Darker Skin Tones?

Donn I think you need to sell your technique to Volks or CP or any other BJD company ( I dont think any company is better then another)

 

Hello Everyone: I'm a newbie coming out of lurking with a simple, but significant observation (at least to me). Perhaps it's been asked before and I've missed that thread, if so my apologies.

I've already check the many links for skin tone comparisons, so I think I've done some research on the subject. All of the links I've found with skin tones comparisons seem to indicate that all of the BJD's are (in my humble opinion) variations of, well...white!

Besides the lovely tan skin tones on a few limited (and thus more expensive) edition dolls, there is an obvious omission of darker skin tones.

That disturbs me. Especially when many of the dolls are described as having souls. Perhaps, I just sensitive, but to me that description imply that darker skin toned dolls (people) are soul-less?

Perhaps Korean and Japan aren't as concerned about skin tones because they live in a mostly homogenized cultures. That's a fine explaination. That's not to suggest any type of racism or insensitivity to multi-culturalism on their parts. Still, now that their venturing into the American marketplace, I would like to see just ONE doll that is darker (and not so dark as to be offensive and minstrel like). With other doll manufactures across the globe successfully adding at least one tan doll to their lines every year, there IS a market for dolls of color.

Volks for example DOES have darker skin tone dolls in there smaller (1/6 scale) lines, but have not produces a Super or Mini Dollfie one.

I'd hope to soon see one doll that could reflect the African, middle eastern, native American, Hispanic, or other indigenous "Souls" out there. I thought I saw someone with a doll with a darker skin tone in a picture on the California store opening, but that doll might have been a one of a kind, dye/repaint.

Maybe someone who has been collection longer could explain the lack of diversity to me.

Thanks!

 

Cause they're not meant for anyone but the Asian market.

 

*bump* for relavancy to a current topic

Jaime

 

i'm not an expert on the subject, but there have been multiple threads on this..[try search?]

main reason for lack of darker tones is because it's harder and more expensive to get the darker resin color..

..and that's about all i know.

there's nothing racist about it. it's not implying darker dolls/people do not have souls. it's an expensive process for companies, and therefore is not as common, is all.

[Like, in December, Luts sold a lot of Tan El, and he was easily available for that entire month. January, Tan Lishe came out, and was only sold for one night at a much smaller number.. and now, Luts hasn't come out with March's limited tan yet, and i think maybe they've stopped the process because they realized how many dolls they had to throw away just to have one with the Tan El batch, and decided it wasn't worth the expenses..? i don't truly know, it's just a hunch..]

Amarok [my Tan El] is meant to be more Inuit-based, though sometimes i think his resin tone is almost too dark for what i was going for [the small image in my sig does NOT show his color accurately at all..]. but, yeah, sorry, if you're looking for dolls with darker resin, all you can really get are limited editions..

 

(Merged topic, thus the link below now takes you to th is very thread.)

A topic similar to this has been well discussed before. Here is the link:

http://www.denofangels.com//forums/showthread.php?t=34824

Jaime

 

The tanning process of a doll of resin with Volks is not a solid tan, but it is on the surface. You are unable to sand and modify them. DOD has had problems producing their tanned dolls, and there have been one or two bad dolls who were sold from it. It might be a wrong statistic I heard, but a company said that for every tanned doll that turns out, 10 were turned out bad. Resin isn't cheap.

I think I'd like it if you were more careful to read what people are really saying, and not find something between the lines to say. While it is a valid question, it has been largly discussed, in many other threads then that, and to be frank, you came to a board and accused the members of thinking that people of color have no souls. Even if you tried to do it politely and with an intent to learn.

 

Last I heard (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), someone was able to have their sunlight boy sanded by Volks without any discolouring issues. I think it permeates a bit below the surface now to enable seam sanding at least.

 

I thought Volks touched up sanding lines when someone chooses to have their tanned doll sanded by them?

 

Hi, Isistwin!!

Hope the link the other discussion was helpful . . . it's definitely a production process issue as opposed to a racial issue, "tanned" or dark-skinned dolls are actually fairly rare and sought-after *because* the doll companies are only able to make small quantities of them due to the large number of "wasted" parts with uneven or mismatched coloration.

Just wanted to point one thing out -- the reason that Volks has different offerings in its 1/6 line is that the 1/6 dolls are made of vinyl, not resin -- vinyl is a completely different material and is much easier to homogenously color than the type of resin used for BJDs.

Some owners have customized their dolls' skintones beautifully as well, although you do have to be prepared to touch up any scratches or wear around the joints as the doll ages.

Welcome to the Board!

-- Andi :>

 

I know that Volks can redye an area of a sunlight doll that's been sanded, but I've never heard how well it ends up looking. You can either resend it to them for a fee (or so I've heard), or if you order the seam sanding it's included.

They put a ... powder or chemical or something on the mold, and then pour the resin in. It chemically bonds in a process, by what I've last heard of it. I've been out of the BJD loop, I don't know if they've modified it from that.

But what I'd learned from it was after sanding, it reveals the normal color resin, and the resin needs redyed.

 

Not deleting or locking the thread, just merging it in with the old topic.

 

You know, I thought it was mixed in with the resin, but that's why you can't sand one! Learned something new! Thanks Mortimer!

 

Ah ok, I wasn't sure exactly what the method was, just that Volks has been able to sand them for you. Now I think I'll definitely need to get the esthetics on my future sunlight boy~

 

Thank you for the warm welcome and the link to this previous discussion. It has been very helpful.

This thread has educated me more on the production of the dolls. I'm still a bit heartbreaking that a dream/soul doll that I can relate to and who looks a bit "more like me" will not be produced. I'll keep my hopes up and be on the look out for one of the rare tan ones in the future.

BTW: My comment about souls was to debate the philosophy of the companies making the dolls and the description in U.S. articles I’ve read about them. I did state that it was my own sensitivity to the issue. Still, my apologies if anyone was offended. It was not to insult or inflame anyone on the list.

I initially questioned the rareness of BJD resin dolls with darker skin tones because I have seen very beautiful darker resin dolls produced over the years. There are examples of them on the market now. Still, what puts this in perspective for me is the difficulty in producing even tones, perhaps also with the resin ones that I've seen not in the BJD line.

I applaud the talents and skills of those who have customized their dolls. I certainly wouldn't have the ability (or guts) to do it with a doll so valuable and difficult to obtain.

Thanks again for the info!

 

I beleive the darker doll you saw was Jet Black (not a human skin tone...) and is a Drow (not human). It was, indeed, painted to be that color (or dyed, I'm not sure).

 

isistwin if you want a darker doll and you are afraid to modify a doll yourself then hire somebody to do it for you. There are lots of talented people on DOA who you can hire. That way if the doll gets messed up (highly unlikely) they will be the one responsible. The dolls are meant to be very customizable. I am planning on dying the doll I have on layway daker as soon as I gether home. There are numerous threads in Painiting and Customizing on how to do this. I'm going to do it using the method in this thread: http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36686

 

Don't give up!! New dolls are being produced all the time . . . and Narindolls has come up with a way to homogenously color the resin (I'm sure it's a trade secret, since nobody else seems to be able to do it yet -- each doll company has their own resin mix and production techniques), so you can buy a Narindoll (they're not limited, BTW) in any skin color you like . . . and, eventually, I think that other doll companies may be able to offer unlimited tan dolls if they're able to get past the resin/uneven pigment problem.

In the meanwhile, tan dolls aren't all *that* rare, Luts has produced quite a few and seems to be on a schedule to continue that production . . . and a tan Lishe was just for sale on eBay (may be still, I haven't checked), so it's possible that you might be able to get one of the already-issued tan dolls on the secondary market.

I do understand what you mean about wanting a doll who looks like you . . . I'm mixed-race (European/Native American/African heritage), and while I happen to have light skin (my dad and brother are both blondes, I look more like my maternal grandfather), I have very curly hair and features that don't necessarily look "Caucasian" -- but I finally found a doll who actually looks quite a bit like me, a DollsTown Estella, who has full lips and a wide mouth and a similar face shape. I put her on a HyperManiac Ksy body because it's taller, broad-shouldered, and larger-framed than most doll bodies . . . like me! Now I just need to find her a padded bra to give her some more on top, and she'd be a perfect Mini-Me . . . LOL!!

Just keep an eye on the "News" section . . . new tan dolls have been pretty common lately, and perhaps the perfect one for you is on the cusp of being released! :>

Good luck!

-- Andi

 

Thank you one and all!

Especially you Ashbet! You gave me exactly the clue and inspiration I needed to renew my faith in these dolls. Thanks for sharing your story with me.

I just saw a picture of Luts tan Lishe you mentioned! OHMYGOD she's perfect!!! I nearly cried when I saw her. I also saw a tan Shall doll by DoD that was lovely. Very nice, but Lishe left me speachless!!

Now I have a doll to dream of and search for!! Thanks a million! It really meant so much to me in a way that's very hard to describe. I just needed one and you gave that to me. It's nice to get this kind of help and support from this board.

Okay, I'm off to crack open my piggy bank and search for a Tan Lishe! (or keep my eye out for news of another not yet released)

With sincere thanks,
Stephanie (aka Isistwin)