Honestly, now that have a patio (so I could bake outside) I’ve considered trying heat set because of the advantages, but I’ve already invested so much into air dry I’m stubborn and determined to figure it out for me lol. My newest adventure is combining UF with Derwent InkTense Pencils, which are like gauche, but again idk how they will hold up either.
I’ve had skin reactions to just touching blank unbaked vinyl, my skin has items own weird issues. I took a break from touching reborns hardly at all for a few years and my allergies got worse, now I’m seeing multiple specialists. I’m worried to upset my body with a whole new set up if I try Genesis.
I’m so grateful that the reborn artist community is collaboratives and shares so much with each other. There’s always more to try and I love you all for that!
Well, like I said, a well lasting air dry painted baby can be accomplished. Just not in my experience using just water, not priming and not sealing with UV protective sealers. It takes more work and patience than just mixing some paint with water and painting it on. There are plenty of ladies here who do wonderful babies with air dry paints. I find I just love painting with heat set more. Baking does not bother me in terms of wait time because I know it is set once baked. I bake on my screen porch in a NuWave.
Everyone has to find their own love. I don’t blame you one bit for not changing with all your allergy issues. There are more likely allergies associated with oil based products than air dry. So that is a huge issue for many.
Wow…I didn’t know there was such a problem with UF fading…I took the makers’ word for it that they were so great…also because they are expensive. Thankfully red is one of the colors I switched a long time ago (to GFA)
I don’t keep many of my dolls, and the ones I have I don’t see that there is any fading, so I truly thought they must be fine. Glad to know more. Makes me rethink the reason my sales are low. I know collectors generally like heat set better anyways, but I can see why they would not want to purchase a doll solely painted with UF.
Not every doll has issues with the fading like Michelle said. I have not used their paints since they changed the red formula. Hopefully it is better now. I will tell you as an artist I did experience some condemnation with using air dry paints when I did. There was a period of time when more air dry painted babies were fading than not and so it got a bad reputation. I even had a lady at one of the doll shows several years ago berate me and tell me how her dolls were better because they were painted with Genesis and would never fade. I did LOTS of research on my own, called companies and talked to them and experimented with all sorts of products. I did end up making very stable babies for a good period of time but like I said there were things I found necessary for me to get the results I wanted. Once the matte formulas started changing based on unavailable ingredients, the air dry matte products all got more sheen and it became even harder to matte down all the mediums I was using. That was what prompted me to investigate going back to Genesis and finding an alternative solvent. Then just as I got switched back, Genesis went out of distribution! LOL!
I know this sounds mean to bring up, but my confidence went down after the creator died. (Edit to say apparently it was unexpected, and she was working on the red fade thing prior do her death. RIP.) I don’t think she died because of UF… idk how she died, but she is dead and her name and contact info is still all over the website. I’m sorry that sounds harsh, I hold no ill-will against Lisa or to her family, she seemed WONDERFUL and her legacy is fantastic, but I’m frustrated with whoever is in charge now. I’ve been told that there is a dedicated employee leading the company now, it’s still going strong etc but I wish they would do something to address everything and let us know who is in charge now.
Aww that’s really sad idk anything about the people that made the paints. I don’t blame anyone, because like a lot of things, you might not really learn how something holds up until it’s been out for a while. As far as I know, the dolls I’ve sold to people I’m still in contact with look good.
But that’s so sad to know she passed away…
Since I’m not on fb I don’t know a lot of stuff that’s said about these products or their makers.
Well I honestly had no idea of this! I have not followed those paints since I went back to Genesis or even after I tried them really. So I did not know! I always personally believed they were just a reformulation of her first paint line which was Miracle Blend. I never really understood what the difference was between the 2 other than the UF seems a little more translucent. Honestly, IMO UF is very much like Jo Sonjas with some glaze medium mixed in it. I am not saying it is those paints, but it totally would not surprise me to find out that they might be made by the same manufacturer. Jo Sonjas has been widely used in AU for years on reborn dolls. Jo Sonjas is the first artist grade air dry paint I really dove into. This was around 2010. I used them for a few years and like everyone else was just thinning them with water and then sealing the babies with Genesis Matte Varnish. I made wonderfully translucent babies. Later we started learning those babies were fading 1-2 years out. It was after using the Jo Sonjas for 2-3 years I went back to Genesis for a while and started having allergy issues with odorless mineral spirits. I tried all sorts of brands and after a little over a year of painting had to give that up. So sometimes around 2015-16 I got back into experimenting with air dry paints and tried brands like WaterBourne paints and DollDreams paints. I eventually wound up on Melissa George’s BabyFX line of paints. I loved those and they did not fade on me but I was using my own mediums along with them and priming my kits etc. because I had learned a lot along the way. Some time during that time I remember Miracle Blend came out and it was popular for several years til she came out with her UF line. Then she faded out her Miracle Blend line. I tried the Miracle Blend and they were ok but I like BabyFX better. Then when UF came out I tried those. As BabyFX went away then RebornFX came out and that was the line I used and taught classes from for 2-3 years. They are good paints as long as you don’t thin them down with a lot of water. I eventually moved over to mixing my own paints with Golden Fluid Paints and some Liquitex Acrylic Gouache paints along with my favorite mediums. I developed my own color schemes sticking more to primary color families and little to no white in any color mixes. That brings me up to 2021 when I started moving back to using Genesis.
I have not researched this myself, but an acrylic/colored pencil artist I follow uses the inktense in her canvas art. She said they are not lightfast and will fade over time. So, she does not use them in any originals she sells, rather she makes digital prints and sells them.
Thank you! I’ve seen the company’s lightfast rating chart and like all reds, the red is the worst. I’m hoping I can lock it in with a UVL top coat but I’m experimenting
I use air dry paints and I always use a primer regardless of what brand it is. With Ultimate Fusion, I usually just add water and made some blend flow or anti-bead. So far, I haven’t notice ed any fading but that may change (only time will tell.) Otherwise, I usually use Golden, Rebornfx or Waterborne. I have also got some bottles of Josonja’s to try. I made my own mix of Flesh 08/Light flesh with the Josonja’s. One thing I have noticed with both Josonjas and Waterborne is it seems over time even when closing the bottles, the paints seem to thicken up. Has anyone else had that happen?
Golden fluid paints seem to be very pigmented so they take a little more water and medium to thin. One of the problems I was having when I first started was getting the Golden paints thin enough for washes. Now, I am able to with flow medium, matte medium and water. I use Sue Ellen’s tilt method. I still seem to struggle with how concentrated to do the mottling. I do wonder if the Rebornfx paints are Golden paints but premixed and reformulated for the dolls? I’m not sure. I suspect this because I noticed a few of the colors of rebornfx I bought seemed very similar to my Golden fluid colors. Like the dark vein color for example. it looks just like Golden fluid Turquoise (Phthalo) color. I’m not sure for certain though.
This is just my experience with air dry paint so far.
Typically air dry paints made specifically for reborn dolls are one of 2 things: A seller who is mixing existing artist grade paints and mediums on the market making color combinations to make a “reborn doll” paint then packaging them under their own label. OR A specifically formulated reborn doll paint made for a seller’s label by a manufacturing company who already produces other brands of artist grade paints. In either case you will start to notice similarities.
I’ve always used air dry paints and not had a problem with dust or fading. I mix them with Liquitex Ultra Matte Gel and distilled water. I love them. No need to be afraid.
I think it’s fine as long as you add the necessary binders into paints like Golden. I’ll still continue to use air dry because of the simplicity and non toxic stuff to worry about.
I only paint dolls for myself as a hobby, but I have only ever used air dry - reborn fx & golden. I like the simplicity, no ovens or chemical fumes. If i can learn, surely Anyone can. I havent noticed any fading, but i tend to paint brown complexions mostly. Dont be scared, you will find what works for you!
idk anything about the people that made the paints. I don’t blame anyone, because like a lot of things, you might not really learn how something holds up until it’s been out for a while. As far as I know, the dolls I’ve sold to people I’m still in contact with look good.
