First doll w/ or w/o a face-up?

I think it's a personal choice. I got my first doll with a faceup, though I am planning to eventually learn how to do them myself. As faceups can be a bit tricky to get right at first, I thought I should first get a doll with a faceup to examine what it looks like in real life before I attempt to do one. Although of course, doing faceups can probably be a lot of fun - especially when you're already into art! Which is the main reason I will definitely learn how to do them... once I'm less afraid, have more practice in drawing, and more dolls.

 

I'm getting him without a face up because I think he looks better without it and I can always get one later.

 

My first doll, an iplehouse EID girl, I got the face up. I'm happy I did too. It gives me a sort of reference for the 2 other dolls I ordered without th FU, a DC Elizabeth (spider & human) and David Kuncci from Dollshe. He hasn't come yet and I'm second guessing myself on my choice not to get his face up "professionally" done...cuz he's sessy and I'm afraid I'll make him look like a dork :/

i actually took a few Monster High & Ever After dolls, wiped their faces clean, and have been practicing on those. I have an obscene amount of MH dolls so I figured a few could take one for the team.

 

my first bjd elfdoll Soah i got with face up and i still stare and marvel at how those artists created the most micro thin beaitiful individual hairs in the brows and lashes, though i try i just cant do what those fantastic artist'scan do , for your first i say go for the face up its so worth it

 

I got my first BJD with a company face-up, and to be honest, I can't imagine him with a different face-up! Rikka's company face-up suits him very well, and I am very happy with it.

Now, for people who are new to the hobby, I think it's ultimately up to what they prefer and are comfortable with. Get a company face-up first, or forgo that in favor of doing your own or commissioning someone... There's no right or wrong way to go about it, really!

If at any point a newbie DOES decide to do their own face-up, I would definitely advise them to take the time to learn what materials are and aren't okay to use on resin. Lots of people in the hobby will agree, it'll save you a lot of heartache!

At the same time, I think it's important to emphasize that you don't have to do your own face-ups if you don't want to/aren't comfortable with it. Everyone has different talents, and everyone feels and experiences different things differently. For some, giving a shot at face-ups might be a fun learning experience! For others, it could be very daunting and frustrating. Some people might have the time and/or materials and/or motivation. Others might not. And all of those things are perfectly okay!

All of that being said, and based on my personal experiences, I'd recommend that a person who is new to BJDs first give the company face-up a try. You can definitely utilize a custom face-up option, if it is available and if you don't like the default face-up. If, when you get your first doll, you end up not liking the face-up at all, you can wipe it and either look into commissions, or try doing your own face-up. If you aren't comfortable with wiping it yourself or doing your own face-up, some commissioners will wipe your face-up for you, so that's one less thing you have to worry about!

This is just a recommendation, of course! There are lots of options you can explore! Again, it's all up to what you prefer and are comfortable with!

 

I'm still saving for my first doll, and i think that i will get the faceup. Simply because i love the company faceup. But i do wanna learn how to do my own faceups, so i decided to buy a doll head to start practicing on. This seems like a good solution to me, and once i'm more confident with my skills i will just buy a body for the head. But before all that i'm still researching, and i will keep doing that until i saved up for my doll.

 

For me one of the biggest pluses in this hobby is getting to make your own things. As I'm not very good with a sewing machine and haven't ever really tried making anything miniature, the face ups are a natural way to start.

I got mine without a face up. All my doll heads have gone through their first face ups, one has a second try (which I actually like, though I'll probably mod that head or reshell him) and the others are faceless at the moment, waiting on me to decide more about their characters.

 

i got my first with a face up and didn't like it so i ended up removing it not to long after
i think weather or not a person should get their doll with a face up is up to them its all about personal preference

 

I got mine all with a faceup. I love the idea of doing a faceup but I am super critical. That's why I am even nervous sending a doll to get a faceup from a good artist. If the doll fits your character, I don't think it's necessary. I may change my mind but that's how I feel now.

I would recommend someone just get a faceup the first time. Unless you are already a really good artist. (I am definitely not!)

 

I got my first doll without a faceup~ I would consider myself an (amateur) artist, so I want to be able to do faceups myself! I want to do this a) because it's cheaper lol and b) because I feel like I can moreso customize a doll to my specific tastes if I do the faceup myself! Company faceups do looks gorgeous tho~

 

I got my first doll with a faceup. I'd never done anything even remotely crafty before that so there's no way I'd have the skills to do a faceup myself and I didn't want to have to take him apart to send him off for someone else to do one! Four dolls later (I sold my first one, have two at home and am waiting for the third) I'm still ordering dolls with company face ups.

 

I'm getting without, because a) I've done faceups on similar-sized play dolls before and feel like I have the basics down well enough to make something not-hideous for my first try, and b) as much as I love professional faceups, $100 for faceups on ONE doll (the new Soom LE coyote elves with 2 faceplates) feels a bit excessive for my first doll. Plus, I'm itching to try out my 5/0 brush on some tiny eyelashes.

 

My first came without a face up, but I would prefer for them to come with a face up.

 

I bought my first BJD w/o a face up only because I knew who was going to do my face up
If you aren't sure about the face up that comes with the doll (optional), DON'T GET IT! I knew EXACTLY what I wanted my doll to look like and the face up on the company's doll didn't seem to catch my eye.

Always go with your gut!

 

I bought my first doll with a face-up through Volks.

If you have the skills to add your own face-up on your first doll then go for it !! However if you are like me and found a doll that came with a beautiful face-up that could not be matched by myself.. then get the face-up.

 

My first doll had the default face-up. However, I ended up not liking it very much and wiped it soon after.
I have loved the one I commissioned for her ever since.

 

I think why not give it a go on your first one if you want to try it out.. if all goes wrong you can always commission someone

 

My first doll was an obitsu without a face up and I thought how hard can it be to paint a dolls face I have paint. I was wrong. So wrong. I really regretted it. So I really think that getting a doll with a face up for your first doll might be a good idea. That way you can get right to playing with the doll and don't have to worry about doing a faceup getting faceup supplies or sending it away for someone else to paint the face up. However I also think that it's important to take into consideration if the individual likes the company face up. If you don't like the face up then of course don't buy it just so the doll has a face.

 

My first doll is without a faceup since getting her 2 months ago. I wanted to do my research and gather all the necessary materials before trying it out. I love her factory sculpt but I didn't think the factory make-up would suit her character development or my style. It was important for me to have her in my hands before I knew who she "revealed" herself to me. Time, research, preperation, materials, were also important factors in making my decision.

 

I got my first doll with the faceup, however, I'm saving up for the needed materials to make my own.