Asking face-up creators to 'copy' their dolls for you?

I can't help but feel that if you ask in a polite manner, then there is no reason the artist should feel offended even if their answer is no. Assuming they haven't posted anything in their commission information about copying the look of other faceups their is no way for you to know their feelings other than to ask. I don't think their is any etiquette faux pas in asking politely for what you want.

 

I think it depends on the faceup/character of the doll. I probably would say no to flat out copying any of my CHARACTER dolls, but the generic-ish ones--no problem. As for being asked to copy someone else's work, it would depend on why. If it was to repair a dammaged face up maybe.
As a side note, I just have to say that as a traditionally trained artist I have spent MANY hours in museums and looking at books copying "Old Masters" work, so as to learn their style. This is how artists are taught.

 

I agree with this! Asking for the same faceup in different colors, or the same expression but with different details.. that kind of thing would be fine with me, as an artist, because the doll would look different. If you want to ask an artist for a faceup like their doll's, I would give them options like this in case they feel uncomfortable with the idea. And anyway, you would be getting a more unique doll if you asked for it to be somewhat different from theirs. :3

 

I have had someone ask me to do this... I was asked to replicate one of my dolls' rather unique faceups on a different sculpt. It was flattering (especially since my faceup skills aren't as good as most commission artists)... but I did turn the person down. I told them I could do a faceup in a similar style, but I wouldn't want to replicate it exactly. That doll is my favorite doll and her faceup/look is special to me.

In the end, I wasn't offended... but I did decline. However, I would hesitate to ask another faceup artist to duplicate a faceup from his/her collection, since I know how personal it can be for one of the dolls in a personal collection. But I don't see anything that could be offensive about asking for a similar style, just not the exact same faceup.

 

I would never ask anyone to recreate a faceup on one of their dolls for me. I like to think that everyone's dolls should be unique to them, and i wouldn't want to have a bunch of doll clones floating around. Likewise, if i ever did faceups for people, i wouldn't copy my dolls for them.

I think you can draw inspiration from a faceup you like and get close to it without copying it exactly.

 

Well, I am not ready to take commission work yet, but I have had someone ask me to do a faceup for them and I did. I considered that an enormous compliment!!
If I ever get to a point where I can do commission work I think I would feel complimented and proud that someone admired my work so much as to ask for one like it. Keeping in mind that OOAK (One Of A Kind) work is exactly that - One Of A Kind - even copying one's own work - no two dolls could turn out exactly the same.

If you are considering asking someone to do one of your dolls the way they did one of their own the only way to find out if they will is to ask them not us. Obviously, we all see it differently.

My dolls are based on original characters and I do my own faceups because I have my own ideas about their appearance and I love doing the work. But if someone asked me to do their doll's face like one of my own I would be happy to comply. Because just like real people we all have a twin out there in the world. And we all have many, many people out there that look slightly like us. And with the dolls there are many, many dolls that have the default faceup but when given their wigs and style of clothing, they can look extremely different and I believe it would be the same if just two dolls looked the same.

I see the person I asked to do something like this replied. I once asked her if she would do one of my dolls the way she had one of her own done. The artist complied happily and told me it would cost the same as her standard faceup prices. I still have the PM's from her.

 

I think it depends. Now, if the doll has a very, very specific and unique design (Swirly makeup and obvious markings for example) then it might make them feel you want to steal their character. But if it's a fairly basic face-up, I don't see a problem with it. Because unless it's the same mold and they are side by side, many people won't see the similarity. They'll see the differences, such as the hair, sculpt, etc. instead of looking straight at the face-up and immediately saying, "Hey! That looks like ____'s doll's face-up!"

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I think you should ask the person anyway and just tell them you don't mean any offense. Because it's true, it's not like you're doing it to steal the doll's personality or character, you just really love it. Nothing wrong with that.

 

Now, putting a kinda different spin on this: Say you have a doll with a company's default face-up and it's really THE perfect face-up. But over the years, it gets damaged or rubs off in places or fades. You really love it, you want no other face-up. You can't send the head back to the company for a new face-up. So you ask a face-up-artist to copy it from photos you took of your doll.

Would you, the face-up-artist, accept or decline such a request? Why?

 

It depends. Some companies do not accept custom face-up requests and the default face-up they offer may have changed since your doll got its original face-up. Should the company accept custom face-up request, then you can send in your photo references and it may even help if you say the face-up was originally done by a face-up artist from the company.

[edit] I read your post wrong and read that as if you're going to send the head back to a company. Sometimes companies redo damaged face-ups as part of customer service.
In case you ask a non-company face-up artist it depends on the artist. Some don't feel comfortable (they feel they don't have the skill to re-create the face-up of feel it's not right), but others like getting clear instructions.

 

I know I'm in the minority, but if I'm going to send a doll head away and have it painted by a particular artist it means I love that artist's style. I pretty much give a general feel or idea, but give the artist a lot of room to push his/her creativity to the limits. And, I haven't been disappointed. In fact, the results have always exceeded my expectations.

When the face-ups fade, which is inevitable, and a replacement is needed I will send the heads to the original face-up artists I had do them originally (if I can). But, again, I'm going to say "same feeling", but give them the creativity to "create" primarily because I think that's when an artist creates his or her best work because there are no limitations as far as creativity goes and it is only natural for an artist's style to evolve with time.

So, as far as copying another face-up, all I can think of is how boring that sounds. Why don't you want something better? I'd send the photo for reference, but I'd also request the artist to be faithful to the headmold and to, of course, utilize his or her style. That face-up that is sent in as a reference should only be a starting point, in my opinion, and not the end result. The emotion a face-up evokes is far more important, in my opinion, than the actual paint strokes and blushing. But, to each his or her own.

 

While not a professional face-up artist by any means, I feel my response would be similar to a lot of the others represented on this thread. For am exact copy (Like someone wanted me to do my Taco's face on another Taco, or the butterfly-mask face I'm working onto my Minette) I'd flat-out say no. It'd be a very flattered and slightly baffled no, but it would still be a no.

If someone came and asked for something similar, I'd still have the same feeling of flattered and slightly bewildered (I do not have much confidence in my character design capabilities) but I'd probably take the commission because similar is not the same, and art is born through outside influence.

 

Being an artist who constantlly draws pictures at friends' requests, I feel that would be borderline invaision but a complement, too.

On one hand they are saying that what you did for yourself, in your own style or taste, was so awesome they want it, too! Which is very flattering.

On the other hand, I think that the 'originality' factor is a real concern. Especially on something so personalized/costomizeable as a bjd or a face up. I think why have someone elses face up when you could have something all yours?

If I were a face up artist, and this were requested of me, I would express a discomfort in repeating my own personal doll. But, I would offer to make adjusments or tweaks to that certain face up, to make it similar to mine but still all theirs and special.

It would also depend on who they were requesting, because if it was a personal character I would have to flat out say no. In my drawing if someone asked me to draw Zilvmay for them (for their own use) or even for a look alike its much more personal because she's my pen name and I wouldn't share that with others.

Something like that would also be effected by how I was asked, I would be much less willing to work with someone who could not understand/respect my artistic choices.

 

I don't think it would hurt to ask, just be respectful. Especially if it's a common face up look (like the smokey eye thing). Unless it's the same mold, you're dolls aren't going to look exact! Even if they are, in mold and face up, there's so many other things to change about the dolls.

Idk, some artists I'm sure will feel protective of the "look" of that certain doll. And others, I'm sure would be more than happy to do it. It's all going to depend on the artist, and how respectful and kind you are in asking. And really, the worst you can obtain by asking is a rudely worded "no".

 

If you would run a face-up-service, how would you react to a request like that?
If it wasn't a special faceup/character, then I'd be happy to do it.

Do you think it's rude? No, you see a product you like, and you want it - ask! They're running a business, aren't they? They show examples, so why wouldn't you? I see it as it being similar to if I went to a salon and asked the owner to give me their haircut. Awkward, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Would you don't mind it and just do it?
I would just go for it. Be polite, but go for it.

Would this hurt you because you like your doll to be 'unique'?
This doll's sculpt was made by somebody else. Clothes, hair are at least influenced by other people, even if I DID make them myself. I think it's cool that dolls won't look alike, but outside of big modifications/original sculpts, I really don't see any doll as being completely and totally unique. So no, I wouldn't care.

Or would you tell the customer that you won't do this for him? If so, why?
If I did say no, it would only be because I wasn't comfortable with it. At that point, I'd just tell the person to go find another artist to copy my face up. xD

 

I don't think it's necessarily rude to ask (after all, you never know if you don't ask, and different people would have different responses), but it would certainly be rude to react poorly if the answer is no.

The question at least gives you a starting place, since it lets the face-up artist know what it is you like, and from there they can talk to you about doing something similar but different if the work in question was meant to be unique. I've seen a lot of face-ups that I would love something similar-if-not-identical to (and in the cases of fantasy face-ups, I always feel 'similar' is better than 'identical', because those so often look like they should be truly unique. In the case of realistic face-ups, I think I'd feel more comfortable asking)

=^__^=
Anneko

 

I do run a custom doll service and people ask me ALL THE TIME to copy previous face ups.
I say I can do something similar to that one work the person likes, but never "twins". It's a handmade job, so nothing will be really identical. And then I explain to the person that it's not good for me to copy a doll, because the best thing about a custom work is to have an unique face up.

 

I must say that I fell in love many time with face-up creator's doll with their own make-up, but i never ask them to do the same on mine even I adore them very much. somehow it is to me like the portraiture right.

 

I see nothing wrong with asking a faceup artist to create a similar faceup, but I'd never ask for or even want an exact duplicate. There are some faceup artists who have a really unique style (the now-retired Ravendolls comes to mind) and I have found that all the faceups they do have a sort of trademark, identifiable look to them but at the same time no two are exactly alike and that's what makes their work so cool.

 

There is never a wrong in asking... But. If someone came to me and wanted the exact face-up/tatoo my Lishe has... I would say no. All of my boys are rather unique to their characters and I would decline an 'exact' request, even for another collectors doll. It IS rude no matter how politely you ask for it.
Now, if someone asked for something similar, we would work out the details to see if it is a comfortable margine. If so, I would agree.
I have had people undermine me, go to another artist and get an exact of one of my dolls face-ups. It was hurtful and I let them know. It is like stealing a piece of me and it is not a nice feeling.

 

Personally, I'd rather not ask in the first place, even if it was what I had in mind. If I'm not getting a default company face-up (which I generally do love these), then I'm going to want to set my doll "apart" from the crowd.

I think, like a lot of people have said, a lot is going to depend on how the question is asked. Picking out aspects you like of certain face-ups can help the artist know what you expect. I plan on getting my first custom face-up soon and I've been saving photos of face-ups I like whether on the mold of the doll I'm getting or on other dolls just so I can give them to the artist I choose as references.

I don't think anyone should expect a face-up to be copied, but I'm sure if you want something similar, then an artist shouldn't mind, and you might feel better knowing that your doll's face-up isn't copied but your own!