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LovesDolls · Guru

Starting to paint Guppy Fairy!

zona · Veteran Member

I have problems with the light flesh color paint. I don't care how thin I make it...It will look good so I put it aside to do another piece. I inspect everything before I put it in the oven and when I go back I see it is chalky. I don't know if it is a bad batch of paint or something like that. I do not have problems with the other flesh color. I also didn't have a problem when I used my teachers paints on my first doll. She has the larger size...I purchased the petite color set.

When I saw that it was a little chalky I went over it lightly with paint thinner on a cosmetic sponge. I baked it then proceeded with the next step. It appears to be fine and one I added my next flesh color.

I am just wondering if it is the paint because I have seen others on here mention the same thing. At first I thought I didn't thin it enough...the next time I did it real thin and it still had the chalky look.

Zweers · Veteran Member

Zona,..
It really has to do with just the right mixture of thinning medium thats add to the paint,..i have newborned allot of dollkits and still struggle sometimes with the right ammount of thinner and paints. Also i discoffered when my doll parts looks a little chalky they will turn out just fine after baking .

Danielle

-- Edited by Zweers at 01:59, 2008-06-10

LovesDolls · Guru

Usually mine look fine after baking. This last one is not. But s/he is a big baby! I think it is more noticeable on a large sculpt. I'm debating if I want to strip the limbs and do them over...

precious_lullabies · Guru

This question comes up all the time and almost exclusively when using the lighter flesh. Many ppl cite that its to do with the thickness of the paint however I refer you to the post I made on an early thread regarding "chalky baby" and hope it can help you........

~*~
from my experience it's the thinner brand that actually contributes most to this issue. I use Archival Oils odorless solvent, when Ive used other brands Ive had some issues with the lighter flesh tones going chalky, however I never have this problem with using Archival brand.

Sometimes I use VERY thick layers - I often start out with a "yogurt" like consistency of paint, Ill pounce this over all the vinyl surface, I don't like to leave the vinyl showing through my paint work as I feel this leaves a still very "plastic" look to the baby and detracts from the realism. No matter what the consistency of paint I use, with the Archival solvent I never have a problem with chalkiness, Ive only tried 2 other solvents but both these other brands would need great care taken to avoid going chalky. After my fist think covering, I use the paints allot thinner and build many translucent layers on each other to create a truly "livening skin" complexion.

SO my advice is to try and get the Archival solvent - but Im not sure if this is an international brand or not (Im in Australia) if not, then you may want to play around with a few different brands available where you are - I truly believe it is the thinner/solvent that is the primary cause of the "chalky baby"

~*~

Alternatively, going over the chalking layer with a thin "wash" using a mix of your darker flesh (07 or 06) should take out the chalk look. you can make this as thin as water with very little actual colour in it and it should still take away the chalk look without changing your colouring at all.

-- Edited by precious_lullabies at 14:01, 2008-06-10

TinyEarthAngels · Guru

I have to agree with you Naomi I also use Archival and i have not had a problem since i started using it no matter wether i do a thick or thin application i never get the chawky look now :)

LovesDolls · Guru

Are you also in Australia? I'm trying to find this thinner! In the meantime I'm going to do as Naomi suggests with the flesh wash. That is better than having to strip all my limbs!

precious_lullabies · Guru

much better than having to strip back to start over. i've only even stripped 2 dolls, one of them i think was a silicone/vinyl mix - the acetone damaged the vinyl and was beyond help, it ended up in the bin - the vinyl actually blistered!!

the other one was fine, but it was a nightmare! such messy and smelly work!!! others if i've messed it up in a real big way, i'll simply paint over everything with a really thick layer of 08 flesh till its literally all whited out and start over.

precious_lullabies · Guru

hey i just looked on my bottle and the Archival Oils brand is a sub-category of Chroma. Visit their website and you'll be able to find stockist etc.

http://www.chromaonline.com/

I did a search for stockist of Archival Oils in the USA, there are 15 stockest so you'll probably have to order online but here's the direct link to the stockist page
http://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/stockist/search?searchCountryID=208&searchStateID=-1&stockistType%5B%5D=-1&searchProductIDArray%5B%5D=2&Search=Search

**** hope this doesn't breach the no-advertising rules... but i don't work for Chroma or anything, its just a product i've found to work wonderfully with the genesis paints and for creating babies that are "chalk free" ****

-- Edited by precious_lullabies at 15:08, 2008-06-10

precious_lullabies · Guru

sorry another post...

i was just looking and there are a few archival oils mediums... the one i use is just the plain "Archival Odorless Solvent" i've never tried the other ones (lean, classic, fat etc).

LovesDolls · Guru

Thank you! I ended up finding where I could buy it online (I couldn't find a place to actually purchase it at the Chroma site (?)) At www.jerrysartarama.com There isn't one around me so I can order it online. From what I can tell there is only one other retailer in the US that sells it. The shipping is high (probably because of how it has to packed because of what it is).

precious_lullabies · Guru

solvents generally are not permitted to be snet by air and so have to be transported by truck which is probably why your postage is going to be higher - how anoying!! I'm lucky i can get it nearby.

did you try the "wash" layer??

oh i should also probably mention that with the archival slovent, the pieces don't dry off before cooking, they remain wet looking - i know other solvents and the secrist dvd shows to wait for the wet look to air dry before cooking, this doesn't happen with the Archival and is fine to put in oven as is.

LovesDolls · Guru

That is also helpful to know. (About it being wet looking).

I did do the wash. I think it looks better. LOL I should have held back one piece to compare. The only place it is bad is on one of the feet. I did add more blush to the face which helped, there.

I'll buy some of the Archival Thinner before I start painting again. I just have details to add to my last two. Eyebrows and nails. I paint 3 months a year (June, October, and February) and root in between.

Guppy is coming along nicely. I only did one layer of flesh before I did anything else. I'm keeping her pale and "ethereal" looking. I did one layer of lips each time I did a layer of paint. I also found that the layers work wonders on blushing. I just need to get those teeny-tiny nails done and eyebrows. I've run out of sunlight so I'll wait until tomorrow. Plus the solvent started giving me a headache...

precious_lullabies · Guru

I'm so lucky that i have the luxuary for reborning full-time. I had a few days in the last 3 or so week where i kept getting held up b/c of slower than usual deliverys and also waiting on payments as i had a number of babies on laybuy plans which meant i couldn't spend as much on sullpies.

I was truly lost without any baby work to do, it was awful... i'm stocked up pretty well right now though -- i have 5 sculpts that i'm yet to start on at all with about 3 to arrive next week. So i'll be busy for sometime yet!

I come and post on here when i'm waiting on pieces to cook or cool, literally i spend from approx 8am till 9-10pm each day working and i still can't get enough!!!

This "hobby" needs to come with a very high level warning of potenial to cause obsessive and addictive creativity!! LOL

I'd be devestated to only paint three months of the year. But then i don't work nor have real live children to chase after.

LovesDolls · Guru

The reason I have started painting when I'm off and rooting when I'm working is because I was going through serious withdrawal when I tried to do them to completion when I was off. So now I spread it out. I'm not selling them, mostly I make them for myself or as gifts (I sold one, and am making one for an auction).

precious_lullabies · Guru

If i wasn't selling i'd not have the money to make very many either... its an expensive art form.

Also if i were working or had my own real babies i'm sure i'd not get so many done.

LovesDolls · Guru

It is an expensive hobby -- another reason for me to do it like I do. I'm also still learning.