Silicone Painting in Quarantine?

From this topic:
http://discourse.bountifulbaby.com/t/silicone-kits-and-painting/52732?u=sydster

Ok, let’s revive this topic.
With quarantine, I’m oddly needing a baby fix. And I’m also wanting to try painting silicone. I’m only 21 (22 on April 2) so I’m not ready for a baby yet, and there aren’t any in my household. So, painting silicone it is!

Susan Gibbs is hosting a live stream on FaceBook for students throughout the month of April and in June (includes paints, kit, supplies, and a bassinet made by her). However, I’ve been laid off and don’t think I will be able to afford the class - I’m waiting to hear back from a potential employer. :pray:

Anyhow, I have read a bit more. It appears that you can use GHSP to add pigment to the clear silicone mixture. For example, you’re given Part A and Part B, both arrive clear. You must mix equal parts A & B when painting the silicone in order for it to stick to the kit. To add color to the mixture, you supposedly can use GHSP, as long as you have the silicone mixture done correctly. However, I’m not sure if you would still need to heat up the silicone to the same temperature… And I’m definitely not risking it melting in the oven. I do have some test pieces so I may just go ahead and try it on one of the limbs I have and update as to how it goes. I still have to grab up a heat gun from the local hardware store (Still open thank goodness)

Thoughts? Goal is to keep updating this post with progress/ findings/etc.

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Following

I think it could work but my concerns would be either the silicone not curing, paint not mixing with the silicone or if it mixed well and cured, if there were any heat set paint on the outside it would just rub off because it is not set. But I really have no clue! I’m new to silicone :slight_smile:

You cannot use GHSP to paint a silicone. You must use silicone paints. These are not expensive, but come only in basic colors, which you blend to make any color you want. The brand I purchased is called “Silc Pig” paints. MacPherson Craft’s also sells silicone paints.
You mix this paint with parts A and B.

Laurie

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We will see! I have both sets of paints and PLENTY of test pieces!

Me too! Which is why I want to try it. I got a great deal on a bunch of silicone pieces (literally a box full of arms and legs lol) and the curious scientist in me wants to test different ways of painting. :slight_smile:

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You can’t use GHSP on silicone. You have to use special silicone paints. MacPherson’s has them and smooth-on.com has them. That’s great you got a bunch of practice parts.

From what I understand you paint silicone with colored silicone, nothing else adheres.

Silc pig is one

I’ve never painted it and am not an expert by any means but I researched making my own silicones before I found bountiful baby

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You actually can use ghsp to pigment the silicone to paint on, but it’s not recommended especially for a full body sculpt because you’d have to heat it up in, most likely, the household oven.
I’d recommend SAM silicone pigments for painting, I used them on my first (and only) silicone painting experience and I found it really easy to use and mix any colours that I wanted.

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Do you have a picture of it?

Of what?

Here is my input.
I have always used Psycho paints part A and B and Silc pigments.
If you already have those, then use them as you have no reason to even consider the Genesis.

I have read it said in the past that some have used the Genesis to paint their silicones. I have not tried it personally. You CAN heat silicone in the oven. It will not melt. I often heat set my silicone a little while when I am painting on very damp days here in GA. I have a designated small convection oven I set up on my screen porch for heat setting Genesis or silicone.

Anyways, this is my concern about heat setting Genesis in silicone. Genesis has to be set to 265 degrees for 8 mins to fully cure. Silicone can withstand that temperature fine but if you over heat the silicone paint you will get an outside cure or skinning of the paint and possibly risk the inside of the paint skin not curing properly. Silicone is an air dry product with similarities to air dry acrylics in how it cures. It is similar in that it first cures to the touch which is called skinning and then the “inside” or under layers of the paint has to cure over a period of time. So when you are heat setting silicone, you only want to heat set it to the point that it is not tacky for handling. This may or may not be enough to heat set the Genesis paint mixed within. If the paint is not cured properly, it will peel over time.

I also have researched my paints before investing so much money into silicone art and from everything I have read, Psycho Paints and Silc Pigments are THE BEST paints to use.

When you are going to paint a silicone baby, I’ve read that you have to wear gloves so you don’t get oil from your hands on the silicone which can affect the paint from sticking. So, I would imagine that Genesis, which is a oil based paint would not work well with silicone. With the higher cost of silicone kits, I wouldn’t want to chance the paint not sticking.

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The first silicone you painted.

This is the first (and only) silicone I painted, I’d love to paint more eventually but blank kits alone are sooo expensive

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That baby’s awesome. You did a fantastic job. I’d love to own a silicone but that’s probably not going to happen in this lifetime.

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That’s the FIRST one you painted?!

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For everyone on this thread. I’m only testing techniques on parts…arms and legs. Nothing is being wasted.

I might join you in trying silicone again during the quarantine! I worked with it when I was seventeen or so, sculpting, casting, and pouring as a personal project. I only tried painting twice (and only one of those attempts was a baby sculpt) since supplies were so expensive. I ended up going off to college before I could do a “real” attempt at a baby… I only ever put a few layers on a test pour, and that one wasn’t de-gassed enough, so it had lots of bubbles :joy:

Here’s my painting attempt on a non-human sculpt, a Boston Terrier for a friend who was headed to Boston University.

The baby head had enough little bubbles that the painted version was a little disturbing. But I did a few layers and LOVED the experience. I definitely preferred the feel compared to the few vinyl reborns I painted. Here’s the blank…

(And a few other examples, for fun!)

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He’s the first silicone thing I ever painted, I hadn’t even experimented with silicone painting, so he’s definitely not perfect, which is why I don’t have any close up photos :rofl: