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mactopolis · Senior Member

How many layers of paint and steps taken to finishing the baby?

Tina W. · Guru

RE: How many layers of paint?

jburle · Senior Member

RE: How many layers of paint and steps taken to finishing the baby?

Play Days Dolls · Guru

I normally use the time when I can work on my own dolls for trying new ideas, but I teach a basic method that consists of fail-proof steps in my beginning class.

The interior purple wash color is more periwinkle blue than purple. If the vinyl is not translucent, an interior purple wash is a waste of time. If you do the interior wash, it ought to be done first for obvious reasons.

Next is usually either veining or the first flesh layer. Sometimes I reverse these. I tell my students that it is much harder to get rid of mistakes if the veining is applied before the first flesh layer. If you apply the veins after the first flesh layer, the paint doesn't seep into the vinyl as much.

After veins and the first flesh coat, I do many other coats in no particular order. Some of them are a combination of 2 or more flesh colors, blushing, blue tones, creasing, lips, nails, etc.

If I use AR paints, I make doubly sure that the layers are applied as thinly as possible. Because the AR paints are pre-thinned, they seem to accumulate a build-up faster than paints that are thinned with odorless paint thinner. I can get the consistency more watery which means more layers are possible without the build-up.

I do the micro-rooting when I am completely finished with the painting as I do not want to expose the mohair to the oven heat.

If using synthetic eyelashes, they will not tolerate the oven heat so those are one of the last steps. If I'm rooting the eyelashes, I do this at the time I root the head.

Sometimes I get the doll completely finished and still don't know whether it's a girl or a boy so I ask the family or friends for their opinion.

Linda

mactopolis · Senior Member

Play Days Dolls

After veins and the first flesh coat, I do many other coats in no particular order. Some of them are a combination of 2 or more flesh colors, blushing, blue tones, creasing, lips, nails, etc.

QUESTION WHAT IS BLUE TONES?
This is something I don't understand...

As far as knowing what the baby is going to be...boy or girl...it's really in the sculpt I buy..some sculpts are really not meant to be boys and some are not meant to be girls..I prefer to make girls..and if I needed to make a boy then I would not look to buy a pretty faced sculpt kit,but an handsome faced sculpt kit,and vice-versa if I wished to make a girl..there are kits with feminine features that will always make for a pretty girl and vice-versa...
I hope you ladies understand what I refer to...it should not seem to be a guessing matter for me or I'm lost and have to hold back the passion..thinking oh is this going to look like a girl or boy?..my decison always lays in the kits I buy

-- Edited by mactopolis on Monday 26th of July 2010 02:04:49 AM

Play Days Dolls · Guru

Bluish tones...

To preface: I usually dot the color or randomly apply it on my doll after the initial flesh layer(s). This is what makes up the skin color variation or mottling.

Sometimes I just make an almost transparent stain of bluish colors that range in hue from teal to bluish violet. This is mostly paint thinner--either Genesis or odorless paint thinner--that has been barely touched by the bluish color on my brush. The color should be almost clear with a slight tint.

Sometimes I dot a bluish color on my doll--especially in the creases where the interior wash might have shown up if I had done that step.

Other times, I may add a touch of this color to a custom flesh color that I mixed. I just dot it on with a sponge or berrymaker type tool. I've been known to use swabs for this, too. One rule I try to follow is to do a "cool" color layer followed by a warmer color layer.

I understand what you are saying about the sculpt being meant to be a boy or a girl. I think a sculpt with a girl's name usually has more delicate features. You can't go wrong making a girl sculpt a girl baby doll. However, there are some dolls that seem to go either way after they are painted or rooted.

Linda

mactopolis · Senior Member

Linda,I really like that idea with the bluish tones...and it's not always too late to add them in I would guess(very lightly)

I did'nt quite understand the term mottling and thought only with the sea sponge and the reddish colour

Tina W. · Guru

No It's not too late to add bluish undertones. I added them around the eye's, under the knees and a tad on the soles and palms If there is any indent on the temples of the sculpt I added it there as well. Now it my baby is a bit bigger (older) then I added a bit of purplish blue undertones in those areas.

Play Days Dolls · Guru

Yes, I agree with Tina. As long as you are still painting your doll, it's not too late to add the bluish undertones. I hope you like the result!

Linda

mactopolis · Senior Member

Thank you so much for your guidlines..I will add them to my methods...eventually my reborns are going to have more realism

Buffington · Guru

I, like Linda, also teach with a fool-proof method and I used this for myself when I started out. Like many long-time reborners, there have been many changes and advancements for me. I sometimes do 10-15 layers and on others I might do as many as 24 layers. Depends on the doll, what it's made of, what effect I'm looking for, etc...

As far as the veins, I either add them after the first base layer or before I begin any painting. The perwinkle I always add as the very first thing cause it takes 2 minutes longer to bake and I don't want to possibly have any get on the outside of my doll after painting it. But some do it at any point in time before they are finished. I do not that it's not good to add once you have rooted! You will end up with blue coming out the rooting holes! Ask me how I know that one (hehehe).

Rooting is always done last (except if I'm gluing lashes on an open-eyed baby). If I'm making any dolls other than Secrist/AV or the German vinyl (DD) I don't ever do an inside wash, just a little here and there on the outside but very lightly. Those I will add before the last 3 layers from finishing.