How To Make Custom LEGO Minifigs - Painting Faces

In this tutorial, I'll be taking you through the basic processes of painting someone's likeness onto a LEGO minifigure 🎨
Website ► mgfcustoms.com/
Patreon ► / mgfcustoms
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Time codes:
• What you'll need 1:39
• Black dots & pupils 3:20
• Identifying facial features 6:22
• Eyebrows 8:16
• Wrinkles/creases 9:53
• Mouths 11:30
• Stubble/facial hair 13:32
• Female faces 16:56
• Lips 17:55
• Basic eyelashes 19:22
• Outro 20:12
✦ Thanks to my biggest supporter, Logan on Patreon!
Music by RoyaltyFreePlanet:
/ @royaltyfreeplanet
Thanks for watching!
#LEGO #Painting #Tutorial

[@MGFCustoms]

Hope this one helps! I put a ton of work into this video 🎨🥴 Painting faces might be my favorite thing to do as a minifig customizer 🖌 Eventually there will be a Part 2! Taking this one step further and adding high detail *after* you paint the face 📌 Special thanks to all these guys 👇 Jason Middaugh Jose Lebron Skywalker501st MrNinjaSasquatch bob gesi Jaedon Lawson Anthony Emraldyst07 Customs Jeff Joe Iorio maxgameplayer Nicholas Pena Michael Earl Eze Baum Banana Panther Jared Pohle Jayden Penney

[@mousemoody437]

Love you Ross❤️❤️❤️👑👑

[@blackmageminifigcustoms76]

You are one Amazing n Awesome customizer, love the channel n all of your "GREAT!!" Minifig Customs 😁😁😁

[@anakinfilm9467]

Can you show how to paint wade wilsons face sometime?

[@ejbyson9658]

Can you do tutorial on how to shave hair pieces to do buzzcuts

[@CloneTrooper-uz9bw]

Can I buy one of your heads? Or two? Or more XD

[@wild8720]

Ross: this pretty easy everyone: visible Confusion

[@riothemerc9212]

CONFUSION OF DA HIGHEST ORDA

[@CryptoCooky]

I haven't gotten passed the 2 ads but yeah I expect it to be exactly like that

[@tomjames9681]

Until you attempt painting a face yourself you do NOT realise how much goes into the specifics of a Lego face. You think it should be simple. It ain’t. But it’s pretty fun.

[@name36154]

I mean, it doesn't take that much practise before it is simple

[@joeiorio9654]

I wonder how these actors feel about you staring at their faces for extended periods of time

[@OrangeParrotProductions]

Joe Iorio 😂

[@clacker5799]

I mean, they are probably used to seeing millions of people watching them

[@chasenicastro2287]

At least he’s doing it for a purpose. Some people are real creeps

[@Maddensimsforthebirds2418]

You just made it creepy

[@thev1ctorzz]

Lol

[@salvation7362]

I don't know what's crazier, that you do it so well or that you paint with a push pin. *Bows down to you* The patience you display is truly incredible.

[@tansya603]

I LOVE this series! Ive wanted to do customs ever since i found your channel and im so happy you're helping me and so many other people out by teaching us!

[@MGFCustoms]

👊🤩

[@evilbuu5413]

I can already tell this is gonna be amazing

[@tkfourtwoone8737]

In case anyone was wondering that face used for inspiration for the eyebrows and eye lines is DJ's from The Last Jedi Polly bag.

[@brandon.rondeau]

Recreating someone's likeness is always hard to do. Shrinking the work space down to the size of a minifigure head makes it that much harder. I just have that kind of patient. Major kudos to you, Ross!

[@MGFCustoms]

Thanks so much man!!

[@Emraldyst07]

Amazing Thumbnail! Also painting Lego eyes and sculpting are the hardest things to do when customizing.

[@frosted_flxkes5552]

You should do a tutorial on the cloth details (robes, capes, etc.)

[@elilondon1973]

The most helpful yt tutorial series ever.

[@jesselee1729]

i feel like this is just so ross can show how good he is at painting tiny toy heads

[@mp3frostbyte]

I still can’t get over how you paint with a push pin 😂

[@DemoHF]

I use a pencil sometimes

[@riku_kiritani]

I also use push pin

[@riku_kiritani]

What's wrong with that.

[@mp3frostbyte]

@Spiderflash 2727 there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just I’ve been using a super thin paint brush my whole life and I just assumed he did as well

[@shocktrooperstudios659]

MP3 FrostByte I use a toothpick, and I sometimes use a push pin.

[@PerovNigma]

Definitely the best likenesses I've seen LEGO pull off are Sean Connery (Henry Jones Sr.), Emilia Clarke (Qi'Ra), Sir Christopher Lee (Saruman/Count Dooku redesign), and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn).

[@ImmortalBanditt]

Hes the best figure customizer in the world...i hold a minifig after every vid as see how small theses guys are and its insane how this guy manages to paint some of the best minifigs ive ever seen

[@joeiorio9654]

Can we talk about how when LEGO usually tries to redo a new head for a figure they make it inferior? Tony from IW, Finn from TLJ, Old Luke, etc The only one that actually worked on a second try was Old Leia in the Vonreg tie

[@bradenbecker]

They redid the kylo ren head and it looks better. They redid chris Pratt’s head and it looks better. They redid TFA Han’s head and it looks better. They do some of both

[@joeiorio9654]

Braden Becker The Han head was perfect when they re did it. But not so much Kylo. Both were pretty bad

[@bradenbecker]

Joe Iorio I would agree with that, they never really nailed Kylo, but the second version was def better than the first imo

[@valthenvega2434]

The redesigned Luke from episode 4 was such a weird thing because of the chin and the “😏” glare. If LEGO had kept less slim cheekbones but the face of the friendly Luke it could’ve sticked better

[@bradenbecker]

Valthen Vega I think you might be talking about the weirdly detailed one from a while ago. The current one in use is the best they’re gonna get I think

[@depressedbreakfast2614]

My current favourite official LEGO head is Moaning Myrtle from the HP mfs 2, it is absolutely perfect

[@pr1me850]

Now this is the one I’ve been waiting for!

[@lisawintler-cox1641]

This is really great! Excellent description of your process! I feel like there's so much information overlap, but lots of different info between doll, car, figure and nail customizers/painters. For instance, you could use a nail dotting tool or the teeny tiny nail painting brushes to do the painting--which are a lot cheaper. Or, you could use a water side decal. Or you could use Mr Superclear as a base to work from and build up layers. Or, if using a used LEGO, you could use a butane torch like The Crafsman demonstrated. There are so many ways to do the same thing, and so many amazing Makers bending to teach, it's wonderful!

[@lisawintler-cox1641]

Oh, and you could try acetone or alcohol to remove paint.

[@OrangeParrotProductions]

You matching actors likenesses is insane! I tried before didn’t mess it up but it didn’t look even close to as good as yours

[@Ethan_4k7]

Ross you are truly gifted.

[@gargudon8720]

Thanks so much for uploading this Ross! Nailing likeness is one of the skills I've had a tough time mastering throughout the years... To the point where I'd paint something mediocre or straight up copy your design for an AOU Black Widow or GTAV Franklin 😄... I bet this will help for a project I've had on the list for a while now though! 😎

[@ryan-leeriley8182]

Amazing! You can also use a pencil eraser to remove print from torsos, heads, legs ect and it won're dull up the finish like Brasso.

[@DestroyTheVoid]

the eraser never works for me. do you know what brand?

[@LNPStudios23]

You are insane this stuff looks so good thanks for another tutorial Ross it was such a great one cannot wait for the next one

[@katabellioniguess]

FINALLY GETS PRECISE MOVEMENT *proceeds to drop head face-first on floor as paint smears and ruins floor*

[@changjoe01]

No way. Painting with thumb tacks could not possibly work. Yet this guy does it so well ....

[@animator77nic]

Imo the hardest part is to get it equal on both sides. It's really hard to make both sides look the same which is why figures like two face are my favourites to make

[@jeffroides7240]

This is INCREDIBLE! I’ve made many of my own faces but they look horrible😂 I’ve been trying to do Harley Quinns face for days and this video came out right on time! This really did help!

[@MGFCustoms]

So glad!

[@legoguy004davidson6]

Love your minifigures😊

[@loritries2850]

Your talent and your patience are amazing! One can really see your 10 years of experience coming through in these videos. I can tell most of these techniques you learned by trial and error and you're passing all this wisdom on to those who have ever wanted to try customizing a minifigure. Thank you!

[@justdobber7493]

Man really do be showing unfinished justice league customs tho

[@tek.t0k]

your talent is just out of this world! hats off sir

[@spadesofpaintstudios1719]

Past year and a half I’ve been trying to learn how to do faces, and sure I always tried but until now I don’t think I could of done it really correct until now so I’ll keep this in mind. Thank God I stumbled on this lol

[@brushedaphid2698]

Thanks for this, I’ve always wanted to make my own LEGO person and this series is really helping me... Thank you. Ps you should make a video on how to make LEGO props, like blasters and other weaponry

[@miriamrobarts]

Have you tried using a sewing needle for the finer lines? You could add a handle with polymer clay to make the needle easier to paint with. Since they come in different sizes, you could even make a few different ones. You are very talented. Thanks for sharing your methods with everyone!

[@michaelPBS501]

Can’t wait to try these tips out! Thank you for the step by step guide and advice. Love these tutorials so much.

[@MikeGaming_]

I love these tutorials they are awesome I hope you make a bunch more

[@thecavalry4]

20:56 That Hawkeye/Ronin minifigure looks amazing!

[@wild8720]

I love how he makes the torsos so detailed and his faces simple

[@MGFCustoms]

Not sure how these are simple lol

[@Ca11MeCyber]

Me: Finishes video. Also me: *staring at ross’s face*

[@johanboersma6195]

That looks scary. If I would do this I would feel Soooo nervous the whole time... Your so good at this man!

[@empac5231]

That led to Pascal face is awesome!!👍

[@YepItsGabe]

I really love these videos because I try to make costom minifigures and always need certain faces for minifigures

[@drewmosto4718]

Dude. I didnt know this is a thing. I respect this

[@fredsheen1118]

Really helpful thanks so much man!

[@Pickle_Brix]

I just started to paint a head for Miss Martian from Young Justice, and I just knew I would have to go to you for the face!

[@schwa7728]

3:57 ha, "eyeball" it in

[@goldenlightpictures6223]

This is by far the hardest part of customizing for me so this is gonna be helpful!;)

[@chaosandcreativitystream]

This was very helpful while I attempted making a Cal Kestis minifigure from Jedi Fallen Order.

[@theunknown3632]

Just because of Bulldozer from Wrecking Crew. I want to learn how to Customize a fig. Your video is a big help and the result of your customers are really awesome. I'm so excited to do this.

[@valthenvega2434]

I just love that his eye design can improve with more/less painting, while I paint and my eyes end up looking crooked 🤪

[@popculturehub6441]

I have been waiting for this since your first tutorial!!!

[@vj9021]

Plain heads in a vast amount of colours are available from LEGO (in UK). Some L. stores have yellow heads with many face designs. Choose- head torso legs & hats or hair, making 3 minifigures of your choice to make a set. Not tried brasso, have tried nail polish remover & it can be very harsh (melts).

[@mrpotatohead34]

holy moly, painting lego faces with a thumbtack?? I was looking to find out the easiest way to design faces in like photoshop or something, then making a decal or maybe even uv printing it. this is much more impressive!

[@cheekibreeki925]

Now your doing mgf your become an artist now. 🎨👍

[@HectorVelez-cc2sh]

it was just amaizing to see you do this work, its just perfect congrats on such amazing talent

[@DestroyTheVoid]

hi

[@Owen.Leitch]

Awesome! This was so useful! Also all those faces that u have painting are awesome!

[@BenTheBeanYT]

Now I can start my first custom!

[@richardcruz1105]

Bruh..im starting in this hobbie of customizing lego minifigures and these tutorials are excellent source for tips n tricks..i still have some trouble painting with the push pin ..but i know im gonna get there with little practice. roght now im creating some personal figures sculpting heads and eventually i will need to paint them so this tutorial might come very handy thanx for sharing 👍

[@shadowblood6125]

If I didn’t know that you customized these faces I would have thought these were legit mini figure faces from lego

[@mushbrain4962]

Hey Ross! I was wondering if you had plans to make a video on making custom fabric pieces like capes, coats, etc. I’ve been able to make them out of paper but they never end up just right because I don’t have stencils or anything like that. I’d really appreciate it

[@alexeissenstat1407]

Thank you so much! I will be remaking my faces with this method.

[@aguyreviewinglegos.8878]

I usually don’t sub, but dude your under rated keep going you got this!

[@canlong9603]

It's very useful. Looking forward to new tutorials.

[@elijahtorres7058]

Looks really good. Wish I thought of this as as a kid 👍

[@kathyturtle1961]

Seems really interesting and fun!!

[@justateenthatlikesart8267]

Been waiting for this aaaaaalllllllll day

[@soupjr7431]

Same!!!!!!

[@Marcos_Mzg403]

Congratulations! It’s the best turorial of minifigures custom I’ve seen 👍🏻

[@theminifigmaker616]

one thing i do to make sure the eyes on my painted faces are aligned is, I'll take a regular face, attach it to the top of the head that I'm painting, and kind of just try to make sure it's as aligned as possible. hope that helps

[@masterbuilderethan5243]

I love this! Totally gonna make some!

[@glh4206]

HELPFUL. On another level

[@rowanthestar4653]

Hi I paint figures sometimes and this really helps! I never knew a push pin is good for a brush

[@extinction9246]

Does the paint you use get scratched tho??

[@grahpayy]

You make LEGO figures look bigger than they actually are

[@nexudan]

Tip: use testors model paint, I use it for all of my legos

[@Makocat]

Props! Doing these by hand is no easy task. And I'm an artist myself. I can't do this in this scale. Going to practice a lot. Another tip for erasing minifig heads you might not wanna use (like the classic smily face or angry clone), is using an eraser. Just an eraser and rubbing it against the print until its gone. Takes a couple minutes but works really well.

[@gemyaugustin775]

i would like to see a clone face painting tutorial especially since they’re so different

[@tomasmachado4178]

man you´re awesome, i will try this with my obi wan from ep 2, thank u!!

[@Langford-Artist]

21:04 Welp the opportunity presented itself. Now you gotta finish the JL minifigs and switch Superman to his black suit for a Zack Snyder Justice League showcase in 2021

[@redbrick7773]

Definitely gonna watch this video again and again

[@TheBoysinc]

You use the same technique i use to paint heads, esspecially when i worked on my Joaquin Phoenix Joker

[@ejsrox9872]

Yay 🙌 I always struggle with this

[@owenwilsonaliganga7143]

THIS IS SO COOL ROSS

[@buffgoji2986]

I'm tempted to use this basic design to replace that head from the wonder woman 84 set as its the same actor

[@korvexus9922]

you're the Bob Ross of minifigure customs.

[@jackf587]

Can you do hamilton i feel like you would do pretty good at hamilton

[@Floxos-im9ib]

Your custom faces look like Original LEGO faceprints… I am almost disencoraged to try it myself… BUT I WILL! Thx for the video!!!

[@jesselee1729]

i tend to just use an existing lego head and just erase the mouth so i dont have to remake the eyes

[@Peepew987]

After the recent doctor strange movie came out I really want to make black bolt head so i have been watching these kind of videos

[@deadapple1700]

Because of you i use a push pin now for tiny details

[@wild8720]

Hey Ross did you know that lego prints the white in the eyes first and then adds the black

[@MGFCustoms]

Did not actually!

[@wild8720]

@@MGFCustoms yeah once a dude got a minifig face but the black wasn't painted on completely and it was white under it

[@ImaginationHobbies]

Great job!

[@thebasicviewer9690]

Just wanna point out that in the thumbnail you put gal gadot next to a picture of ray

[@denialhakimi3609]

Thank you for this tutorial

[@miguelpascual824]

Lego should hire you

[@bigsexygoat8]

My back just hurt watching u do this

[@mattstewart7215]

This video helped me a lot! Thanks for making it Ross! One question though. How do you paint smiles? I mean how do you make a smile specific to someone? I'm trying to make a Tom Ellis Lucifer, and can't figure out his smile

[@elijahtorres7058]

Wow

[@andrewzambrano5672]

Thank you I was Hoping that u would make this, it helped a lot

[@kaisminis8980]

This helps so much Thank you I’m making a swcw Darth maul!