Adding hair to a figure

[sippog]

I was wondering if anyone could give me advice - or point me at an article or tutorial - about adding hair to a figure? It's something I had a timid try at once and gave up, but would really like to learn how to do. (I have a particular kit in mind).

Adding 'hair', of course, means adding something like real hair. I have an old tutorial about using embroidery floss glued on to the figure in layers and then gessoed.

I would ideally like to add strands on top of the sculpted hair rather than grinding the head down to a bald state. I also frankly don't have much confidence in my hair dressing skills .

I was thinking about trying long synthetic fibres from a mop duster. I want to get a slightly blown-around effect. (I also have some stage crepe hair but its the wrong texture for the glamorous feel I want to achieve in this case - and takes forever to straighten out!)

Is this something you've tried? Would you recommend any particular material? Any tips to share?

Thanks!

 

[Mark S]

I've added hair to many figures and have always used sculpting medium and sculpted whatever effect I was after.
I think that's the easiest and most realistic effect you'll get.
You don't need to completely replace the existing hair either, you can add part of it or do whatever you like.
There are several types of putty suitable.I use a mixture of Magic Sculp and kneadatite.

 

[ChaosCossack]

There's another option, creepy as it may be, you could try doll hair. Find one with the shape and colour you want... then give her a crew cut
Then it's just a matter of a strand by strand or clump by clump transplant.

Colin

 

[Tony Barton]

I add real hair regularly to 1/6th heads, but they are of course so big that it's not a particularly difficult job.
For smaller scales it might be rather harder.
The best material is the finer sorts of hair from soft toys, cropped from the toy in tufts and then rammed into small areas of glue on the head.If you use a slower setting clear spirit glue, you can adjust the flow of the hair before it sets. Some people use white glue, but it has to be thick enough so that the hair stays where you put it first time. Once it's all dry , run under water to float off excess, comb into style and leave to dry .

A little practice is advisable, to learn how to handle it first.



Thsi chap is completely "wigged" with mohair, which works very well in the larger scales , though it might be too coarse for smaller scales.
Finding the right fluffy animal can be a trial : hunt for monkeys , they at least tend to be in a tolerable brown shade.

 

[Mark S]

I didn't realise it was this kind of figure you were referring to, obviously ignore my suggestion because it would just make the figure look silly.

 

[sippog]

I add real hair regularly to 1/6th heads, but they are of course so big that it's not a particularly difficult job. For smaller scales it might be rather harder.

1/6th is about the scale I had in mind, although I was thinking of long straight hair on a woman. It hadn't occurred to me to use spirit glue but I suppose that makes sense. Where would you find the stuff these days, a stage make-up shop maybe?

 

[sippog]

There's another option, creepy as it may be, you could try doll hair. Find one with the shape and colour you want... then give her a crew cut Then it's just a matter of a strand by strand or clump by clump transplant. Colin

That's actually a good idea, thanks. Especially as I have a female bust in mind

 

[ChaosCossack]

That's actually a good idea, thanks. Especially as I have a female bust in mind

Eewwww... I was never a fan of hairy busts

 

[sippog]

Eewwww... I was never a fan of hairy busts

Ho ho . . . Okay, I'll come clean: I want a way to make the kit on the left look more like its inspiration on the right. That's the box art by the way, not my handiwork. I haven't received the kit yet.

 

[ChaosCossack]

Looks like it could be interesting... Sad though, the girl on the right is missing all my favourite parts
I think if you keep the sculpted hair then, from the bottom up, add wisps of hair strands coming away from the head at the tips, you can retain the shape of her hair while making it look less "solid".
I went through all this trying to sculpt long hair in motion and decided to just sculpt it with Magic Sculpt + Greenstuff. I got the impression of movement but I still feel it looks too "solid".


I wish I would have been able to figure something with strands of hair... oh well

Colin

 

[Colin_Fraser]

Buy a cat.

Colin

 

[ChaosCossack]

Buy a cat.

Colin

That can be dangerous... Shooter got mad as hell when I tried to pull clumps of hair out of his tail for the Lemmy sculpt... That's why I ended up with the MS/GS mix
Colin

 

[Tony Barton]

If you want long straight fine hair as you explain, your best bet would probably be a doll's house shop r supplier, who sell very fine acrylic hair for wigging 1/12th dolls. It comes in rather vivid colours , but they may be what you want.
Leave the cat alone....

 

[sippog]

We have 4 cats (yes, I know) but (a) they are all short-haired Siamese and (b) I would take up permanent residence in the doghouse if I took any liberties with them.

Nice sculpting with the Lemmy figure, Colin. I want my hair to be sculpted (hard) too but I want to achieve a fine, flyaway effect with it. In this old tutorial I have, someone suggests sticking it on the head with white glue then painting it with gesso and spreading strands of it out on a non-stick surface til it's dried in position. I also have some fabric stiffening solution that might work.

I'll give it a go anyway. If I cant find a suitable doll in a charity shop, I'll think about ordering hair - thanks, Tony.

 

[sippog]

Reading back over this thread, I realise I didn't explain very well what I was trying to achieve: not to make a figure all 'furry,' like one of those dolls, but to add fine filaments of a 'hair-like' stuff that would be hard to sculpt by hand.

My fault and a sincere thanks for all your helpful bits of advice.