Dollmaker on Thursday: Noel Cruz

Ok. Look at this.

Voldemort, right? In all his creepy glory. 

And yes, it's a doll.

 But, before Noel Cruz got his skillful hands on it, it looked like this

Not the same thing at all. This Voldemort is clearly just a plastic doll. 

Faithfully modeled and painted, but just a plastic doll for all that.

 Want another look?

Even more amazing close up, right?

Noel Cruz is a re-painter. He takes quality factory-made dolls, cleans off their painted faces and repaints them. It sounds pretty simple and it's a simple process to describe. However, the effect he, and artists like him produce on those blank, vinyl masks is breathtaking, bringing life and expression to faces barely an inch high.

Like this.

or this, where we can see the original and the re-paint side by side.

Or (be still, my beating heart) this

There's some controversy around re-painters, which I guess I don't understand. Doll re-painters, of which Noel is one of the best, have a lot to teach other dollmakers about how much paint and shade and colour can make the faces and emotions of their dolls come alive. I learnt everything I know about painting 

dolls' faces is from the skills of these wonderful artists.