Reborning Dolls

Why Are Reborn Baby Dolls So Special?

The Process of Reborning Dolls

• • The doll is stripped of all original factory paint and hair and then left to dry thoroughly. Some artists boil the head at this stage to ensure that all paint residue is removed and to allow for more realistic eye replacement. To add depth and character the baby's nostrils can then be opened so that the can "breathe" - once again adding to the realism.



• • The dolls must then be left for a couple of days to ensure that they are completely dry before any further work can be performed.



• • All the vinyl parts are usually washed in a purple color wash to achieve the realistic baby skin undertones, light veins can be painted on the inside of the doll before this process to achieve a realistic veining effect.. Artists have to be very careful as too much of this color wash can result in a "bruising" appearance.



• • The veining can also be applied to the exterior if the artist so wishes and once this has dried the time-consuming art of creating the realism of the baby's features begins.



• • There are a number of techniques which can be used on the exterior of the doll to create that sense of realism that "reborning dolls" is all about. Most artists combine different techniques to achieve a depth and contrast effect of the realistic skin. Genesis paints, Gouache paints, oil paints, oil pastels or stencil crèmes can be used - each with its own unique qualities. Once again this is a personal choice and there is no right or wrong choice. These mediums are used to introduce different skin tones, blotching, creases and baby veins, all the characteristics of newborn babies. This is the most creative process of reborning dolls and a good artist can spend many hours to ensure that the reborn doll is as life-like as possible. The doll will be left to cure for either days or weeks after this process, depending on the paint medium and the thickness that the paint is applied. A good paint medium will help ensure that the doll will become an heirloom to be passed on to future generations.



• • Once the paintwork is completely dry the long process of micro-rooting the hair begins. Micro-rooting is the implantation of hair into the doll's scalp. This is done with a very fine needle specially designed for this purpose and is a tedious job that usually takes between ten and forty hours. Usually for reborn purposes micro-rooting is done with one to two strands at a time. When done properly micro-rooting will have the appearance of typical baby hair actually growing out of the baby's head. Micro-rooting is an art on its own and is used on many of the modern collectible dolls and is not limited only to reborns. Popular for micro-rooting are Angora Kid, Alpaca or premium mohair, but some artists have been known to use their own children's hair for this purpose.



• • After micro-rooting the dolls head is normally washed with a pale lilac colorwash to achieve the correct coloring through the vinyl and then once again left to dry completely. Once dry the hair is sealed from the inside with strong waterproof glue. Eyelashes can be micro-rooted for sleeping reborn babies or can be glued on for open-eyed babies.



• • The eyes are now replaced with glass, realistic polymer, soft glass or acrylic to name a few. Eyebrows are delicately painted on with the artist's choice of paint and lips are painted and sealed with a gloss or satin sealer.



• • The finger and toenails are delicately painted to complete the real-life look.



• • The original vinyl body is replaced with a soft stuffed and weighted body. The vinyl body can also be cut in half to create front and back 'plates' to add realism in photographing and displaying the dolls. The doll is weighted to give the feel of a real baby with the head resembling that of a newborn that needs to be supported.



• • The reborn baby will now be ready to be dressed in the artist's choice of clothing and to be put up for adoption if that is what the artist intended.

Reborning Dolls - Tutorials and visual guides

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