BJD Realism

I think it's a balance between proportions and posability. Traditionally, play dolls have larger-than-people-proportional heads. The BJDs still do, but it isn't quite as exaggerated.

Plus, the posing really does make a difference. Add to that that many put their dolls in realistic clothes (I have a tendency to put mine in jeans and tee shirts and little Chuck Taylors or Doc Martens....)......

Marseille

 

I think the proportions are very important. When I get my doll (I have only one) I thought "oh the head is too small!!!" I get the body and the head seperatly and was afraid of making a mistake... but it took only a little time then I get used to this realistic look

 

A lot of the dolls I like tend to look like people I know or have seen. What I have noticed is that people (including myself), are using their dolls to bring an anime character to life. I like to write and I find that sometimes it's easier to visualize my character when I look at a doll that has the physical characteristics I'm trying to write about. Dressed in the right clothing, it's easy to believe that my character just stepped off the page. Sometimes it's about that fantasy man or woman you might never meet in this life.

 

I think the size, the proportions and the eyes. Sculpts are getting more realistic, which I'm happy about.

 

I agree with a lot of what people are saying about the realism of the sculps as compared to other dolls, and the eyes. But part of what makes them feel so realistic is how they seem to react, small movements that are a combination of their posability and your own unconcious movements.

 

Kim said:

I agree with this although it seems to be a minority opinion among bjd fans (at least in the west). I collect other dolls as well, but I'm attracted to bjds because I love the stylized faces. They are unique and can't be found on most western dolls. I wouldn't like to see the current trend stop completely because I know so many bjd folks love realism, but at the same time if the stylized faces were to become phased out I wouldn't be interested in getting any more dolls myself. Hopefully there will always be plenty of each out there so that we can all be happy!

 

These dolls are very, very easy to anthropomorphise... I think that's the force bethind so many of us seeing them not only *as* doll, but also as avatars or personalities of their own.

For me... It's all about naturalism in posing, the expressiveness of their faces and hands, and the realism of their eyes. When I'm photographing my crew or just placing them in their positions around the room, I always try very, very hard to make them look as real and as human as possible, and I think that effort pays off.

Some people may be unnerved by how alive they look, but I enjoy that about them. I suspect it's the reason I love these guys, even though I'm not a fan of other types of dolls. ^_^

 

I think that the perportinons the realism of the eyes and the sculpt matter most to me, I usually dont like a doll if it dosent seem realistic. It also matters on the photographs. Good photographs matter the most when looking at a potential doll.

 

I think it has a lot to do with the eyes and lips. The way the face-ups are done also plays a major role. Finally, I just think the movement and body construction really puts it over the top.

 

I really think it has to do with the ability to customize and pose the dolls, as well as how they are sculpted. On an individual level, being able to personify your feelings or emotions makes the doll very "realistic".

I know they are a doll, but looking through the galleries and photo stories...it's just unbelievable how owners portray human emotion through these dolls, and how defined these emotions can be.
It seems so lifelike.

 

The features of the face tend to be more realistic with BJDs. The bodies are quite accurate, too. Someone also mentioned the eyes, which I believe make them more realistic as well. The ability to pose BJDs is probably a factor, too.

They are essentially porcelain dolls that don't break as easily and can be posed. I would say that the realism in the face of my doll compares to my porcelain dolls (although my BJD has unnaturally large eyes, and my porcelain dolls have eyes that are more appropriately-sized).

 

they are proportionate, sculpted so perfectly, the pose so well and they have awesome clothes and accessories. i think when it comes down to it, it's the face up. you can give them such realistic looking faces and body blushing.

 

I really think it's the eyes too. Not just the fact that you can put in really realistic eyes, but also how deeply the eye sockets are sculpted. (And how thick the eyelids are, AND the depth of the other features, too.) I was looking at traditional porcelain dolls and that's the biggest difference I could find. A lot of them have no shadow cast in their eye socket area or on their eyeball and it just doesn't look alive without those shadows.
http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/188/elegant-porcelain-doll_10617.jpg
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...arden-party-bethany--seymour-mannc4_1.jpg&t=1
http://svc007.wic008tv.server-web.com/DSCN0174.JPG
Also they all seem to have their eyes in that same straight-forward position. I can't find it right now, but there's a tutorial thing around here somewhere that shows how to put eyes in, and it shows them staring forward vs. looking a tiny bit upward, and the difference really surprised me. It REALLY made the doll look a lot more like a conscious creature.

I've seen BJDs do the doll-face thing, and it's usually because the eyes are missing one of the things I just mentioned.

And yeah, posing is major.. little things, like the angle of the neck or the wrists. A lot of them can look so natural. (Some still can't..)

 

Are you talking about the impression from seeing an actual doll or just pictures? I've seen a photo of a BJD in lingerie and totally thought it was a real human model, I had a moment of uncanny valley when I realized it's a BJD.

 

Some dolls are amaxzing

 

I'd say a combination of posability, proportionhs and very much the eyes. If you're used to painted on Barbie eyes, glass eyes can seem really lifelike.

 

"What!? Barbie is Evolving!? Your Barbie evolved into a BJD!"

(sorry I had to XD)

I think its the eyes, as they shine like humans eyes, gives an imprestion of a soul.