Begin with a hand or foot

• Use a medium sized brush that you can control.
  

• Begin applying a thin layer of rosey flesh.
  

• All the painting is done in very ultra thin layers.
  

• You can use a bit of mineral spirits to thin the paint so it goes on easier if necessary. 
  

• Every type of doll has a little different way in which you have to paint.
  

• Regular Berenguers are the easiest.  Special Edition babies will be the next step.
  

• As you begin adding the paint you can wipe off the excess so no brush stroke show.
  

• Paint this base layer on all your pieces.
  

• Take a picture with your before and after.
  

• Set them in a lined box or container to begin the curing process. 
  

• This is much quicker for a Regular Berenguer than the silicone types that take days.
  

• The next day you can add another layer if you need to.
  

• Let it dry again over night.
  

• Cover your extra paint with syran wrap so it will last a few days.
  

If the base coloring looks too dark,  you can use your mineral spirits or a cleaner  like 409 or Fantastic cleaner to remove the paint right away and tone it down.  This is a common problem when first starting out, but you will perfect it as you practice.

The Original Art Of Reborning

Learning The Basics

Special Oil Painting Classes

Oil Painting Part One

Supplies:

White  Ceramic Tile Or a Thick Piece of Beveled Glass

An Old Dinner Plate works Great

Artist Quality Oil Paints

Do Not Use Water Based Oil Paints

Titanium White

Burnt Sienna

Burnt Umber

Cadmium Red Light

Alizarin Crimson

You will add to this as you proceed

Various Paint Brushes

Mineral Spirits

Paint Spatula

Color Wheel

Buy the best quality paints you can afford

Do not use student grade paints even for practice.

If the tube doesn't say artist grade on it, then it's not.

Quality Paints hold the key to beautiful skin.

• Painting is the key secret to creating a beautiful Reborn, and it's in the color palette you choose to paint with. 
  

• We`ll be walking you through the process, so you will gain a better understanding of mixing and applying your paints. 
  

• Make sure they are Oil Based, not water based oil paints, they are not the same, and they do not take to the vinyl or silicone in the same way. 
  

• They are much easier to use, but you cannot create the desired outcome, and they will not be the same.
  

• You may want to begin experimenting a little and mixing your own colors so you will begin to get more comfortable with how colors work together.
  

• They can work for or against you.
  

• It would be a good idea to buy a basic book on oil painting for artists and you'll be able to study more indepth techniques of mixing certain colors. 
  

• The more you learn about canvas oil painting the better knowledge you acquire on how to become a great Reborn artist.
  

• Always buy the very best quality paints and products you can afford.
  

• Windsor Newton and Daler-Rowney paints are readily available in all Art stores, and many craft stores as well,
  

• Grumbacher is also a nice quality and they sell artist grade paints as well.
  

• It doesn't take much paint to finish the outside surface of a doll.
  

• Your tubes of Oil paints will last a long time if taken care of properly.
  

• It is important to use fresh paints so don't buy extra large tubes or it may dry up before you use it.
  

• *****Genesis Heat Set Paints are used in essentially the same way. 
  

• The difference is that the layers of paints have to be heat set in an over to be permanent.
  

Squeeze out a small amount (1/4 inch) of  red, brown, and  white(1/2 inch) paints onto your palette.

• You only need small amounts of paint at a time.
  

• White will be your base color, so you'll need more of that.
  

• You will add to this as you proceed. 
  

• Oil paints are very concentrated, so just use a little at a time.
  

Your Basis Reborning Color Palette

• Red
  

• Burnt Umber
  

• Burnt Sienna
  

• Cad Red Light
  

• Alizarin Crimson
  

• Cobalt Blue
  

• Yellow
  

• Titanium White
  

• Mineral Spirits
  

Titanium White is the most transparent of all the white oil paints, so this is why this color is used as a base paint in this work.  Without it you will never get the results you are after.

• You will find several types of  "White" oil based paints when you go to the art store.
  

• Each has a certain purpose in painting.
  

• The other white paints are not transparent on vinyl, and many will flake, turn chalky,  and give you other types of problems.
  

• Knowing what paints are actually made from can be a tremendous help to every type of artist.
  

• No other white paint will give the transparency of Titanium white on vinyl. 
  

A Few Words Of Caution

NEVER Use Extra Oil to thin your paints or apply it to the Skin.

• Fresh tubes of paint have enough oil in them and you should never have a need to add any type of oil to thin them down for any reason.
  

• If yours paints need to be thinned use Mineral Spirits'
  

• Mineral Spirits will evaporate and not turn your doll sticky like oil will.
  

• You hear others say to use Linseed oil or other types of oil, they are all the same in the damage they do to your work, so avoid oils at all costs in Reborning.
  

• Those that use it do not know very much about painting these types of babies.
  

• Oil is even worse on your silicone/vinyl mixed babies when you get to that stage of Reborning.
  

• If you use linseed oil or any other type of oil on vinyl or silicone, the oil will become trapped inside and they will become oily and shiny.
  

• None of your paints will ever be absorbed and they will sit on top and rub right off.
  

• This is one of the major causes of sticky, shiny dolls.
  

• Once any oil has penetrated the vinyl, no matter what you do you will not be able to get rid of it.
  

• Under certain conditions oils will also break down the vinyl or silicone. 
  

~~Dry Brush Technique~~

• Dry brush painting is using  the smallest amount of paint possible on a brush to color something.
  

• If appears that there is no paint remaining on the brush when you begin to paint.
  

• Then tap it on the tile over and over as it gets lighter and lighter.
  

• This is where you will lightly touch with your brush, to pick up the color while you're painting. 
  

• Don't get your paint directly from the heavy concentration that you orininally mixed.
  

• Notice all the different shades of colors you can get from that one mixing.
  

• There are wonderful Mauves, pinks, gold tones, and everything in between.
  

• All those colors were made by just dabbing a finger tip into another shade of the oil paints and tapping on the tile.
  

• You can see that the color possibilities are endless.
  

• This is just a quick lesson in mixing colors, and you see how easy it is to make your own personal color palette.
  

• It is essential to practice mixing colors.
  

• Read as much as you can, but for  your first babies this is all you need to know.
  

• I like to use my finger tips for a lot of paint mixing and shading colors.
  

• Once you pick up a dab of paint, lightly dab off the extra paint onto a clean paper towel or napkin.
  

• Again this technique is called Dry Brush Painting.
  

• You want only a blush of color on your brush or finger.
  

• It's easy to spot those Reborner's that skip the paint removal.
  

• Collector's know what to look for too.
  

• Factory nails are never the right shade for a baby.
  

• Use a palette knife to begin mixing bits of the paint together.
  

• You can use your  brush too.
  

• Start with the white base and add the other colors to it.
  

• White will be the color you will use the most.
  

• Remember NEVER ADD OIL to the paints to thin.
  

• You can use Mineral Spirits.
  

• Once you have mixed a portion of color you like you can begin to perfect the shades you will use.
  

• Touch your finger tip into the paint.
  

• Begin tapping the color onto a tile to make different combinations for shading paints.
  

• You know they will all be compatible each other in the painting, because they come from the same mix.
  

• I'm using 2 separate tiles.
  

• Notice the heavy colored paint on the toenails.
  

• Use acetone , and a small stiff bristled brush to remove it.
  

• You can use oil paints to paint the nails as you gain practice.
  

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