How to Remove a Doll's Face Paint and Repaint It

You can change the color of your doll's eyes and hair when you repaint.

A doll's face can get very dirty over the years, and the paint can start to scratch off and wear away. It can be expensive to have a doll restored. If you have a doll that needs a good face painting, try doing it yourself at home. You can easily remove the paint with nail polish remover, and then you can start with a clean palette.

Things You'll Need

• Non-acetone nail polish remover (clear, no tint)
• Cotton balls
• Cotton swab
• Cloth
• Paint brushes (size 0, 00 and 000)
• Water
• Acrylic paint
• Latex gloves
• Matte varnish

Instructions

1. Dip a cotton ball into nail polish remover, and rub the doll's face to remove the paint.

2. Use a cotton swab soaked in nail polish remover to remove paint from small crevices like the ears, eyes and nose.

3. Rinse the doll's face under water once you have removed all the paint.

4. Dry with a cloth.

5. Mix a dot of brown and orange acrylic paint with two dots of white paint for a flesh color. Add more white for lighter skin and more brown for darker skin.

6. Dip your largest paintbrush (size 0) into the paint, and cover the doll's face with the flesh color. Allow the paint to dry for one hour.

7. Use your smallest brush (size 000) to paint the lips. You can use a pink or red to fill in the lips. Allow the paint to dry for an hour to avoid accidental smearing.

8. Clean your small paintbrush in water, and use it to paint the eyes. You will need white, black and another color, such as green, to paint the eyes. Fill in each eye with white, and allow it to dry for one hour. Next create a colored circle within the white part of each eye, and allow it to dry for one hour. Then paint the black pupils.

9. Clean the smallest brush, and use it to paint eyelashes.

10. Allow the whole face to dry for one hour.

11. Make a dot of pink paint on each cheek using your medium-sized brush (size 00), and lightly smear the paint with your finger to create rosy cheeks. Wear latex gloves to avoid messy fingers and irritated skin.

12. Add any other details you want, such as eye shadow, eye liner and eyebrows. Allow the paint to dry.

13. Brush matte varnish over the entire face with your largest brush to seal the paint.

Tips & Warnings

• Use gloss varnish on the lips for a shiny finish.

References

• Delilah Noir: How To Paint Delilah Noir Using Pastel Chalk and Acrylics
• Custom Dolls, Houses and Miniatures; Learn to Paint Eyes and Face on a Miniature Doll or Fairy; Eneida Rosa