Dreading painting the brows? Don't! There are many ways to get those little devils on there. Eyebrows can be very expressive and make a big difference in how a doll looks. Many people think eyebrows are the hardest thing to do, mainly because it's hard to keep them even. Here's a couple of tips that might help...

Let's talk about how brows generally work in real life. Makeup artists around the globe will tell you that there is a basic three-point principle. See if the pictures below don't demonstrate what I'm talking about. You can try this on yourself to see what I mean in real life.


First take a pencil and hold it at the widest part of your nose. In theory this will line up with your inner eye and should line up with where your brow starts.
Next, move the upper edge of the pencil so it lines up with the outer side of your iris and on up to your brow. For a dramatic brow the apex of the arch should fall in line with pencil.
Finally, line the pencil up with the outer corner of your eye. The end of your brow should line up with the pencil.
 
Please note that not all faces are the same (this goes without saying). As seen in the picture above, the inner portion of the eye does not line up exactly with the nose. As a side note, another rule says that eyes are generally spaced the width of one eye. In other words, if you measured your eye, that would usually be the length of the space between your eyes. Keep this in mind when painting eyes from scratch. In the real world, a good makeup artist can show you how to camouflage eyes that are too close or wide set.
This model has an eye and brow that start in the "normal" position.
Here the apex of the arch actually begins to the left of the "normal" position. Note that the line drawn straight up from the outer portion of the iris lines up with the apex of the arch. This is more common in everyday, low drama life.
The ending principle seen above applies here as well.
 
Use these guidelines to place the brows on your dolls. You can always do what you'd like, but this is a good place to start.
Pencil dot guidelines: With the above principle in mind we'll show you how to connect the dots to perfect brows. Get a sharp pencil. If you're right handed, start with the left brow. Make three dots that correspond with the pictures above. Now go to the other eye and repeat the process. If you're having trouble getting the dots placed evenly on each side, try turning the doll with her chin away from you. Sometimes a different perspective can make this job easier. Once you have all six dots where you want them you can either connect the dots with paint or with a super fine pencil line.
Feel more comfortable just drawing the line? In that case you can draw one brow and then go back and draw the other. Use only a light line with a sharp pencil - this make erasing easier. Sometimes I find it helpful to draw the brows on with the doll's head upside down.
 
Another way to get consistent brows is to use a template. To make a template for brows:

1) Take a strip of thin acetate and put around the doll's head (like a band around the eyebrows area) and fasten the strip on back with a piece of adhesive tape.

2) Cut an upside-down "V" shape at the front center of the strip, this will be the reference mark for the nose when you put the strip back on the head.

3) With a very fine point marker, draw the shape of the eyebrows on the acetate until you achieve the shape you want.

4) Remove the acetate and cut the stencil with a small cutter.

5) Scrape the point of a colored pencil (brown will be better) to obtain some colored "dust".

6) With a cotton tip, lightly rub the colored dust inside the stencil. This will mark the right position of the eyebrows (and will be re-usable if you want to make more eyebrows with the same shape).

7) Now paint inside the marked area with acrylic paint or whatever you'll use to paint your doll.

8) Trim any imperfections with a very pointed cotton tip (a small bit of cotton around the point of a toothpick) dipped in solvent.

One could use this stencil method even for airbrushing the eyebrows, protecting the other parts of the head.

What color should the brows be? Generally brows are not much darker than the color of the hair. For redheads, try using a reddish-brown instead of the color of the hair. For blondes, light browns and light reddish shades seem to work best. Remember, you can do whatever color you'd like as the rules are flexible.

Feathering brows: On many of the larger dolls it is easy to feather the brows - make them from many small lines. This technique can be used on 11.5" dolls, but it's easier to learn on their 15" sisters.

What's the secret for perfectly feathered brows? First, determine what shape you'd like the brows to be. Do you want them traditionally arched or do you want to add the Brooke Shields effect at the inner corner? Whatever flavor you select, select the color you'll use, then mix a little of that color lighter and a little of it darker.

Secret one: Purchase a product called 'float'. This is available at craft stores on the acrylic craft paint aisle. Float is added to paint to make it glide, or float, over the surface you're working on. A word of warning - this product dramatically increases the drying time of the paint. Place one drop of float on your tray and dip your clean, thin (and I mean thin) brush in the float. Blot the brush by running it lightly over a paper towel or tissue. Dip the brush in your selected color and dab to remove any blobs. Paint tiny lines along the shape of the brow.

Now select your second color and add over the first. Be careful not to completely cover the first layer.

Finally, do the same thing with the third color.
 
Fantasy brows: We've discussed all the guidelines for brow shape, color, and placement. What if you're doing a doll that requires something different? Why not tilt one brow differently or use a different color? I've seen folks use metallic paint, fabric puff paint, and even tiny bits of marabou to create brows.

We've discussed the basics of brows, but there's one important thing to remember. Experiment. You may find a product that works better for you than float does. You may find you like a shape not "traditionally" used. The important thing is to try new ways and find what works best for you - then share your tip with the rest of the list!


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