Miracle Messy Mixture

Goin through my notes I have saved over the years,I was so excited to have found the messy mixture!! Wanted to share this with you all Hugs Sherrie

The Cloth Doll Magazine, 1988"Miracle Messy Mixture "For Strengthing Cloth Doll Heads By: Helen Pringle a mixture of one half modeling paste and one half acrylic gel medium.Applie in multiple thin coats to the doll head and arms before thye are painted.The brand I use is Liquitex Modeling Paste and Liquitex Acrylic Gel Medium,available at most craft and art supply houses, (Arylic Matted Medium could be used in place of the Gel Medium,,But the Gel Medium makes a smoother mix which doesn't show brush marks)Buy the smallest sizes you can get, as the paste begins to harden once it is opened. Use a good brush and save it just for the mixture. I've tried every kind of brush , and found I prefer a 3/4 " soft nylon "exploded tip" as it seems to minimize brush marks and cleans easily. Cover your work surface witj plastic sheeting or newspaper. Mix well one part paste to one part medium in a clean, small glass jar with a tight fitting lid and a mouth wide enough to admit the brush easily such as a pimento jar,I add water sparinly, a few drops at a time, when the mixture begins to thicken. If too much water is added , poor adhesion will result ,Clean up is done with soap and water.The features and the shape of the head and arms are less likely to shift or flatten, as sometimes happens in old rag dolls painted directly on the cloth.The hardened surface makes an excellent base for the painting which follows , Whether using acrylics or oils.(Remember thta oils can cover acrylics, But not vice versa, If in doubt read the labels on the jars and tubes when painting .) While testing various under coatings, I always coated a head and then slammed it repeatedly into a table corner. Acrylic varnish cracked,gesso cracked, but not the "Miracle Messy Mixture ". The coated head finally tore. But even deep dents slowly healed,The purpose of this method is to prolon the life of the paint and to help avoid permanent dents,It is not meant to imitate other materials or mediums, or to fool any one.