From a buyers perspective, is there a point of adding too many details on a reborn? As an artist, I’d love to be able to learn new things, and keep growing and challenging myself. However, does adding things like milia and dry skin pigeonhole you in to only appealing to a select group of buyers? For those of you who have been doing this for years, I"d appreciate any feedback on this. For myself personally, I’d love my babies to have as much realism as possible. Where is that fine line?
2 Likes
I personally like all the extra detailing. Gives them that extra touch of realisim and really makes them stand out from your ordinary play doll.
4 Likes
I love it all!
3 Likes
I think it depends on the sculpt/age that would determine the detailing.
I have never done the dry skin look…I’m always afraid of the durability factor.
But things like millia, capillaries etc. I do, but again it depends on the scupt and the look I’m going for.
3 Likes
It definitely needs to be age appropriate and done well. I’ve seen milia on older babies which doesn’t look right, also milia which looks like dots on dice, also does not look right. In those cases, no thanks.
On the babies that I paint, I add little bits here and there. On the hand, wrist, eyelids, ear, temple, wherever the mood strikes. Tiny bits of milia, maybe on the side of the nose where it meets the face, maybe corner of the eye… this would be done with the tip of a needle in an off-white color, perhaps under a layer or two of paint. These tiny little things that my camera doesn’t even halfway pick up are the things that my customers write back about the most.
As a collector I also love the little details, but I have to say that I like pretty babies. I know new babies aren’t perfect. Artists sometimes like to paint the pimples they sometimes have. Though I can appreciate what it takes to make them look 3D, I prefer my babies to be without a lot of this kind of stuff on their faces.
5 Likes
Thank you for your perspective as an artist and a collector @DollyPardon . Newly born babies aren’t “perfectly” beautiful, but newborn beautiful, and they have all kinds of perfect little flaws. If they sculpted kits to be extremely realistic instead of beautiful, the newborns would have nearly flat noses with a cone head Lol! And although that is completely realistic, it’s not as beautiful as the unflawed kits on the market. My biggest concern is spending all of the extra time on some of those details and no being able to sell them because they only appeal to a small audience.
2 Likes
I agree!
Absolutely! There are certain characteristics that would be definitely be age appropriate.
1 Like
Not only is age a factor, but the consideration of is this skin condition going to become an overwhelming thought to the viewer and be detracting?
Sure, babies aren’t flawless and a tiny amount of milia might add to the realism. Too much and one might start to wonder if it’s a problem that’s going to clear up.
Personally, dry, peeling skin or cradle cap would be a negative distraction from the beauty of a reborn rather than desirable.
2 Likes