What Are Reborn Dolls
Reborn dolls are baby dolls made of vinyl that have been made to look like real human babies. The method of doing this is called reborning. Over the last five years this process has been made possible through the use of heat set type paints and oils mainly used by the artists. Collectors often seek these dolls through various artists.
The goal of reborning is to create the most realistic look possible in the doll. Artists spend long hours in a very tedious process to make sure details are just right in the particular doll they are working on. These finished reborn dolls are not toys for young children but a unique piece of artwork.
Reborns start with normal collector or vinyl dolls of various brands. The dolls are disassembled by the artist and the paint applied at the factory is removed. Also any hair put on at the factory is removed. Some dolls though are now being produced unassembled and without paint or hair applied for the use reborning.
Once the doll has been stripped of the factory paint an hair, the residue needs to be washed off. Then the artist dries the doll thoroughly. Now the artist can set the new hair in by hand. This hair is usually Angora Kid mohair and has to be sealed on the inside so it can be styled. At this point the artist can also hand dye the hair to the desired shade.
Now that the hair is completed the painting begins. The inside of the head has to be painted to achieve the correct skin tone. After the doll completely dries from this stage, then the artist goes to work highlighting certain things such as skin creases. The eyebrows are usually put on using acrylic paint, and the lips are then painted on and then a gloss sealer is applied.
If the babies are awake then the eyelashes are glued on, but if the babies are sleeping then mohair is hand rooted for them. For the eyeball itself it is made from polymer that makes the eyes look real. The baby's nostrils are made to be open with some black felt way in the back. For the last bit of painting the nails on the hands and feet are painting in including white tips and real looking nail beds.
After all the paint is dry it is time to reassemble the doll. For the weight to be more realistic as in a real baby the artist usually uses and special sand to fill the legs and arms. Then to finish off each some poly fill stuffing. These have to be sealed to prevent the stuffing and sand from escaping, this is done by using glue.
The body of the doll is filled with pellets all the way to the neck and also a bit of poly fill at the top. The head is weighted correctly by using balloons filled with sand and some poly fill to finish it off. Then the whole doll is assembled. Then extra details as in veins or the ears getting painted on are done at this time. These dolls look so real when they are finished that you expect them to cry!
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