Genesis®
Heat Dry Oil Paints are different from other oil paints because you
need heat
to dry them. Literally, if you don't apply heat, they will never dry.
This and
the quality along with their "non-toxic" properties, make Genesis®
paints unique!
To dry the paints you need an oven at 265° F, or a Genesis®
Drying Gun. I use
the oven most of the time, but I use the drying gun a lot too mainly
for
retouching.
Genesis® paints are very thick, so you need to use very little
paint. The advice
to get a "natural" look is to use 4 parts of Genesis® Thinning
Medium
to one part of paint. Even so, it is better to add the paint little by
little
to the thinner and stop when you have the desired color. You have the
perfect
color, when it looks like "water paint", translucent and clear, a
"see-through" paint. If not, your doll will look as if it has makeup.
FLESH
COLOR
I use very little flesh color to paint my polymer clay sculpted
babies or the reborns. Most
of the time the clay will achieve the flesh tone I want by mixing
different tones of clay, but if you
want to use
it or if you need to retouch a spot, then mix it as in the previous
instructions.
For
reborning, the flesh colors I use are
mainly the darker ones, to shade the creases, folds and wrinkles. If
you want to lighten or darken the color of a doll and it's not a very
dramatic change, then you can use the Genesis ® flesh all over the
doll. If you need a total change in the color, then you will have to do
several applications and dry between them.
BLUSHING
AND LIPS
For blushing I use red or quinacridone crimson with a speckle of blue
to tone
down the red or quinacridone crimson tone. Sometimes
I mix red
with a speckle of yellow andFlesh 08 for a beautiful peach color
in
the skin. Always
use 4
parts of thinner and one part of paint. This doesn't mean you have to
use the
whole bottle. If you use a dab of paint, use 4 dabs of thinner and so
on.
Remember that the Genesis® paints go a long way, so it's better to
make small
batches or if you have a lot of paint left over, just cover it or put
it in a
container for future use.
For the lips I use
even more thinner than paint. I don't like my dolls
to have
a very intense color, but that is how I like it. Other people add more
color to
the lips and that doesn't mean their dolls are not beautiful. It
is better to
apply several layers of paint, drying between layers, than to add a
thick layer
and all of it in one application. I seal the lips with a gloss varnish
to get a
"wet lips" look.
FOLDS,
CREASES AND
WRINKLES
I use red or quinacridone crimson and a speckle of yellow or a darker
flesh
color for the folds and wrinkles and apply with a very thin paintbrush.
If you
get out of the creases you can always wipe it off with a paper towel.
DISCLAIMER
I am not THE authority in this matter. I am
humbly
giving you the information after weeks of research, my own trials,
errors and
success. Using this method is your decision and yours alone, but if you
still
have any questions, contact me at glo@babiesbyglo.com and I'll be
happy to help.
Questions and Answers
Dearest
friends, here are some Questions that I get often in my e-mail and my
answers. I hope this helps as well.
Q:
I am using Genesis heat set paints.....Or at least trying to, but I am
not using
anything to thin them. I have used the oil paints before and used
the linseed
oil to thin that. So with the genesis paints which should I use
and how
much of it do I use?
A: You should use the Genesis
thinning medium if you want the results I got on my doll.
The
linseed oil will definitely thin the paint, but it will not dry, it
will cook. Do I make sense? The Genesis paints are heat dry. Therefore
you need the same heat dry elements for the paints to work. Linseed oil
is made to dry without heating so if you let it dry naturally, then the
Genesis paints will be wet. I hope I didn't confuse you. If I did,
please let me know and I'll clarify.
Q: I have been using the 3
parts of paint for 1 part of paint and the doll doesn't look painted. Main
thing I need to know is how to mix with thinner. How much paint to how
much thinner?
A: The
3 parts of thinner and one part of paint is just a measure to show you
that you have to use more thinner than paint, but you have to keep
adding paint until you have the desired color. If the color shows a
little bit, you bake and then if it still looks un-painted, then you
add another layer of the paint you have already used and bake again.
That is baking in layers. The baby I just made took about 18 baked
layers to get the color I wanted. This is the most natural way, but you
can always add more color. Just remember that your color has to look
like a water color.
The
secret of your success with the Genesis paints is to use much more
thinner than paint. How much? I can't tell you, but I can tell you how
to do it so that you know how much paint.
You
start putting THINNER in your palette. Like 1/4
teaspoonful or less, depending on the size of doll you are going to
paint. Then squeeze just a tad of the color you want to use. Then in
another place of the palette, take some thiner and start by adding
pinches or tads of paint to the thinner. The paint that you are going
to apply, should look completely and exactly like a water color. If it
doesn't, you have too much paint. Once you have the color you want and
then are going to use another color, you do the same. Take some thinner
and start adding tads of paint.
Q: So
how much paint should I use?
A:
You
have to use as much paint as necessary, but always a "see through"
paint. Like watercolor. Then you apply, and you should be able to see
that there's paint there, but like a soft water paint. When you are
done, then you stick it in the oven for 10 minutes @ 265° F. Take
it out, let it cool and repeat all over again until you get the look
you want.
The
explanation is simple. If you
put your paints all at the same time, some of the paint is going to get
mixed with the other colors, hence it'll be dirty right? What you are
doing by painting in "layers" is creating a unique depth in the paint
and each and every color will enhance the other, but it will be clean.
Q:
Do
you leave the paint on or wipe it off? Which colors should I use to get
the best baby complexion? Do you use different colors in layers?
A:
You
only wipe the paint off when you don't like what you did, but if you
like it, don't wipe it off. You have to heat it for it to dry. If you
never heat it it wil never dry. Literally.
For the
best baby complection since you are reborning and the doll is already a
flesh tone, I use:
Flesh # 08, the lightest of the Genesis flesh colors. Why? Because
baby's skin is not only one tone, it has lights and darks, so I use it
to put some lighter blotches.
For blushing I use mainly 4 colors: Quinacridone Crimson,Genesis Red,
Pyrrole Red and Diarylide yellow and of course the flesh 08.
Quinacridone
crimson + Genesis Red = Color like blood, which is good for the blotchy
patch in the baby skin.
Quinacridone
Crimson + Genesis Red + Flesh 08 = Rosy red subtle color for the mouth.
Pyrrole
Red and Diarylide Yellow with a tad of Genesis Red and a tad of flesh
08 = Peachy tone for the cheeks and mouth as well.
Q:
I have purchased several of the tutorials, however everyone does
different and I am now a bit confused. Found out the hard way I did not
like purple wash inside, made my baby look too dark I felt. Plus
it looked badly bruised.
A:
Yes, it's true, so I've heard. I have only made a few reborns, but when
I did them and needed something like a "Purple Wash", I mixed mineral
spirits with a tad of Viridian Blue, to make it realy a clear blue. The
Viridian blue looks like the blue sea color. When it's mixed, you put
it in inside the doll, move it around and put it back in the container.
Then you dry your "blue washed piece" and then you will not have
problems. Then do it with the next piece and so on. One thing I do and
it is very neat, I mix mineral spirits with the same viridian blue in a
little bit heavier blue consistency. I dip my brush in the solution and
then rest the brush at the top of the rim, at the opening
of the leg, arm, head lets say and press the brush
against the vynil to release the drop you have on the brush. The blue
liquid starts falling inside the leg, leaving a blue trail and
that looks like veins on the outside. It's neat but use a thin brush.
Once your done, again dry.
