Genesis Heat Set PaintsGenesis Heat-Set paints have been the choice of reborn artists for years. These paints are reliable - we have decades of experience to know that they adhere well to vinyl. They offer artists more control. Heat-set paint does not cure until you heat it up, giving the artist ample working time for blending her colors into incredible lifelike effects. However, you must warm the vinyl to cure heat-set paint. Hot vinyl releases toxic fumes, including vinyl chloride, which is believed to be carcinogenic. So, to use heat-set paint, you must buy an oven that you use exclusively for crafts and you must locate this oven outside your living space. There are still many videos on YouTube of artists baking doll kits in the kitchen. This is an extremely health hazardous practice. Acrylic PaintsToday, there are many brands of acrylic paints formulated specifically for reborning. Artists who are very familiar with the medium also create their own air-dry reborning paints from artist acrylics available in the craft store, such a Liquitex. The benefit of acrylic paint is that you do not have to heat the vinyl. So if you do not wish to buy a craft oven, this may be a good alternative. However, acrylic paints also carry heath-risks which are largely understated by the proponents of air-dry paint. Most acrylic paints contain ammonia and/or formaldehyde, which causes that “nail polish stench” many of us know. Acrylic paints can also contain phthalates, which act as a plasticizer to reduce chipping and cracking. These solvents are respiratory hazards that evaporate into your workshop as the paint cures. So make sure you can work in a well-ventilated area when handling air dry paints. For me, enough exposure to those fumes trigger migraines, and I reborn for hours at a time. Comparison of Heat-Set to Air-DryBesides the health-risk imposed by both types of paint, there are other trade-offs to consider when deciding whether to use Heat-Set or Air-Dry Paint:
So, What's the Verdict?At the end of the day, the choice of Heat-Set versus Acrylic is up to you. I've worked with Genesis for years and I can trouble-shoot literally any problem you could encounter with Genesis. I have seen it all! I am less familiar with air dry paint, but that is no reason to avoid it if you feel that medium works best for you. I've trained many artists who work in air-dry, but I am less useful when things go wrong as each air-dry brand works differently. As much as I would love to steer you to Genesis, the heath-risk of heating vinyl cannot be overstated. However, acrylic paint carries health risk too. You have to decide which you can manage better. I manage the Genesis risk by using a portable oven and curing the paints far from my work space. Acrylic paint evaporates all its nasty fumes into my workshop as the paint dries. These fumes, for me, trigger migraines. But I still have a Luminaire set for dolls I cannot put in my oven. So I feel that I can manage the risk of Genesis better. But you must decide what works best for you. (For the record, the NOVOCS solvent used to paint silicone dolls is a known carcinogen. So is E6000 glue, which many crafters use for various purposes. So to put this in perspective, anybody who works with chemicals to make anything is exposed to some very toxic stuff. The key is mitigating the risk to your health.) Quick Q&AWhich paint makes more lifelike reborn dolls? Artists who have mastered Heat-Set paint create incredible lifelike dolls. Artists who have mastered Air-Dry paint create incredible lifelike dolls. Once you've learned how to work with either paint, there's nothing you can't do! Which paint is more widely used by reborn artists? As more artists convert to air-dry, my information may become dated, but it is my understanding from my survey results that most reborn artists work with Heat-Set paint. Old-timers like me are especially more likely to use heat-set because that's what was available when we were first getting started. That said, most of the tutorials available will use GHSP. But, more and more air-dry tutorials and workshops are becoming available. And you can easily apply Genesis painting technique to Air-Dry. Which Will Paint You Choose?
39 Comments
Glesela
1/18/2017 11:30:59 am
Thank you so much for this Kim.
Reply
1/18/2017 12:14:17 pm
You're welcome! Please let me know what you decide :)
Reply
Glesela
1/19/2017 10:06:26 am
I'm going to go with GHSP. Your information gave me a different perspective and a different way of looking at Acrylic. I never took into consideration the increase health risks and how much time air dry will take. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into giving out the valuable information.
Moa
12/2/2021 06:54:29 pm
I have two questions! 1. I have a reborn but I decided to add a bit of detail, i used a water/acrylic paint mixture to add a bit more pink on my baby, but, there was some glue, i dapped the paint onto my doll but i used a small sponge and paper towel to dry off the extra paint, will it affect my doll in any way? And 2. My reborns lips are also that glue/water/acrylic paint ratio, can i use UV resin to seal his lips? I didn't trust the sealant my doll had originally had when he arrived, it peeled his lip paint completely i want something super strong
Reply
Sue
1/4/2024 04:00:12 am
You need silicone paint and pigments. Silicone paint (psycho paint) is a two part paint that needs to be mixed in a 1:1 ratio to cure properly. Psycho paint is clear, so you need to pigment it with silicone compatible pigments like Silc Pig pigments by smooth on. Odorless thinner like Mona Lisa thinner can make the paint more manageable. Only silicone paint will adhere to silicone. If you are not an artist who plans on painting silicone dolls, it might be quite the expense to purchase these things for just nails, lips, and cheeks. But, you could always try to sell the remainder, or seek the help of a silicone artist.
Angela Caldwell
2/24/2017 10:32:43 pm
I absolutely love your YouTube "how to's". I think I have watched all of them out there. I chose Luminaire air dry paints. I am getting ready to do my first reborn baby. The baby kit has been sitting in the box waiting on me to make my choice. The fumes from heating scare me so I am going to do my best to have the air dry path work for me.
Reply
dianne l lindsey
4/18/2017 04:43:07 pm
It is a no brainer for me. My dad had a lung transplant and we will never know if what caused his lungs to go bad is hereditary. So I will be using Air Dry. I have a couple LDC kits so the decision has been made for me.
Reply
GlitterKat
9/2/2017 05:13:37 pm
Hey Kim! My grandmother and I are going to paint our first reboen baby dolls soon. What oven would you recommend? Most likely we are going to paint our dolls with GHSP paints and want to know what oven(s) work the best, are big enough for a 19" doll kit, and are as cost effective as possiblemin case GHSP paints turn out to be not the best for us.
Reply
Kimberly Lepley
4/1/2018 04:21:07 pm
She uses the Nuwave with an extender ring and even tells you the settings in her step by step videos on YouTube. GO WITH THAT ONE! I thought I could save money with a cheaper convection oven and it wouldn't keep temp then melted my doll to silly putty. I have a NuWave now it's great!
Reply
Mrs Carol Sellmer
9/5/2023 04:12:16 am
Hiya, I would also like to know what oven would be best to use for GHSP, Hoping to get a reply as I'm ready to start my reborning but just need an answer to this question.
Reply
Jeanette Lee
10/9/2017 02:58:49 pm
Loved your video, came across it on Pinterest. I have one arm for a Middleton doll that needs to be painted to match other limbs. Not sure what to buy, probably air dry. I have a BFA in painting and use oil paints mostly. I'm wondering if I can use them since it is only one arm. I hope to do some real reborning eventually. I have 2 doll kits on top shelf of closet (2yrs). MY BAD!! Any suggestions for this arm? She is a light or medium skin tone. Congrats on your new baby.
Reply
Caitlyn
10/13/2017 07:49:11 am
Hi Kim,
Reply
Laura
2/4/2018 01:24:58 pm
Can you use genesis custom paint for silicone dolls?
Reply
caroline mazucci
2/7/2018 10:32:04 am
I use air dry paint's to make my own reborns. Folkart or Applebarel. But there is aredry paint just for reborning there is no mixing they cost a little but worth it.
Reply
MJ Baggett
6/27/2019 03:11:01 pm
I would like to reborn babies using acrylics. Can though give me more information? I dont know how to start
Reply
2/13/2020 07:09:06 pm
I have used Apple Barrel since 1979 when no one knew what a reborn was. I have been able to mix and tone beautifully and guilt free.
Reply
Kimberly Lepley
4/1/2018 04:15:45 pm
I learned from your videos and chose genesis. I like that if I bake and my doll comes out to light I can just go back and redo the process. I did try acrylic paint once and it just looked well painted for a short time. Ultimately the doll began to shine and then fade. I feel it was a lot of hours to put into a doll to have it fade out in the end! My genesis babies are still like new and are played with often buy my eight year old granddaughter. I'll never switch back I'll stick with the heat set paints and my NuWave Oven! As for the bigger babies one piece at a time in the oven will do!
Reply
Duwana
4/3/2018 02:09:19 am
I've decided to go with air dry paints. What I would like to know is after I put my last coat of paint on what can I use to seal it. Would glass and tile medium work for a last coat to keep the color on.
Reply
4/5/2018 06:42:52 pm
I believe so. If the line of air dry paints you used has a sealer, that one will probably be most compatible with your paint; e.g., using Luminaire sealer with Luminaire paints. I've also had good experience with Folk Art Outdoor Matte Sealer: https://amzn.to/2EnYz6G
Reply
Amber
4/27/2018 10:43:56 pm
Can you use ghsp paints on silicone dolls?
Reply
4/30/2018 10:50:20 am
Only silicone sticks to silicone. Genesis Heat Set Paints will not work on a silicone doll. Silicone dolls are painted, typically, with the same kind of silicone they are made of. The paint is colored with a silicone pigment and sometimes diluted with a silicone solvent to make it moveable like paint. Most of the folks who work in Silicone really like Smooth-On products: https://www.smooth-on.com/spotlight/tasha-edenholm-creates-lifelike-babies-dragon-skin-silicone/
Reply
9/22/2018 07:34:03 am
Liquitex does NOT contain formaldehyde, phthalates, cadmium or cobalt. Any acrylic brand that carries phthalates is clearly marked however, I have not seen this.. Phthalo is not the same thing. Cadmium and Cobalt are no longer used in any craft item since 1963..
Reply
2/6/2021 04:17:09 am
Excellent and extremely useful information. I have been using vallejo and liquitex acrylics to paint reborn dolls in my spare bedroom. I will be using a respirator from now on until my outdoor workshop is ready to use. Thank you so much much.
Reply
CitronVert
4/28/2019 01:42:36 pm
Hello Kim, I am from Belgium and I am delighted to have found your site that will help me to start in this art. I chose acrylic because I bought 2 kit LDC, but I think I will switch to the genesis I realize that there is more possibility of mixing, and I will invest in an oven that will be placed in an annex of my home. Finally I view again and again your tutorials, yet I do not speak English 😁.
Reply
Linda
2/21/2020 09:30:05 pm
i HAVE BEEN USING AIR DRY ACRYLICS WITH ONE DROP OF fOLK ART MEDIUM WITH EACH DROP OF PAINT. iT WORKS BEST FOR ME. RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH PAINTED HAIR. iT SOMETIMES COMES OFF. I NEED TO APPLY A SEALER TO IT, NON GLOSS TO GET IT TO CURE. WHICK KIND SHOULD I BUY? SOMEONE SAID I COULD USE MY MEDIUM TO SEAL IT. DO YOU DELUTE IT WITH WATER? I TRIED TO PUT IT ON FULL STRENGTH ONCE AND IT DIDN'T WORK. WHICK IS BEST AND HOW DO YOU USE IT FOR SEALING? iNSTRUCTIONS FOR DELUTING AND WHAT TO APPLY IT WITH.
Reply
3/2/2023 01:22:59 pm
I'm just starting. Out with my reborn dolls I thought I'd use air dry acrylics, now from what I've heard is to make the paint stick was to first use glass tile first, let that dry and paint, how true is this?
Reply
Lauren Savage
5/6/2020 12:50:20 pm
Hi! Would you be able to put eyebrows on and fix the hair of my reborn baby doll? I am not a talented artist
Reply
Scott
7/6/2020 07:52:37 am
Hi Kim,
Reply
Deborah Byrd
1/3/2021 07:20:14 pm
Hello Kim,
Reply
Georgina Kattenhorn
2/22/2021 04:57:04 pm
Hi.
Reply
Crystal
3/13/2021 01:24:46 pm
I recently started following you, you are absolutely amazing!! I quickly figured out that (it appears) you did not come back after you had your beautiful son. As a mother I completely understand that. As a new reborn artist, man I wish I had found you like 5 years ago!! I hate your gone but I sure am glad your YouTube is still out there!!! Your talent and teaching skills are superb!!
Reply
Tanja Theriault
6/4/2021 03:25:10 pm
If air dry is do dangerous how is it my cichlid is still alive when I paint next to him and have been doing so for over a year and I work in the basement so not highly ventilated. I have asthma and have no issues with it however I have heard many reborn artist switching to air dry because they get so sick from heat genesis due to the baking and paint thinner. Even after you bake there's still a toxin coming off the vinyl which has caused migraines and breathing issues. Air Dry is the healthiest way to go my flowerhorm cichlid would have died or my dogs would be sick and my birds if that was true.
Reply
Georgina
6/5/2021 02:29:10 am
Tanja,
Reply
Angie
3/1/2022 04:35:34 am
Georgina,
Matt Evans
3/5/2022 09:31:19 am
Hi Kim,
Reply
Karen P wilson
4/23/2022 06:40:08 am
Hi Kim
Reply
5/29/2022 11:00:29 pm
try saragala, it is meant to work with heat or air dry.
Reply
Belinda sterling
8/30/2022 04:35:06 pm
i will use genesis heat set paint
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
AuthorHi! I am Kim. I've been creating dolls all my life. I started stuffing cotton balls into my mom's pantyhose when I was a little girl. Now I hand-craft dolls that look and feel like real babies. Archives
December 2021
|