Are You Looking For Cheap Drying Racks For Your Limbs While Painting?

I have a reborn doll air dry painting class I am teaching next Saturday and was trying to decide what to do about drying racks for the students.  I am on a very tight budget for this class to keep the cost down.   So here is the idea I came up with that we will be using.  I got these little wire shelves at the Dollar Tree.  You just flip them over and you have 4 pegs to dry limbs on.  The head can sit on its flange anywhere in the middle.  I have displayed some test limbs here to show you.  At only $1 each the students can take them home with them.  I thought this was a smart idea!

UPDATE: Testing Air Dry Sealers Again

Good Friday morning! It has been 3 days now since I applied the DuraClear Ultra Matte Varnish so today is follow-up day.  I have found that with most all the air dry varnishes I have used, 3 days (in GA humidity) is the cure time it takes to know how the varnish finish will look.  Pretty much all matte varnishes I have used will take on some sheen after the cure time and I find the 3 day test to be pretty accurate as to how much sheen the final finish will be.

My DuraClear Ultra Matte Varnish has dried to a matte finish with a slightly dewy look.  The dewy look is noticed when you turn the leg and the light hits it on the bony prominences, toes etc.  It does not have an appearance of shine.  It is a nice healthy glow.  I would like to point out that this leg is a Dolldreams Euro vinyl.  I find that this type Euro vinyl always holds a bit of sheen/dewy look that seems to come through pretty much any sealer I have used, including Genesis.  It is possible that this sealer might look a bit more flat matte on a China vinyl but I have not tried that to say for sure.  Here is the 3 day cured leg at 2 slightly different angles of light.

For comparison's sake,  here is a leg that I sealed over a week ago using a mix of DecoArt Media Soft Touch Varnish and corn starch following the formula I gave you in my last post.  It too has a very slight dewy reflection when the light hits the bony prominences.  It may overall be a tad more matte in finish.  It is a China vinyl though and I think that makes a difference.   Photos are the same leg at 2 slightly different angles of light. 

My analysis at this point is that the 2 finishes are very similar.  The DuraClear Ultra Matte Varnish requires no mixing so it seems to be a great option for ease of use.  The Soft Touch corn starch mix is more versatile in that you can decrease or slightly increase the amount of corn starch to the mix to alter your final finish results.  I suggest trying that on a test limb to find the mix that suits your preferences first.  

Both air dry sealing methods are nice to the touch, pass the squeezing test with no cracking and look good!  I find them both to be a win win! 

I Am Testing Air Dry Sealers Again!

It seems I am forever testing air dry sealers to try to find one I can truly recommend to you all that works!  I have found a couple options that I would like to share.

One of the brands of air dry sealers that a lot of artists favor is DecoArt Soft Touch Varnishes.  They make 2 lines of it and either one will work because they are exactly the same.  To verify this, I called DecoArt myself this morning and asked.  I was told that indeed they are the same formula.  To use it stir it in the jar first to be sure it is mixed well.  You can paint it onto a piece of porous car washing sponge and pounce onto the vinyl.  This will leave a dewy textured finish. 

If you prefer a more matte finish like I do, use the varnish with corn starch in this method:   20 drops distilled water, 2 level Dash Spoons (or 1/4 tsp.) Corn Starch + 1 level disposable plastic spoon (like you eat with at a picnic) of DecoArt or Americana Soft Touch Varnish.  Melt Corn Starch in water first then add the spoon of Varnish to it.  Can be apply with a dampened wedge for a thin layer that is totally smooth. Force dry with a hair dryer. Reapply a 2nd layer if so desired.   I used this method to seal this kit in progress.

While I was on the phone with DecoArt, the representative mentioned to me that if I were looking for a more matte varnish that would work well on the vinyl I should try their Americana DuraClear Ultra Matte varnish.  So of course, off to Michaels I go today and got a bottle to try.

I am very pleasantly surprised on first application.   I think this is a go.  It is different than other sealers.  It is not a flat powdery matte but it is matte.  It is hard to explain but as long as this does not take back on any sheen over the next few days it is good.  I do think that you have to go over the more shiny areas twice.  I did...on toes, ankle creases etc.  So if someone likes a really matte finish (like me), 2 coats are best.  However, it is easy to pounce on quickly and I force dried it with a hair dryer in a matter of seconds. 

I started with a leg that I primed this morning, then this afternoon I pounced on some red mottling using a medium that I knew would leave a sheen behind.  Then I forced dried that with a hair dryer and waited about 10 mins. then pounced on the sealer.  (So yes, the paint is uncured but I was in hurry and pushed the envelope a bit.) 

In this first photo, I am trying to show a contrast.  I did not apply the sealer on the thigh above the green line.  The leg had a definite sheen over all to start.  Then I pounced on the DuraClear Ultra matte from the green line down all the way from the knee to the toes.

So it is really hard to see in the pics the difference from the sealed part to the unsealed part but what you can notice is that all that area that I pounced sealer on is not shiny.  This is huge because usually what happens for me is I apply a matte sealer and end up with a vinyl that is way shinier than I started with.  

When you touch the dry leg, you can feel the sealer a little bit on the leg and tell it has some matting agent in it.  It has a bit more texture feel to the vinyl than the Soft Touch varnish does but it is more matte than Soft Touch varnish by itself.  However, it is not rough feeling to me as a whole.

I would say that SoftTouch varnish mixed with corn starch is a tad more flat matte than this DuraClear Ultra Matte.  Yet, for artists who do not want to mix something up, I think this will be a good flexible varnish that can be used straight from the bottle and looks matte. 

If the leg takes on more sheen in the days ahead I will let you all know but for now I am keeping my fingers crossed! 

Happy dolly painting! 

UPDATE 7:54 am 8/16/17   The sealer still looks matte. 😄