The Art of Reborning

What is the art of reborning?

A Reborn is a very special collectible doll.
Through a process called "Reborning", a high quality play doll or vinyl sculpt is transformed from a mere play doll into a truly collectible work of art that is amazingly lifelike.

Over a period of days, weeks or months different techniques are used to bring about the desired features and appearance that the artist is looking for in each doll. No two reborn dolls are ever alike. There are also many different Reborn Artists, and each one has his/her own way of doing things. An Artist will use the techniques that bring about the most lifelike "Baby" to them, with many hours of individual attention going into each one. Each artist has their favorite list of reborning supplies and a style they have developed so that each reborn doll is truly a unique work of art.

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art of reborning

reborning vs. newborning

For myself as an artist I prefer to do more 'newborning'. The difference between the two is that with 'reborning' you are taking an existing doll and dismantling it, removing the hair, the factory paint, the eyes and then starting the process of recreating it. In newborning - the doll begins as a completely blank slate. You usually have a head, arms and legs - with no body, eyes, hair or paint. There are some truly amazing sculptors who create these 'kits' for the reborn artists to do their magic. Then the fun begins as you transform some orange vinyl pieces, into a lifelike baby. I use pictures of my children at various ages for inspiration and colouring. Each baby created is unique.

Some of the many steps I take in creating a life-like baby doll are:

* Washing all the pieces in a gentle baby soap to remove any factory impurities that might interfere with painting.

* I paint the doll with many thin layers using Genesis Heat Set Paints - these are non-toxic and heat set to last forever. Different techniques are used to shade, create mottling, undertones and veining in the doll.

* Eyes are chosen if the doll is awake, the nose may be shaded or hand sculpted open and backed with felt for added depth and realism.

* The hair is meticulously micro-rooted by hand, strand by strand using angora mohair and a tiny needle - this is the ultimate in realism for the doll to look lifelike. It is an extremely slow process but the results are well worth it. If the doll is sleeping, then the eyelashes are also hand rooted and then sealed on the inside.

* A new doe suede body is used,and the head and body are weighted with high quality poly pellets or find glass beads so that when you are holding the baby, it feels like a real baby. A special outfit is then chosen along with a name for the new 'baby'.

The art of reborning is constantly changing and evolving as artists hone their skills and abilities and new ideas and techniques emerge.