How to Make a Reborn Berenguer Doll - Part 2

In my previous reborn "how to" article, I discussed the preparation work and how to change out the eyes. In this second half of how to reborn Berenguer dolls, we're going to focus completely on the paint.

To reborn a doll, you need to be ready to paint them from the inside out. The inside paint is a step called "purple washing" because the person who first started making reborn dolls used a pure, straight purple paint to coat the inside of the dolls they made. As the hobby progresses, reborn artists have experimented with many different ways to perform this step ... but it has to be done to give dolls that so-alive-blood-is-flowing look.

After the purple wash, we get to add rosy cheeks and then finish our dolls off with eyelashes.

The only step in renewing that I won't discuss is the hair. Simply, there are too many ways to do reborn hair from hand-rooting to attaching a mohair wig. When you first start renewing dolls, I seriously suggest going the easier route and using a mohair wig. This will cost you a bit more to purchase, but it will also save you a lot of frustration. Hand rooting is a lengthy process that involves using a needle and heat to root mohair into the doll's head strand-by-strand. Really, it's up to you.

So, on to the paint. Here's what you'll need:

Violet acrylic paint

Flesh or Beige acrylic paint

Berry, Mauve, or Pink acrylic paint

A fan-tipped paint brush

A Tupperware container for paint mixing and storage

Doll eyelashes

Painting Reborns Step One - The Purple Wash

Many fantastic reborn artists have perfected the use of straight purple paint so that when they use this as their purple wash, the final reborn doll is luminous with life. The rest of us end up with a "bruised baby" look that isn't the least bit appealing.

How to fix that? Easy - you mix 3 paints together to achieve a much lighter purple with more color to it. I use a blend of flesh, pink, and violet. The darker purple you go with the mixture, the more life-like your final reborn will look. However, it can backfire and lead to the bruised bit I just mentioned. Try using a larger amount of purple, half that amount of pink, and half the pink's amount in white.