When I first began painting reborn dolls in 2005, oil and acrylic paints were commonly used. I used an oil paint brand called Scuola which I was very happy with.
Most acrylic painters at that time used the acrylic paints purchased at places like Walmart that really are not designed for vinyl dolls. I never used these.
Oil paints were great but they took quite a while to dry to the touch~sometimes several weeks.
Then along came Genesis Heat Set oil paints. I drug my feet with these for a time but finally ordered several colors. There was a learning curve involved after switching from oil paints to heat set paints but soon, I became skilled with the Genesis line. They cured much faster than oils as you set them in the oven.
But then there became concerns of heating the vinyl part in the oven. Concerns of the artist's health and the health of the vinyl parts over time after being continually heated in the oven.
Companies started experimenting with air dry options for us and Doll Dreams actually found an acrylic paint that was created just for vinyl dolls and named them the LDC paints (Little Dreams Collection). These paints were used on childrens play dolls for many years before becoming available to the reborn artist. The colors available in the beginning were lacking to say the least but now there are many colors available and when one combines colors, many more colors can be made.
I drug my feet on switching to these too! But finally I was asked to try them by the Doll Dreams company and I am so glad that I did! Since then, I have gone though all the learning pains of switching to a new paint and have mastered the application of the paints. They are air dry paints and they take some time to cure but are much faster to dry to the touch than the old oil paints.
There are a lot of artists out there making the switch to the LDC paints and they are going through the same learning pains that I did. I've got a few things to say to help with these pains.
The LDC paints dry to the touch within minutes and fully cure in about a month. Now wait just a moment...don't get your panties in a knot. Yes, I said a month but hear me out. It is perfectly fine to root your baby after you allow it to cure for about 24 hours (I still recommend that you cover the face of ALL dolls no matter what they are painted with as shown in an earlier post on my blog~OCT 2009 I think is where that post is) and you can even get that hair wet~even washing it when you are finished rooting. But don't give the baby the wet Q-tip test! Patience is needed with these paints. The paints will gradually cure into the vinyl, becoming a part of the vinyl and this process can take about a month. Your collectors can still dress the doll, spritz the hair and comb it without any problems to the paint. Be we don't want people trying to get the paint off as it's possible to do before they are fully cured. As I said earlier, they are dry to the touch within minutes and the doll can be handled.
Many wonder about fading. These paints will only fade within the moments of drying to the touch and that means that the mixture of the paints is not right. There is too much water that diluted down the pigments if this occurs. These paints do not fade over time, nor do they turn orange over time. I have seen many of my LDC painted dolls in the "flesh" even 18 months after I created them and they are just as gorgeous as they were when they went home to my collectors.
Everyone goes through the doubting stage when trying a new paint but I encourage all of you who are trying the LDC paints to hang in there, refuse the desire to try to get the paint off within the first month and learn through the growing pains. (if you can root and change your doll without any paint loss, I can assure you that your mixture is correct and that your doll will fully cure after you send it home to it's new mommy. You really do not even have to worry about this but you can send a little care list with the baby to advise your collector to not give the baby a bath for the first month).
That's my view on paints!
Have a wonderful day~
((((HUGS))))
Most acrylic painters at that time used the acrylic paints purchased at places like Walmart that really are not designed for vinyl dolls. I never used these.
Oil paints were great but they took quite a while to dry to the touch~sometimes several weeks.
Then along came Genesis Heat Set oil paints. I drug my feet with these for a time but finally ordered several colors. There was a learning curve involved after switching from oil paints to heat set paints but soon, I became skilled with the Genesis line. They cured much faster than oils as you set them in the oven.
But then there became concerns of heating the vinyl part in the oven. Concerns of the artist's health and the health of the vinyl parts over time after being continually heated in the oven.
Companies started experimenting with air dry options for us and Doll Dreams actually found an acrylic paint that was created just for vinyl dolls and named them the LDC paints (Little Dreams Collection). These paints were used on childrens play dolls for many years before becoming available to the reborn artist. The colors available in the beginning were lacking to say the least but now there are many colors available and when one combines colors, many more colors can be made.
I drug my feet on switching to these too! But finally I was asked to try them by the Doll Dreams company and I am so glad that I did! Since then, I have gone though all the learning pains of switching to a new paint and have mastered the application of the paints. They are air dry paints and they take some time to cure but are much faster to dry to the touch than the old oil paints.
There are a lot of artists out there making the switch to the LDC paints and they are going through the same learning pains that I did. I've got a few things to say to help with these pains.
The LDC paints dry to the touch within minutes and fully cure in about a month. Now wait just a moment...don't get your panties in a knot. Yes, I said a month but hear me out. It is perfectly fine to root your baby after you allow it to cure for about 24 hours (I still recommend that you cover the face of ALL dolls no matter what they are painted with as shown in an earlier post on my blog~OCT 2009 I think is where that post is) and you can even get that hair wet~even washing it when you are finished rooting. But don't give the baby the wet Q-tip test! Patience is needed with these paints. The paints will gradually cure into the vinyl, becoming a part of the vinyl and this process can take about a month. Your collectors can still dress the doll, spritz the hair and comb it without any problems to the paint. Be we don't want people trying to get the paint off as it's possible to do before they are fully cured. As I said earlier, they are dry to the touch within minutes and the doll can be handled.
Many wonder about fading. These paints will only fade within the moments of drying to the touch and that means that the mixture of the paints is not right. There is too much water that diluted down the pigments if this occurs. These paints do not fade over time, nor do they turn orange over time. I have seen many of my LDC painted dolls in the "flesh" even 18 months after I created them and they are just as gorgeous as they were when they went home to my collectors.
Everyone goes through the doubting stage when trying a new paint but I encourage all of you who are trying the LDC paints to hang in there, refuse the desire to try to get the paint off within the first month and learn through the growing pains. (if you can root and change your doll without any paint loss, I can assure you that your mixture is correct and that your doll will fully cure after you send it home to it's new mommy. You really do not even have to worry about this but you can send a little care list with the baby to advise your collector to not give the baby a bath for the first month).
That's my view on paints!
Have a wonderful day~
((((HUGS))))
Posts
I too use LDC paints and I love them. I still battle with paint not setting so that I can add another layer but that is due to my lack of patience.
ReplyDeleteHugs
SueAnn
Hi SueAnn!
ReplyDeleteI will contact you on the guild regarding this. I suspect that you have too much retarder if you are not able to work through all your vinyl parts with a layer and have that layer be ready for more by the time you get back to the first part.
I purchased a custom ordered reborn doll and the Jo Sonja air dry paints all faded away in a few weeks. The doll was not in the sun at all and nothing has come into contact with her face. I don't "play" with the doll. She was purchased to be a model.I think the paints were not cured well as the doll was shipped to me two weeks after I placed the order.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any thoughts on whether bubble wrap, tightly wound around the doll's head for shipping could make a difference to the pigments. The doll was in transit for more than two weeks.
I will have to repaint her myself as a return is not possible. It is a doll from England and I am in North America. The doll maker has refused to give any kind of refund, anyway. Should I first remove any signs of the first pigments and prepare a new work "surface?" I will buy the same type and brand of paint and get instruction from a well seasoned doll maker.I just need to know what materials to order.
If the doll was shipped within 2 weeks of ordering then yes, I would suspect that the paints were not cured and yes, being in bubble wrap for 2 weeks could also pose a problem, especially if it were in a humid atmosphere. I am so sorry this has happened to you.
ReplyDeleteNot having any real experience with Jo Sonjas, I cannot really determine that you should paint the doll with the same paints but yes, if you are going to repaint anyway, I would recommend removing the old paint. My favorite air dry paints are the Baby FX line from Melissa George. You might also ask the person who is going to give your direction in painting the doll.
Best of luck on this project!
Debbie
Hi i wanna make a reborn paint and use GHSP but i cant and dont want to bake it? can u help me??
ReplyDeleteHi there!
DeleteGosh, I can't offer any help if you want to use Genesis Heat Set Paints yet do not desire to bake. Those paints will never set and cure without the baking.
If you mean that you do not want to use your oven, there are options for that. You can use a heat-set gun (this process is time-consuming) or you can purchase a Nu-Wave oven. I do not know too much about those as I have never used one but many of my doll-making friends use them with great success.
Good luck to you!
Debbie
What about using the Miracle Blend Air Dry Paints. It is hard to find but I feel like those are a better choice than LDC.?
ReplyDeleteHi Justine,
DeleteI am so sorry, I have not had any experience with the Miracle Blend paints so I cannot give you a practical answer on that.
I just know that I had excellent results with the LDC paints :)
Debbie. I also am curious if I can use both LDC and Miracle Blend Air Dry Paints. MB
ReplyDeleteOn these two systems, I am not sure if the chemical structure is close enough to mix them together. Have you heard of the newest ReBorn FX air dry paints that McPhearson's carries? I personally have not used them as I will be staying with Baby FX for a long while as I have them in my supply. One of my friends, Angie Jones, has used them and wrote the free tutorial for them on the McPhearson's website.
Delete