First and foremost; I would like to stress that reborning is an ART FORM.

Reborning is the constantly evolving 3D art form process whereby a vinyl doll is totally revamped to appear as realistic as possible. The more realistic the appearance--the higher the degree of artistry.

Various methodologies and products may be used in this "fool the eye" art form including oil paints, stencil cremes, Genesis Heat Set Paints and the new air dry permanent paints. Whatever the choice; the goal should be to produce the highest degree of artistry with products that will provide a safe and permanent finished result for the collector.

It is somewhat disturbing to read some of the reborning reviews published by the media and general public which were obviously written out of ignorance. Such have sensationalized a minority of the buyers who treat this highly collectible art as "fake babies". This exploits the mentally disturbed and is a disservice to the art form, the artists, and a hallmark of cheap journalism.

The reborning process begins by dissembling a vinyl doll, stripping off the paint and dremeling off any molded hair to create a smooth head. Alternatively, many kits are now made specifically for the purpose of reborning which eliminates these preliminary steps. Next, the various parts are painted in thin, translucent layers. These generally begin with various skin tones and then progress to blue tones, veining, blush and detailing. The painting is where the skill of the artist comes most into play.

Soft mohair is then hand-rooted into the head with fine felting needles. It should be inserted in the direction that hair grows and should appear natural and appropriate to the sculpted doll. Obviously a newborn doll should have less hair than a toddler doll. When completed, the hair should be sealed from the inside with a waterproof glue. At this time new eyes are also set and secured into open-eyed dolls. Sleeping dolls should have hand-rooted eyelashes added.

The limbs and head should then be appropriately weighted with internationally safe materials such as glass weighting beads or poly pellets. The use of sand, kitty litter, rice or dried beans for weighting are questionable at best and potentially disastrous as the food products may develop an insect infestation and the other products are not approved for international shipping and will be confiscated by Customs. It is best for artists to use all internationally approved products and for buyers to pay a little more for that quality.

The doll is then reassembled on a soft body or alternately, full body sculpts may be left "as is". The doll is dressed in baby clothing and photographed. This newest form of doll making is a boon to the doll industry and certainly deserves the same respect as porcelain, polymer clay and cloth doll making. While a "reborn" is not a OOAK (One of a Kind), they are highly customized and a wonderful opportunity for collectors to own a unique piece of art.

Copyright 2008 Kelly Lynn Smith
All Rights Reserved

Updated 1/2/2012

This morning, I read an online article extolling the virtues of "fake babies". I feel once again compelled to speak out against this form of marketing. I have refused three television interviews as in good conscience I could never be party to the practice of promoting the use of "fake babies". While some may think that any publicity is good publicity; this type of sensationalism hurts the industry, hurts other artists and nullifies one's own credibility. It is my hope that doll makers will look deep within themselves and choose integrity over making a few dollars by exploitation.

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