Ok ladies, I have been having some problems with fading paint so I was advised to seal my vinyl first, this is suppose to help with that. So I am working on the second baby that I have sealed first and it seems to be ok with the exception of: the paint grabs in some areas. Is this due to the unevenness of the sealer, maybe? I have problems getting the fingertips nice and smooth with the extra “pink” paint. It seems to be uneven and I don’t like that. Anyone else have this when they seal first?? Any suggestions about sealing first??
I’ve had that problem with fingers (especially the tips) and I have never sealed first. Only done flesh layers first. And still had trouble with the paint sticking and looking “uneven” I am not sure why… Maybe someone else knows…
I always seal with satin before I start painting and during the painting process, I add satin in with my colors as needed, or I might throw in a little matte if the vinyl seems especially resistant. I nearly always do a thin layer of matte on the toes and fingers, but I pounce the heck out of whatever sealer I use.
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I use GHSP and I put some matte in my initial flesh layers. It helps the paint grab and all subsequent layers have something to grab onto as well.
Thanks ladies, I appreciate the input. @kareninflorida why do you matte you fingers and toes (first, right?)?? and then the rest you do with Satin (first). I’ll have to give that a try. I was really disappointed to see the uneven color. Do you always sealer first and what was the reason you started doing this?? I actually prefer to paint on the plain vinyl but I have been noticing some of the dolls I did some time ago don’t seem to have much color left. Do your dolls fade out?? Or have you sold all of yours so you wouldn’t know?? I gotta admit, I don’t like putting all this work into something and having it disappear!! What makes you decide to put satin in your color?? How much do you mix in? This is just mixed into your regular color mixed with the Mona Lisa thinner right?
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I do satin before I start painting, gives the paint something to stick to. I like to mix a little satin or matte in with my colors if it seems like I need to, but 9 times out of 10, I do a thin matte on the toes and fingers, be sure the color grabs and stays where I want it. The reason I started doing things this way was trial and error. All my dolls are sold, but no one has goitten back to me and said they have faded. My very last step, after all the painting is done, is a final seal of satin\matte, mixed with thinning medium and pounced, pounced, pounced… Gives a nice finish and I feel like I have done all I can at that point. However, logically Genesis is heat set and probably (most likely) doesn’t need to be sealed at all, but it doesn’t hurt anything ands I like the look the sealer gives.
Oh, and I use Mona Lisa thinner when I paint, thinning medium with the sealing mixture. I’m sure others might do it differently, this is just what I prefer.
@lynn i was going to post a similar question about this! I’m having issues with getting my pinkish color blushing to the palms, fingertips and tips of toes. I put a layer of matte mixed with satin on the whole kit early on in the painting and then again in those areas later after my blushing color was not going on evenly, and tried again with the blush in those areas and i still can’t get a smooth blended look. I tried just pouncing with a wedge after i painted those areas and it just takes the paint right back off, no matter how lightly i touch it. I used a mop brush to just try a d pounce the color but that just spreads it all over. I used a small makeup brush to just try and blend the color a little but it is not looking too great so I’m stuck now. Don’t know what else to try. I read that some cut the big end of a wedge into a smaller circle and put the color on that and just pounce it onto the parts but i can’t can’t get in the hard to reach spots with that like under and between the toes.
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I agree with everything you said!! I really prefer painting on the “naked” vinyl, I think it’s easier, the paint blends nicer, no grabbing paint, at least that’s my experience. However, I’m getting tired of the "fading paint’ thing, so I guess I’m going to have to learn to work with the uneven paint areas. I just think it makes the workmanship look very amateurish when you’re all done. I know I wouldn’t want to buy an expensive doll from someone and have those uneven paint areas on it
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Thanks Karen, I’m going to give your recipe’s a whirl and see what happens. Appreciate the info!!
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@lynn, let me know how it works for you!
Also, and I KNOW everyone already knows this and I’m a dinosaur from the dark ages BUT all kits are washed in Dawn dish soap and left to dry for at least 24 hours before I do anything. Thought I’d mention just in case someone new is reading and might not have heard of this before; it makes all the difference in the world as to how the paint goes on…or at least I think it does. I’m no expert by far, but these are just things that work for me.
What I always do I use a layer of whatever flesh I’m using mostly I begin with baby skin. I mix it with Genesis thinning medium and pounce the heck out of it. Do it all over. The paint will REALLY grab on.
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Thanks Karen, I will let you know when I do another one. I have to finish Asher Asleep and then I have 3 heads to root before I start any more. I have ALWAYS done to completion 1 baby at a time and for some reason I got on a paint kick and now I am behind by 3 rootings-----No more of that!!
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Thanks Katie, do you have problems with you paint grabbing unevenly, specially on the fingertips and soles of feet?? My feet have always been so smoothly painted and I sealed Asher first and I feel like the soles of his feet are just not painted nicely. I do notice that sometimes on peoples babies the feet look sort of rough. I don’t mean in texture, I mean-------never mind, I can’t explain what I mean!!
I think i know what you mean, i see it on a lot of beautiful babies and from the big named artists, it’s just like an uneven blushing under the toes and paint speckles in the creases under there. Or maybe you are thinking something completely different?
@kareninflorida, how do u apply your blush color to your fingertips and palms and toes? Do u brush the color on where u want it and pounce it with a wedge or brush? Or do u do something different? I can’t seem to get my color to stay put in those specific areas, it either all comes off or ends up blending all over the whole hand/foot!
I use a brush to apply and then pounce with a makeup wedge. I do a LOT of pouncing, don’t want any little globs left behind.
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No, that’s what I’m talking about----just not smooth and pleasing to look at.
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Thanks Karen, thats what i’ve been doing, will keep trying to get it right!
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I know exactly ebay you mean! No explanation necessary 
Not ebay…*what. Haha my smart phone always tries to correct me.
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