I love a great haired model horse, I truly do. Hair hair hair! Hair, glorious hair! And I think there's room for it to come roaring back to restake its claim as a legitimate medium. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of sculpted manes and tails, too! But I think it's time we embraced the options and allowed ourselves to re-explore the possibilities in our work. Because, yeah...few things in our art form are lovelier than a well-done hair job on a beautiful piece. And it has that extra touch of realism we so covet, too. You can do things with hair that are trickier, if not impossible to do with clay as well, especially when it comes to wispiness, intricacies, and fineness.
But hairing has become almost a lost art with only a handful of artists keeping its skillset alive. So in the spirit of turning that around and giving you the tools to explore this medium, I'd like to take you along on my hairing process so you can see how I do it. Maybe this'll inspire you to try it and to explore other hairing techniques and tutorials to build your skillset. So on that point, please understand that my technique isn't the only way to do it! There are many ways to approach hairing. There really isn't one right way, only the way that gets the job done in a way that makes sense to you. So take from this series what you will and make the rest of it your own through your own research and experimentation! There's even a Facebook group, Model Horse Mohairers, dedicated to hairing if you'd like to continue your learning and inspirations.
So to get this party started, here's what you'll need:
Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue: This is my preferred glue for hairing. It's easy to work with, strong, and best of all, it doesn't yellow or disintegrate with time. It's cheap, too, being under $3 for a 4oz bottle that'll last you a loooooong time (I've had my bottle for, like, eight years). Do not use SuperGlue, Gorilla Glue, 5-Minute Epoxy or other permanent glues! You want something exactly like Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue.
Sharp scissors: A great pair of scissors are your best friend with hair. Don't skimp.
Manicure scissors: Handy for precision cuts and trimming.
Tweezers: Essential for plucking errant hairs and arranging tresses.
Blade tool: It doesn't have to be sharp and can be a dental tool of some kind. You can use this to help arrange your hair roots as you glue them down because sometimes your fingers are just too big and cannot get into tight areas.
Toothbrush: Have a dedicated toothbrush of medium stiffness on hand to style and smooth your finished hair job.
Fine-toothed comb: You'll need this to comb out the excess shorter hairs from your lock of hair.
Toothpicks: Handy for shoving hair around when your fingers are too big and clunky.
Styling Mousse: Get a decent mousse, don't get the cheap kinds. It doesn't have to break the bank, but a quality mousse can make a big difference. I use TRESemme Extra Firm Control; Tres Mousse Extra Hold.
Clean junker towel or old clean tshirt: You'll need this to wipe your fingers of glue as you go. It's really important to keep your fingers glue-free for obvious reasons.
Small garbage can: This should be small enough for you to comfortably put between your legs so that excess combed-out or cut hair can fall right into it to keep your workspace clean.
Optional - Straightening iron: This can be handy for straightening the waves out of mohair if you'd like straight, sleek tresses instead.
Hair: Get good hair, don't go on the cheap. Remember, this hair will be a permanent addition to your piece and so it should be durable, quality, and non-fading. It's sold by the ounce, by the weft, or by the rope. One ounce, one weft, or one rope is more than enough for a single model and should, in fact, be good for at least two. I like to use mohair, ramie, viscose, mulberry fiber, angora, and alpaca. And for a Vintage Custom restoration, I also have craft fur to stay authentic with some of those VCM materials. I get my hair from Etsy with the search words "doll hair" or "mohair," "ramie," "viscose," "alpaca for dolls," etc. A popular supplier I've found there is NavyBlueNavel and HappinessForDolls. I also like HappyMomentesss and HairsForDolls and FeltriteFibers. But there are a lot of hair sellers on Etsy so explore! Rio Rondo also has mohair on hand for you to snag.
(If you intend to put in a pipe cleaner or wire tail bone, Rio Rondo has a great tutorial on that.)
And that's it for Part I. The materials and tools are pretty basic and, except for the hair itself, are cheap and easy to come by. So in Part II, we'll talk about hair so you know which to buy first time out. Until next time then...don't get haired out, hairing is a blast!
"We shall not cease from exploration, and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."
~ T. S. Eliot
