How did you begin? Share your work then and now!

This would be the place to ask questions or share information concerning all types of doll making, re-doing, etc.
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jadesbabies
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How did you begin? Share your work then and now!

Post by jadesbabies »

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum but not new to collecting reborns - I have been enjoying this beautiful art form for around eight or nine years now, however only ever as a collector. Today I purchased some Special Care Nursery air dry paints and my first kit to try reborning myself. I have been looking around the internet on and off for months to gain an understanding of the artistry behind these babies but am just so overwhelmed by the masses of information from so many different sources (it's an amazing thing that so many people are so generous to share tutorials and such, it's really lovely to see, but I just don't know where on earth to start!).

I have found a couple of tutorials online but I thought I would ask you where you started. Did you stick with one tutorial and branch out to others (and of course develop your own unique skills) when you felt comfortable with the basics or did you take different tips from different places? And how long did you spend researching before you began trying it for yourself? I intend to make sure I am comfortable with the basics before I try painting, but if I was to go with my instinct I wouldn't get started for years, haha, so I just wonder how others got themselves started.

I also thought it might be really interesting to see a photo of your first ever completed baby next to a photo of your recent work. It would be really encouraging to see how far you have come since you began reborning, both for beginners and maybe yourselves too!

Also, if any of you happen to know where I can find a full list of the essentials required to begin it would be really helpful if you could point me in the right direction. I have been reading around but I can't seem to find a complete, in detail list. I have a pretty good idea now but I am mainly struggling with brushes - I have no idea what brands (I am in the UK) are good quality and how many different sizes I need, et cetera.

Thank you so much for reading this essay, haha!

Best wishes,

Jade :)
Brooke
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Re: How did you begin? Share your work then and now!

Post by Brooke »

Hi Jade The best way to start is to, well, START!! Resign yourself to the fact that your first (or second or third or tenth, etc.) baby will not be perfect. You are going to make tons of mistakes while you are developing your own personal style. Come here to DF and ask lots of questions. Look up online tutorials and all those on YouTube. I've not used Special Care Nursery Air Dry, but I'll bet they are used a lot like Melissa George's "Baby FX" which is my favorite, so you can use her tutorial. Just be sure you mix your paints thin, and use "extender" in all your mixes to keep them from drying too quickly while you are blending. I don't know if there is a specific extender in Special Care, but you can just use something like Liquitex Acrylic Extender, or Baby FX "Slow Dry".
My 1st, 2nd, and many more babies ended up being tossed out 'cause I just got depressed when I looked at them, so I can't show them. I'm getting really close to my latest being photographed, and I love her. And welcome to DF. You're gonna love it here.
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