LPS Dachshunds are often hard to find and real ones cost quite a bit of money. This pet in particular is a little guy who I found in a lot of LPS on eBay. He still has a bit of work to be done on the body, but so far he looks really cool and I really wanted to post him.
What you will need
- A good quality thin brush
- Ceramcoat in red, white, yellow, blue, and black
- LPS #139
- Water
- Patience
- A cup for him to stand on
- Optionally Acetone
Starting the Customized LPS Strawberry Dog
Start by flipping the plastic cup over and setting him down on it. If you are a messy painter, it is a good time to set down newspapers or plastic to protect yourself and your work table. Squeeze out the white paint into a cup or paper plate to be used, no more than two drops.
Adding Coats of White Paint to the Customized LPS
Start covering the pet’s head in the white paint until it is opaque. I recommend a slightly bigger brush than the micro one we will be using for details, as I found it quite tedious to use such a tiny brush on such a big area. I have a secondary brush which is also very small, but not as small as the itty bitty brush that works super well.
Watering down the Paint
After the pet’s head is completely covered, water down the paint and gently apply a thin coat over it again to cover up any brush strokes and make your pet look much more clean and fresh. Let this base coat dry for at least an hour, so that all the layers of paint have time to dry.
Painting the Base Color of the Customized LPS
Water down a drop of red paint and start applying it all over the LPS’ head, exactly the same way we did with the white paint, until it is completely red. I would recommend leaving the eyes as untouched as possible, but do not panic if you get red in the eyes. We can always paint more white on the eyes later if needed.
Mixing the Green for his Ears
Green is a mixture of blue and yellow. I recommend adding far less blue than yellow, as the blue we are using is very, very strong. Once you have a nice, light, leafy green, apply the paint to the ears. Make sure to thin the paint out the last couple of coats to ensure there is no unwanted texture on the ears.
Painting the Whites of the Customized LPS’s eyes
Use the fine brush to add more watery white paint to the eyes. Completely paint over any red or green that got into the eyes, to give us a nice clean surface to paint. Wait for the eyes to dry at least an hour before messing with them again.
Adding the Dark Green to the LPS Dachshund Ears
Add the tiniest bit of black to the green paint to make it a shade darker than the green already on the ears. Add little stripes to the ears, as shown here, in a similar style as some of the original dachshund LPS.
Painting the Base Color of the Eyes
Using red, blue, and white, mix a light purple color and paint the iris of the eye. I normally paint over where the pupil will be going too, to make things simpler. It can be really hard to paint a perfect curved line and be able to add a semicircle on top of it seamlessly.
Adding the Seeds
The seeds are super easy and fun to paint. Using your little brush, scoop up a bit of yellow paint and make dots all over the head of the Customized LPS. Try to make them in a slight pattern, so the LPS doesn’t look like just a colorful mess. You can always use photos of strawberries for reference if needed.
Painting the Pupil of the Eyes
Add a black shape over both eyes, sort of following the curve already present in the iris. The pupil should cover most of the purple shape with just a little exposed, enough to tell exactly what color the eyes of the LPS is. Add a finishing touch with a slightly darker purple, making lines on the iris for detail.
Adding Eyeliner and Painting the Nose of the Customized LPS
This can very quickly ruin the eyes of your LPS if you are not cautious. Using a little black paint, preferably slightly watered down so it flows better, paint a swoop for eyeliner on either eye, with a little line under the eye too. If you mess up an eye, immediately wash the brush off and add water to the place you made a mistake, and gently scrub with the tip of the brush to loosen the paint. Then dry the brush off and use it to suck up the paint water to save the eye. I can’t tell you how many times this trick has saved my customs. Remember though, if any other paint on the LPS is wet, scrubbing it with the paintbrush may possibly loosen it too.
Optional Clear Coat
If you want to preserve your hard work, you can take him outside and spray him with a good clear coat to keep him safe and chip free.
Finish
And your Customized Strawberry LPS is now finished. Good luck and Happy Crafting!