has not made them shiny. At least, not noticeably so. But I only just sort of poured a bit of soap onto the body and then rinsed it off straight away, just to help get all the excess pastel bits off. So maybe it's ok?

Probably fine.

Another semi-related question: you've mentioned using a type of silicone glue before in regards to painting the bodies.... I'm just wondering, what kind of glue works on these? Not necessarily for painting purposes, but in general. Especially for modding. Does superglue stick to the surface, or is a special glue required?