Last December, I had my first lessons in peg-doll painting from a friend who had been doing it for a long and was generous enough to share her supplies and knowledge with me. Many of the tips she told me still come to mind when I sit down to paint a year later. And I've now painted enough dolls to open my own mini-store of experience-based advice.
I'm still a novice myself. Painting dolls is a crafty hobby for me, not a sort of high art or a money-making venture. I'm confident that my designs will always be simple. My methods are primitive. But simply getting in there and doing it has taught me a lot.
There's no need for expensive paint or brushes, and you certainly don't have to be an artist. Actually, I know some people who are well-known for their work with peg dolls despite the fact that they were not artists in the first place. The learning curve is really steep. And there's no shortage of ideas to get you started. So believe in yourself; you'll do great!
There are many different shapes and sizes available, so use the ones that best suit your project. There are female shapes, male shapes, shapes with huge heads, shapes with little heads, shapes with rounded bodies, shapes with slender bodies.... If you're painting peg dolls after your family, for example, make sure to use different size peg dolls to distinguish between adults and children.
When you think you're through painting, take a time to go over your work. Is there anything about which you are dissatisfied? If you make a mistake while painting, you can typically remove it with a moist cloth. If it's already dried, a smart method is to pull out your sandpaper and sand out any mistakes. I utilised this approach when I painted their faces and didn't like how they turned out. A face is a big deal, and if you're not happy with it, you may start over.
Of course, this one is self-explanatory. You must gather your materials and peg dolls. Because peg dolls are constructed of wood, they are simple to paint. You can acquire them locally or online from a hobby shop near you. They're quite popular, therefore they're simple to get by.
Let's discuss about painting supplies now. You'll need paint first. We strongly advise using high-quality acrylic paint. Because of their gluey consistency, glossy and metallic paints are extremely difficult to work with. Acrylic paint, on the other hand, is considerably easier to work with and produces a far better result. If you're on a tight budget, buy a few high-quality tubes rather than numerous low-quality ones. It will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
Every peg doll that comes across my table has to go through a labor-intensive process. First, I sketch the designs in pencil directly on the doll. It may take a few hours for each one to get the features and details precisely correct.
When I'm satisfied, it's time to burn my drawings into the wood using the ancient art of pyrography. This is the method of permanently scorching the line work into the dolls with a red hot tool. Depending on the level of detail, this could take a while.
I experimented with various hair colours and styles. When constructing hair for peg dolls, the trick is to decide where you want the face to be and then frame it with a style. With a little flat paintbrush, you may simply create bangs or swoops to imitate curls. After I've painted the front of the hair, I just paint the back of the head in the same colour.
These peg dolls are now prepared to entertain my adorable little friend at the swim meet this weekend.
What are your thoughts? Are you ready to learn how to make peg dolls?
Comments