I have had a ton of questions on this topic. How do you paint a realistic skin tone? Well, it takes a bit of work. I paint at least four to five layers- a smaller version of reborning.
If you are a newbie- reborning is when you take a blank vinyl doll and paint tons of realistic layers to result in a realistic looking baby doll.
Soooo… Where are my fave free tutorials??
Well, there are two that stand out for me.
The first is Andrea’s free tutorial on doll fan
Here is the result:
Gorgeous!!
Next is the lovely Nicole Russell’s facebook page “Learning to Reborn the Beautiful Way” (you need to be logged on to facebook to view this link).
Take a look at her painting!!
Now I have had much trial and error on this subject, and learning from my experiences have resulted in a way of painting that works for me. I suggest trying on your own and see what works for you too, but here are some things I do for your reference.
1) I do not paint a flesh layer. This results in a mask like look; because this isn’t a vinyl piece you are painting but a clay piece that has pigment of it’s own. If there are any blemishes to cover I simply paint only that area and BLEND!!
2) A seasponge is my best friend. You can buy these at your local craft store. Use it for realistic looking pores.
3) While I love the look of Genesis paint; I find it too troublesome to bake between each layer. I use a air dry paint like LDC (google LDC air dry paints). A little goes a long way! Best of all, you can use water as a thinner instead of mineral spirits or similar chemical thinners.
4). When painting veins and blueness for thin skin effect- lighter is better!! Too heavy makes the baby look scary. By scary I mean “not alive”. 😉 If you do paint too heavily you will have to remove all layers and start over!
5) Take your time!!! Your work will reflect it in the end. Especially when you are just learning how to paint.
As always, I am here for questions. Just leave a comment!!
