Company Faceups vs Original Faceups : Which is "better"?

Is it still possible to make a doll unique with a company face up? Or is it a lost cause?
Of course it is. Not everyone gets a company faceup these days. You will also find that sometimes in the community that the same sculpts have a similar custom faceup because someone liked the work a particular artist did on someone else's doll - not to say the artist is duplicating their work, but their style is often unmistakeable, just like the styles of company faceups. Besides, most faceup ideas have already been executed in the past unless, the whole nothing is really new thing

Do I need to do my own face up or commission a face up artist to do it in order to make my doll "interesting" to look at?
Focusing on the faceup only is a bit short-sighted. I mean sure, the faceup is generally the main attraction, but what makes a doll complete their clothes and accessories. It's like having a great cup of coffee from those fancy stores, but without all the yummy trimmings (this analogy won't work for people who like no-nonsense coffee or not like coffee at all, but it was all I could think of ^^; )
It also depends how you want to approach the hobby. I myself like doing my own faceups and making my own clothes when I can. It's how I enjoy my dolls. Others enjoy their dolls in other ways. I can imagine getting a faceup commissioned would be almost as exciting as getting the doll in the first place, and there must be a great deal of satisfaction when a doll arrives from the company with the perfect faceup with no fuss required, instantly having the look you dreamed for it. In the end, it's up to you and YOUR preferences.

I tend to hear of instances where doll owners turn their noses up at company face ups. Is this true?
Some people don't like company faceups because of personal preference, but this shouldn't be your concern! There are so many people out there and so many different tastes and preferences you're bound to run into more than one that doesn't see things the same way you do - hell I couldn't even come up with an all-encompassing analogy for the previous question because of this

Or is wanting my doll to have attention just a recipe for drama and disaster?
Yep! With that sort of attitude, you're more likely to get the kind of attention you don't want. Trolls love insecure people who just want to please others in their hobbies. I've seen it before on other websites and in other hobbies, I'm sure others have seen it too. The best thing to do is to enjoy the hobby for yourself and not the attention it brings you.

 

I think it's understandable to want your doll to get a little love at meetups. That's just human nature. But it's hard to predict what people will be interested in, and it changes from group to group. I've had an experience like CloakedSchemer, I once took to a meetup a more-expensive, unusual doll, plus a vinyl Obitsu. Who got all the attention? The Obitsu, of course!

People notice the doll's costume and general styling more than the faceup, in my opinion.

 

Agreeing to this. I noticed that during meet-ups many people are usually only concerned about the face-up when there's another doll of the same sculpt present.

 

Agree. I've only ever been to meet-ups in Korea but everyone there was much more concerned with clothing, wigs and eyes rather than if the face-up was original or not...

 

It is very difficult to get used to Jill. I'm still not sure how to do 'stuff'.

I have so far loved my faceups. Iplehouse ones. And the Bishonen House ones. I'm more exclusive to these to houses in my own collection and they do lovely faceups.

 

I wish I could do faceups. Really really would love it but even though I am an artist and an illustrator, I can't do both sides of the face. Besides I also find the BJDs have awesom eyebrows! And lips.

 

I notice that company face ups seem to be worth more on re-sale than "original" face ups, unless the face-up artist is well known and sought after. Idk if this is a hard and fast thing, because I've only been in the hobby for a couple months, but that's what I've seen.

I personally LOVE my doll's company face-up. Iplehouse does an amazing job.

 

To me, it is a matter of personal taste. For example, I got two dolls in different colors from a company and was perfectly happy with the default faceup on one girl but couldn't get an artist faceup fast enough for the other one. It was the same doll - just in different skin tones!
I generally like many of the factory faceups or I probably wouldn't like the doll to begin with, but occasionally I just want something different, unique, or even what's not on the doll now. That's when I go in search of another faceup.

 

This makes sense actually, especially with an older doll. Some people get attatched to a certain company's artist's style and that artist gets popular, and if the artist stops doing faceups for that company it would stand to reason the dolls that still have their work might be worth a little more. It also makes sense if the company updates their faceups, either because they no longer have the same artist or if they want something new, that the dolls with the older original faceups would be worth more since you can't get it anymore. With limited's it's even more prelevant, since the faceup as well as everything else with the doll is also limited and costs extra.

'course the increase in price could simply be the owner trying to get the extra cash they spent to get the faceup back.

 

Just remember, no two face-up is alike, custom, or default.

 

Interesting question and I was wondering that myself. I mean, the reason why I got a company face-up when I got my doll was that I wasn't totally sure of his character yet, and although I would have liked a custom one, I wanted to be sure of EXACTLY what I wanted and I just wasn't, so...I went with a default one. It's turned out fine though, because it's a very nice faceup until I figure out what's best for him

 

Sticking to the topic of face ups:

Personally, I think it's all about whether or not the company quality and style are good. I can't do face ups and thus I downright REFUSE to paint my own dolls. I want them to look nice, polished and well finished and that's something I can't achieve. So if the company face up is (in my opinion and for lack of a better word) crap -- then I will get the doll/head blank and commission a face up from a high quality (again in my opinion) artist and have it done to my liking. If I don't have anything particularly special in mind, and just want a normal face up and the company faceups do have a skilled artist behind them -- then I will get a default I like.

I have a lot of custom faces and a lot of defaults (all my Iplehouse dolls are default and I LOVE them to death). Honestly I don't really think that your enjoyment of the doll or your 'vision' of the doll really is even relevant in this response - so I'm not even going to go there, as this is purely about the faceups themselves. If the company does great face ups -- there's no need to worry about the 'quality' so to speak.

To be honest I DO think dolls with dolls that don't have great face ups are less well received. This has nothing to do with the fact they're default or custom. Merely how 'nice' the doll looks in general. This is an aesthetics based hobby and a lot of people DO like flocking to 'pretty' dolls that happen to fall in their taste category. So if your doll has a nice company default and is in line with another owner's tastes -- then great, I don't see why it wouldn't be admired. I doubt you'd need a custom face up to get that kind of reaction. In my personal experience, my defaults get as much attention as my customs. What they have in common? They're good quality. That's all. ^__^

 

I've seen some beautiful default company face-ups but so far I have always bought blank and done my own because the whole customisable aspect of BJDs is what appeals to me so much. I guess I am some kind of sado-masochist because I enjoy the whole process of doing the face up and then living with it a while then deciding I don't like it and starting again. All my dolls are permanently a work in progress and I think they always will be. That's just how I enjoy my dolls, it won't suit everyone. Many seem to want a finished doll, with the right face-up, wig and clothing all sorted and "finished".

Just go with what appeals to you and if that's a company face-up or even a fullset, it's no-one's business but your own. As long as you love your doll, that's all that matters.

 

Company or custom, which is the better face up? "Better" is in the eye of the beholder, as long as work is done with quality. Even there, what is the best quality, might have some differing opinion?? Which artist? In generally perceived popularity -- one company compared to another company can be a wide variance. So, company vs. custom doesn't set out a clear apples to oranges question. Who does the customizing makes all the difference too. Some artists have a recognized signature flair or style and are sought after for that. I'm not experienced enough to say for sure but I'd guess there are some artists who are able to offer the skill of giving you what you envision and describe you want, without any hint of who held the paintbrush.

If what you want is a face up that will guarantee admiring attention that out shines the other dolls at a meet up, might have to devise a genius questionnaire for who will be attending and still couldn't predict that based just on what type face up,,,company or custom.

I wonder if the point is more between "normal" human looking [default?] with minimal attention to the artistry [which doesn't mean it isn't artistic] or unusual/creative/unique? OR generally perceived attractive versus a stand-out more unusual character face?

But I'd say this is a good question because it did spark response.

 

I think it's easier to to get a uniqe doll if the faceup is original instead of factory.
Some factory faceups are REALLLLLY boring and bland, while others are quite nice. However I like original ones most (if the artist knows what he/she is doing). I always make my own faceups, because then I get exactly what I want.

 

Is it still possible to make a doll unique with a company faceup? Or is it a lost cause?

First of all, I find that because the artists creating company face-ups are human, there can be quite noticeable variations from doll to doll, even though each doll is supposed to have the same face-up. Also, as some people have already mentioned in this thread, changing other things about a doll's appearance can make them quite unique, even if they have a default face-up.

Do I need to do my own faceup or commission a faceup artist to do it in order to make my doll "interesting" to look at?

Not at all, in my opinion. I think it's most important that whoever owns the doll enjoys the way that their doll looks. What consists of "interesting" will be different each person, and for me personally, I know I have flip-flopped from being entranced by a certain face-up, to then not liking it at all, as well as the reverse.

I tend to hear of instances where doll owners turn their noses up at company faceups. Is this true?

I have never, ever thought there is anything wrong with choosing a factory face-up. Sometimes, based on company pictures, one falls not only for the sculpt, but for the face-up even more.

However, with certain dolls, the company face-up might not entirely do justice to the sculpt. And in some cases, maybe the company face-up makes the sculpt look less appealing. Again, this is extremely subjective, but when I feel this way about a company face-up, then it's exciting to see a custom version that expresses more character.

 

The best faceup is the one you like the best on your doll, whether that is a doll company's default faceup or by a faceup artist.

 

It depends usually on the doll owner's preference. For example:
I don't like the overly simple company faceups that basically outlines the features(with black no less). It makes the sculpt rather unappealing. Sometimes, even the blank head looks better. Others are overdone to the point of theatrical costumery. Some work, some don't. I personally do not like the high-gloss on a manly doll's eyelids and lips.
I would prefer to have an original faceup unless I get infatuated at what the company did to the doll.
+++ I always check if they have pictures of the blank head to see how good the sculpt is in the first place.

To each his own~

Is it still possible to make a doll unique with a company faceup? Or is it a lost cause?
It is completely possible to make many unique dolls with the same company faceup. Just look at the company catalog. Some put more than one set of wigs, eyes, and or clothes for the dolls to pose in and they look stunningly different.

Do I need to do my own faceup or commission a faceup artist to do it in order to make my doll "interesting" to look at?
"Interesting" depends on what you mean by it. If you have the skill to pull it off then you won't really need to commission another artist. The doll's character initially transitions from the owner to the doll. Some owners are just more eccentric.

I tend to hear of instances where doll owners turn their noses up at company faceups. Is this true?
Probably. I haven't been into discussions like that yet. The people in the org. I am in are very civil. We do need to differentiate between the ones that just don't like the face-up style and those who think lowly of it or the company.

PS:
There is no problem at all with the doll itself , but I do detect from the way you asked that this is more of a social problem. Like what the others said, don't do these to please other people. People are hard to please especially if you are making this a popularity thing. Even the simplest dolls are loved dearly by their owners.

 

I think the only time where people turn their noses at a default faceup would really be when they do not like the default face up.

It happens, doesn't it?

 

I like "original" girls more ^^ ....
I had some originals and some company dolls ... at the end i had sold the company ones, because i like selfmade girls more. its more "my own" ... my one and only one... I like it more to have a girl, which nobody others have ^^ ... "originals" are more unicat than companys for me ^^