Multiple characters in one doll

I’ve had different heads body share, and have same sculpts painted differently, but having one doll, with the same faceup be multiple characters I just can’t do. Their faceup can only belong to one character, at least for me personally.

 

for me, it is possible that a doll switches the characer, but multiple characters in one doll at the same time... at least for me, no... I don't even like them to body-share... for some of my bodies it would still be possible (those without blushing etc.) but once a doll is really finished... there is no way back for me xD one character, one doll... but I would really be curious about others handling the topic! So, reading on :3

 

I've done similar for an OT doll. For her, I switch hairtyle and clothes to show what character she represents. With BJDs, you can also change eyes, wings, hands and other things to indicate character.

 

My fiance just bought his first doll and I do plan on dressing him up as one of my characters sometimes, too! He looks just like my D&D character

 

I considered doing that but as it turns out, the moment I see a doll as one of my characters, I can no longer see them as anyone else. I've had two heads share a body for a while but that didn't work out either as I wanted different bust sizes for them and to photograph them together, so as soon as I was about to I bought a body for the head that needed the different bust size. If you can make it work for you though, that's great!

 

I can only see a doll as one character, so I would never have multiple characters in one doll. I do like to try out different eyes and wigs to see if there is a better option, but the doll will always remain the same character!

 

I've never done that, but that's mostly because I have only a handful of dolls with very specific features I chose to represent my own characters, so I would have a hard time seeing them as anyone else. I'm definitely planning to do some body sharing, though (my doll space is basically over and I have at least two more dolls in my wishlist, soooo... gonna use the bodies I already have D: ).

There *is* one head I own that I think would suit at least a couple of characters, though (a Dollzone Snow). The only problem is that, although the facial features of the doll would be good for both characters, the face up would need to be *very* different: more specifically, one of my guys would need bushy black eyebrows and lots of freckles, while the other one would need lighter/thinner eyebrows and a huge scar on his cheek (as well as pretty extensive body blushing with *even more* scars). So yeah, no way for me to use the same head for both... *but*, if the differences between the two were more limited (e.g., just the eyebrows shape/color), I would definitely consider using the same head and just switch the wig/eyes/clothes!

 

@Maechen I agree! All of my girls (and one guy) are a specific character. I might dress that doll up in a cosplay of another, already imagined character, but I only have one character in each body. (Aside from the one that is my fiance's doll, but he doesn't count because that's not two of MY characters in a doll lol)

 

My dolls have very specific faceups for their characters, so switching wig and eyes for a new character doesn’t work for me. I will sometimes reuse a sculpt for a new character if I lose interest in the old one, but even that rarely works for me.

I have, however, had two heads share a body. I don’t with my teen/adult dolls because to me, the body sculpt and characteristics are every bit as unique and important as the head. Most of them have specific body types, resin colors and blushing/markings (freckles, moles, birthmarks, tattoos, piercings, scars, blushed to match head/faceup, etc), but I don’t mind at all with baby/child dolls. I don’t body blush them at all, and I just happened to think two sculpts from the same company in the same color fit my girls perfectly, and the characters wouldn’t have ever needed to be photographed together, so I didn’t feel a need to buy two of the same body. The only time it was ever an issue was deciding to count them as one doll or two.

 

I can certainly relate to having an over abundance of doll characters ratcheting around my head. And I am a total doll clothes and shoe hog. I love a well-made doll outfit as a little piece of miniature artwork in and of itself. So, my ratio of clothing sets to dolls generally runs about 20 to 1. For me at least, a doll character is contained within the outfit and accessories while the doll itself is more of a tool for display.

The very first thing I appreciated about BJDs was that they provide a much more versatile platform for an abundance of outfits and accessories than standard fashion dolls. The ability to switch doll wigs, eyes and even some body parts allows you to significantly tailor a doll’s appearance to an outfit. And if your doll’s faceup is well sealed, you can even alter its appearance temporarily with pastels and tattoos.

This is the difference I suppose between treating your dolls as starting points for your own creativity rather than as straight up display objects of another’s creativity. While I certainly appreciate static artworks, I think if you try playing, you may find it more rewarding. And this approach will save on space too!

 

I treat my dolls like an acting troupe, so they can be whatever character I want them to be at that time. Of course, I can’t change their faceups very often, so there’s a limit to how many rolls one doll can play, but a different wig and a different style of clothing makes a big difference in how the doll appears, and that works for me.

 

Most of my dolls have settled on very specific roles. Then they've settled into groups that are very different from one another. But there are a few dolls who have never settled into a group and their roles seem to be as actors, available to portray different characters that come to mind. So it is possible, as long as the dolls are willing to cooperate. ;}
Good luck!

 

My IOS has two heads and multiple characters for both heads. He has two 'main/default' characters (for each head) then a few other characters he only acts as in specific outfits (like cosplay!).
My other dolls are mixed. I have some dolls that are one specific character, and I have others that act as other characters besides their defaults.

Either way, all my dolls have a 'default' character and name, and the other characters they embody sometimes are almost like they are putting on a costume or 'acting' for a little bit as the other character.

 

It actually works for my dolls! As I write my own stories, my dolls all have a "real-life" character, a "novel" character and a "background story" character.

If it sounds confusing... take Amos for example: in my novel "Planet Z'edd Adventures", he is the last descendant from the people of Lost Land, the cursed son Erik Shootinstarr; in his background story, he is Amos Nazarius, the inhabitant of a tropical island who ended up rescuing a magician and later becoming his partner; in "real life" (as in the present era), he is just an art student studying in university (just like me!).

I view the "novel" character as "acting", the "background story" character as an alternate universe/another life, and the "real-life" character as the actual "everyday" character for that particular doll, if that's making sense at all?

That was actually quite fun to write! This is a really interesting topic to discuss!

 

One of my RML R20J twins sort-of has different characters and answers to different names depending on whether she's wearing her human ears, her short elf ears, or her enormous elf ears... Her twin brother has the same range of ears and has less severe changes in character with changes of ears and answers to the same name regardless...

It's an unusal situation among my BJDs and is really more an aspect of the characters' racial background than actually representing different characters using the same doll.

Teddy

 

My girl has one primary character, but she's also pretty self aware so she understands her primary job is actress. She can be whatever character is needed that she sort of fits (she's an adult so she can't play a child, etc.).

 

Switch wigs make huge changes. My doll can be either girl or boy like with switch wigs.

 

I "sort of" do that? I have some AU headcanons for my characters besides their main story. Would that count as "multiple" characters per doll? I don't know xD

 

(Not bought a doll yet but) I'm considering this.

I'm thinking of coming up with a back story, like:

• she's a time traveller.
• she's reincarnated as different people.
• she's members of the same family through the ages
• she's an actress/secret agent/model/drag queen etc who needs to put on various personas

I'm still in the shopping around and learning about the hobby and planning stages, so I might feel differently when I actually own a thing. But this is what I've been musing about, as an excuse to experiment with different stories and styles without needing to get a lot of additional dolls.