#purple latea

[queenofsquids]

Sweater by @dollsahoy

[queenofsquids]

I've passed over some kind of threshold from hating the process (tedious, takes too long) to craving the process. Like, I want to sit quietly going snicker-snack with a hook for a while. 🤯

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Can't decide which color edit I like better.

Wearing a ridiculously oversized beret I found in a thrift bag of other stuff. Possibly American Girl doll.

I didn't notice all the dust on her face until long after I took the photos. Just don't ... be on desktop I guess. Or zoom in. Don't really look close at all! Just go by vibes 😆

Actually! I think editing the photo to crop it even closer makes the top area feel less isolated and more intimate. And making the focal area of her face be more top-left and less boring center pleases me. But now you could see all the dust and wobbly lip lines even more. 🫣

Still. That orange lip color is one of my better harebrained schemes if you ask me.

Edit: Oh gods dammit, I had night shift on again. Hope y'all like BLUE

[queenofsquids]

in the pitch black room, with phone camera flash

today's model

[queenofsquids]

I think these leggings/tights from @dollsahoy may be permanent now.

I'm pretending this top is long enough to be a mini dress ok.

SHINY

[queenofsquids]

Purple girl this evening. Skirt by @dollsahoy

[queenofsquids]

Finally received my Aliexpress order of Jusuns synthetic mohair wigs today. This one is a super pleasing shade of peach orange, I love it on this doll 😍

[queenofsquids]

Could she be any more difficult to photograph, between the color vacillation and the half closed eyes 😤

She's fun to look at in person though :3

[queenofsquids]

I'm not a great faceup artist but she's an angel

[queenofsquids]

Look at me finish another faceup!!! 😱

(Sorry the eyelash glue was still drying so I didn't want to put eyes in, but daylight was fading and I really wanted to celebrate right this moment 😅)

I think the gems are too much but I really needed something to cover up the sealant chips. I'll keep searching my supplies, if I find something a bit less intrusive I will try to swap.

The color she photographs varies wildly 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm so enchanted by her in person. I should agonize and spend weeks painting faces more often.

[queenofsquids]

when it's too late to be painting and you make nonstop mistakes and then just keep going trying out worse and worse stuff 😞

guess the next experiment is going to be whether I can strip all this matt coat without ruining the purple dye. but definitely not tonight.

[queenofsquids]

layer five million

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My two very different Unoa Latea faces.

And a hand comparison just cause I can ...

[queenofsquids]

What I started with today -> what I currently have.

I tediously removed much of the lip acrylic paint, tried my best to feather the edges of the giant sealant flake off in the middle of her nose, daubed off the black paint blob on her right eyeliner wing, and re sealed her. The sealant layers are getting absolutely bonkers at this point. I don't know if all the white specs are dust from the garage, or sealant doing something strange.

Now I'm going to use watercolor pencils on her, which have been causing the worst flaking so far. If this layer is a complete flake-y pain to work with, I might really throw the towel in and wipe her to start over.

[queenofsquids]

My two dyed Limhwa bodies seem to "glow" and I love it. I thought the Green girl was glowy because she was French resin, but Purple does it too. So maybe something about the way the dye sits on the surface of the resin.

I just love the Limhwa hands ... and they look so good with Unoa heads.

So I have her head off again ready to suede. I am so burned out on sueding. But I need to do her and the Rowan headback. Allllmost there.

[queenofsquids]

Well, I'd say this was not a success. But I like the color a lot and I'm still optimistic.

So first I used the website formula for "Crocus Petal" which is 1 part Royal Purple, 1 Super Pink, 1 Kentucky Sky. I tested on the flat feet and it was too fuchsia for what I wanted so I dumped the whole pot and tried 5 parts Royal Purple to 1 Super Pink. I tested on her heel feet and liked the color so I did the rest of the doll.

Every piece has major blotching, spotting, streaking, clouding, you name it. I did the same procedure as the green girl who turned out flawless so must be either the resin or possibly the purple/pink dyes are a little wilder.

I was mentally prepared for this outcome cause the doll was unevenly yellowed, obvious seam sanding, horrible scratches, even a large epoxy patch I did in one ankle. So I'm chewing over methods to minimize the poor appearance. I'm leaning toward the iridescent flake paint dollsahoy used last year. Just gotta go find those posts to revisit the materials and effect.

(Edit: Here's some of her posts with FolkArt Glitterific and I think Purity Seal: one two three)

Something I do love is that I tossed the elastics in after the pot had cooled down some and got them to a great purple match! That ought to look nifty in the joints.

Mentally prepared or not, I don't think I would have done it if I knew ahead of time just how bad it would go. But we're here now so, onward!