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[HowlinMadMurphy]

Originally Posted by benihime

first of all, you can't change the colors of the wig fibers, you can just put a coat over it, so the black and emerald should be out of the question. make a dye thats more green and a few drops of black and test that on a blonde or white wig

I know you can't lighten or change the color of the wig fibers. My line of thinking was dark (but not even close to black) wig + green dye = greenblack, looks black with a green luminosity, if that makes any sense. The green wig I was thinking would be darkened with a translucent dark grey/black dye, although if sharpie dye is not totally neutral (it turns red or purple when diluted, right?) this would probably not work.
I think a blonde/white/silver wig is so far from the final color that I want to achieve that it almost doesn't make any sense to start with one! Something tells me this method is not infinitely layerable.

[cutekawaii]

I have a similar predicament to Murph's. I want black with with purple sheen, and I'm wondering if putting purple sharpy on a black wig will show up at ALL. I know I won't get a purple wig, I just want to know if when the light hits it if it will be purplish.

See http://www.animegalleries.net/img/17013

[JanKenPon]

Dye A Wig With Like Texta Sharpies?!

What Has The World Come To!!!!????

[Luther]

Black sharpies aren't actually black, they're purple! Adding black sharpie to the dye will probably not help you get a dark dye (though come to think of it, it might get you a dark purple? I guess you could try it). It's why when dying a wig solid black, it must always be done by hand. I've never tried to dye a really dark color, but I think starting with a dark gray and dying it the color you want it to be a dark version of is a sound idea.

The two darkest grays, without being back, are 44 and 34. None of the other standard grays are very dark. 34's the darker of the two. They both are blends, that is they are a mixture of black and white fibers, which makes me think the dye would show up well in the white streaks and it could actually work out pretty well. I dunno, don't quote me on it. If someone would be willing to try it out I'd love to hear the results. Oh, and Cosworx's color Charcoal (has it been released yet?) would probably be good for this too.

Originally Posted by benihime

it's probably one of those where you have to hand dye it, i know my scruffy wouldn't let me spray it on

That's odd, I'm pretty sure the Scruffy doesn't have any waxy type product on it to hold the style, and it's kanekalon, so it should be dyable.

Kesshoutan- I'd definitely let it sit more than 4 hours. Give it at least overnight. What I like to do is sllit the ink catridges, stick them in the alchohol in an empty waterbottle, and shake the crap out of it as often as I remember for a few days. (I like to stick the whole bottle in a big sealed ziploc bag juuust in case the top comes lose by some freak accident and doesn't make a huge mess.) The stuffing comes out of the cartridges, but that's good because more ink comes out. Then I pour the dye into whatever spraybottle/basin I'm using to dye (deending on method) so that the stuffing is left behind.

[Kayu-sama]

I read the entire FAQ before I got to the part about dying a wig silver, and the color I wanna dye my wig is silver >_<

how about this....I hand-sharpie it, and then use alcohol to lighten it if it's too dark? that would be light grey, but to me that would look the same as silver. and if it was REALLY matte-looking I could perhaps make it shinier somehow??? sorry, i'm a newb so I have to ask these dumb questions. xD

[LizardMandy]

A few questions from curiosity.

1. Fumes. Alcohol AND sharpies? Whew! Obviously this is an outside job, which is fine, but I wonder, do these fumes fade over time after the wig dries? Or will I smell like sharpie forever?

2. I actually do not have a wig to dye, but I'm very much considering trying this method to dye a piece of faux fur. I have a costume made of a very specific kind of fur that I cannot for the LIFE of me find in yellow anymore. The fabric is 100% polyester - so, like a wig, it's made of synthetic fibers that won't take normal dye, be it hair or fabric. Particularly because it's only a small patch of fur and will not be in contact with my skin, I think I'm going to try this. Anyone think that idea is full of FAIL or shall I go for it and just report the results?

[Ashbrie]

Originally Posted by LizardMandy

A few questions from curiosity.

1. Fumes. Alcohol AND sharpies? Whew! Obviously this is an outside job, which is fine, but I wonder, do these fumes fade over time after the wig dries? Or will I smell like sharpie forever?

The smell does eventually fade. It is definitely less strong after the wig is washed.

Excuse me as I sniff some extentions I dyed about a month ago to double-check, like any normal human being would.

...

Yeah, they barely even smell anymore.

Originally Posted by LizardMandy

2. I actually do not have a wig to dye, but I'm very much considering trying this method to dye a piece of faux fur. I have a costume made of a very specific kind of fur that I cannot for the LIFE of me find in yellow anymore. The fabric is 100% polyester - so, like a wig, it's made of synthetic fibers that won't take normal dye, be it hair or fabric. Particularly because it's only a small patch of fur and will not be in contact with my skin, I think I'm going to try this. Anyone think that idea is full of FAIL or shall I go for it and just report the results?

Maybe the folks over in the Fursuit/Mascot thread would know?

[LizardMandy]

Originally Posted by AnEdibleSeed

Excuse me as I sniff some extentions I dyed about a month ago to double-check, like any normal human being would.

Thank you! For both the info, and the hilarious image.

Maybe the folks over in the Fursuit/Mascot thread would know?

Haven't checked that thread, but I'm a member of a few different mascot/fursuit communities elsewhere, and the general opinion I've heard so far is either "It's impossible to dye polyester at home" or "Ask on a wig forum."

Hehe... hence I'm here? I'm going to give it a shot, I think. The worst that'll happen is I ruin a bit of fur, but it's a small enough patch that I'm not actually all that concerned...

[Ashbrie]

Originally Posted by LizardMandy

Thank you! For both the info, and the hilarious image.

And I am going to briefly go off-topic to say that I find your signature hilarious. Ain't it the truth, man...

Originally Posted by LizardMandy

Haven't checked that thread, but I'm a member of a few different mascot/fursuit communities elsewhere, and the general opinion I've heard so far is either "It's impossible to dye polyester at home" or "Ask on a wig forum."

Hehe... hence I'm here? I'm going to give it a shot, I think. The worst that'll happen is I ruin a bit of fur, but it's a small enough patch that I'm not actually all that concerned...

Ah, well that explains that then! Haha. I'm surprised no one in those communities has experimented it before...now I'm curious myself. I think the best you can do is experiment and make sure it doesn't come of easily in water or will rub off on other people's costumes, heh.

If it works like it does on wigs, then that would be amaaaaazing.

Wish I could be more help on that subject, ahaha ^^;;

[LizardMandy]

Originally Posted by AnEdibleSeed

And I am going to briefly go off-topic to say that I find your signature hilarious. Ain't it the truth, man...

S'funny, because I'm effectively an admin on another online game, and there I'm extremely nice and pleasant to be around. Here and on some other forums, I'm not (usually) outright MEAN, but I definitely come across as pretty cranky. Oddly enough, I'm okay with that. Different outlets for different moods y'know?

Ah, well that explains that then! Haha. I'm surprised no one in those communities has experimented it before...now I'm curious myself. I think the best you can do is experiment and make sure it doesn't come of easily in water or will rub off on other people's costumes, heh.

If it works like it does on wigs, then that would be amaaaaazing.

Wish I could be more help on that subject, ahaha ^^;;

Well, another search the other day turned one reported incident of sharpie dye being used for faux fur. The results seem to be that it worked, but required more dye than you'd normally use for a wig since fur is often much denser. No information on what the fur was made of, or what kind of dye (other than "sharpie") was used.

Planning to give it a try this weekend, I may have to take pictures and post the results.

[Ashbrie]

Originally Posted by LizardMandy

S'funny, because I'm effectively an admin on another online game, and there I'm extremely nice and pleasant to be around. Here and on some other forums, I'm not (usually) outright MEAN, but I definitely come across as pretty cranky. Oddly enough, I'm okay with that. Different outlets for different moods y'know?

I feel that way about this site and about cosplay in general (as I like to call cosplay--my favorite and least favorite hobby ;_; ). I don't post much anyway though, so I just...keep quiet, ehe.

Originally Posted by LizardMandy

Well, another search the other day turned one reported incident of sharpie dye being used for faux fur. The results seem to be that it worked, but required more dye than you'd normally use for a wig since fur is often much denser. No information on what the fur was made of, or what kind of dye (other than "sharpie") was used.

Planning to give it a try this weekend, I may have to take pictures and post the results.

Cool, I know I'll be interested to see the results~ I don't work with fur all that often, but you never know what kind of information you'll need later on when it comes to cosplay, haha XD

[Koi]

Okay.
Your FAQ was really helpful, but now I'm paranoid that my wig is going to bleed.

I'm going for an aquamarine colour.. so that's better then red, right? I wouldn't be so worried, but for the fact that I'm making this wig for someone else.. who would probably be very upset if her wig started rubbing off all over her face.

Do Sharpied wigs rub off on your face while you wear them?

[Mindela]

Originally Posted by Koi

Okay.
Your FAQ was really helpful, but now I'm paranoid that my wig is going to bleed.

I'm going for an aquamarine colour.. so that's better then red, right? I wouldn't be so worried, but for the fact that I'm making this wig for someone else.. who would probably be very upset if her wig started rubbing off all over her face.

Do Sharpied wigs rub off on your face while you wear them?

Depends on if the wig is touching their face and how sweaty they get. I sharpied a wig for a friend and it came off on his neck. I used the alcohol dye method though I'm not sure if it still comes off if you hand color it.

[AlphaNinn]

Since there's been discussion about silver sharpies, I feel I should post this. I did use silver sharpies to dye my Tsukasa wig. It started as as white, and I used 4 of them. It does give a nice color - and as I expected, it is much more grey than silver (in my case, it was exactly what I wanted)

http://www.cosplay.com/photo/1812466/ - in overcast
http://www.cosplay.com/photo/1812408/ - indoor with flash

[tigerpup865]

Can I color the roots black with sharpie?