Angie's Lil Dumplins Nursery Answers Some Of Your Questions About Air Dry Paints

I have tried a lot of reborn doll air dry paints on the market and have found that I truly love the MG Baby FX paints by Melissa George.  I have found these paints to be of excellent quality of pigment as well as performance.  I also find that my MG Baby FX painted dolls look just as good as the ones I painted using Genesis heat set paints.  

The number one question I get asked about air dry paints is are they as durable as Genesis paints? Will they wear off?  Will they scratch off?  

The answer to this question is a little bit complex.  We cannot guarantee that any reborn doll is completely wear proof over time in all conditions no matter what it was painted with.   ANY paint can be scratched or worn off a doll over time INCLUDING Genesis heat set paints.  This is especially true on softer kits.  I have seen Genesis paints be scratched or rubbed off from constant dressing and play with reborn dolls.  Give a reborn doll to a kid or an adult who likes to play with it a lot and over time it will show wear no matter what it was painted with.   Once it is FULLY cured quality air dry paint is as durable as Genesis heat set paints.  Air dry paints must be allowed to completely cure for maximum durability.  The key to any of the paints wearing well is full cure time and if these dolls are handled properly by adult collectors

Quality air dry paints get more durable with time. They are dry to the touch in a matter of minutes, about 85% cured in 24-48 hours and fully cured in 2-4 weeks. With Genesis paints, curing occurs during the heat set process so it is immediate. However, if you have a kit that is difficult to take the paints when painting with Genesis, you can only heat set it so much. I have had cases with the Euro vinyl kits where the Genesis paints were not sticking well in places and I had to actually use an air dry sealer to lock them down. Not because the Genesis paints were not heat set enough, but because the vinyl did not want to hold the paint. I have also had the same problem with air dry paints and had to set pieces aside for 2-4 weeks and usually they will cure on out and can then be locked down with sealers. It does take patience at times with the air drys so it is good to have several kits in process on your work table. Many people do not like that because they want instant heat set. However, if you have ever melted or damaged a good kit you will appreciate not having to heat set. I love both types of paints and use both products. However, I do feel overall my vinyl is much more durable when it has not been heat set so much and therefore prefer to use air drys these days. You can also use Genesis sealers on the MG Baby FX paints as your final finish if you like that texture and it saves you not having to heat set so much as well since you are only doing so at the end.

Melissa George has a new product coming out (at the time of this blog post) for the Baby FX called Sure Bond. She says you can mix it with the paints instead of the Slow Dry or you can use it as a primer layer at the beginning or along the way to lock things down. She said to think of it like a "glue" to help hold the paints down. She says once it cures it almost has to be sanded to remove. She says this should be the solution for the difficult/slick kits about holding paint. She has sent me some to test and I am still waiting on it to arrive.

I have read people say that the Genesis paints bond with the vinyl and become one with it and that air drys sit on top of the vinyl. Neither is true. If you have ever stripped a Genesis painted kit you find that it will all come off and was not ingrained into the vinyl. If you have ever stripped an air dry painted kit you may find it all comes off or you may find that most of it comes off but the vinyl is stained in places where the pigments actually seeped into the vinyl. I have not seen that happen with the Genesis so much but if it did it would likely be a darker color like the vein blue. So overall, both paints cure on top of the vinyl and both adhere to the vinyl as they are cured. For the most part, air dry pigments are more likely to seep into the vinyl than Genesis after the air drys have cured over time.

Also, Melissa George has told me all the skin tones of Baby FX are rich in pigments and binders which makes them good primer layers. However, I have found that when building the darker skin tones it takes longer for things to cure because we are applying more concentrated layers to the surface. It is my guess that due to all the pigment concentration, this is why it takes longer to cure when building with more colors. I think of it like painting your fingernails. The polish may seem dry on top and to the touch but if you leave the salon and hit your nail you will find the polish dents on you. That is because it is not fully cured underneath. The same is true of painting walls with latex paint. All air dry paints have to FULLY cure before they are at their best durability. It is a matter of what you prefer, spending all your time heat setting or spending some time waiting at the end. Everyone has a different like or dislike.

Hopefully this answers most of your questions about durability of quality air dry paints such as MG Baby FX.  If you have any further questions feel free to email me lildumplins@gmail.com.  Also visit my FB page https://www.facebook.com/Lil-Dumplins-Nursery-Reborn-Dolls-136709809714473/timeline/

MG Baby FX Color Guide for Beginners

***UPDATE: Since I wrote this color guide I have realized that painting with as much water as we have done with these paints we need to add some binders back in.  Therefore, I recommend that you add 2-3 drops of either BabyFX Sure Bond, or Golden Fluid Matte Medium to each color mix you make up and if you feel you need more adjust accordingly based on how much water you are using.  This will increase the binders in the paints making them stick better.  This can increase sheen on your pieces but that can be matted down at the end with matte sealers.  I can not say enough how important it is NOT to paint with watered down paints only. 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THIS COLOR GUIDE WRITE TO ME AND IT IS AVAILABLE FOR $10

Owen Frances is born!

 OWEN FRANCES By Laura Tuzio-Ross

19" baby weighs 5 lbs

Full vinyl arms & legs

$400 plus S&H

Painted with a combination of Genesis paints and Baby FX air dry paints for reborns

This is a stock photo of the how the blank kit looks before reborning. 

 He is 19 inches long and weighs 5 lbs.  He has full arms and legs.  Pics are taken with no flash.