FW dying method:What is it?The FW dying method is used to dye wigs. It is one of the more commonly used dying methods, I suppose since a lot of the supplies is readily available and you don't need to buy infinity amount of sharpies to dye your wig. HOWEVER, I would recommend the sharpie method to people who are...
Dying a wig that is fairly short (An example of this would be a wig like Cosworx's scruffy or Cosworx's Wisp. I would like to note, that if this is just a wig base and you have amazingly long extensions/clip ons then I would still use the FW inking method.)
The wig needs to be multiple colors (Like Pixiekitty's MLP Quacker's wig I thought I would add. I love this person and that cosplay. XD )
Or if you just feel more comfortable with the less intimating, all mighty sharpie.But, if you are cosplying some character who's hair goes down to AT LEAST past their boobies/chest I would use this method. Plus, no one wants to go to Wal-Mart/Officemax /Target /Walgreens /CVS Pharmacy to get stared at like some pykiin in a clown suit because you are buying trillions of sharpies. Plus sharpies can get expensive in bulk. So, if the above applies to you at all. Just keep on reading and all shall be explained ;3 Kay?
You will need:1.) FW ink (This can be bought on a site that I can't post because the censorship filter kills of the URL. Just google FW artists ink. It should come up. Or you could email me at sinsoo.rosario@gmail.com for the url. There is a color chart down the page to help you match the color you are going for. If the color you are looking for isn't in a bottle of ink form. Do not fear. For this will be explained later in the tutorial.
If you don't want to buy online, then I suppose you could go to a local art supply store and look. However I will not guarantee that you will find the ink. and by the way.
Michaels and all craft supplies stores DO NOT have/carry this ink so don't waste your valuable, cosplay making time, on going.
)
2.) Rubbing Alcohol 70% (You can find it in the band-aids or first aid section in any pharmacy, supermarket, Wal-mart, Target, or any other place like those. It's pretty much readily available.
NOTE: You absolutely need to use 70%, I have not tested/ will not use any left overs to guinea pig any other percent. Most people have achieved results with 70%. However some people have tried other percents and succeeded. Just not as many people. )
3.) A wig base (Surprisingly enough, you can get this cheaply, and it is also very common. I got mine at
Sally's Beauty Supply Store. They also have a plastic version that costs a bit more. Though I would stick to the foam since you can easily pin your wig to the base. Plus, for those who are on the creative/insane side of life. You can doodle all over the face with a sharpie/marker like me. :3)
4.) Duct tape/ Wig base holder (Yes. I very much recommend you getting duct tape if you don't have it, or a wig base holder if you plan to do more wigs in the future. The wig base holder can also be found at
Sally's Beauty Supply)
5.) A measuring cup (I really hope you have one of these in your house... Please tell me you do.)
6.) A spray bottle (This can also be found at
Sally's Beauty Supply or, alternatively you could clean the windows on your house for a day and use the left over spray bottle after washing it out with soap and water.
)
7.) Various combs/brushes (I also presume you have this....I hope.)
8.) Sewing pins (You can get a ton of these things cheaply at wal-mart in the sewing section for a dollar or two.)
Instructions: 1.) PLEASE dye your wig dying OUTSIDE. I can NOT stress this enough since you will be using ink that has TOXXIC fumes. ESPECIALLY if you will be using the sharpie method. If you don't believe me that this will KILL you or if you are lucky enough to survive then possibly kill MANY brain cells in the process.
Short horror story:
There was a kid in England whom had an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to be clean. He would spray his body with axe
all over, everywhere, usually twice daily. Well guess what happened one day? They found him dead. Guess why? He was spraying so much of that stuff all over his body so much that it killed him, he also sprayed this stuff on him in a
confined space. Please note the
confined space part.
And that stuff you were SUPPOSE to breathe. You are working stuff that you are NOT suppose to breathe in such large quantities. So. I BEG OF YOU. PLEASE do the dying method OUTSIDE.
Okie? ;3
2.) Now that you have a nice spot set up
outdoors (You are outdoors right?) make sure that you have some sort of thing to prop your head/wig base holder on. You could use a chair or a small outdoor table to set up on. (I, myself, will be using my play scape
)
Make sure that whatever you are putting this on won't be mind being dyed pink, orange, blue or whatever color you are dying your wig. I will not guarantee this will come of the surface since this method permanently dyes your wig, and probably your furniture (The ink comes off your hand with some difficulty
)
If you don't have a wig base holder, remember that duct tape I was talking about? Yeah. We are going to duct tape this thing to your furniture. ;D Glorious. (Make sure that the area is dry/ won't get wet, or it won't rain overnight or in the next day or two before doing this. Duct tape comes of when it becomes wet, and there goes your coloring job.) Now make sure you have a place near by where you can put all the supplies you will need, your ink, spray bottles, pins, combs and brushes, everything you will possible need under the sun. This is like cooking. You will be happy you got all your ingredients/ supplies out first. ;3
Now that we have our wonderful little spot
outside ready for our wig dying practice. Let us go get our wig! >D
3.) Now that we have our wonderful wig, put it on the wig head, make sure it is centered, and if it is extremely long and it is touching the surface the head is on, change the direction of the wig head so the back of the head is facing the edge of the table, this way the long parts of the wig will cascade down to their full length. It will also be easier to dye. Now take a couple of those sewing pins and just pin them in the wig.
So, before we dye our wig, brush it out/comb it out thoroughly. Do this as gently as possible, since, if you haven't realized this already. Wig hair doesn't grow back....
I suggest starting from the bottom of the wig up, that sounds crazy, I know, but you will find it won't tangle up as much as when you do it the other way around. If you have a very long wig, you should get use to this, since long haired wigs tangle more so than actual human hair that is that long.
4.) If you didn't put enough duct tape down, or pins in the wig, you probably realized this when you were combing out your wig. So now that we have a secure wig, lets begin to mix up our solution, so we can dye our wig.
Remember what I said about not being able to find the right color in a bottle? Well this ink is actually a lot like paint, just mix together like you would paint and you should get your desired color.
It's like Kindergarten all over!
But before we mix in our dye, pour in 1 cup of 70% rubbing alcohol into your cup that i mentioned before.
Now, put in 8 FULL squirts of your dye into the cup with rubbing alcohol.
Now, now, put away your Turkey baster. That wasn't in the supplies list now was it? The reason for this is because the FW ink bottles come with a squirt thing built into the cap. How handy is that? ;3
So, after adding the amount of ink you need in the solution, pour it into your spray bottle, put the cap on and shake a bit.
5.) Now begin spraying in MIST. This will evenly coat the wig all over, make sure you spray EVERYWHERE, and make sure it's EVEN.
After you are done with that, let your wig dry overnight. OR, with EXTREME CAUTION blow dry the wig dry, make sure the blow dryer is on LOW. 'Cause...
heat+plastic= melting/bad, icky burns.
6.) After your wig is done drying, wash it with COLD water, until the water runs CLEAR. Let it dry for a bit more, and you are done!
If your wig is not the color you wanted, you can always dye it again. It takes quite a bit of patience for this method.
REMINDER: You can only
darken a wig. You can't make it lighter! D<
You will probably stain your clothes, so make sure you are wearing something you don't mind getting permanently dyed pink, orange, blue, green, or purple.
If you need prefer the sharpie dying method then Pixiekitty has an awesome tutorial on that method
in her blog.
If you would like to see a video tutorial with this method being used please
click hereThis is A LOT simpler than adding extensions/ wefts/ styling it seems. xD
I think we hijacked this thread Charm...
)
