26 replies to this topic

[AbsinthAngel]

Hey peeps!

In preparation for a wig I might buy, I wanted to scope opinions on what is best to use to spray/add colour to a synthetic wig.

The one I have my eye on could potentially prove to be a little light coloured, so I was wondering what best to use to spray sections a little darker....

In the states you can buy small spraypacks of hair colour - I think meant to be used on human hair ... I've seen them in use on synthetic and it CAN make the original colour go paler/patchy if you're not careful.

So.. any suggestions on what we have access to over here? or what people have used/tried/experimented with and/or to what degree of success?


I have until Monday to work out if it's worth me buying the wig if I have a viable means to darken it if I have to.

THANKS MUCHLY!

[mdb]

It depends on the specific male of hair (some fake hair takes things differently) but acrylic paint really does work.

http://costumes.glittersweet.com/historical/bella.htm
The smoother plaits that wrap around the sides of my head there were made from a hair piece that was a dark mousey blonde. I mixed several shades of artists acrylic (ochre and red based browns a spot of red and a bit of black) and shook it up in a bottle then poured that into a bowl I dipped the plaits into.
You do need to be careful because if any of the paint didn't get thinned right down with water then it can leave cruchy patches. But they can be washed out. The colour can be mostly washed out using dishwashing liquid and hot water, but it will pretty much remain stained.
I leant this years ago when I was in doll customising groups.
http://www.dollsbypeggy.com/dolltips.htm
http://www.hallelnet.com/von/saletrade/customizing.htm
Again depending on the actual fibre used fabric dye can work. I've never tried it myself on anything other than mohair for dolls.

http://forums.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=14804&page=3
If you are just toning the wig, acrylic paint is goignt o be your fastes bet. In fact I foudn it made my hair piece look more natural as it softened that ultra shine of wigs that is so unnatural;) You can also work it to give natural shading.
But there are other methods mentioned in that cosplay thread so you may find another technique.

[AbsinthAngel]

Thanks ma'am! Sounds like the acryllic will be the way to go for me... the wig IS overly shiny so much that I wondered about that too... so if a Dark Brown Acryllic rinse does the job, then this could work out both my problems... I know what you mean about globby bits in not-fully disolved paint, learnt that from my Ostrich/PinkDiamonds project.

I checked those links - some people spoke of combing the wig when it's drying... I spose you didnt need to do that with a braid.. did you find it dried very stiff? .... I'm thinking my wig is long and highly curly and combing repeatedly during the drying wont be good for it, but that the curliness will make it easy to just .. like... scrunch it up every hour or so as it dries out...

My other question then is this... the wig will sit long and loose, and be partly resting at the back on a white bodice ... d'ya think any chance the colour will come off onto the fabric?

Edited by AbsinthAngel, 10 August 2006 - 07:58 PM.

[mdb]

I squeezed as much of the liquid out as I could before hanging the plaits up to dry, When it was dry, yes there was a very slight crunch but as I squished the plait more the crunch got less.

It shouldn't transfer, but it might be wise to test it first once it is dry by rubbing a scrap of the fabric on the ends of the wig. Once dry acylic is close to waterproof (you can get some colour out if you have a dried up piece and realy work it with water) so it should stick very well to the wig.

For my fur I used a water spritzer which may give a bit of control over where you get the colour and thw wig shouldn't need to drip dry quite as long;)

[morgan-aleghieri]

Hoieth - I have a wig on hand that I intend on colouring to suit my purposes, and I've been thinking that acrylic does seem the way to go.

My question is this: are there any particular acrylics that one would recommend? I'm not overly trusting of Cromacryl Nor do I want to ruin my pretty wig... Any advice on the subject will be well recieved.

[mdb]

I used Windsor Newton for my hairpieces for the Bella costume and they seem to water down well and keep the colour quite well. I did add a little black Chromacryl as it was the only black I had in bulk!

I used chromacyl for another hairpiece and it was too fluoro when watered down. But that may be because I was using the colours unmixed. The WN had shades of ocre and umber that are much more suited to hair colour.

On Cosplay.com recently someone mentioned the use of acrylic ink dye and I had seen some once and wondered if it would work ( I think I saw it at a Wharehouse Stationary store if there are any Kiwis reading this.) My only issue is getting enough ethanol to water it down!
http://forums.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t...ght=acrylic+dye

Someone also recently pointed out the use of a sponge to apply the solution as it saves the dye, creates less mess and dries faster. I htink it would also help apply it in streaks and other kinds of contolled application of dye.

[morgan-aleghieri]

Ahh groovy.

Cromacryl can be be very unnatural looking, yar. Well, I'll be out on the town on the weekend, so I might see if I can pop into Eckerslies... I might even be able to glean some information from the shop attendants as to the products they stock.

Thanks for the advice and the link, I'll check it out.

[Reactor drone]

"My only issue is getting enough ethanol to water it down!"


Metho should do,that's just ethanol with a bittering agent added to stop people drinking it

Edited by Reactor drone, 03 January 2007 - 07:16 PM.

[mdb]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylated_spirit
Yeah meths is not methanol. I keep forgetting that;) Excellent. Though it may require a little extra judgement for what colour your dye actually is thanks to the dye in the meths.

[Toddi]

Does anyone know where I can get some spirit gum and hair to make my own beards?

Seems my own beard doesn't like wanting to go from this:



To this anymore:



Hmm ... possibly can't tell the difference from those photos, but it ended up a reddish/light brown shade.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Starfire Phoenix]

I don't know, but I would recommend you ask a hairdresser about why your hair didn't dye.

As for spirit gum, I know you can get it from the stage shop just off hindley street, and i am not sure where to get crepe hair from. Ladysilverspider should be able to help you with some crepe hair sources though. Her pirate beard was pretty awesome!

[morgan-aleghieri]

I was just having a think - Nicko markers have the kind of permanency that would work for wig dying...

But of course there would be the toxicity of them.


Just trying to cover my options..

Did a small dye test last night with the cromacryl black I had on hand to get an indication of how well the wig of mine would take to acrylic paint dying - what I saw of it this morning as I rushed out of the house didn't look as promising as I had hoped, but I redipped one of my samples in the black sludge that I had left before I left so it might have worked a little better with a second coat...

I also realised (because the wig I'm looking at I'm needing different colour variations in only part of the wig) that I have at home some black dolls hair. My thinking is that maybe I can stitch some of that in amongst the hair of the original wig to get the colour right? Hmmm... I just can't wait to get home now to have a look.

edit: Actually, I'm really beginning to think the stitching in of the dolls hair might end up looking so much better than trying to dye it... Urg, almost time to go home and test! Gnnnn...

Edited by morgan-aleghieri, 19 March 2007 - 04:30 PM.

[mdb]

Acrylic really is only suitable for toning rather than trying to get a bright rich new colour unfortunately. Even acrylic inks (which you thin with alcohol and apply it by spray or sponge or whatever to the wig) will only overtone to a degree.

You can certainly sew in some locks of hair! That probably is the most ideal for what you need, going by what you have written.

[morgan-aleghieri]

Yar I noticed it was only toning - ah well, I best learn from experience

I think the extra swatches of hair should work rather well, because I do want the solid colour as apposed to the toned effect the acrylics are giving...

[morgan-aleghieri]

The experiment didn't go as planned, but more as expected - I have deduced that cromacryl kinda sucks hah. I pulled out my swatch of dolls hair, and I can see that working quite well. The curls of the dolls hair were too tight though so I am going to see if I can't find an el-cheapo wig to cannibalise when I walk up the road for lunch today. Huzzah. Bargain city ftw...

edit: Well bargin city was more fruitless than I was expecting. Dang. They did have purple wigs though, but not quite appropriate for the costume.

Edited by morgan-aleghieri, 20 March 2007 - 02:00 PM.

[nymph]

does anyone know the best way to brush a wig?
i have a really long wig that has gotten extremly knotted
any suggestions how to brush ut without destroying it?

[Last_Chael]

Make sure you use a wide toothed comb - start with an afro comb and see if you can find something a little smaller once the bigger tangles are gone. Also see if you can get some wig conditioner.

[Starfire Phoenix]

Bonnie wigs also sells wig combs and wig brushes, they are excellent! I can recommend them highly

[morgan-aleghieri]

Okay, I spent an hour or so soaking that dolls hair in warm water and wrapping it around a piece of plastic piping. Will check it out when I get home, but I'm confident that the curls will be slightly looser at least. Wooo...

[Magnus Darcrider]

Has anyone got any resources for crepe hair and spirit gum in Brisbane or thereabouts?

Thanks!

Be seeing you,

Magnus Darcrider