Characters for your dolls VS. dolls for your characters

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

I was 100% dolls for characters, but now I'm into a mix

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

No. It really depends on each person.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?

I've had stories in my head since I was a little kid, filled with different characters that evolved as I grew up. I started looking for molds to fit my characters and thought I'd never get a doll if it didn't fit one of my characters. Then, suddenly, I fell for certain doll and discovered the funs of creating a new character for it, fitting it into my stories and discovering how this new one would interact with all the rest.

Any other thoughts on the matter?

Key point is to enjoy the hobby

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

I'm mostly the former, but there are hints of the latter in my process. My first doll was completely character for doll. Looking at his pictures and having him in hand formed 100% of his character. Then I thought he needed a female doll around... and wouldn't it be cool to have a cyberpunk. That was all the character I had when I started looking for a doll I loved. After finding her, is when her personality formed. In fact, I switched sculpts a few months into the process and her personality dramatically changed along with the sculpt. She also became more of a mad scientist. After that I wanted a ghost girl who followed them home after Mirai created a portal into another universe... and she could wear period clothes. Nothing detailed to go on there either. So I set about again looking for dolls that spoke to me. I was totally in love with the DZ Binli sculpt, but I was afraid that a ghost Binli would be to reminiscent of other Binlis out there. Then she got discontinued at a time when I couldn't afford her. I had been developing a growing love for DM Paran, and suddenly the character took off while looking at that sculpt. The sculpt had amazingly expressive large eyes, and seeing how much different eyes changed her look prompted all kinds of ideas about how the character's looks could change when she possessed another living thing. Months later, I still wanted a Binli, though I had no idea what her character would be. Maybe a living sister or descendent from my ghost. After a surprising turn I ended up with my dream Binli. She'd be modded to have slightly more open eyes, and she didn't look like any other Binli out there. Like my first doll she became completely character for doll. Once again I'm hearing the tribal drums calling for me to look at dolls, because wouldn't it be nice for her to have a boyfriend.... and just maybe he's going to have been accidentally transformed by my mad scientist's experiments.... because wouldn't it be fun to have a cute monster boy.... LOL If I find a doll that speaks to me.


Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

Whatever works for a person is what they should run with.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?

I'm never completely doll for character, but developing storylines or interactions for the dolls that I already have sometimes gives me vague character ideas to start from now.

Any other thoughts on the matter?

I do have original characters from stories that I write, but for me those are too formed for me to make dolls of them. I have a very strong mental image for each of the important characters, and there's just no sculpt that could ever stand up to the constant nitpicking I'd do about trying to get them perfect.

It's all about people enjoying the hobby.

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
Characters for dolls. Whenever I have a character I want to bring to life, I almost obsess about how their features would be and try to find the closest sculpt for it. The only doll I have that's incongruous with this is my first doll, my Wi. But that's only because I was newly into the hobby when I got him.

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
Depends on the person, I'd say. I'm definitely more suited for "characters for dolls".

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
I switched when I realized the possibility of bringing my characters to life. It doesn't make me love my Wi any less, or love my other dolls any more. It just opened another door within the hobby for me: specific, totally personal customization. I've always made stories up but some of them have stuck and as a result, the characters became sentimental to me. To be honest it was as though they were already alive before I brought them to life as dolls. So I only create dolls after characters that I am intrinsically connected to, that I am "close" with.

Any other thoughts on the matter?
Sometimes it is impossible to transfer the exact character to their dolls, but it doesn't bother me. I know that they aren't going to be perfect, but they are more than enough. Their representation is ample and I love it. They are mine entirely and they are also their own entirely.

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters? Characters for dolls. ^^


Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby? Not really; it depends on what the doll owner wants to do. It's their money and purpose; they can do what they want.


Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch? Nope; for me it's always character for the doll. Unless one day I wanted to make a doll out of a fandom character; I doubt I would do that though.


Any other thoughts on the matter? I just think this is all up to personal preference and that there isn't really any right or wrong in the matter. ^^;

 

I wait for the dolls character to come out after. Just like having a baby, until you've had them for some time then you'll know what personality they have. Writers searching for dolls to fit characters must have a hard time making their story come to life. Isn't this a great hobby since so many for different reasons bond having this doll world in common.

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
Definitely, BJD for characters in my case. Obvious in the case of my (One Piece manga and anime series) already given characters, but it happened that same way even in the case of my only two own creation characters. I knew of their molds before thinking about the characters they are and I thought how I would have them like I sometimes do about other molds I do not own/plan to have. It was when I wrote stories of a couple of characters when I knew that I would go for them and the way they really would be, truly different to what I firstly thought for their sculpts.

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
Not at all. I think every single thing gets a different best/most suited way depending on the person who does it and even on the situation and the case.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
Always one. If I do not have a character I really want to own in mind, own creation or not, I do not fall for a BJD. Seeing the character in it is what moves me to want it.

Any other thoughts on the matter?
I have seen a couple of BJD which made me think about possible own creation characters I never thought about. I do not know if it is because the feeling I get is not the same or because of the many members already in my crew, but I have not nor plan to get any of these sudden characters.

 

I don't really know how to explain what I did. I knew I was going to be getting a BJD, so did my friend. So we began writing this really long novel/story about our dolls and their lives. We had 73 pages done before my boy arrived, and hers is still waiting to be ordered in the next week or so. The idea started with a doll, then turned into a really elabrate character, and then a doll again. It was kind of both, in a way.

 

At first I was Character for Dolls. I now exist somewhere in the grey matter between. x3

While creating the character for my first doll, I sort of got.. carried away. It wasn't a conscious choice; over the span of a few months it went from a two sentence description to an entire storyline, complete with subplots. Those subplots have characters in them that I spent quite a bit of time developing, and I thought to myself, "Hey, it'd be awesome to have a doll of this one!" So I picked sculpts, and made plans. I find now that having a doll of a character actually helps me expand or pair down their backstories, and in the end I'm a lot happier with the end result.

I don't think it matters either way, honestly. Some people don't have characters for their dolls at all, and if it suits their needs it's just fine with me. It's hardly my place to dictate what someone can and can't do with an inanimate object anyhow.
​

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

I'm definitely a doll for character person. I'm not the impulsive sort who sees a gorgeous doll and just has to have it for that aspect alone. I search for a sort of connection to the dolls I would buy and typically that forms from an existing one to someone I have created who does not yet have a physical representation beyond an image on paper or words on the screen.


Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

No, not really. I think one is more suited to burning a hole in your wallet, though!

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?

Being as I haven't purchased a doll yet, I can't say as I have swapped. But I am looking for dolls right now that connect to the character I am seeking to give form.

Any other thoughts on the matter?

Nope, not really. It's just a matter of preference from person to person.

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

Dolls for characters I guess. Once I ordered my first doll, I had kind of figured out he'd be somewhat like Kenshin but with an alternate background. For my second one, I already had a name set months before ordering and it didn't matter much which sculpt she would be, as long as I felt she'd look like a diva. Though the company picture was enough for me to take the decision, she proved to be so much better suitable for the character it really helped developing her character further.
My third doll is derived directly from Hajime Saito as depicted in Rurouni Kenshin. When I went looking for a sculpt to suit the character, I chose RS Gang because he has the face for it, and the slender body.
Recently I discovered this sculpt also has the same gaze as JS Bach in his portraits. So in time I'm getting another one, though he'll have a less athletic body so I'll switch with an elf also on my wish list.


Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
Depends how you experience your hobby. I like making characters and having them in my photostories.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
Never felt the need to switch a character. Besides, the characters have really grown on me so it's not going to happen.

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
I think I'm a bit of both. My first doll made his own character, but my second doll will be one with a preselected character (the first doll's bff).

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
No; I think each person has their preferences, and some might find it more fun to have a totally new character to get to know, where others might like to have the dolls be someone they already know.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
Um, kind of hard to answer for me ^^; Unless the new boy comes home and decides not to be who I want him to, I haven't had to deal with it?

Any other thoughts on the matter?
I would love a mixed collection. I have plans for some "dolls for characters", but I also see dolls I just want, even though I wouldn't even have a name for them.

 

wow, that's exactly how it is for me ! and then what happens is, my dolls just end up having a personality of their own rather than of my original characters in my stories ~

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
I'm definitely a "dolls for my characters" girl. I love my two main characters so much that I needed them to be in resin form as a muse. Plus, it's easier to write a story when you have a focus of how the characters express themselves.

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
Both are fine by me-depends on what you're doing for the doll's characters and the owner's personality.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
Well, sometimes inspiration sticks it to you, and you can't help but by swept away by the flow. In my case, I'm stubborn as hell and it's gonna take more that your average gust of inspiration to make me change something central about my characters.

Any other thoughts on the matter?
One thing about making a character work out that I had to learn the hard way-you can apply whatever you choose, but ultimately-something will stick and never leave and others don't-that depends on the doll too.

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
Mostly Characters for dolls.
The look of the dolls is all-important to me, but I don't try to match them with pre-conceived characters. Some dolls that I buy are influenced by characters, but I don't want to make them BE the character.
Basically--my characters don't really look much like BJDs to begin with... and I don't mind just playing around with characters in fiction and dolls as dolls.
Also--I don't have one set of characters... I have tons and they change and they aren't important to me ALL the time. My fictional characters usually stay in fiction and I don't transfer them to other arenas.
And--I like have new characters. Sometimes the dolls I want inspire new characters and new stories. I prefer that happening, actually, then sticking to a small set of characters...
Finally-- This way, I don't have to worry about dolls fitting in or not being a character, etc. I can buy dolls that appeal to me just own their own. I think it gives me more freedom and more sources of inspiration!

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
Nah... whatever makes people happy is what works. If they wish to shell characters, that's cool. If someone wishes to buy dolls that aren't characters already, that's cool, too! For me, the latter works best and makes me happy.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
Always the one... Although, as I said, sometimes I buy a doll because it reminds me a bit of a character...

Any other thoughts on the matter?
I think I might have been shelling characters more when I was younger. I think I'd be buying more dolls based on actors and anime characters, too. I still have the urge now, but it seem less interesting to me. I'm not sure why... I know it's related to feeling that I don't want to be limited by anything like having just one set of characters to work with or thing about. Also, maybe, as I get older, I know these kinds of likes ebb and flow, but basic things, like loving a certain look of a doll, will not likely change--or change so much.

 

I jumped into BJDs and bought my first doll with the plan of shelling two of my imaginary characters as dolls. That totally didn't work for me. Firstly I realized that no matter how hard I tried and how much money I spend, the doll -- sculpt, clothing, everything -- will NEVER look exactly like what I envisioned my char to be. Furthermore, the char in my mind was alive and real; I was trying to squeeze a living, protean concept into a dead, rigid shell; and by doing that the shell just looked even more dead to me. It took a year of frustration (and a bit of burnout) to realize that the chars already alive in my mind will never stoop down to take on doll-forms, so I should just abandon that practice right there.

At the same time, I was buying dolls because I loved the sculpt, and then figuring out their characters later. Those were the ones that I really, really loved and bonded with. These characters are actually very different from the ones that already exist in my mind -- they're more "doll-like" and fit the sculpts and the doll continuity better, and I've become happy with that.

So I've learnt my lesson: best to buy a doll because I like it, and then gradually let a character form around it. The imaginary chars in my mind will never manifest as dolls -- they're just too grand and puissant to stoop to physical form.

 

Well, I'm pretty sure I haven't already answered this, so...

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

Both! I got Vince because he was such a cutie, and while I had some ideas for his character, it wasn't a pre-existing one, more a personality that suited him, drawing from a couple different sources for inspiration. Some of the dolls on my wish list are like that, too cute/beautiful not to want, but others on the list are very definitely characters.


Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

Nope, I think both have their place, and as much as I want to eventually have the cast of the novel I'm working on in resin, I wouldn't give up my just-for-fun boy for the world. He evolved into just the sort of doll I needed-- cheerfulness embodied! When I get depressed, having him around cheers me up, even if he wasn't a character before I got him.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?

No, I think when I got into the hobby, I knew I did eventually want dolls to be certain characters, but I also found myself drawn to some dolls that didn't suit pre-existing characters of mine, just for their own sake because they were beautiful. Hard to switch when I've always been both, I guess...

Any other thoughts on the matter?

Well, my first boy is a doll that evolved his own character, the event head that came with him switches between being an embodiment of a character I've tried to write about, a D&D character, and a video game character, the two boys I have on layaway are someone else's characters that I'm a tremendous fan of, and then eventually I want to build out the cast of my novel. I guess there's just no type of doll character I don't totally support.

=^__^=
Anneko

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
I'm a dolls for characters type.

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
For me the dolls for characters mode worked out better, because it helped me narrow down my options. With my first character I knew I wanted an MSD boy with a smile on his face and a pale skin tone. I still had to look for the right doll, but that narrowed the search quite a bit and in no time at all I'd found the perfect boy!

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
I switch at will, though I didn't know I could. I was bound and determined to own a green doll, so when I found Bobobie's green Yo-SDs I cobbled up a character. Chloe isn't home yet but I know I want her. I've even got a wig waiting!

Any other thoughts on the matter?
Play around with both options and see which one works for you! That's all I can say.

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
I go both ways, but usually i'm more "characters for the dolls" specifically because I have extremely vivid ideas of what my rp characters SHOULD look like and finding a sculpt for a lot of them is pretty much impossible as a result. At least not without some pretty extensive mods, which I don't feel up to doing just yet.

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
Certainly characters for dolls is easier than shelling an existing character, because you have a lot more freedom with their look than a preexisting little person floating around your head. I do have a couple of dolls of my ocs, but sacrifices had to be made with their design to achieve that. Those i've had longer and are more attached to, they're the ones that are harder to shell because nothing is just "right"

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
When I first started collecting dolls they were just dolls, but then somewhere along the way a few of them started to become something more. I have a barbie doll on the mantle who no joke, has as much personality as any bjd, and I don't quite understand HOW such a mass produced toy can have an attitude but this individual one doll DOES. I've handled countless barbie and sindy dolls over the years, she's the only one who as soon as she got out the box was all "don't you dare behead me, I will find you and shiv you in the kidneys."
After that I moved on to things that I could get more creative with, hujoo, makies, bjds. The blank canvas appeals to my inner compulsive character creator, and putting that bit of yourself into them is a bit easier than with a playline premade/predesigned doll because you have more say, more control and if you're doing the faceups yourself, as I usually do, there's that element of your own artistry in there as well. You pour that much of yourself into the creative process, a character will usually come out of it.

Any other thoughts on the matter?

My characters tend to get out of my control pretty easily. It starts with one seed of an idea and it just.. snowballs... I've already got a plan for a whole D&D party in MSD size and their forms and personalities are starting to crystalise before I even have the money together to buy em. This is a sickness I tell you! A hopeless addiction! lol.

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?
A little of both. Generally, I create the character first, then find the perfect shell, but sometimes I fall in love with a doll and build a character around it.

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?
I think it depends entirely on the person. There are lots of writers, gamers, role players and more who use this hobby to create avatars for their OCs, and there are people who collect dolls just because they're beautiful and fun to customize who see character creation as a secondary thing, or maybe don't even give their dolls anything past a name.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?
I started out getting dolls first and creating characters second. That was before I got into RP and when I still was used to buying fashion dolls and creating characters later. After I got into RP, I decided having the character fit into a story was more important most of the time than having a doll fit into a collection, and at that point I decided if I just went with what dolls were pretty, I'd have a hundred of them! So requiring them to fit into stories makes it easier to keep the collection in control.

 

Which type are you? a Characters for dolls, or a dolls for characters?

I have both, but I'm definitely more a dolls for characters sort of person. I think, though, the dolls have allowed me to cement and condense some of my characters. (I've been writing and telling stories since childhood, but the identity or "world" of the characters would change, although certain characteristics, such as personality, would remain. With dolls, suddenly I am more motivated to keep the characters as I see them now; they are less prone to evolving).

The ratio is 8:3.5 (on topic BJDs only) dolls for characters:characters for dolls. The ".5" is for a doll who, I guess, is actually a character, but not mine.

The three "dolls for characters" I have are sort of BJD accidents:

One was a "shelling," I suppose, of a jointed doll (before I knew a lot about BJDs and their construction) I had made as a reproduction of yet another doll. One like this, actually. The paperclay doll I originally made then wore a simple Pre-Raphaelite inspired gown, and became John William Waterhouse's "Juliet." This doll is my ".5"

Another was a "starter doll" to practice dyeing (I wasn't sure if I needed a dye resist or painting style, so I started with paining--dye resist was better, so I no longer wanted this doll to be a younger version of the character I had in mind. She became "Pip."

The next is my Fashion Doll Grant Phillipe--I bought this doll on impulse because I liked the detail for the size. Now I think I have an idea in mind for him...

The final doll I purchased because I wanted as close to a "full package" as I could get for me personally. Since I usually hybrid and dye for dark colors, I wanted to buy a darker resin doll, head and body from the same company. I don't know much about him yet.

Do you think one way is better or more suited for the hobby?

Nope! I think this hobby is so broad, combining so many different...subhobbies (?)...(not exactly right because they are also hobbies in their own right) like painting, digital art, sculpting, sewing, writing, and photography. I think which route a particular individual chooses may depend on why they entered the hobby in the first place: from a writing/storytelling side, or a crafting/hobby side.

Have you always done one, or did something make you switch along the way? Why switch?

I guess I've done both simultaneously? Technically I received Pip first (character for doll), but I had already ordered a doll-for-character...

Any other thoughts on the matter?

Nope! Not that I can think of!