Is Genesis Paint The Best Option For Reborning?
Are you ready to bring your reborn baby to life? Painting is the most important step in the process of reborning because it is the key to bring out a realistic, more life-like look to your creations. Many reborn doll artists can use more than 10 layers of paint to achieve the best shades, tones, and consistency. Let us give you some insights on the ins and outs of one of the most popular products used by reborn artists all around the world: Genesis paint.
We hope that this article will help you understand why the quality of the paint you use is so important. Using low-quality paint can create lots of unpleasant surprises, causing you to end up with a big discouraging mess. High-quality paints are essential to give life-like tones, texture, and ensure your lovely and one of a kind reborn baby will always be in the best shape.
Multiple experienced reborn artists who have experimented with a lot of different types and brands of paints claim that Genesis Paint has distinguished itself as the best in reborn doll painting because of its superior quality and versatility.
Genesis Paint for Reborn Dolls
When we talk about Genesis paints used in reborning work, we are mostly referring to the Genesis® Heat-Set Artist Colors. It is a set of high-quality paints manufactured using a unique formula that makes Genesis paints different from any other acrylic or oil paints.
The chemistry of Genesis Colors makes it perfect for reborning, as it never dries up from exposure to air, it is not toxic, and has no odour. And you can rest assured that it is safe, as it is certified by the American Standards for Testing Material.
The paint has the same consistency as high-quality oil paint, but it doesn’t need to be thinned with the usual solvents. Instead, the advice is to use Genesis’s own Thinning Medium or 91% rubbing alcohol to thin it as needed.
Why Genesis Paints for Reborn Artists?
Most veteran reborn artists agree that Genesis Artist Colors are the best for the job. The paint takes to vinyl and silicone very well and does not fade over time, like many cheaper options, even with subsequent heating.
Here are a few other reasons why Genesis paint might be the best option for you as well:
- Genesis paint is highly pigmented, meaning that it results in rich colors and tones with minimal effort.
- The paint stores very well. It will last years and years without fading and resisting abrasion and peeling.
- Genesis heat-set paints are created exclusively for reborn painting. They act as an oil paint that does not dry until you bake it. Once heated, it only takes 5 to 15 minutes to dry and cure completely. That is very convenient when working on your reborn baby, especially if we compare to days and weeks for air-dry paints.
4. When properly cured, it requires no further treatment, differing from acrylic paints, which can easily leach through the vinyl or flake off if they are not properly sealed.
5. Because when using Genesis paint you can mix it with rubbing alcohol or Genesis Thinning medium, you are preventing exposure to some toxic fumes found in acrylic paints and associated mediums.
Verdict: Benefit vs Cost
Genesis heat-set paint for reborning opens up a range of benefits previously unavailable with acrylic or oil paints. Oil paints can take up to 72 hours to air-dry, while acrylics dry up very quickly while you are working and can cost you unexpected mistakes.
If we want to consider other strong points, we can say that Genesis paint for reborn artists is also very easy to work for both beginners and professionals. It never dries up on brushes, on your palette, or even in its can, unless you heat it. That means you don’t have to wash or clean everything after every session, which is a big plus.
Of course, the biggest inconvenience is that Genesis paints require a separate oven to cure the painted parts of the reborn doll. It is a good idea to invest in a good quality small oven if you are seriously thinking about reborning. There is no other way to do it properly, as using a hot air dryer is not recommended. You need to keep in mind that, at high temperature (260F), where the heat dryings occur, vinyl releases toxic and possibly carcinogenic fumes.
That is the reason why it is so important to use a separate oven and keep it in a well-ventilated place. It also means that there is a limitation on the size of the doll you paint, as it needs to fit in the oven, so it might become difficult trying to use Genesis paint heat-set with bigger reborn babies or toddlers.
How to Use Genesis Paint
Because of its unique chemical composition, Genesis Heat-Set paint requires a slightly different method of use. For example, you need to keep in mind that it is not compatible with other types of paint, such as acrylics or oils, and it cannot be mixed with water either.
What you can definitely do is mix Genesis paints with other Genesis paints, to get those perfect shades and tones, or, alternatively, you can also buy it premixed. Here are a few other important steps to follow when using Genesis paint.
- Genesis Heat-Set paint does not require thinning. However, if you need a softer consistency, it is easy to thin using either regular paint thinner, 91% rubbing alcohol, or Genesis Thinning Medium, which is certified non-toxic and odourless.
- You can use a cosmetic wedge and various brushes to paint your doll. Start with the lighter colors and finish with the dark ones in case you make a mistake.
- Once you have achieved a nice even tone that you are satisfied with, place the doll in a 260F preheated oven and leave it to bake for 5-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the paint layer. Don’t use the same oven that you use for cooking. Here, we leave you with a small selection of ovens especially designed for reborning.
- You will need to buy a smaller separate oven for your reborn work because heated vinyl (that your reborn doll is probably made of) releases toxic fumes such as vinyl chloride. These fumes are also carcinogenic, which is why it is extremely important to use a separate oven. Since the dolls need even heating at 250F-285F, I would recommend a convection oven such as this one.
- After the paint has set, let the doll cool for about an hour before painting a new layer. Subsequent heating is not a problem, and you can also use acrylic paints for base layers if you want and apply Genesis Heat Set on top.
Paint Thinner
Genesis Thinning Medium
Brushes for reborn
Nuwave convection oven
One More Thing …
Another reason why artists love Genesis paint for reborning is that it doesn’t change color after heating. In addition, if you want to finish your baby with a varnish or glazing, Genesis has three options for that: Satin, Matte, and Super Matte.
Due to its convenience, versatility, and ease of use, Genesis Heat-Set paint remains the go-to option for reborners. Unfortunately, under the current circumstances, it seems that Genesis heat-set paint is difficult to find in stock outside Australia and New Zealand. Soo, we will be presenting you with some alternatives.
Enjoy your reborning!