I pulled out all my Bountiful Baby kits and started today painting on two Presleys, to make some reborn Simply Babies™ for my line of more affordables during the holiday season. It has been a long time since I painted a BB kit and Oh My! These kits just suck up the paint like a sponge. Every time I heat set it, half of what I put on there seems to have disappeared! By the time I get done, these won’t be a simply painted kit!
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I knoooow!!! I would think I had over mottled or blushed and when you take them out ….they would be pale as can be 
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It’s really awful. You end up spending a lot more time than you planned because you have to keep on adding layers.
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I used some Xodus primer before I started painting Logan who started out almost completely white and I had no problems.
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I have some of that but don’t know how to use it?
The secret is to make sure you bake it long enough . I set my nuwave at level 6 for 11 minutes to cure the primer
Oops.. my bad, I have the thinning oil and I don’t know how to use it either?
Yes, primer does help keep the vinyl from soaking up so much of the paint. I did not prime these kits as they were not shiny so I did not think they needed it. I will prime the rest of them I paint.
Pia, Xodus oil can be used to thin paint. It is more oily and does not completely flash off so I use some of it and some of my Citrus thinner together. I am told that products like it as well as the Gemini thinning in the bottle help to keep the vinyl from drying out from so much heat setting. So it is good for the vinyl. One thing I found about the Xodus is it tends to keep the vinyl from going shiny from heat setting it. I also like to use it when painting hair to give it more “slide” to the paint strokes.
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Are you doing a prime layer? I think it really helps. I know how expensive GHSP matte varnish is but I make a container of paint thinner, a neutral wash and add some matte varnish, mix it up well. The blue and the reds don’t stain as bad but you still get color. The primer lasts longer than washes keep a tight lid on it, I paint it right on the baby not on the sponge. You most likely already know this but for anyone who is new…
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Yea, I have a whole jar of Xodus Primer that works really well. I just did not use it! LOL I thought I didn’t need it since the kits are not slick but I forgot about them eating up paint like a dry sponge!
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They will be beautiful lots of subtle layers.
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I went with more high color on these I think. I have decided they will not be on my lower end babies after all as I am too much work in now. LOL! I went ahead and matted them but will be going back to paint hair then resealing it. Nails aren’t done either.
Warning no eyes
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Question for you Gina. GHSP matte varnish is very rough. Doesn’t this make your babies rough and hard to paint?
She did say she is thinning it out.
I matted these babies with straight Gemini matte varnish and it can feel a bit rough as well if you pounce it on the way I did. I have found if I buff over the head with a soft cloth, that will help smooth the roughness out because the matting agents in the varnish is what makes it feel a bit rough. I used to do the same thing with Genesis, buff it out some to make it feel less rough on areas where I might have gotten a bit more texture than I wanted.
Good to know, thanks. I think I will try this.
I think it can be rough if you use it straight out of the tub. I find that if you mix a small amount, maybe 1/2 tsp with a good amount of thinner and paint pigment, you don’t get any grit that is noticeable. it just acts like thin primer. I got use to using an airdry varnish when Genesis ended and I ran out of a HSP varnish. I did a little you tube video about it a verrrrrrrry long time ago.
Now that we have more options I will go back to heat set but I want to use up my Americana, I kinda like it, its so much easier.
Thanks Gina. I just started realborn Jade. I put one wash on her and of course it doesn’t look like I put anything on her yet.
I bought a large container of ghsp matte varnish just before they stopped making it but switched to Americana Soft Touch before I even opened the genesis. I’m going to give this a try and hope Jade’s painting goes much better.
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Do you use the Americana air dry first and then use heat set paints for painting it?
I wouldn’t, you might get some cracking, Americana will have a different shrink rate. I would do GHSP matte primary wash then paint the baby like you normally would with GHSP then after everything is baked and complete use Americana. My reasoning would be that the GHSP would be cured and won’t be affected by the airdry varnish. JMO
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I will say that I have baked heat set paints over air dry primers and varnishes many times with no problems but there are no guarantee’s about the shrink rate like Gina says.. I also use air dry matte varnish mix to touch up shiny spots over heat set paints and varnish with no problems many times.
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