I hear ya! It depends on how much you really want it. I started with air dry, having never painted anything. It’s extremely hard for me and also time consuming because i am the type that has to research everything, try several, do a couple, don’t like it, toss aside, start again. I always find something wrong with what I do. Then i see what is posted on eBay and i feel like Picasso! Ok that’s a stretch, but maybe you have very high standards of yourself like many of us… Or maybe they are a little unrealistic? Try not to compare yourself to others. Some post pics on there of their first doll and it looks like it’s museum quality. Only to learn way after the fact they are professional artists (It happens) what air dry are you using? Maybe switch to one that maybe be more user friendly. I wouldn’t get caught up on mixing paints up yourself. I find that very frustrating for someone who is already frustrated. Paint a test piece. Just do a skin tone. Focus one one thing at a time. Do a smooth tone. Then try a mottle, then try creasing, shading etc. If you focus on all the steps at once it’s overwhelming. Then when you feel semi confident, put it together. Keep it simple and don’t expect miracles. Just keep doing that and you’ll eventually get there. Boy, I think I need to listen to my own advice, I have five dolls I need to finish! 
Thank you ! I just get so frustrated with it really. veins I find especially hard as the paint gets darker around the edges of the veins so just looks like I have painted them on or starts beading its really annoying I may try and do a test peice to see how If I can get my skills better.
I may try genesis in the future. My airdry paints have stained my dolls kit so I dont know what I can do really if I should start again on another or just take a break.
Can you not remove the paint using nail tip remover/acetone?
A good tip I learned was to always do a flesh coat before anything else such as mottling, veining etc. Reason being red/blue etc stain the vinyl more. Adding flesh first means you always have a base coat and are not directly applying blue or red to bare vinyl.
Not sure if this will still apply for air dry, although I don’t see why not as it still means your red etc is not getting a chance to stain the bare vinyl.
I have tryed with plain acetone but it ends up making the kit shiny and still stained so I dont want to do that again from what I have heard nail polish remover doesn’t do anything yeah I dont know what do do really
I have looked at Ultimate Fusion pts on Dolls by Sandie and there’s several kits. There’s a beginner’s kit would that be good to buy for me to get to start doing reborn kits
I wanted to share for a moment, I discovered reborning around 2011 as a kid, desperately wanted one but knew my family could never afford one and I would never ask! So I found a berenger doll at a thrift store and was on my way, back then dolls were still being painted from the inside, I was using cheap craft paint as they were for myself. This is baby #1 n (she lost her arms sometime in the last ten years oops!)
After that I progressed to buying a kit, and baby #2 didnt turn out that bad! Though I do think that gloss may be nail polish I know it was on the first!
But oh lord none of the babies following were pretty, I’ve faded in and out of reborning and painting, though I think I’m finally ready to take this on and paint and sell babies, I have stripped my 10 or so kits each probably five or six times atleast, here are two of the few kits with paint intact from around 2016
For Christmas 2019 I splurged and bought paints that I love (though around 2015 I had switched from craft paints to artist grade paints) I have painted kits countless of times, thought I liked them, started the rooting process, and then hated them! And thus the cycle would continue, I didn’t reborn from 2017- December 2019, but in 2019 I was able to paint a not half bad (though she’ll be getting stripped) AA baby.
This week though I purchased a Levi kit and started working on her, and this is where I’m at so far!
she’s a long ways from being done, but gosh am I incredibly in love with this little girl! So my advice as an air dry artist would be, when you start getting frustrated, pack things up for a week, or a few days, or a few months or even years, buy some Windsor and Newton brush cleaner, read lots, absorb information, high quality materials can make all the difference, and if you love the idea of doing this, then just take breaks, strip all you need to, and know it’s going to take time, and that’s okay this is an art form of patience. if you take time away and after a few months don’t feel called back to it, then sell what you have, that’s alright to. But I really recommend not completely giving up, because this can be such a rewarding art form!
Thank you ever so much for your time and consideration in your post I really appreciate it want to thank everyone else that has posted also. That might be an idea I should consider as I’m not my best self at the moment I think I’m going to try what you said about putting things away and coming back to it at a later date when I feel better.
Putting it away can be really helpful, because I don’t know about you, but when I get frustrated I tend to over analyze every detail of the art I’m creating. Give yourself a break! But also consider sticking around the forum! I learned a lot just by watching others create here on the forum! Like what types of coloring I do and don’t like!
Don’t give up! 
It’s hard to get started and even harder finding your own style. I’ve stripped my kit at least half a dozen times. Stock up on test limbs. They are your best friend while learning your own unique style. I’m still trying to figure out my style. You will get there I promise you!
Don’t use acetone to strip, as you can tell it can leave your kit shiney/not the same color as it was.
Use Windsor and Newton brush cleaner
I would suggest wiping it down with alcohol and putting a sealer on it. Then start repainting. If it looks orange, you would do thin layers of blue.
Genesis are MUCH EASIER to work with and are very forgiving. Until you are satisfied with a layer of paint you don’t have to ‘bake’ that layer on. It is easily removable until it is baked. Very easy to apply thin layers, I think you would do better with GHSP. Buy a starter set and work from them going forward. There is definitely a cost associated with this hobby and it only gets worse because you will become addicted first and then you will become a “Kit Hoarder”!! Hahahaha----but seriously if you want to become a reborner I would definitely switch to Genesis now rather than later. You will be much happier. There are many people who try air dry paint after they have been a Genesis user and they just cannot get the hang of it----it is much more difficult. Believe me, I have used both and am still learning to work with the air dry paint, I use RebornFX and some BabyFX that is no longer made. I also have small amounts of other paint.
10 years for me
Good morning,
I am not very “good” at painting my dolls. I only make dolls for myself, so I don’t have to please anyone else (or even show anyone else!).
I go in phases when I really enjoy the painting part, and other times when I’m not very confident or motivated to paint. I enjoy the dolls that I have, even if they aren’t great. I enjoy this hobby immensely and I Could look at and appreciate and admire others’ artwork and dolls and photography of their dolls all day (if I could!)
I have only ever used reborn fx air dry paint, and I am improving (but V.E.R.Y. Slowly). I am in total awe and amazement that we all start out with essentially the same pieces and that some artist can create the Most Beautiful Dolls!
I am not in that group, and that is ok for me it is still fun to give it my best try 
Another thing to think about, there are alot of people who want to try reborning but don’t or haven’t yet…your already one step ahead because you are trying…and that’s the most you can ask for.
Everyone starts as a beginner, some better then others but that’s what makes these babies so unique just like each artist.
Keep going, practice and just have fun with it.
You might want to try powders for veins. I have recently started using Coastal Scents along with my Panpastels, the blue from the Coastal Scents works really well for veins because you can drag it easier than the chalks or Pan’s. Thats one area Ive always struggled with as well and Im really happy how the powders look. Sue Ellen’s patreon (liveeffects) is really good for learning how to use the powders and she also teaches the primary method of painting with the Ultimate Fusion paints. I dont use the primary method because Ive already figured out how to paint…I also dont mix paints btw…I use the straight colours…Golden fluid.
Hi ladies, I am also a newbee. I’ve already stripped two dolls. What I realized is that I’m right where I should be with learning. I love this art and yes I want to be one of the best. What I do see in my mistakes are the small steps I need to make mine and perfect. I see how I never learned or understood color. God I still don’t. Lol. I’m so lost but learning. I put eyes on my kit so it felt more personal. I’m trying to understand , how to get rooting tools. Which do I get ? I see gorgeous art work on these dolls, and I just feel I can do this. I am learning that every minute detail adds to the beauty. So for now, it’s loads of patience. I hope I can bug you ladies occasionally. For now, I’m gonna keep up with my doll and try to purrrfect the baby lip coloring. If you think I need a technique please tell me. Thanks.