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Love imperfection - or not?

Oct 13, 2008

    1. As a kid I had so many accidents and got so many scars, ha. Not huge ones, but they're there! Heck, right now I have two little cuts on two of my fingers and I have no idea how they got here, (probably from work.) It's part of life. People get scars. Besides, one of the great things about these dolls is the ability to make them into whatever you want them to be. Plus, being made out of resin, they don't actually feel any of the pain that usually comes along with getting whatever scars an owner might want to add for aesthetic purposes.
       
    2. The whole concept of personalising these dolls, turning them into an material image of what we need them to be (for any reason) is one of the most fascinating parts of the hobby. Whether our dolls become shells for characters we have created or reflect the beautiful imperfections we ourselves possess (perhaps we learn to cherish ourselves better through this) or exist simply as dolls that are expressions of our own perceptions of beauty (amazing itself in its diversity), every doll, even the most "it's just a doll for pete's sake" among the entire lot represents something more than the sum of its material parts.

      One thing several people have come close to in their comments here is one of the reasons I think imperfections offer meaning to our lives: there is in almost every material thing we possess a quality of "looking glass self." I don't think I realised this level of "interaction" until one of my dolls arrived (the one in my avatar and signature). Straight out of the box she seemed to embody a quality of having died, longing to live beyond death, searching to find new expression ... sort of the way modern tarot-readers interpret the Death card ... massive change that requires a form of rebirth.

      She's just a "thing." But I look at her and feel a sort of strengthening in myself, as if she's an enduring memento. This is exactly the way I feel about a very old picture I have that was taken of my grandmother at 17, about two weeks before she was forced to make a decision that took away one of the most important things in her life. She is smiling, young, vibrant, her arms outstretched and echoing the shape of the mountains in the distance behind her. She is full of life, joy, possibility and the desire to reach for all she can get. The decision she had to face was devastating. It changed her. But she never let go of those qualities that drove her.

      Imperfections, evocations of personality ... things tie us to memory, emotion, identity. Anyone who keeps a box of things gathered over a lifetime--often silly, technically valueless things--understands this. Dolls do this too ... imperfections very often help us connect to these things more viscerally--to who we are, where we have been, perhaps even where we are going. As is so often said, "These scars, cracks, blemishes, imperfections, they tell my story." We are far more interesting as people when we have stories.

      (I love seeing older debate threads getting resurrected!)
       
    3. I personally would never have that done to my doll, because the reason why I love the dolls so much is because they're flawless. I do everything in my power to make sure that their perfection is not damaged in any way. Regardless, I can completely understand why someone would want to add that to their doll. It adds character and it gives them a story, it makes the doll more "real." I don't think those alterations are unattractive either. It makes their doll unique and special, it makes it look how they want it to and that automatically makes it beautiful, and its imperfections become perfection.
       
    4. This is really interesting topic and I found all the answers very interesting too. I must say, that I would not want a doll that has scars or any other kind of imperfections but I really do understand why someone wants them. I think for most, the more individual your doll looks the better. And some people like to use ways that may shock or amaze others. Some do this by face-up, some with clothing and some with things that make the doll very human (in a way). And like humans, the dolls have their own stories, personalitys and for some, imperfections and flaws. And what is imperfection to some, can be perfection to others ;)
       
    5. I think for a lot of people, the doll is a way of holding your very own story you created, or have gone through, in you hands. Plus, a scar or type of mark/bad eye etc is what makes one's doll really unique and more of a one of a kind sort of thing rather than holding up a doll and someone else holding up the exact same one... if that makes sense... hee, sorry I'm bad at trying to explain what I think >.<
       
    6. I am fascinated with "imperfections" in doll mods.... less so much the more extreme scar modifications which I do admire for the skill involved in some of the better examples, but the simple scars, moles & freckles that add character. These, I feel, help to humanise a character and make it truly unique. Maybe it's the fact that being very fair and freckly myself with the atypically scarred and marked hands of someone who's always been a "maker" that somehow I see these little humanising characteristics in a doll as something truly special for the story they tell about a doll's character...much as they do in a person.
       
    7. Ahh ^_^...Honestly my favourite dolls in my crew are all the scarfaces <3
      If there is an option of this same sculpt but one with a scar and one doesn't .
      I will definitely pick the scarred one XD..................
      but one scar is enough...I don't have to add bruises all over their faces= =||...I find it too gory..erms....= =||
      My first love would be Tanned Code 02 from DOD <3 Even though that was like only 10 days after I first got to know this hobby and received my first boybut I didn't manage to get the boy :( ,missed the order period :((
      Then the second one I fell for is Regen untold story version from Luts ^_^...
      Slowly as I get more :D Now I have 3 scarred faces and 2 incoming ^_^...Whether is it a closed eye or open eye or slash around the cheek or wherever it is :D I just find that,one single scar gives them a unique personality,one single scar added more story spices and makes the boy cool ^-^.
      I would have to admit this is actually XD...A scar fetish,One-Scar Fetish XD...........
      My dream scarred face would be Reisner <3 and I got him during the start of the year ^0^!!
      now I even have a weird thought of making all my boys into a scarface group hees...

      Honestly :) I'm imperfect too, I have a scar that goes from the top to my hip on my back XD...maybe that's why I grew to have scar fetish XDDDD?
       
    8. For me I think it adds character and personally I just think it suits my characters.

      In 2012 I hope to get ad complete my two characters called Seven and Twelve. They are twins who were used as "Surgery Subjects" and also have a very long painful past in my story. Seven has a scarred over eye and many scars on his body. Twelve has a Glasgow smile and also more scars in his body. It brings their characters to life. I mean if I just had two dols that looked the same and said "Well they are meant to be scarred" but they aren't it wouldn't be those characters for me :)
       
    9. I think that mostly the reason why we do it is because dolls that have scars are dolls that are more "real". If you see a person with a scar, you may say to yourself "Oi, that's awful, I wonder how that happened!" and the same goes for a doll. A doll with a scar, or a lazy eye, or a missing finger has a story to tell, good bad or indifferent, and I think when it comes down to it, most of us use our dolls as a way to portray stories and characters. That's why we give our dolls their own names instead of using the factory name and it's why we work so hard to make sure that the clothes they wear and the face up they have match our hopes for them.
       
    10. I love seeing nicely done "imperfection" mods, such as scars, etc. For my own dolls, though, I don't have such mods for various reasons. Most importantly it's because my dolls don't represent pre-existing characters. I am not a writer, and do not have long-standing, original characters. Some of my dolls do get minor biographies, but the majority do not - they are simply beautiful works of art to me (that I also play with :lol:) for the most part.

      Additionally, I do not want my dolls to be as realistic as possible - I enjoy that they are dolls, and as such, are "perfect". And, while I appreciate the beauty and artistry of hyper-realistic dolls, I tend to lean more towards stylized ones for my own collection.
       
    11. I don't want my dolls to have scars and defects modded into them. But I do think it is a part of the character. The character might have been involved in a fight or the scars are used to show he or she had been through a lot. There will be stories behind those defects usually.
       
    12. My SD Graffiti boys have absolutely no ass at all, a handicap which is common to many real people out there. It makes them hard to find tight-fitting pants for, and it means they don't like to pose in a rear or side view while wearing leggings. But I love them for this endearing little shortcoming. <3

      The other "imperfections" I've worked into my characters don't often show in their doll forms, to the naked eye-- i.e. there's nothing physically wrong with their bodies, no scars or amputations or anything-- it's just that some of these guys don't have the body they want. It makes them more human. I could take the trouble to make hybrids with different bodies that perfectly fit what the character wants to look like... but since we can't change our own bodies to get a Fantasy Body, I don't think they should be able to. ^^ Not just because I don't want to bother hybridizing (or, due to certain unique size/resin-color vagaries, can't), but because I think the character's dissatisfaction with himself sets up a lively dissonance.

      For example, my SD13 Tony would much rather be a fragile heroin-chic-thin waif, to go with all the tight leather he wears, instead of being a strapping big broad-boned Finnish kid (and there are many goth-boys out there just like him, who rue the fact that you can't change your skeleton!). My Iplehouse YID Mars likes having a slinky slim model body, but he'd rather have smaller daintier hands & he'd rather be a few inches shorter-- because he feels he's a big clumsy ox. And when somebody feels a certain way, there's no convincing them that they don't really look that way. And Yuki & Reika, the aforementioned SDGraffitis, are both a bit self-conscious about having no ass, but they don't like to admit they're self-conscious. ;;^^
       
    13. I have plenty of scars (from skin cancer, accidents, etc). I prefer my dolls do not.
       
    14. I like the kind of things I do on purpose, but I cannot stand imperfections that weren't supposed to be there, specially if it isn't my fault that they're there. For example, if I want a crooked nose I will mod it, but I absolutely HATE it when companies send dolls with crooked noses or different eye shapes. Those were not expected and I don't want them there. I want things I can controle. For example, I have dolls with scars, but that's because I want them to be there, not because they're covering an imperfection which came to me unexpectedly.
       
    15. I really like some bizarre mods or imperfection on dolls, but not on my own. None of my dolls need to have modifications done for their characters to work.
       
    16. first of all, I personnaly do not consider scars to be imperfections. imperfections for me are: ugly face features, pimples, saggy breasts, cellulite and such. (no offense if you have those, but I can't love everything)

      if my dolls had any scars or missing eye, it would have to do with their backstory. I used to have OC that were twins, and they were born with the skin of their back attached. the doctors cut it off so obviously, that would leave a scar!
      generally, scars tell an interesting story :) either cool fights or a sad past :(

      I never got a doll and thought '' a scar would look good on you! '', it always have to do with the OC the doll is meant to be :) if the doll has no character, it will not have any scars (unless maybe the said doll had an accident and I decided to blush the breakage to be all "yeah, that was totally meant to be" xD )
       
    17. I think doing these types of things is a great way to add character and uniqueness to a doll. I don't find them imperfect at all. An owner may think they are imperfect without scares, burns, bruises etc but with them they think they are completely perfect. Its all about how a person views it. I wouldn't do this to my dolls, just because it wouldn't fit them. If maybe I had a doll with a certain personality, scares would be good but I tend to go for the more cute babyish, innocent looking dolls. I don't think a scar would be suitable.
       
    18. I really actually love the way you put this, to be honest. I have a lovely Dikadoll girl and I LOVE her body, it poses so well and is so curvy and nice, but her hands and feet are GIGANTIC! But, whenever I think about replacing them, I realize how they are an awesome part of her story. Because some of us have feet and hands larger than our frame suggests just like some of us (me included) have hands and feet too SMALL for our frame. I think it gives her more character and the more I look at them the more I love her gigantic man hands and feet. LOL!

      Which is not to say everyone should be like this with their dolls but, personally, imperfection in a sculpt grows on me definitely. The only thing that probably wouldn't is an actual flaw. But, luckily, I haven't really dealt with that too much first hand. :D
       
    19. This is an interesting question... I considered getting a Luts Mia doll with the face scar but ultimately decided against it. My character is supposed to regularly engage in combat and have a quiet, brooding personality. The scar would have suited her, but I was afraid that if I got it and eventually wanted to change it, I would mess up the rest of her face-up by removing it (I don't know how to do face-ups). I was also afraid that if I ever wanted to put her in a more feminine outfit (like a formal dress), the scar really wouldn't fit. I do, however, find it interesting to see other people's dolls with 'imperfections', as it really does help to saliently portray an aspect of that character that may have otherwise been harder to spot.
       
    20. Personally, I have a couple of dolls that would be scarred if I had the money to get them right now. One of my characters was burned and so when she becomes a doll, she would need burn scars. I have another who is winged and his wing got torn in a fight, so he would have a scar there. In other words, my dolls would have scars which told a story, just like the ones in real life do. On the other hand, I could understand other gore mods and appreciate them because I have a taste for the macabre, but I wouldn't have anything extreme for my dolls without a reason.