How to -doll hair

[Ninflo1]

Can I use a hot glue gun or Elmer's liquid glue for this?

[christyj1977]

@Ninflo1 I wouldn't recommend hot glue, the glue will separate from the head after it cools. Elmer's glue is water based so you wouldn't be able to get the hair wet to style it, without risking it falling off the head.

[tinan42]

Thank you!! I've been trial and erroring my way through adding hair and this will help tons! 

[CraftyGamer]

Does this work with synthetic hair?

[cubomania3]

THANK YOU for making the video. I feel like I already am pretty confident about my first attempt at doll hair with a polymer sculpture !

[StInG268]

Hi I was wondering how long the glue takes too dry and also what types of glue work best?

[christyj1977]

@StInG268 Fabri-tac is the best I've found, You can also use Tacky Glue but it won't dry waterproof. Fabri-tac is acetone based and dries extremely quickly, within a few seconds of application.  Tacky glue is water based and dries much slower, but will allow for working time.

[sunzoo1]

@christyj1977 Will superglue work?

[christyj1977]

@sunzoo1 I think superglue would be a bit to stiff for the hair, Also, whenever I've used superglue it tends to dry more opaque than clear which might show through the hairs. Fabri-tac dries clear and flexible. if you can't find Fabri-tac, glues such as E-6000 and 527 work really well.

[paulbazen]

So many other tutorials out there are really vague and useless. Highly recommend this video for it's detail and clarity!

I carved a wooden doll head (a few times the size of the one in your tutorial) and used your tutorial to add human hair. It turned out great thanks to this video :)

[muktismom]

I just made a stuffed fabric doll, and the instructions were real sketchy - like "add the hair" :-) - your vid helped so much. I'm going to use yarn. This technique looks to be widely applicable. Thanks!

[dagusia68]

is the sculpture baked and blushed yet

[icpphamily]

damn! you gave me a solid idea of how hair goes on! thanks heaps. I am just getting into sculpting and was so worried because i knew i would want my dolls to have hair. Because of you i am feeling relieved that maybe i can do this. Your doll head are beutiful.

[katie4424]

hi! this video is great btw- I have a couple questions. Ive sculpted some figures before- small babies and stuff so Ive never used wire and things but I was curious about the tool the head is on- did you bake the head on the tool and what is the purpose of it? doesnt it make the head hollow? where do you get this tool? soory for alll the questions 8D

[christyj1977]

@katie4424 thanks, the tool is a type of stylus, I've had it for a very long time, I'm not sure where I purchased it. The reason I use it is to keep from squashing the head during sculpting, I'm a bit heavy handed. I use a wire armature and the hole left makes it easier to pass the wire through the bottom of the head to add more stability to the finished doll. I have baked the head on the tool, but I have also put it on the armature raw it's really according to how the clay bakes.

[PoopahandShug]

Hi there! I dabble in doll making myself..I'm a novice for sure. I was curious as to why you have a hole in the doll head? Is that to prevent cracking? Beautiful heads by the way. Is there a video or website featuring the finished dolls?

I'm so glad I found your videos...very informative & thorough. I haven't tackled making my own hair on a doll..they've either been bald or i bought a horrendous premade wig. You've made me a little braver for your tutorials. Thanks and keep posting!

[christyj1977]

@PoopahandShug Thanks! The reason for the hole is the tool I use to sculpt on, as well as making it possible to add the head to a wire armature, which is why it goes all the way through. I have a video of some of the finished dolls on my channel.

[StopmoNick]

Thanks ! I come from the related field of stop motion puppetmaking, and your tutorial is probably the most helpful of the ones I've looked at. Nice idea with the hole for the central tuft of hair - I am going to try something similar - I'll cut a groove for a longer centre part - but I don't know how well it will work yet.

That looks like a nicely sculpted head - wish you had shown a couple of big close-ups.

[OdooriKimura]

do you have to use Tibetan Lamb hair for this technique, or can you substitute other hair?

[artemisfair]

That's an interesting way to do it. I usually make doll wigs using mesh, a thin needle that looks like a fish hook and human/synthetic hair. The process is called "ventilating" it's what costume designers use to make wigs for theater. It's similar to rug-hooking.

[tobiaswitch]

that was very informative! thank you! but can i just say that that it was also a lil creepy. Ive been makeing goddess and god dolls and i have been at a loss on how to attach hair, but now i have a few ideas. Again, thx!

[christyj1977]

you're welcome. I think if you looked at all the individual things you do to make dolls, it can seem creepy, esp on those that are more photo realistic..lol...The really creepy thing is that I have doll heads all over the place that I made for practice, and they were never completed...and never got thrown away..lol

[deadpanfool]

Thanks for this video! Very helpful :) Can I ask where you get your lamb fur from? Been looking for the best deals on it so that I can try a little. Never used it before, but heard great things.

[christyj1977]

@deadpanfool Well, I've had the fur for a few years now, I bought a full pelt online, unfortunately I don't remember which vendor I used, possibly ebay.

[morphinemoniza]

Sorry, I have something else to ask you. How do you bake the clay after adding the hair? Doesn't the hair melt?

[christyj1977]

The head is baked prior to adding the hair, usually I finish the doll completely before adding the hair, but for the demonstration I did not have a completed doll.

[morphinemoniza]

this is kinda gross but is it possible to use real human hair?

[christyj1977]

@morphinemoniza yes, it is possible to use real human hair, however, human hair is a bit thick for small dolls and will look unnatural, the lamb fur is alot thinner than human hair so fits the scale better.

[morphinemoniza]

thanks! I'll keep that in mind

[ryannlag]

I use that fabric tac too and i HATE it!! We really MUSt find a better way! Thanks for the video!

[EscapingEthanOfficia]

I want to make a boy doll, how would I do his hair? Help me please!

[christyj1977]

There are several ways to do male hair, it's really what style you'd like, the very easiest is to pick a clay the color of the hair you want place it on the head and use a needle tool to mark in hairlines...if you want to use "real" hair you can use the same technique as in the video, but without the hole. The males I've done tend to have longer hair.

[EscapingEthanOfficia]

I want him to have real hair. It isn't very short but not long either. It sort of sticks up at the front in an 80s do. I love your technique, you are so talented!

[taticastro]

THANK YOU!

[MammalucaArt]

Very very beautiful faces!

That "hole in the head technique" seems to be working really well too:)

[kamarza]

Thank You it really helped me :-)

[Lourina66]

Oooh, this is great, it is soo kind of you to share your methods

[kiokie72006]

You Rock! I've been waiting for a video on this,Thank You so much!