Reborning in the beginning was taking a Ashton Drake artist collectible doll, or the popular JC toys Berenguer play dolls and using supplies, and paints, to transform it into a life like look and feel. In the very early days more than two decades ago, dyes and inks and sponges where used to create depth and skin tones. Soft cloth body replaced the vinyl torso of baby doll, and the tummy and back portions were used as belly or back plates for posing only. Once sculptors saw many requests for blank doll kits they became the new way of reborning, and many artists stopped sending their sculpts to Ashton Drake to be produced. But the name really didn't change. Some refer the art as an Art Doll instead of a Reborn. But many still place their dolls to be found in the reborn category in searches.
BEWARE OF FAKE SCAMMERS! sharing too good to be true stolen or edited images compared to what you will receive. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. You get what you pay for ....The over seas knock off reproduced stolen replicas are cheaply made and look more like a painted manufacture play doll. NOT LIFE LIKE and frankly should not be in the reborn or artist doll category period! They will add descriptive words such as Silicone Vinyl when there is no such thing. A doll is either made of silicone, or vinyl, but you can not mix the two. And paint on silicone vinyl will not accept the same paint that vinyl will.
Skin: It can take just a few days for just a little blushing if that is all you wish to have done, or a week or longer depending on size, to take it to a more realistic life like skin appearance. Infants and newborns would have more mottling done than a toddler. Veining, capillaries, birth marks, texture, and more may be added not just in one session but throughout some of the layers all depending on how much depth and detail the I wish for the final results. It is so important to only paint in extremely thin layers and not rush. If you don't know what your doing, the wrong method used will not last.
Trust me the difference from purchasing a reborn that was speed painted compared to an artist that doesn't speed paint. Cheap and fast is not always going to be your best choice. I prefer baked Genesis paints and they are very rare to find these days. There is other brands popping up but they don't have the decades of years of testing compared to Genesis. I will continue reborning as long as my supplies last. If I do use any other product I will share in my descriptions.
Hair: Personally since I have returned back into reborning, I love the challenge of hair painting. I also love the added wispy hairs to style. I find it adorable and easier. Which does bring the cost down when offering a reborn baby not fully rooted. To hand root an entire head especially with a fine needle. An artist can spend an additional two- three weeks on a doll depending on the size of head. I do something a bit different than others with my combi roots and that is, I sometimes give the doll an equal balance of painted shadows of hair as well as "the look of fully rooted", depending on the style and age of the baby.
Eyelashes: for preemie babies sometimes it's best to have short barely seen lashes, or none at all. It is just a preference on how real you want the outcome. I often hand root mohair eyelashes for an adult doll collector. But I do not hand root or recommend rooted eyelashes for a younger doll collector. Life like eyelashes applied to easily replace, or none at all. It is a preference as I have sold many dolls to adults that prefer no lashes.
Eyes: Glass are the best for giving a very life like look and are placed in my adult higher priced dolls. Otherwise I install a premium acrylic realistic set of eyes.
Weighting:
I prefer fine glass beads, or poly plastic pellets. Which it depends if I am offering a doll for an adult collector or a older child's first reborn.
Premium brand Polyester poly filler has always been the best fill after you added the weight. Normally weight is evenly distributed in limbs, head, and torso.
