Posted by uriah on March 9, 2008, 3:06 pm 65.6.136.132
Eyelashes: HOW TO APPLY or REPAIR
I posted this tutorial on another board. if you have a steady hand, this fix is normally less than 3 bucks. when i do reroots, it's not even something i generally charge for.
Uriah AKA Rob ___________________________ Hi. I normally lurk, but this is a service I've rendered for multiple dolls
Step 1. Confirm the lashes really need replacement. Do this by attempting to straighten/separate them with a needle to see if the original shape can be restored. If not, proceed to step 2.
Step2. Remove damaged lashes. I'm not sure of the glue on all lashes, but I've generally been able to wipe it off other dolls with alcohol. I'll defer to resident experts of a specific line on this one.
step 3. Acquire lashes. for 1:6 dolls, I use the "bottom lashes" from miniworlddolls.com. They are almost too long but they can be trimmed down. I like them because they are not so thick that they block the eye. They have a wide selection though. Bottom lashes might work, I have used them on another 1:5 doll with success, but they give a more realistic lash. If you wanted a "megalash"
Step 4. Cut lashes to approximate width of eye width. (use a string so you can bend it, then straighten it and measure the string). Always leave a bit extra, so you can trim it.
....ok, I have to go the the office holiday party...I'll be back and finish after lunch.
--ok, back from lunch...we had good food and awesome chocolate cake....
edit to step 3. "If you wanted a "megalash", you could get away with even human false eyelashes, but the density of the hair is going to much greater and could be thinned a bit.
Step 5. Curl lashes. I've heard several methods for doing this. I have a dedicated human eyelash curler than I only use for this. I slowly walk the curler down the lash doing baby steps, so you don't get a "bent lash" but rather a curled one.
Note: This whole entire method is written as if I were writing for someone who knows nothing about doing it, so please do not be offended if it seems pedantic. The other benefit is that it's written to be able to make mistakes, so you can start over and not have much invested other than your time.
Warning: If for any reason, your hands tremble, the next steps will take extra concentration or should be outsourced.
Step 5. Bend the base lashline of the lashes to the shape of the lashline on the doll. it comes from the package straight, but obviously the lashline on the eye is not. So curve it in your hand carefully, sometimes you may want to overbend it a bit since it can "bounce back" and unbend if you don't bend it enough.
Step 6. Here is where I may lose some people. I use "dry clear" craft glue. I've heard of people using superglue or other more permanent adhesives, but I prefer to use something less caustic and preserve my option to change my mind and/or make a mistake.
The craft glue I used gets tackier (somewhat like rubber cement, which i've tried but tends to turn into glue blobs) if you let it dry for a few seconds (10-30?). Ok, using a liner brush I use only for glue (and clean thoroughly) I paint a line of the glue at the lash line on the doll. I then dip the lashline of the lash into the glue so that both sides have a fair (not excessive so that it might glob) amount of glue on them.
Step 7. Once they are somewhat tacky, not just wet, I place the lash onto the lashline to which it has already been curved. Take care to ensure contact throughout the length of the lash. Keep some toothpicks or other implements handy if you need to hold it in place while it dries.
Step 8. Note that if the lash was "pointed down" over the iris, that is ok. You can push it up and that will also enforce the curl. However, you need to let the glue completely dry.
Step 9. Straighten the lashes with a needle. Go between each lash and ensure that it is pointing in the proper direction. Sometimes one or two will want to stray, just to mess with you.
Those are the basics. Here are some notes:
*If you happen to get glue somewhere you don't want it, or if it goes outside the lashline, get it while it's wet. You can use tissue on a toothpick. Or a papersticked swab cut at an angle to clean it up.
*sometimes I will go over the lashline again with a tiny amt of black acrylic paint at the very base, because despite it saying dry clear, sometimes I think it's a clear matte finish and that's not what the doll might have already had so it stands out to my eye.
*Using this method above and the lashes I use (75 cents for a set that will do 3-6 dolls), you can make as many mistakes as you like. All you have invested is your time.
*The supplier above (as well as others who carry the same products) has lashes in "carrot" which is light enough that if you wanted to use acrylics as colored mascara on them to get a crazy colored lash, it can be done.
*I do not have a step by step tutorial of this online anywhere, though I did see one (that I lost the link to) for other dolls of Syb scale that was basically the same. I expect to have one online this spring sometime, probably in a webpage and/or youtube video. I do have photos of completed examples.
*I'm not selling anything in this post. Generally, I bring all my gear to conventions with me so that I can do this for existing friends and make new ones. I don't charge because the cost is so negligible.
*very strange thing. I recently had to ship back some 1:6 heads with applied lashes to a friend that I applied them for. Since they were just heads, I was not sure how to secure them for travel. I ended up using a tiny beading needle and sewing them through their earholes to the bottom of an (empty) egg carton, then padding on the other 3 sides with tissue, and closing it, then rubber banding the carton before bubble wrapping it, then inserting that in the box with other packing.
That's all. I thought I would share in case it has any value to anyone.
