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

I'm hoping to get a bjd soon and I'm probably going to try to get the face-up... I don't think I'm confident enough to do the make up myself!

 

If one does a minimal amount of research into what materials are safe to use on polyurethane, you won't damage a doll practicing face-ups on it. If you don't like the results, wipe and start over. I have yet to do any kind of damage to a doll painting/wiping/repainting it, and I've been doing my own work from day one (six years and going strong). Knowing your materials is key, but all of that information is on this very forum. There is no need for a dedicated "practice head".

 

I plan to get my first doll with a Face up. I may end up waiting to purchase during an event, when Luts offers event heads with purchases, then I'll have a head to practice on. If not, then I may just buy a head off of the marketplace for practicing.

 

so far of my 3 dolls none of them havent already had a face up. But I didnt like one of them so ive wiped it and am going to do my own

 

I purchased my first doll with a face-up. I was too afraid to get her without one and either end up doing it myself and messing up so bad that I had to get a new face plate or being too indecisive with what I wanted to do with her and just being frustrated with it. Fortunately though ... her make up is super subtle so that she has some color to her but I could definitely mod her if I wanted. :3 I'm still waiting for her to come home though so we'll see what happens when I can actually see her close up ^_^. I'm so excited!

 

Well I'm getting my first doll next week, or in two weeks, it depends really. And I am planning to get the default face-up because of his wonderful freckles. I think that you're free to choose, there isn't really a 'should' and 'shouldn't'. If you really like the default face-up, then no reason not to get it. And if you feel that you want to apply a custom face-up, you've got something special in mind and you're confident in your skills, then I see no reason not to.

 

Both of mine have the company face-ups. I would love to be able to do my own face-ups, particularly for my PKF Ante, but I doubt I'd do a very good job! I'm terrible at art or drawing, and I would be too worried about making a mess and then disliking my doll. If you're comfortable with doing your own face-ups, I don't see why you shouldn't start with your first doll. I'd probably buy a head to practice on though before I jumped in and tried it on my doll.

 

My first doll came without a face up because I honestly wasn't that crazy about the company face up. I didn't attempt to do the face up myself (no materials) but he is currently off getting all prettied up by a face up artist.

I think with/without company face up is a personal choice, and the buyer should choose whatever works best for them.

 

Like many others, I ordered my first doll with faceup. I've already decided to have the faceup redone, but couldn't bear having her show up with a naked face. I know I'll want to play with her right away!

I think I'll always order dolls with faceups for that reason. I personally find bare dolly faces to be quite ugly and would never want to open a box and think, "Eww! I love ya and all... but you oogly!"

 

I'm definitely getting my first BJD with factory face-up. I want to be sure that she will be perfect. I don't think I would be able to paint a doll myself, at least not now. Some BJD's come perfect the way they were designed by the company and others seem to ask to be bought blank. All of the dolls I'm dreaming of right now happen to have perfect factory face-ups.

 

My first doll was a Bobobie Weylin and yes, he did have a face up. Now, before you buy one, are you the artistic type who likes to try new things? Face-ups can be wiped off if you hate the way it looks but if you are just starting out, I would tell you not to buy a really expensive doll. I'm not really creative so I have to get someone else to do my face-ups but that's just me. I'm very critical of my own work.

 

I prefer faceup Thats my own opinion though. Faceup can change the expression of the doll

 

My first doll had the Volks default faceup, but she came to me chipped (she was second-hand), but my 4th doll, which was a gift, came to me with a faceup I redid.

 

my first bjd i got with a face-up but then one day i decided to wipe it and do my own soon realising i can't do face-ups so i sent him away to get one. If I ever get a bjd that's blank or I don't like the current face-up I send it to another artist. All my BJD's i'm happy with their face-ups now, I have modded 2 myself, thats as far as i'll go doing my own face-up

 

Being very artistically un-gifted, I think its going to be a very long time before I ever try to do a face-up.

For my first doll, I will definitely be getting him with a face-up. I would be really sad if I couldn't do it right.

You also need to buy more supplies to do the face-up, and I probably won't have much money to spend after I order my doll.

In the future though, I do want to try attempting one on a blank head. ^^ But not on a doll that I've been saving and wishing for for ages.

 

I got my first one without a face up, I really regret it. I hate my face up I did for her, I spent more getting materials for the face then it would have cost me to get it done. And don't want to send her out to get one professionally because she's just not that expensive of a doll, and I'm probably going to just end up selling her. I'll never buy one without a face again.

 

My first doll came without a faceup, and I didn't actually do his faceup until he'd been living with me for a year or so. I personally like to have my dolls come blank because it not only gives me the chance to make them more "unique", but also eases my worry that if something happens to the faceup, I will never be able to replicate it.

 

I bought my first one without face-up, and I actually enjoy him that way. My other two have their face-up through the comapny they came from (one was done as pictured, and the newest was more natural than her comapny picture), and they are quite lovely. Being as I have no artist talent, I probably should have gotten my first a face-up... but I've grown to really love him without.

 

I got all my dolls except one (second hand) w/o face up. I've always enjoyed making things and as I discovered I really love doing faceups. The only reason I would get a doll w/ company faceup is if it's amazing and to see what a professional faceup looks like. Thus far, only my chicline Lishe came with a company faceup. It's beautiful and I'll be keeping it on her to admire and because I actually only keep her sleeping faceplate or cat faceplate on her which I have painted myself.

EDIT:

I have no plans to get any future dolls with faceups thus far....I have yet to find a fullset LE doll I really want and I would only want a factory faceup on a fullset LE doll at this point.

 

My first doll came without a face-up. But I planned it so, since I can find so many talented people trough this doll hobbie, who are more then capable to make the face-up just perfect for me. Usually I feel the company make-up is quite plain, I like my doll to have personality. BUT I also think, that if you are not keen on making the face-up yourself, then why not order it ready made, or pay someone else to make it for you.