THE ART OF WIGGING (intermediate level) 1
Dana s Introduction page 3 Recap Basic Wigging page 4 Extending Basic Wigging page 5 Adding Fimo Padding page 6 Wigging Dame and Paris page 6 Straight Hair page 6 Achieving Straight Hair page 7 Geisha Style page 7 Snob Bobs page 8 Wigging the Gentlemen page 9 Wigging without Wigging Out page 10 Wigging Recap page 10 Three Suggestions page 11 Your Notes page 12 2
GREETINGS and welcome to the Art of Wigging Intermediate Level. Are you excited? scared? nervous? All these emotions play a wonderful part in the wigging scheme of things and are to be expected. Without emotions, all our dolls would look the same. Now that you have accomplished Wigging 101 and have practised the basics, it s time for the *fun challenge* of using those skills and going to the next level. HAPPY CREATING Dana 3
Let s start with a few reminders and some revision. Remember the basic cross hair technique? You learned how to do this techniques with both straight hair and pleated hair. Check you can do this while achieving different looks to the style. 4
Here is another example of basic wigging. If you want a smother top but curlier bottom, you can apply your pleated hair in layers beginning at the neck edge. This also gives you a bit more control over combing out or smoothing out the ridges. The hair doesn t pull away from the head as easily because it s glued in layers. Fewer curls strategically placed makes a good head for hats! Hats are more securely placed with this method, too. Understand where you want the hat to go and position the curls accordingly. Study the illustration below to understand the sequence. In the illustration on the right, the angle of the hat is very important in conveying mood and attitude. Try placing the hat first, then tucking curls (and ringlets?) beneath the brim of the hat, taking care to ensure all is glued securely to the head. 5
For even more options in wigging hairlines, add Fimo padding for higher hair styles, period wigging.. or false parts! Simply cover the head with saran wrap (UK cling film) and shape the Fimo as desired. Carefully lift your shape off the head and bake as directed on the packet. When cool, take the plastic off the doll s head and glue the cone in place. Now wig your doll, adding hair as you wish to create another fabulous style. Below is an example of straight hair pulled up over a Fimo cone and then decorated with masses of curls, ringlets and decorations. Straight hair can also be curled while on the head to form this stylized from the past. Simply gather the hair and gently mist the ends. Wrap the hair on a knitting needle and allow to dry. Once dry, gently pull out the needle and voilà! 6
STRAIGHT HAIR Straight hair is a bit harder than you think. You need to do an excellent hairline and let the hair dry thoroughly between stages. So begin with the basic cross hair technique and leave to dry. Then gently pull the hair down into a natural position, wet your fingers with water and smooth into the desired shape. When dry, snip off the ends in either a blunt edge or in a shaggy style, depending on the look you wish to achieve. Straight hair leads to Oriental styles as well! *GEISHA* STYLE For a Geisha-style hairdo, simply do a straight hairline and then flip back the top. Or, as in the picture below, try for a sweetheart hairline. Gently smooth the hair into a top bun by rolling the hair or by twisting it to make snakes then letting these curl round themselves to form a bun. To adhere the bun to the top of the head simply lift up the bun gently and put glue underneath. Gently either press or hold the bun to the head until dry. Tuck any hair ends under the bun. NOTE: Take care not to press too hard or the glue will bleed through. 7
SNOB BOBS Gotta love those easy elegant looks! This simple style just lends itself to the witch mold by Parker Levi. She has the long face required to pull it off and my favourite <G>. To create a simple bob, simply glue your hairline and then wrap damp viscose around a size 5 (UK size 9 metric 3.75) knitting needle. Blow dry the hair then gently slide the hair off the needle. Cut the curl in half HORIZONTALLY and glue in layers to the head. Pick the hair with a corsage pin to comb in place, then style. 8
GENTLEMEN A gentleman s hair can be as easy or as complex as you like! Start as usual with the glued hairline. For the cowboy, use the curl method for under hats (see page 5). For long beards, use the pleater method (page 9 of Basic Wigging). For His Lordship, (half bald style) use tight sausage curls. 9
WIGGING WITHOUT WIGGING OUT hints on making your wigging experience more enjoyable) Wig when you are fresh NOT at the end of a stressful day or when fighting or worried. Start out with smooth fingers. If your nails or fingertips are rough, take a moment to file nails and lotion the fingers. Make sure you have a bright light and calm music playing in the background. Keep a sponge handy (to wipe away flyaway hair on you) and wet washcloth to keep your fingers damp. Have an idea in your head of what you hope to achieve before you start. Then make sure you have the necessary supplies in front of you so you can just start working instead of giving yourself time to procrastinate. Make sure your pleater is CLEAN and free of all previous glue, stiffener or hair. Make sure your viscose is conditioned before you start working with it. WIGGING RECAP Step 1 Take a long strand of viscose and gently pull the fiber until you reach the desired width (about the thickness of a dime or 5p piece) and length. Now mist the fiber lightly with water with a drop of fabric softener added. Run the viscose through the fingers until smooth. Step 2 Take the damp viscose hank and lay it on top of the 1/4 pleater. Step 3 head. Next take straight viscose and cut out a small section for bangs and glue on her 10
Step 4 Once the bangs are dry, simply glue a realistic hairline right around the doll s head (over the top of the bangs). Let the glue get tacky. Step 5 Now lay the strip of hair from nose to neck and gently press into the glue. This effectively forms the wigging cross. Step 6 Once the hair is dry, lift the front section carefully over the back, comb carefully into place with a corsage pin and style as desired. Step 7 To finish, simply cover the doll s face and hairspray lightly the top of the doll s head. Finally, slide one plastic-coated finger down the hair to smooth any excess snags. CONGRATULATIONS! If you ve been practising, you would by now be an Intermediate Student. Why not create simply and photo the following three styles: a) straight hairstyle b) snob bob c) man style and send your pix to Dana@Miniatureart.com. I d love to see them! 11
YOUR NOTES 12