I am a sculptor and painter. :) I love dolls.

I get a lot of questions! So here is my little FAQ:

How can I remove the original factory paint on Monster High or other vinyl fashion dolls?

You can use pure acetone and Q-tips.

How can I remove the head of a MH doll?

Warm the head in hot water to soften the vinyl, then gently pull, wiggling a little from side to side to get the dart-shaped anchor out of the head. Be gentle and watch for stress on the anchor. You may need to heat and start again.

How do you do the gender swaps?

Victor is a Frankie head on an airbrushed Jackson body. The paint can chip or scratch about as easily as the factory airbrushing on Spectra's legs, so I wouldn't recommend that method of color-matching for a doll that you intend to play with a lot.

 

I didn't really have any problem getting the girl head onto the boy body, but you can just slit the neckhole a tiny bit if you're having trouble getting it on.

What do you use for your repaints?

I use Liquitex artist-grade acrylic and retarder, an 18/0 liner brush, and Pan Pastels. I use Mr. Super Clear to seal and protect the finished face. :)

Do you take commissions?

Sometimes, though it is somewhat infrequent. I really prefer to just paint to please myself, then see what sells. I like to work within my own parameters... and I also like the freedom to keep a doll if I really like how it turns out!

 

If I am going to take commissions, I will normally do either through Deviant Art, my own website, or Etsy. I have a really hard time keeping track of messages between other websites during periods when I am not taking custom work.

How do you sell your repaints?

I normally sell through Etsy because I prefer direct sales - auctions make me incredibly anxious! My etsy shop is here:

 

www.etsy.com/shop/armeleia

 

A straight-out repaint is usually $50-60 + the cost of the base doll. Add-ons like rerooting or a mohair wig replacement will bump that up.

 

I occasionally sell on eBay, but only for full-customs with clothes, wigs, modifications, etc.

I really like (doll x) in your flikr stream, can I buy it?

I'm totally flattered if anyone wants the things I paint! :) But if a doll's sale status isn't mentioned (or if there's no Etsy link), then the doll is normally either in my own collection or it is a commission or gift. I very, very rarely sell dolls from my own collection.

 

Unless you are a friend in real life, please don't ask to buy a doll before it goes to Etsy - it isn't fair for me to give dibs to strangers and people get mad at me when I say a doll will be up on Etsy later, then it never becomes available.

Do you take commissions for sewing or rerooting?

No, sorry. I really hate rerooting and my sewing is primarily functional.

I see you're sculpting a CAM torso replacement! Are you casting it? Is it for sale?

It's not finished yet... but I will be casting it. However, I won't know till it's done if I feel like it's "good enough" to sell. I am absolutely neurotic about both craftsmanship and quality control, so it's anyone's guess.

Are you on any other sites?

I am...

 

www.etsy.com/shop/armeleia

armeleia.deviantart.com/

armeleia.tumblr.com/