A word about mixing and substituting brands of air dry products when painting reborn dolls UPDATED

There has been a lot of discussion among us air dry paint users about brands, products, what we can mix with other stuff etc. I wanted to open this post with a word of caution to everyone that you be sure to research your products carefully when combining brands. Here is an example of why:

I have had several Baby FX users to ask me if they can use their favorite retarder they already have on hand with their Baby FX air dry paints. Many people who write to me about air dry paints use more than one brand so they mix and match things.

In my research of air dry paints I have found that most brands of regular acrylic retarder do not have any binders in them and therefore the companies caution to be careful about the ratios of retarder used with the paints so as not to overload the paint pigments or break it down. The same holds true about adding water to acrylics. Too much water can break down the pigments decreasing their longevity.

As a primary Baby FX paint user I don't mind using alternative products with my paints but it is important to be sure of their compatibility. This brings to mind my questioning what exactly is in the Baby FX Slow Dry. My question is this: Does the Baby FX Slow Dry contain binders in it as well as retarder or is it just a straight retarder? I have noticed that Melissa George recommends using almost all Slow Dry to thin down her ethnic skin tones when painting ethnic babies. This has lead me to believe that the Slow Dry must be more than just a retarder. I have written her and asked her this question.  This is the answer I have received from Melissa George:

"Hi Angie, Sorry for the delay, I was on and then I was taken away from the computer.  There are different kinds of retarder mediums on the market and these are mostly for use with canvas painting. The dolls do require - painting on vinyl requires a particular care for maximum adhesion and this is why I always say to seal at the end.  The Slow Dry retarder medium does not contain any real binders, however, the paints themselves contain very concentrated binders that when mixed with the Slow Dry retarder (and no water) will create a lovely transparent finish that is easy to blend.  The Slow Dry is a very thin mix unlike other retarder mediums on the market, this is to assist with breaking the surface tension as to allow the paint to glide more easily over the surface for a more smooth and even coverage.  This is why I love to use the Slow Dry medium when doing ethnics especially as it allow plenty of time but also will lubricate the paint as to make it easier to blend and make even.  Now, when it comes to binders, the Sure Bond medium is the best binder and sealer.  Lets say for example you wanted to paint a doll using Slow Dry. You could use only Slow Dry and paint and yes, this will take longer to dry between layers and can take longer to cure, if the ratio of Slow Dry is greater than 100% of the paint then you might find it take a very long time to cure however, there is a quick way to fix this.  Either, a quick wash of Sure Bond and water or you can add Sure Bond to your paint mix as to assist with the adhesion.  There are many ways to use Baby FX and this is what makes it such a fun way to paint dolls.  Lots of customers have enjoyed making their own mixes and I think this is what it is about, we set out to give solutions but did not want to limit people to only one way of painting a doll.  I hope this helps to answer your questions, please do let me know if I can help with anything else lovely!"

I have myself have tried the Jo Sonjas Retarder with the Baby FX paints and it does work well with Baby FX paints. However, I know that it is a straight retarder so it does not have any binders in it. Therefore, the ratio of retarder to paint should not be greater than 15% in order not to reduce adhesion factors of the paint. I have to admit I have used higher ratios when painting hair before I discovered this fact. I have not had any ill effects from this and my assumption is that it was because I sealed the hair down with Genesis Satin Varnish afterwards and therefore it is locked down. I do not plan to continue to use this high of ratio of Jo Sonjas Retarder to paint now that I am aware of the possibility of adhesion issues.

My caution in this is that if you find something else to use that is cheaper make sure it has all the necessary properties not to reduce adhesion.