What’s ‘Reborning’ as well as What exactly are Reborn Dolls?
Reborning could be the art of transforming a vinyl doll (either whole doll or kit) into a realistic looking baby doll (usually of an individual baby- but sometimes elves or chimpanzees may be made). The person who makes this transformation is known as a ‘reborner” or reborn artist. The more realistic looking the doll could be the more successful the artist is considered. Once completed the doll is known as a ‘reborn’, ‘reborn doll’, ‘reborn baby”or ‘fake baby’ ;.You will find artists all around the world who do reborning. Some reborn artists will take a factory made doll, bring it apart, repaint it and reassemble it.
In more recent times artists work with a manufactured vinyl kit made especially to be reborn. The manufacture of kits has become an expanding industry with an increase of and more talented doll sculptors having their creations changed into vinyl kits. Kits are occasionally limited editions and in demand worldwide. Some reborners and collectors or reborns collect kits as keep these as prized possessions only giving them up when personal financial pressure necessitates it or they trade them for even more desirable kits. New kits emerge regularly and they are more and more in depth and varied. In very recent times we’ve seen some kits resold on eBay for approximately 10 times their original value because they are limited editions, sold-out worldwide and in much demand.
‘Reborning’ begins with washing and then painting the vinyl parts with oil, acrylic or water based paints. Paints are increasingly being developed specifically for the art. Paints are applied with brushes and sponges to have as realistic skin tones as possible. This is the ultimate goal of the artist and the product range of techniques used is large and a person develops these techniques over time. The paint sinks into the vinyl and tints it (like water colour paint does on paper) as opposed to sitting on top of the vinyl. The paints are somewhat unreliable inside their behaviour so the method required judgement to add a paint layer, check outcome against what is desired then repaint another layer. The reborner needs to have a solid concept of what skin tone or affect they are trying to achieve.
Some paints require baking and there’s been controversy over the health effects of the fumes to the reborner. Artists paint on veins, capillaries, birth marks, 3d eyebrows, scratches and newborn red patches (ie stork bites) to have the most realistic affects. Hair (usually mohair) is then micro-rooted into the dolls head a couple of strands at any given time so that the head looks natural and realistic. For toddler size dolls top quality wigs may be used. Some artists may paint the baby’s head one hair at any given time to obtain a very realistic look.
Micro-rooting a newborn doll size head may take significantly more than 40 hours to ensure a realistic appearance. Some artists can create exquisite skin tones on the vinyl and some who can create wonderfully realistic hair rooting pattern (painstakingly one hair at a time) including crowns and parts. reborn dolls UK Eyelashes are either applied by gluing to open eyed dolls or micro-rooting on sleeping dolls. The vinyl legs, arms and head are then weighted, filled and linked to a similarly weighted and filled cloth body. Once the head is connected the doll is considered to be ‘reborn’ ;.Belly plates, magnetic newborn belly buttons and other body parts may be added for realism. Reborn dolls are used in movies and advertisements and as clothes models.
Physiotherapists utilize them for their patients and they are used extensively in old age homes as older people find holding a child very relaxing and soothing (you just see what happens to the overall population when someone brings a newborn to visit great grandma in a nursing home- everyone really wants to see the child and touch it- to understand the wonderful value they can have here. Most of them can’t believe they aren’t real. ‘
I personally am not overly maternal, don’t collect dolls (except for my daughter) nevertheless when I pop the head on a reborn for the initial time- I’ll always have a chat to its little face- the identical way I really do to the dog. Just like it’s proven that pets are therapeutic in nursing homes- so are reborns. They generally aren’t considered as suitable for children. I disagree with this specific by the way!!! You will find those who collect reborn dolls because they love babies, dolls or art. Many people are very potty about the dolls and the comraderie that the various forums that like minded people and artists frequent, provide them.
You will not hear anyone on these forums calling them ‘fake babies” ;.They call them reborns” or simply babies and many people have plenty of babies inside their collection (also referred to as nursery). The media try to create out there’s something very wrong with artists and collectors, but that’s just media hype. The collectors don’t take themselves too seriously and plenty of baby talk is tongue in cheek. What they do object to has been made out as ‘freaks” or they are actually attempting to substitute a wish for a real baby with a reborn (for example because they have an ’empty nest’). They know they are not real and treat them like porcelain doll collectors have prepared for countless years- that has been respect and admiration for their beauty.
A not many number of reborners will generate ‘reborns’ for parents who have lost their babies either at birth or soon after. Many people believe that a person wanting a doll that seems like their dead baby isn’t normal or is ‘sick” ;.I tell each their own. If I’d lost a child (and I cannot even imagine the inconsolable grief associated with this), knowing now what I know, I do believe having a lifelike doll to hold would be or incredible physical and mental therapeutic value at the time of losing and something lovely to have and value after the worse of the grief has passed. After having a baby the physical need certainly to nurse and hold a child is really as basic as the physical need certainly to chew food even though it was all served up as mush. I believe that this is a location where we will see more reborns used in future.
You will find particular artists who are internationally renowned for their work and they are more desirable to collectors. ‘Prototype’ dolls are popular, usually made by these artists and command higher prices. When a new kit (or sculpt) is first produced the artist will send the initial few kits to the popular artists to reborn. They’ll then be put the finished dolls on eBay to boost sales and advertise the release of the kit.
