The Pink Man:
Jon Copeland
Jon Copeland
Meet the man behind SeloJ Designs, and take a look at his glorious eye candy!
Text By - Pat Henry
Photography By - Jon Copeland
Text By - Pat Henry
Photography By - Jon Copeland
| Gold Digger's Vanity Fair cover was the very first one that I created. I posted it on the Pink Parlor doll forum and received such an overwhelming repsonse that I decided to do more. Gold Digger is a very prolific and well traveled lady. She knows exactly what she wants and has the means to get it! She's Dangerous! Super Bad! Better Watch Out, She'll Take Your Cash! She's a Gold Digger! |
He is known on the internet as the "Pink
Man". The name came from last year's
IFDC, in fact. "During the course of the
2004 IFDC in Texas," says Jon, "I was gifted
with a pink cowboy hat during one of our
nights of fun at the hotel bar. Being the fun
loving guy that I am, I went with this hat with
gusto and it sort of became a mascot for me
for the remainder of the convention. I even
wore it to the next two meal events! By the
time the convention came to a close, several
friends had already dubbed me with the
nickman 'Pinkie'. It stuck with me on the doll
groups and boards even after we all returned
home."
"One day, I was directed to the Pink Parlor
doll forum and after a brief visit, I was
hooked and decided to get involved. When it
was time to choose a posting name, I typed in
'Pink Man' and boy did it ever take hold! I
think it's fitting, and have decided to stick
with it."
Tall and lanky, Jon Copeland has made a
name for himself in the makeover world with
his sexy sirens and vampy vixens. He recalls,
"I dabbled here and there with the makoevers
at first. Mostly big haired boil perms as well
as drapping and pinning material on my
favorite dolls. Somewhere along the way I
evolved into a repaint artist and hair stylist. I
have been doing the latter for the past five
years. I find repainting to be the most
rewarding part of the makeover process.
However, I have an increasing interest in hair
styling via razor cut styles. In the near
future, I plan to incorporate re-rooting as
well."
His makeover business is actually called SeloJ
Designs. He created a series of magzine
covers that showcase his creations under the
title, "SeloJ Spa."
Man". The name came from last year's
IFDC, in fact. "During the course of the
2004 IFDC in Texas," says Jon, "I was gifted
with a pink cowboy hat during one of our
nights of fun at the hotel bar. Being the fun
loving guy that I am, I went with this hat with
gusto and it sort of became a mascot for me
for the remainder of the convention. I even
wore it to the next two meal events! By the
time the convention came to a close, several
friends had already dubbed me with the
nickman 'Pinkie'. It stuck with me on the doll
groups and boards even after we all returned
home."
"One day, I was directed to the Pink Parlor
doll forum and after a brief visit, I was
hooked and decided to get involved. When it
was time to choose a posting name, I typed in
'Pink Man' and boy did it ever take hold! I
think it's fitting, and have decided to stick
with it."
Tall and lanky, Jon Copeland has made a
name for himself in the makeover world with
his sexy sirens and vampy vixens. He recalls,
"I dabbled here and there with the makoevers
at first. Mostly big haired boil perms as well
as drapping and pinning material on my
favorite dolls. Somewhere along the way I
evolved into a repaint artist and hair stylist. I
have been doing the latter for the past five
years. I find repainting to be the most
rewarding part of the makeover process.
However, I have an increasing interest in hair
styling via razor cut styles. In the near
future, I plan to incorporate re-rooting as
well."
His makeover business is actually called SeloJ
Designs. He created a series of magzine
covers that showcase his creations under the
title, "SeloJ Spa."
"The origin of the chosen name for my
website is purely based on a 'terms of
endearment' thing for me. I love both of my
sisters dearly, but I have always had a very
close relationship with my middle sister. We
were inseparable playmates and she was my
hero and the one person that I looked up to
most in the world. The name SeloJ
(pronounced Sa-lodge) is an intermingling of
our first names Selena and Jon. The first
three letters Sel from her name and the last
two letters placed backwards oJ from my
name. It really is something that I pulled from
my childhood, as we were always being very
creative."
Jon creates his magazine covers for his
fantasy publication with Microsoft "Picture
It", and some good old fashion desk lamps. "I
use a double-bulb gooseneck desk lamp. The
bulbs are the secret. I have heard and read
many times about that 'dreaded yellow cast'
that a lot of doll photos have. I use General
Electric Reveal 60 watt light bulbs with
enhanced color spectrum. You can find them
at most department stores for around $6.00
for four bulbs. It's small price to pay for true
color pictures. When it's time to take pictures
I stand the doll about 4-6 inches from the
light, with the bulbs being directly over the
doll's head. This way I get good lighting from
behind and in front of the doll without a glare
on the top of the doll's head. Doing it this
way also takes care of shadows on the doll's
face as well as those that would normally be
cast on the chosen background. For my
backgrounds I use pages from magazines for
full scenery. If I want something that will
show off the doll, I go with a solid color or
blended color background. To keep the doll in
focus it is important to stand it at least 4-6"
from the background and set your camera to
the macro or close up setting for digital
pictures."
Like many OOAK artists, Jon hopes to make
his passion also his career. "My long-term
goal is to make working with fashion dolls my
full time vocation in some way or another.
For the moment though, I am juggling my doll
work with a full time night job away from
home (I am in quality control at a local diaper
maunfacturing plant). My partner and I are
also rasing four teenagers, which is very
demanding and rewarding as well". Ron,
Jon's partner was working behind the scenes
to move SeloJ Spa along as it turns out. "I
owe the fact that I am doing the repaints that I
am putting out today to him". He belived in
me from the very beginning and secretly sold
three of my early repaints on eBay. He
simultaneously contacted Jim Faraone and got
me into his 'Fashion Doll Makeovers Yahoo
Group'. After all three of the eBay auctions
had ended, Ron had me sit down at the
computer and he pulled them up. I was
amazed that they had sold and was very
excited. Then he logged onto Jim's yahoo
group and showed me that I was a member -
by this time I was electrified. Finally he pulled
up my very own website that he had been
secretly working on and had several of my
dolls already up for viewing. The tears flowed
a little bit. I was able to learn a great deal
about supplies and getting started on
makeovers from the yahoo group and from
Jim's fourth 'Makeovers' book. Through
some trial and error, I have managed to come
up with some of my own techinques and
personal style."
website is purely based on a 'terms of
endearment' thing for me. I love both of my
sisters dearly, but I have always had a very
close relationship with my middle sister. We
were inseparable playmates and she was my
hero and the one person that I looked up to
most in the world. The name SeloJ
(pronounced Sa-lodge) is an intermingling of
our first names Selena and Jon. The first
three letters Sel from her name and the last
two letters placed backwards oJ from my
name. It really is something that I pulled from
my childhood, as we were always being very
creative."
Jon creates his magazine covers for his
fantasy publication with Microsoft "Picture
It", and some good old fashion desk lamps. "I
use a double-bulb gooseneck desk lamp. The
bulbs are the secret. I have heard and read
many times about that 'dreaded yellow cast'
that a lot of doll photos have. I use General
Electric Reveal 60 watt light bulbs with
enhanced color spectrum. You can find them
at most department stores for around $6.00
for four bulbs. It's small price to pay for true
color pictures. When it's time to take pictures
I stand the doll about 4-6 inches from the
light, with the bulbs being directly over the
doll's head. This way I get good lighting from
behind and in front of the doll without a glare
on the top of the doll's head. Doing it this
way also takes care of shadows on the doll's
face as well as those that would normally be
cast on the chosen background. For my
backgrounds I use pages from magazines for
full scenery. If I want something that will
show off the doll, I go with a solid color or
blended color background. To keep the doll in
focus it is important to stand it at least 4-6"
from the background and set your camera to
the macro or close up setting for digital
pictures."
Like many OOAK artists, Jon hopes to make
his passion also his career. "My long-term
goal is to make working with fashion dolls my
full time vocation in some way or another.
For the moment though, I am juggling my doll
work with a full time night job away from
home (I am in quality control at a local diaper
maunfacturing plant). My partner and I are
also rasing four teenagers, which is very
demanding and rewarding as well". Ron,
Jon's partner was working behind the scenes
to move SeloJ Spa along as it turns out. "I
owe the fact that I am doing the repaints that I
am putting out today to him". He belived in
me from the very beginning and secretly sold
three of my early repaints on eBay. He
simultaneously contacted Jim Faraone and got
me into his 'Fashion Doll Makeovers Yahoo
Group'. After all three of the eBay auctions
had ended, Ron had me sit down at the
computer and he pulled them up. I was
amazed that they had sold and was very
excited. Then he logged onto Jim's yahoo
group and showed me that I was a member -
by this time I was electrified. Finally he pulled
up my very own website that he had been
secretly working on and had several of my
dolls already up for viewing. The tears flowed
a little bit. I was able to learn a great deal
about supplies and getting started on
makeovers from the yahoo group and from
Jim's fourth 'Makeovers' book. Through
some trial and error, I have managed to come
up with some of my own techinques and
personal style."
Jon has learned from his own experience and
has a few tips for the newbie who may want
to take on a makeover themselves. "I like to
use Delta Ceramcoat acrylic paints. They are
very economical and easy to find. I'm a
visual shopper and like to be able to actually
see what I'm getting. This is why I buy most
all of my paints from Walmart. I get to hand
pick the paints and brushes that I use.
Walmart carries a great little 10/0 spotter
brush in their art supply department. I swaer
by them. I do have to replace them more
often than the higher quality variety, but I'm
happy with the performance I get from them
thus far." As to technique, he advises starting
at the beginning. "Most of my repaints are
full repaints with the entire face being wiped
clean and being redone. Fashion Royalty
dolls have become iconic for their unique
look. I'm very careful in my approach to
repainting these ladies. Most of my repaints
here consist of removing everything except
the eye liner. I simply preserve the shape of
the eye and start from there. A more
enhanced version of these dolls is accepted
by the mainstream fan based instead of a
dramatic change where the Fashion Royalty
look is lost. I have completed full repaints on
the FR dolls and found myself duplicating the
FR look anyway. At any rate, the doll will
not look the same when I've finished her.
For all of my other repaints including the 16"
variety, a full repaint is in order. For novice
and beginner repainters I recommend that
they paint over the existing factory paint so
they can get a feel of how to do it. having an
outline to follow will make it easier for them.
has a few tips for the newbie who may want
to take on a makeover themselves. "I like to
use Delta Ceramcoat acrylic paints. They are
very economical and easy to find. I'm a
visual shopper and like to be able to actually
see what I'm getting. This is why I buy most
all of my paints from Walmart. I get to hand
pick the paints and brushes that I use.
Walmart carries a great little 10/0 spotter
brush in their art supply department. I swaer
by them. I do have to replace them more
often than the higher quality variety, but I'm
happy with the performance I get from them
thus far." As to technique, he advises starting
at the beginning. "Most of my repaints are
full repaints with the entire face being wiped
clean and being redone. Fashion Royalty
dolls have become iconic for their unique
look. I'm very careful in my approach to
repainting these ladies. Most of my repaints
here consist of removing everything except
the eye liner. I simply preserve the shape of
the eye and start from there. A more
enhanced version of these dolls is accepted
by the mainstream fan based instead of a
dramatic change where the Fashion Royalty
look is lost. I have completed full repaints on
the FR dolls and found myself duplicating the
FR look anyway. At any rate, the doll will
not look the same when I've finished her.
For all of my other repaints including the 16"
variety, a full repaint is in order. For novice
and beginner repainters I recommend that
they paint over the existing factory paint so
they can get a feel of how to do it. having an
outline to follow will make it easier for them.
He is known for his1/6 scale ladies, and has
added some 16" faces to his portfolio as
well. But like most artists, he does have his
favorites. "I have a few Barbies that will
always remain with me for sentimental
reasons, but they are not the focus of my
collection at the moment. Fashion Royalty is
the stronghold and jewels of my collection
now. I have to admit to being completely
smitten with these fabulous ladies. Adele is
my favorite. Besides having all of the
Fashion Royalty dolls that I can fit inside my
doll cabinet, Robert Tonner's dolls are
quickly gaining ground (thanks to an
enabling friend). Sydney and Angelina are
the focus for me in this category, with
Esme' coming in a close third. I also have
one Blythe doll and one Pullip doll in there
too. Lustrous Silhouette Adele is the crown
jewel of my collection. I love everything
about Adele Makeda."
added some 16" faces to his portfolio as
well. But like most artists, he does have his
favorites. "I have a few Barbies that will
always remain with me for sentimental
reasons, but they are not the focus of my
collection at the moment. Fashion Royalty is
the stronghold and jewels of my collection
now. I have to admit to being completely
smitten with these fabulous ladies. Adele is
my favorite. Besides having all of the
Fashion Royalty dolls that I can fit inside my
doll cabinet, Robert Tonner's dolls are
quickly gaining ground (thanks to an
enabling friend). Sydney and Angelina are
the focus for me in this category, with
Esme' coming in a close third. I also have
one Blythe doll and one Pullip doll in there
too. Lustrous Silhouette Adele is the crown
jewel of my collection. I love everything
about Adele Makeda."
"Not to sound too cliche', but there really is
'Something for Everyone' for the vinyl doll
collector today. Some collectors love the
thrill of the hunt to complete a specialized
line of dolls. While others collect only the
dolls that they just have to have. There is
so much to choose from that we should all
be happy with the variety. We have
Fashion Royalty, Rupaul, Tiny Kitty,
Lollipops, Volks, Tyler Wentworth, Cissy,
Gene Alex, Blythe, Pullips, Susie, Momoko,
Ingird, Candi, Barbie, Elizabet and Kotalin
Bizelle and now the amazing Sybarites. I
for one am looking forward to seeign each
new doll that is about to be unleashed. Who
knows, it might be the next best thing. It
might be Pink Man's turn someday with his
own exotic beauty. until then, I'll be here
plugging away, as this has become a way of
life for me that isn't showing any signs of
ending anytime soon."
'Something for Everyone' for the vinyl doll
collector today. Some collectors love the
thrill of the hunt to complete a specialized
line of dolls. While others collect only the
dolls that they just have to have. There is
so much to choose from that we should all
be happy with the variety. We have
Fashion Royalty, Rupaul, Tiny Kitty,
Lollipops, Volks, Tyler Wentworth, Cissy,
Gene Alex, Blythe, Pullips, Susie, Momoko,
Ingird, Candi, Barbie, Elizabet and Kotalin
Bizelle and now the amazing Sybarites. I
for one am looking forward to seeign each
new doll that is about to be unleashed. Who
knows, it might be the next best thing. It
might be Pink Man's turn someday with his
own exotic beauty. until then, I'll be here
plugging away, as this has become a way of
life for me that isn't showing any signs of
ending anytime soon."
