Sunday 26 May 2013

DIY Mini Drawing Mats

I had a brainstorm while meandering the aisles of my local Dollarama recently.  I was in the pet aisle (for no particular reason, I don't have a pet...!) and I noticed a section of pet brushes with wire bristles.  They reminded me of drawing mats that wigmakers use for holding and organizing loose hair while working, so I thought, why not?

I bought 2 of them for $1.25 each, and when I got home I took them apart.  They just unclip at the back, and come apart very easily.  The bristled mats just popped out and, and presto!  A pair of mini drawing mats!

The bristle area on each brush is only 1.5 by 3 inches, but they are fine for holding small amounts of hair while working on a project.




Saturday 25 May 2013

The importance of good ventilation

I took a couple of shots to illustrate why I believe that good ventilation can mean the difference between an acceptable piece and an exceptional piece.

I began work on the second hairpiece, and I am being even more conscious of the direction in which the hair is vented.  I am also, once again, ventilating the entire piece using single strands.  The section shown here is double-knotted, but as I progress to the top and front of the piece I will begin single knots.

Some wigmakers believe that the knots and ventilation direction are not critical at the back of a piece, and that it's only once you get to the hairline that you need to be concerned about those aspects.  While I agree that this is often true in a full, long wig, or one that will be styled to hide the knots in the back, the importance of good ventilation becomes much more obvious in a piece with lower density, and one that will be cut in a short style, such as a man's hairpiece.

As you can see here, the direction that the hair is vented in allows it to conform naturally to the shape of the head.  If this had all just been ventilated back, as is often done, the result would have been far less natural.  In the case of a hairpiece, especially, where the need to blend with existing natural hair is the goal, these considerations are critical.

I also believe that single strand knotting allows the hair to move and flow much more realistically, while keeping the knots small and undetectable.



Thursday 9 May 2013

Ventilation video

Here's a short clip I made of me ventilating hair.  This is single strand, double knot ventilation using a no. 2 German needle on the lace from Amazing Hair store.

I'm usually a bit quicker than this, but I was working at an odd angle to avoid the camera.  Also, I usually work with a magnifier, but was unable to do so here.  Unfortunately the old eyes aren't quite as sharp as they used to be!