From Rags to Riches

I was drawn to the diluted, paralyzing glow of my computer screen one evening after a friend suggested I investigate the “allure” of ebayÃ?®. I knew the general functions of this growing electronic kingdom of commerce, but I had never actually directed my browser to its address.

Being a once avid collector of MattelÃ?® dolls, I decided to do a “pseudo search” for one of the dolls that Santa crossed off my list when I buried my brother’s boots in a December snow bank (and you’d think Santa would be a little more forgiving). So I typed in the name of my formerly desired doll and was greeted by an expansive listing as the page reloaded.I wasn’t bored enough to go through each entry individually but I did notice a peculiar abbreviation as I scanned the titles. OOAK dolls? It had been about eight years since I laid my boxed doll collection to rest in a stationary state inside a closet, so new developments in this fantastical world weren’t part of my daily conversation. However, it didn’t take me long to realize that doll collectors weren’t satisfied with simply owning a Limited edition-they wanted a “One of a Kind” doll.

As I began to look at these OOAK dolls, I realized that they had a special allure. They had character without the mass-produced backing. They had peculiar combinations of hair extensions and relentlessly decorative costumes. But what was even more fascinating was what they were. Among mermaids and goddesses, I even found a few centaurs with the creative pairing of a Barbie torso and a plastic horse body! There was apparently no reason for Barbie to remain a dull ‘human’ anymore.

But as I considered that amateur crafters mostly created these dolls, I realized I was clearly out of the doll-collecting loop. But the artist in me began to awaken again, and I knew that if I didn’t try out my hand in this art form I’d always wonder if I had what it takes to be an OOAK doll artist. The only problem now wasâÂ?¦ how do you do it?

Despite the glamour of the finished project, creating a doll is quite the chore. The three most important things an artist should possess to be a successful OOAK doll creator are: time, time, and patience. This shouldn’t be surprising as re-rooting a full head of hair alone takes about 6-8 hours! But if you, like me, are willing to see what you can do in this art form, there are a few areas to consider in the process of creation.

Finding Your Subject
So you have the motivation. You have a theme in mind. Now all you need is a doll to work with. Although you may easily purchase what MattelÃ?® terms a “basic doll” (an 11 Ã?½ inch doll with only a few accessories and packaged in a slimline box) for around $6.00, you can find some interesting used dolls for less. For those of us that would find it near impossible to take a brand new doll and experiment on it, you should go garage-saling in the summer. You can find some incredible dolls for next to nothing, you just have to have the eye of an artist and envision that a weary, tousled-hair Barbie is going to be the next goddess of the nightsky.

Getting Started
Now that you’ve found the perfect plastic candidate to become a forest fairy, what’s next? I suggest that you get a step-by-step guide on painting faces. If you aren’t an inherent artist this part will be the most difficult. The eyes and lips should be repainted in layers (i.e. you need to let each layer of paint dry before adding a new color or you’ll lose the crispness needed for a doll face). You can find some guides that are from individual sellers on ebay that include full picture layouts and easy to follow instructions for novices.

Facial Repainting
As far as the facial repaint is concerned, there are many different facial molds to work with and some are easier to paint on than others. The original Barbie faces are quite small and require the use of very fine tipped brushes (e.g. 2/0 or 3/0). However, My-SceneâÂ?¢ dolls, also by MattelÃ?®, have larger facial surface areas to work with and might be a good doll to start with, especially if you aren’t that steady with a paintbrush; as you gain confidence you can work your way to smaller surfaces.

Rerooting
While the re-painting requires the most artistic skill, re-rooting the hair is the most painstaking. But don’t turn back now! There are ways to get around this tedious process. You always have the simple option to cut and style the original hair if it is in good shape or you can replace a few hair plugs for a unique streaked look. If the doll’s hair is in really bad shape and you don’t want to spend the time re-rooting, you can cut off the damaged hair and replace it with a wig.

Quick Tips for Finished Fashions
The topping element to this process is the costume. For a first project it is recommended not to attempt too complicated a theme. A quick fashion can be made simply by adding to manufactured doll clothing or by using patterns available at your local craft store. Many OOAK artist’s create non-removable fashions by gluing pieces directly onto the doll. This also makes it easier because you don’t have to know the dynamics of how clothes are made to dress your doll. Mermaid’s benefit the most from this so their shell bra doesn’t have a chance to unflatteringly reposition.

Working Toward Your Style
If you survived the process and even enjoyed it, you may want to continue to create and eventually develop your own artistic style. The more dolls you work with, the more distinguished your style will become. But aside from artistic features, the best aspect of OOAK dolls is that they are “naturally without a package.” I’m all for the deboxers! I mean really, are you collecting a doll or wires, cardboard, and glue? To me a doll should be experienced, not just looked at. So for all those boxed collectors, the most critical decisions are made for them already. They don’t have to agonize over leaving it in the box or to debox.

What to do With Your Finished Dolls
If doll collecting isn’t your main passion, then there are a few other options for your art. How about giving them as gifts to friends and relatives, catering the theme to their individual interests? You can even go the distance and try to recreate movie characters or athletes. And what makes all this work so worthwhile? It’s almost like a fairytale diamond-in-the-rough story. To take a doll that no one wants anymore and retransform her into something in high demand on ebayÃ?®. It’s quite the rags to riches story. And only the artist knows the secret.