Critiquing a Company's Sculpts?

There's a huge difference between critique and just plain hate. I'm going for an Masters in fine art, so I've been through way too many formal critiques, some for sculpture, which I think applies here. In a critique it's not the time to say whether you like a work or not, but why or why isn't it successful, and how it can improve. I think artists should be proud of their work, but if iplehouse thought they could improve the sculpt by pulling it that is their choice. I love iplehouse too. They are really great, and friendly.

Side note: I'm crying that I don't collect that size. scarlet looks just like one of my very good friends Jenna. Who is trans male to female, yet so amazingly beautiful and perfectly feminine that I go mad with jealousy. So perhaps people were just jealous of how amazingly pretty this doll was.

 

I -wondered- why she looked different! And her outfit changed, too! I hadn't realized that it was because people were being so rude! I think constructive criticism is definitely necessary to improve an artist's work but if the criticism is comprised primarily of insults and slander, that's not useful in the slightest. It just tears the esteem of the artist down and could result in poorer quality work. Just because you don't like a piece doesn't mean it isn't well-done. People should learn to use grace and discernment when leaving a critique of someone else's work - especially if they can't do better themselves.

 

In my mind, critique should come (if asked for) while the piece is a prototype, NOT when it's finished and offered for sale. Once it's up for sale then success is measured in sales. For as often as I hear "these dolls are meant to be customized" there seem to be far more who try to demand perfection as THEY see it, right out of the box. If they want their version of perfection they can go sculpt it. This isn't the first time they've done this to Iplehouse either (Claude The Addiction springs to mind). I don't think it would be that difficult to see if the complainers have ever ordered anything. For every actual customer there are likely a dozen trolls with the goal to make others miserable.

What I would do, in Iplehouse's place, is say "thank you for your opinion" and then ignore them. . . while thinking "if I want your opinion I'll beat it out of you." It seems like the more these people are catered to the bolder they become in their "demands." The way I look at it, Iplehouse has a particular vision for their series and how they fit into the greater story line. Entitlement issues seem to be where these people get the idea it's okay to warp that vision. Until these people buy something they aren't "owed" anything. What happened to "don't like it, don't buy it?"

When I was an art major I'd endured far more critique sessions than I cared for. But too often people offering criticism let their opinions be tainted by whether or not they liked/disliked you or your art. Objective and useful critique was very hard to come by. These were people who had actually picked up a tool, brush, pen, or pencil and created something at least. I doubt I, or anyone for that matter, would respect "critique" from those whose only "talent" is creating drama.

Besides, maybe she would have made the perfect Faris Scherwiz in her first incarnation.

Honestly, for as long as I've been in the hobby and as often as it happens (to Soom, Dollshe, etc., etc.) you'd think I'd be over being appalled by that kind of rude behavior by now. . .

 

I need a "like" button for this one line...

But not to be off-topic, I agree completely - Iple should just have sold Scarlet as she was. Not every sculpt has to be a best-seller, after all... if she wouldn't sell well, they'd just not re-release her as an unlimited or something, and they just wouldn't sculpt anything similar to her anywhere in the near future. I'm afraid that now a bunch of trolls might try to bombard Iple's boards again and again with each new release, since they saw that the company is willing to pull the sales and remake a sculpt...

 

Iplehouse is a business, not just a group of artists - if they are of the opinion that they will make more money by changing something due to customer feedback, that is a valid, rational and intelligent business decision. Successful business generally doesn't have endless room to be precious about artistic vision versus sales. Sure, customer doesn't like = customer doesn't buy... a little too much of that = going out of business.

Which has nothing to do with whether or not trolling, rudeness, insults and so on is in any way acceptable behaviour.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they did it again to the next sculpt they don't like.

Soom also gets indenatied with negative comments from "whiners" people who complain that the doll is not released in the Resin color they would prefer or that the sculpt of the face was wrong for them. Or didn't include human-parts for the fantasy dolls.

I remember one company would made a series of doll based on the Twilight series, and the dolls looked similar enough to the actors and where dressed to portray the characters. They got a lot of flack for it. But I think it was mostly for copyright issues. I wrote a statement on the thread expressing my worry about the company, thought being in another country, may be subjected to being sued by the copyright holders of Twilight. Which would spell bad news for the doll company. They took the photos down after that and redressed the dolls.

 

I find these people stupid. First,i think i saw the doll and I remember it was pretty.And second,there are a lot of ugly dolls in the world being sold!! I've seen that too,but i just dont say it because i think there might be people who like those specific dolls.If you dont like a sculpt,just dont buy it.Or sell it if you already have it.I think Soom has done wrong resculpting the girl.They didnt have to.Maybe if the doll had fails,was incomplete..but this is not the case.It is more like: "if you have haters,youre doing it right!" ,dont you think?

 

If I thought it was actual customer feedback I might be more inclined to see the changes as positive ones. Caving in to the trolls just emboldens them. Because Iplehouse IS a business and not a workshop or classroom the sculpt would have gone through an approval process (and been critiqued before going into production). My concern is that if they focus too much on "feedback" they'll lose what makes them unique. Then people will complain the sculpts are boring.

I don't have any females in my collection but I might make an exception for Faris.

 

What do you think their way to change story details after customers feedback that for example Bliss was so "weak" at first and suddenly she was stronger because ppl wrote comments that they're not happy that women are always in horrible situations.. or something? I can't remember, was it Bliss or Pamela's page ? And they changed something in Victor / Violet story because SD/MSD romance problems.

I'm worried, if people keep commenting on their sites things like that what if they start to change every little detail? Do you think it's okay or should people just deal with their stories and stopped looking at them if they don't like?

In total, all things they have changed are Bianca's vampire fangs, Claude's horn/human head thing, Scarlet's whole face + long skirt, Bliss story details, Victor and Violet story details. All of them after feedback.

 

Well, changing something in the story doesn't cost money. Changing the sculpt and the molds does, and if they cave in all the time, I doubt it's gonna bring them more money than costs. If they wanted to change it, they could've posted progress pictures of their new sculpts and respond to critique as they pleased. But when the doll is already almost in production? Kinda too late to do anything without losing money... and I doubt the people who complained will suddenly rush to buy the "improved" Scarlet.

 

Can someone PM or post a link (if allowed by doa rules) to the before and after sculpt? I'm not sure if what I'm seeing is the after or before.

People need to take what's given. These are original characters and if this is how Iplehouse (or any company) sees fit, then why complain? If they were to model it after an actual character, then I can see constructive criticism. Constructive and not hateful!

It's a shame that people find it okay to be rude.

 

http://f-picture.net/lfp/s50.radikal.ru/i130/1410/4f/a5facfc65387.jpg/htm

http://www.wildemagic.com/doa/iple/scarlet_m.jpg

 

I actually believe the redone Scarlet looks a lot better because there was something really off about the original Scarlet. It's strange but I really can't put it in words. It's mainly the area around her mouth that gives me strange vibes.

If this was a piece of artwork, people would just look at it and go "Hmm...strange"...and then go away.
But this was a product that the company was asking A LOT of money for.
Of course, the company could have just ignored all the hateful messages (which I thought was really rude) but they are a BUSINESS. They always strive to create sculpts that demand popularity and love like Leonard, Claude or Lisa.

The messages they received weren't from art critiques but were from the general crude populace. People who don't know how to be eloquent or constructive. They were just truthful in how they feel. I mean, if she was a real stunner like Stella, they would have gotten scores of messages saying how much they "love the sculpt", "it's perfect", yada yada. But instead, they got hateful messages coz these people, like me, don't know how to express "I think that doll looks weird" in a more constructive or eloquent way. Of course, people could have stayed quiet because their first reaction, like me, would have been "I'm not going to buy that! It looks horrible." And then the good folks at Iple would really be concerned when they only get a dozen orders when they expected 100.

I believe listening to customers is important, and I believe Iple has handled their marketing well. Don't like the elephant seal tusks on Bianca? We'll change it. Don't want those offensive grooves on Claude's forehead? We'll remove it. You find the story offensive? We'll take it down. I mean, isn't that what we, as customers, want? A company that actually listens to its customers?

 

Is the first sculpt smirking? I find I like the first sculpt better, I am surprised they didn't propose the 2nd sculpt as a 'twin sister'. Market forces would have done the talking.

 

Honestly it comes down to knowing how to say "This wasn't quite my taste." instead of "Yuck this was ugly." You never know what the artist was going for but if you really think hey this sculpt is not up to their usual and feel that the artist needs to hear that then fine make a critique.

For me it is a matter of how you would like to be critiqued. I have been acting for years and there are times when my performance isn't up to par. I know that it wasn't great and when someone comes up and says, "Hey you seemed a bit unfocused are you alright?" Or maybe: "I couldn't help noticing you said X in such a way. Wouldn't it be more in character to say Y?" I can sometimes get a better handle on what I need to do to make it better next time. On the other hand when you hear: "That was the worst portrayal of that I have ever scene what were you thinking?" it hurts and even though I know it wasn't my best it is hard not to get defensive. I would never say to an artist their sculpt is hideous and "too ugly to buy". That is just hurtful.

Also what to me might not be nice to someone else might be beautiful. They might think that doll reminds them of someone or a character they love. When a sculpt gets taken down and redone they lose the opportunity to purchase something they love and the artist can't see that someone loves their work. Critique is fine if you must. Critique meant to wound is not.

 

I think it's fine to offer feedback about what you don't like about a sculpt - even helpful to the company so they know what their customers are looking for - but at the same time I think it's important to remember that the person receiving the criticism is a human being with feelings too. You don't have to lie and say you like it or just say nothing at all, but you do have to treat the person with basic respect and not use the anonymity of the internet as an excuse to be hateful instead of constructive.

 

Having known a fair share of guys who were into the drag scene I have to say that original Scarlet does remind me a bit of that. She looked like a young rather femme boy in drag. But what is wrong with that? Particularly when you're talking about a pirate sculpt. Anne Bonny one of the most famous pirate women went to sea in men's clothing at first and she was far from the only woman to do so. So if you ask me a slightly masculine sculpt for Scarlett the Pirate is totally appropriate to the theme they're doing. Having seen both sculpts now I kind of like the original better, though both are very nice.

 

Think of all the hard work the sculptors put into their sculpt. If I were the sculptor, I probably won't listen to any subjective criticisms. Just because they don't like it, it doesn't mean that no one would like it. People have different tastes.

However, I would personally pay attention to critiques about the skill and craftwork.

 

The internet has brought us so many wonderful things, but its anonymity seems to bring out the complete a-hole in some people. Critique is appropriate, but should always be done respectfully. This is simply common courtesy. Although I like the 2nd sculpt better, I'm sorry to see that they felt they needed to resculpt the doll.