Genesis Blushing Paint

Another major step that goes into reborning a doll is blushing. As you may already know, this is when you use a slightly brighter color paint on areas of the doll to make it look like an actual baby; after all, babies have multiple color shades and tones on their skin, so your reborn dolls should as well. It's just one of the many "little" features that bring your reborn doll together in the end, making it look more like an actual baby and less like a toy doll.

It's important to note that while blushing isn't necessary to reborn a doll, it does add an another element of realism to them. If this is your first time reborning a doll, you may want to skip this step and focus on the basics. Trying to perform too many tasks on your first reborn is a recipe for failure. Instead, try using a reborn kit with all the necessary parts, materials and supplies you'll need. It's easier, quicker and a better all-around choice for beginners who are looking to create a reborn doll.

What Is Blushing?

Blushing is the process of applying reddish/pinkish-colored paint to certain areas of your reborn to make it look more realistic. While some artists may choose to blush their reborns immediately after applying the base paint, it's recommended that you wait until until the paint has thoroughly dried. Although it will take up more of your time, it will allow the blush paint to set on more easily and prevent it from smearing or rubbing off. Having the blush paint smear on your reborn doll can easily transform an otherwise realistic doll into a cluttered mess that requires repainting.

Makeup Blush Not For Reborns

Contrary to what some people may believe, you don't actually need to purchase makeup blush. Trying to use this stuff on a reborn doll simply won't work. Instead, pick up some reborn doll paint in pink and red shades (we recommend using Genesis heat-set paint). Even if you only pick up 3 different colors, you can still mix them together to form half a dozen or more shades of blush. You can find reborn paint for sale through our website or number of doll and hobby stores throughout the country.

Supplies required for reborn blushing:

• Several different shades of paint in blush colors (pink, red and light cream). Genesis heat-set brand is recommended. If you don't have a convection oven to use, however, you can opt for the Genesis air-dry paints since they don't require heating.
• Paint palette.
• A couple cosmetic wedges and makeup sponge.
• Odorless paint thinner.
• Medium-bristle paintbrush.
• Paper towels (for cleaning up excess paint).

Where To Blush Your Reborn

Think about what areas on a baby are typically more red than others and focus your blushing there. For instance, the nose, cheeks, ears and elbows are usually slightly more red than other areas, so blush here first. If you need some inspirational help, hop online and search for images of newborn babies. This will give you an idea as to which areas are brighter than others. With that said, be careful not to go overboard with your blushing, as this will make your doll look more artificial and almost cartoonish.

It's usually best to start blushing on the face and then working your way down to the other parts of their body including the limbs. Before you start, though, find a comfortable area at a table where you can sit down and work on your reborn without bending over. I prefer to paint my dolls on the kitchen table because of the large and open space it provides. Just remember to open a window and/or turn on the fan to help ventilate the area and prevent the paint fumes from building up. Also, it's a good idea to lay out some old newspapers on the table where you're going to blush the doll.

Blushing Paint

Steps To Blushing Your Reborn Doll

First and foremost, you'll need to get out some of the paint you want to use as blush coloring for your reborn. Get back into your working position on a table, squeeze out some suitable blush colors into an empty paint palette and get to work. If it's too thick, add a small amount of odorless paint thinner to lighten it up a bit.

There's no limit on the amount of blush colors you can use, so don't be afraid to use half a dozen or more; although if this is your first time blushing, you may want to keep things simple by using just 3 or 4 different shades. Just make sure that all of your shades are different to prevent your reborn from looking like a toy.

The trick to blushing is to apply very small amounts and gradually work your way up. Remember, you can always apply more blush as needed, but it's hard to take it off it you use too much. You can either apply the blush paint with your fingers (using a pair of latex gloves) or with a makeup wedge/sponge. Personally, I prefer using both a makeup wedge and a sponge, as it gives you greater control over just how much blush you apply, but some people may have their own method.

When you're reading to start blushing your reborn, dip the wedge or your finger into the paint and gently rub it onto parts of the head you want to blush. It's best to apply lighter-colored blush and then going over it with the darker paints as necessary. You don't have to scoop up a ton of paint on your wedge or sponge, as just a small amount is needed. Continue blotting areas that require blushing, such as the cheeks, temples and forehead. If you accidentally used too much blush and wish to remove it, you can blot it back off with a clean wedge or sponge.

The last step in blushing a reborn doll is to place it in a convection oven so the paint will set. If you used air-dry paints, then you don't have to worry about this. Genesis heat-set paints, however, must be heated to roughly 260 degrees before in order to stick. Depending on how much paint you blushed your reborn doll with, it should take somewhere between 8-10 minutes. Just remember to never let your doll sit in a hot oven for any longer, as this can burn or even melt the vinyl.