Aileendoll Plapicos: Faceup Materials

Hello there! Well, today is not a tutorial as I am no expert on faceups, but I did a lot of research on faceup materials, so I want to share it with you. I also did some testing on my Ashes' templates, and I think that the information may be useful to somebody.

This post has a lot of info that is also present on the video, but I organized it in tabular format. However, I recommend you to see the video as sometimes watching the sealants in action is better than a plain photo. The video also has English and Spanish subtitles.

The following table summarizes information present on the video, but also shares links and other useful bits.

Use	Product Name	Use	Source
Cleaning	Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner	Cannot be used on ABS plastic. Do not apply this on Plapicos. This is safe on resin BJDs.	AileendollEurope, on website and Facebook.
	Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol	Safe for cleaning the doll before painting, and for removing the faceup. It will wipe out the sealant. Also safe for BJDs.	AileendollEurope, on website and Facebook. My own testing as well.
	Magic Eraser	Widely used on BJDs. I tried it on one of the templates after assembling my dragon, and I did not had any issues.	AileendollEurope on Facebook.
Sealants	Mr. Hobby MR. Super Clear Flat/Matt	Safe for Plapicos and also safe for resin BJDs.	AileendollEurope, on website and Facebook.
	Testors Dullcote	Safe for BJDs and widely used in modelism and Gunpla models. I decided to try this on my own. It is safe for Plapicos, provides a nice tooth, and is easily wiped out with Isopropyl alcohol. Each can will only last for one Plapico only!! The cans are really small! D:	My own online research and practical tests (see the video!).
	RustOleum Ultraclear Cover x2	It is not safe for BJDs, and not safe for Plapicos. These products are widely used on Gunpla models and modelism. My own testing proved that sealing is great, has great tooth and is even. However, it makes spots and white marks when cleaning it, and the ABS plastic ends up with a weird texture. Therefore, I do not recommend it.	Online research on Gunpla models forums [here and here], and my own tests.
	Americana Decoart Spray Sealer Matt	This is not safe for BJDs and not safe for Plapicos either. I haven't personally tested this, but it is not used for Gunpla models either.	AileendollEurope on Facebook.
	Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer	AFAIK it is not safe for BJDs or vinyl dolls. It has been used on model kits, but I have no info on what may happen when attempting to remove this sealant.	Question on Amazon about vynil dolls, and review about model kits.
Painting	Water-based paint.	You can use the same materials as with BJDs: watercolor pencils, soft pastels, acrylics, gouache, watercolors, and so on.	AileendollEurope on Facebook and website.
Gloss	Tamiya Clear X-22	I personally tried this and not only looks great on the Plapicos, but also is easily removed with the Isopropyl alcohol, without needing to scrub too much. It is also safe for BJDs.	AileendollEurope on Facebook, and my own personal tests.
	Vallejo/Liquitex Gloss	Sadly, I haven't found any information on this, but both brands are used for model kits. However, ABS plastic is not the same as resin or vynil, and we need to consider the removing process. If you have info on this, please share!

Also, to have a clear view, this is a photo I took of the template I used to test the Rustoleum, after cleaning it. The important thing here is that I did not increased the contrast on this photo: the damage is easily seen at the naked eye. I'm sad about this, as the can is huge and so cheap compared to Testors'.

I am aware that this is not the most fun post ever, but oh well. It actually took me a lot of time to do the research, and then time to test the parts and the cleaning and what not... information is valuable, and I hope that somebody may find this useful. If you have tried anything and want me to add info, let me know!


In the meantime, have a photo of Aion.