IF YOU LIVE IN GA AND WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A CLASS
For some time now I have been planning to start teaching local reborn doll painting classes using air dry paints. I would like to set up a class later this summer or early fall if we have enough participants. Costs to take my class would be based on the cost of supplies & space rental as well as how many people we have in the class. Keep in mind that reborn supplies alone can constitute a significant cost. If you are seriously interested in taking a class from me, please email lildumplins@gmail.com. It would be held in the Athens, GA area and you would be responsible for your own lodging if needed. We do have a nice Marriot Courtyard here nearby.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Answering some of your questions about RebornFX Air Dry Paints
As someone whe has been trying the RebornFX paints, I will share my experiences with the paints so far.
The biggest thing you will notice with these paints is that you do get some sheen as you paint with them due to the binders added to the paints. However, using the Matting Liquid either mixed in with the paints or applied as a pounced on layer ever so often helps immensely to knock the sheen down so that you can better judge how your skin tones are looking.
I found that using too much water with the premixed paints can cause the blushing colors and blues to lighten some over the course of 2-3 weeks. Using damp sponges, adding 2-3 drops water to mixes is fine but much more water than that and you may see some color lightening as it cures. The best thing to use to thin the paints is to use their Diluent and Open Time & Matting Liquid if you need those. If you do add any water, just adding one drop of the Emulsion will help to offset that in terms of adhesion. However, keep in mind the Emulsion can increase the sheen a bit. I have also found the Jo Sonjas retarder medium works well with these paints if you like to use it.
Their primer can leave a slightly sticky finish behind but as you paint it that gets better. It sorta depends on the vinyl. It does not do it on all of them. Applying a layer of the RebornFX Matting Liquid along the way seems to take away any stickiness for me. However, I am told that their primer does not work well at all on the very soft Dolldreams vinyl that are like silicone and goes very sticky. The person who contacted me with that issue asked me what I suggested and I said to try priming it with the Golden Fluid Matte Medium. She did and reported that it works very well. In fact, you can use the Golden Fluid Matting Medium to prime all your kits if you wish. I like it a lot.
Sealing: I REALLY like the RebornFX Sealer for 2 things. It is great to seal powders and can be thinned with a little water and put in a spray bottle for this if you wish. I just pounce it on straight with a wedge. The new formula is more matte and helps to reduce sheen as well. I bought the 4oz bottle of it as I use it a lot. It is meant to be applied before you use a varnish. They also say if you do not wish to use a varnish you can just apply 2 layers of this. I personally recommend some type of varnish so I have not tried using this alone. I apply Genesis Heat Set varnish over this after a couple days cure time and everything heat sets very well for me.
2 in 1 Sealer - this is their newest sealer that is meant to replace the 2 step process of their regular Sealer plus varnish. Honestly, I use their regular sealer after painting no matter what kind of final sealer I plan to end with because I find the matting properties of the regular sealer works well for me. Therefore, you CAN apply the 2 in 1 sealer over the regular Sealer. The 2 in 1 Sealer is not totally matte. It is not as much sheen as most air dry varnishes but it is very dewy. They recommend applying a layer of matting liquid over it when it dries if you want it more matted. I have not tried this yet because so far I have used the 2 in 1 sealer on hair only where I wanted a little sheen. I use Genesis for my varnish. I also find that the 2 in 1 sealer goes over the Genesis very well if I choose to paint hair after I have Genesis sealed my baby.
I tried using the 2 in 1 sealer as a primer and did not work well for me. I found the paints were not curing properly over the top of it and ended up stripping the baby. Not sure why unless it forms such a shield that it does not allow any moisture trapped between it and the paints to escape but it did not work. (When using it as a final sealer we would have allowed the paints to cure long enough that moisture has all escaped before sealing.) Use the RebornFX Primer or Golden Fluid Matte Medium I recommended as primer.
Here are some photos of nakie babies painted completely or predominently with RebornFX by me so that you can see the coloring well.
The biggest thing you will notice with these paints is that you do get some sheen as you paint with them due to the binders added to the paints. However, using the Matting Liquid either mixed in with the paints or applied as a pounced on layer ever so often helps immensely to knock the sheen down so that you can better judge how your skin tones are looking.
I found that using too much water with the premixed paints can cause the blushing colors and blues to lighten some over the course of 2-3 weeks. Using damp sponges, adding 2-3 drops water to mixes is fine but much more water than that and you may see some color lightening as it cures. The best thing to use to thin the paints is to use their Diluent and Open Time & Matting Liquid if you need those. If you do add any water, just adding one drop of the Emulsion will help to offset that in terms of adhesion. However, keep in mind the Emulsion can increase the sheen a bit. I have also found the Jo Sonjas retarder medium works well with these paints if you like to use it.
Their primer can leave a slightly sticky finish behind but as you paint it that gets better. It sorta depends on the vinyl. It does not do it on all of them. Applying a layer of the RebornFX Matting Liquid along the way seems to take away any stickiness for me. However, I am told that their primer does not work well at all on the very soft Dolldreams vinyl that are like silicone and goes very sticky. The person who contacted me with that issue asked me what I suggested and I said to try priming it with the Golden Fluid Matte Medium. She did and reported that it works very well. In fact, you can use the Golden Fluid Matting Medium to prime all your kits if you wish. I like it a lot.
Sealing: I REALLY like the RebornFX Sealer for 2 things. It is great to seal powders and can be thinned with a little water and put in a spray bottle for this if you wish. I just pounce it on straight with a wedge. The new formula is more matte and helps to reduce sheen as well. I bought the 4oz bottle of it as I use it a lot. It is meant to be applied before you use a varnish. They also say if you do not wish to use a varnish you can just apply 2 layers of this. I personally recommend some type of varnish so I have not tried using this alone. I apply Genesis Heat Set varnish over this after a couple days cure time and everything heat sets very well for me.
2 in 1 Sealer - this is their newest sealer that is meant to replace the 2 step process of their regular Sealer plus varnish. Honestly, I use their regular sealer after painting no matter what kind of final sealer I plan to end with because I find the matting properties of the regular sealer works well for me. Therefore, you CAN apply the 2 in 1 sealer over the regular Sealer. The 2 in 1 Sealer is not totally matte. It is not as much sheen as most air dry varnishes but it is very dewy. They recommend applying a layer of matting liquid over it when it dries if you want it more matted. I have not tried this yet because so far I have used the 2 in 1 sealer on hair only where I wanted a little sheen. I use Genesis for my varnish. I also find that the 2 in 1 sealer goes over the Genesis very well if I choose to paint hair after I have Genesis sealed my baby.
I tried using the 2 in 1 sealer as a primer and did not work well for me. I found the paints were not curing properly over the top of it and ended up stripping the baby. Not sure why unless it forms such a shield that it does not allow any moisture trapped between it and the paints to escape but it did not work. (When using it as a final sealer we would have allowed the paints to cure long enough that moisture has all escaped before sealing.) Use the RebornFX Primer or Golden Fluid Matte Medium I recommended as primer.
Here are some photos of nakie babies painted completely or predominently with RebornFX by me so that you can see the coloring well.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Working on Owen Frances kit with more matted version of RebornFX products
Here is Owen Frances - Now Frances, in progress using the primaries method to start. My baby is painted with RebornFX paints in their newer version that are more matted. So far she only has 2 layers red, yellow ochre & blue mottled on her, blue veins and a layer of Pink Flesh skin tone (a RebornFX color I really like a lot). Obviously she is lacking depth right now as creases will come next. Once I have done that I will apply some warming color, maybe another blending color and a final blushing on palms/soles, cheeks etc.
I had to apply a layer of matting fluid after this to reduce sheen. I can tell the new products are more matte but I think the fact that she started out with so much sheen from the primer I had used on her it was an uphill battle all the way. I am of the notion that if you start out with a shiny base, the RebornFX paints have a hard time overcoming it.
Today I also primed a Levi kit using the RebornFX 2 in 1 sealer as a primer. I will be curious to see if the Levi does better about not taking on sheen while being painted. He is not nearly as shiny being primed with the 2 in 1 sealer nor does he feel tacky.
For the paint layers on Frances, I mixed the new more matted formula RebornFX paints with the more matted Emulsion and RebornFX Diluent I had left from my initial paints set. No water this time other than dampening the sponges. I kept a damp sponge on hand to blot any excess color deposit. I did not even use any Open Time in the mixes until the Pink Flesh layer. I have to say for that layer I forgot and just grabbled my JO Sonjas Retarder and added it to the mix quickly because it was drying a bit pasty looking for me and it worked fine after I added that. The Retarder seems to help the flesh tone not to dry pasty looking and gives more working time so I could pounce it out more. Open Time would probably have worked as well but I forgot I had gotten in some newer version of that too.
Anyways, here is baby so far
I had to apply a layer of matting fluid after this to reduce sheen. I can tell the new products are more matte but I think the fact that she started out with so much sheen from the primer I had used on her it was an uphill battle all the way. I am of the notion that if you start out with a shiny base, the RebornFX paints have a hard time overcoming it.
Today I also primed a Levi kit using the RebornFX 2 in 1 sealer as a primer. I will be curious to see if the Levi does better about not taking on sheen while being painted. He is not nearly as shiny being primed with the 2 in 1 sealer nor does he feel tacky.
For the paint layers on Frances, I mixed the new more matted formula RebornFX paints with the more matted Emulsion and RebornFX Diluent I had left from my initial paints set. No water this time other than dampening the sponges. I kept a damp sponge on hand to blot any excess color deposit. I did not even use any Open Time in the mixes until the Pink Flesh layer. I have to say for that layer I forgot and just grabbled my JO Sonjas Retarder and added it to the mix quickly because it was drying a bit pasty looking for me and it worked fine after I added that. The Retarder seems to help the flesh tone not to dry pasty looking and gives more working time so I could pounce it out more. Open Time would probably have worked as well but I forgot I had gotten in some newer version of that too.
Anyways, here is baby so far
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