Keeping Factory Faceups

You always can get a blank doll! If I fell in love with the painted doll, it means I love her (him) as is and don't want to change anything

 

I have the same problem. I fall in love with the factory faceup. Some dolls just tell their story with that specific look.

 

Nothing wrong with a factory faceup, that's why they do them I think lol! People like their dolls for different reasons. I like them *because* of the idea of making my own faceup on them - and often times, while I like the factory face up, I still want to make it my own. But, keeping the factory faceup is totally legitimate too and it doesn't make you less creative!

And, as some people already said, there are very cheap practice heads available. Personally, I have been practicing on Monster High dolls as I wait for my first BJDs to arrive. I have also gotten into Pullips, which are similar to BJDs in that they have inset eyes, face plates, etc. so doing faceups on them is not horribly different from BJDs. Pullip MIO kits are only $35 when they're available so it's another cheap practice option!

 

As I'm a photographer I photograph mine.
Also I'm no sort of artist so all of mine either have
factory face ups or artist face ups. Two of my dolls
I wanted specific looks for so I bought those two
blank. In other cases once I had the doll I chose
to have the existing face up wiped and replaced.
Expensive, yes, but better than starting over.

 

Exactly!

 

Both my dolls came with faceups and on one of them I love it and don't want to change but I know I will have to soon because it's getting chipped but I know I won't be able to do one as good as his current one, on the other hand I don't like the faceup on my other doll and I am pretty sure that I could do one that I like better on him but I'm waiting for until after I get the nerve to dye him first.

 

I won him in a raffle but I don't like his color so I'm going to (one day) dye him tan.

 

I'm not sure since I haven't done it yet but I have seen tutorials on how to do it as well as experiments testing different dyes.

 

I will if I remember to, but I probably won't dye him anytime soon since school is starting next month and I won't have much (if any) time for hobbies for the next eight months.

 

It depends. There are some factory face-ups I love. Others, not so much. But I don't feel bad for getting a factory face-up. It means one less thing to fret about.

 

@stormi I completely understand having a bit of conflict about liking the factory faceups so much. I have a couple dolls with the factory faceup myself, with no immediate plans to change. It's fun to try faceups though, and like the others said, instead of wiping the dolls with faceups you like, get a practice head!!!! Even if you never change the faceups on the ones you love, doing faceups on their own is really fun. Since you are studying art, it's probably right up your alley. I would recommend getting a practice head and supplies just because it's really fun if nothing else. You can take as much time as you like.

There are some downsides to keeping the factory faceups, mostly in that faceups are delicate and can come to be easily damaged. After time, the sealant can become more yellowed than your doll and more care must be taken in handling to avoid damage. If something was to happen by an accident or time just makes the faceup look poorly, you have the option of just accepting it or updating the faceup. There's nothing wrong with keeping it, more care and precautions might be worth it to you to keep them. Some companies will re do faceups on dolls but few artists will be willing to replicate one. This is where some practice can come in handy.... of course, that would be a big decision as you are very attached to the default faceups.

I was encouraged as a newbie to work on a practice head. I'm really glad I did. I can't honestly say it's saved me any money... The initial cost of supplies was about as much as a quality commission but supplies other than W&N and sealant last a long time. I don't fret if a faceup becomes damaged! I can re do it and all I will need to spend is a bit of money for sealant! That's it!! I bought the really large bottle of W&N from Dick Blick as they have the best deal on that product. Each time I do a new faceup, my skills improve. I never have to worry about shipping a doll and not knowing when they will return and it makes me feel good about myself to make my dolls look nice all on my own. My dolls have a very distinct style because they have original faceups that no one else has. I've even tried body blushing and the results are much better and more satisfying than I originally imagined. Instead of tiring of the dolls I already have, I can always give them a makeover and it doesn't cost very much but gives me that thrill that's very similar to getting a new doll. This is great for me, as I spent my dolly budget for a couple years already on a life size OT doll. I'll be dolly broke for awhile now... but I still get to very much enjoy what I have and there are very few dolls I'd like to add at this point anyhow.

I hope you find the info from your thread very helpful.