Pros versus cons of having a default faceup

For the characters who have unique faces (like Parker, with the scars/beauty mark), I'd order blank. But the ones who don't have any remarkable features that would be augmented with a custom face up, default is fine.

 

I think default face-ups tend to vary anyway. I've seen a few Hids around and none of them look like mine, who seems to have a different mouth and blushing despite being default. I have two default dolls, one that was painted by a previous owner and two that I'm going to paint because I'm curious if I have it in me and overly cautious of things going missing in the post.

 

The biggest pro to me in getting the default face-up is that I know it will suit my character (because any character I design will be created with that face-up in mind!)

Another major pro is that I've found that some companies are willing to let you send your doll back to them to have a face-up redone (in case of damage or just age-related wear and tear). The company artists have to paint the same face-up so many times that you can get a flawless replacement face-up, which isn't something I'd expect from a hobby painter.

One con is that it limits you. If you love X sculpt, but their default is very 'candy princess' and your preferred aesthetic is very 'dungeon of blood and bones', you're going to definitely have some pressure not to either not get the face-up or not get the doll. So defaults can be a bit restrictive in that sense.

Another downside some people find is that a default face-up leaves them feeling their doll isn't an individual, and this makes bonding a struggle. The way I cope with this is by tweaking face-ups. You can add freckles, change eyeshadow colours, tweak eyebrow or eyelash shapes/colours, all without removing the default face-up. It allows you to have a very professional face-up, but also have something individual to you.

 

So far I've gotten the default, but I really like them so it works for me.

When I've been in this hobby longer, I'd like to try doing my own face ups so I'm able to customize more as the dolls' personality develops.

 

My second-hand guy came with a default faceup, which works well for the character. He has a very mischevious look

 

I always get the default faceups on dolls. For me, it goes like this:

Pros:
- My doll arrives with a faceup, which makes it easier to "bond"
- Knowing with a fair amount of certainty what the faceup is going to look like ahead of time makes it easier for me to select wigs, eyes, and clothes that will look good (to me) on the doll
- I don't have to worry about learning how to do faceups myself, which gives me time to focus on other hobby-related activities
- I don't have to send my doll/ a part of my doll away to someone else to get a faceup, so I get to keep and enjoy my doll from the moment it arrives

Cons:
- If you're looking for something specific or unique (e.g. scars, full geisha makeup) it can be hard or impossible to find on default faceups
- There is still the risk of disappointment if the default doesn't quite look like you thought it would (e.g. my Yder's faceup was a lot more orange than I thought it would be...but either his yellowing/mellowing have made the orange less noticeable or I've just gotten used to it because it doesn't bother me anymore :p)
- You might not absolutely love the option(s) available
- Your doll will probably share a faceup with dozens of other dolls around the world (this one doesn't matter to me at all but I know it matters to some people)

 

I personally don't get factory face-ups. I like to do them myself. But I have a pretty good list of pro's and con's.

Pros:
-Doll arrives to you with a professionally done faceup.
-Most companies are willing to work with you to make sure the makeup looks right.
-These faceups are made to last and they last for a very long time (unless something happens).
-If you buy all your dolls this way, then you don't have to spend time learning how to do your own, or buy the supplies.
-A lot of companies will redo the makeup on your doll if it gets worn.
-You'll know what your dolls makeup will look like already.
-You don't have to worry about the uncertainty of sending your doll to a commissioner.
-They look fantastic in pictures.

Cons:
-It sets you back both in money and in arrival time for your doll by 1-2 weeks.
-If you want specific things done like scars or tattoos, you still have to do it yourself or commission someone.
-Makeup options are usually more expensive than commissioners.
-You may not like the options provided.
-Some companies are not flexible in choice, you only get what you see. (Although I haven't seen to many of these)
-It's harder to do other things with the doll when it had a factory faceup vs one you did yourself. (What I'm talking about is cosplay dolls. I am dealing with this right now. Mine has a factory faceup, but I bought him second hand. I'd love to keep his faceup but I want to take him cosplaying with me next year, which will involve a change in makeup. I'll never be able to get the default makeup again if I do that.)
-You'd have a doll sharing the same faceup as others of it's kind. But it doesn't bother everybody.
-Default might be a little different than you thought because of monitor settings, camera, lighting, other factors in photography that change the color in appearance. And companies almost always will refuse to help with these problems.

That's all I can think of for now.

 

I always get blanks if I'm ordering new since I'd rather paint them myself.

I also always seem to end up wiping any doll who comes in painted. Extolling "custom faceup by X" in Marketplace stuff doesn't impress me; I know it'll end up wiped. I am too fond of recolouring dolls to leave a default faceup intact, no matter how limited it was.

 

Pros: You get your doll with an already faceup. So you don't have to find an artist.
Cons: There are a lot of people with defaults and I'd rather my doll be original.

 

I'm too nervous to do faceups. It's nice to know that my doll will be complete~ the downside is that there might be colours of the faceup some aren't too keen on, but I've heard of people asking the company to make a slight change and they often times do ^_^

 

Pros:
sometimes there small spaces (teeth) that are hard to paint yourself
professional artist, so they turn out pretty
gives you a base to work from
doll arrives with details!
you can ADD TO IT (i've seen it done, tho personally i have not done this, tho i may)
doll isnt blank for ages til you decide what you want for it (if you dont already know)

Cons:
looks like a LOT of other people's versions of the same doll
can sometimes limit what the doll can wear (yea, i'm lookin at you aria, girl can only wear pink and white and MAYBE purple, but everything has to be pastel or she looks odd)
the eyebrows (can limit the kinds of wigs that look right)
more expensive (sometimes by a lot)
cant "fully customize" if it comes with a faceup
harder to modify if you want/like to do that

i'm sure i can come up with more on both ends, but my brain is tired and going "duhhhhhhhh", guess i need more sleep XD

 

All three of my dolls have the default faceups and I like them all very much. For some companies, they are relatively inexpensive, and your doll comes with a face. For me, this was important because, while I am an artist and could learn to do faceups, my dolls were ready to play with when they arrived. They are very simple, and I like that about them. Plus, I wasn't sure what I wanted anyway and they all have a decent faceup until I decide what I want to do. I also didn't have to worry about buying a bunch of materials or sending one of my precious dolls away. But, one of my dolls has eyebrows that don't match her wig as nicely as they could. I also think that sometimes the faceups are a bit pricey, and you may not see what they actually look like through the company photos. Overall, I'm inclined to get a doll with the faceup already on.

 

I definitely prefer a doll with a face-up. Sometimes it's the real attraction for the doll. Plus it's a matter of money. While I can afford the $40-50 for a company face-up I just can't afford the artists I really like. I like my dolls to be "ready to go" when I get them so that's another big reason for factory face-ups.

I don't feel that I'm a really good face-up artist plus I no longer have a place to work on dolls like that. While I've enjoyed doing some face-ups (and other people seem to like the few I've done), I don't feel a doll is really his or herself without one. I also buy dolls that have beautiful artist or owner face-ups but I prefer not to do it myself.

I suppose that if you have a distinct character or a definite look in mind it would only be wasting money on a factory face-up if you intend to change it later. My dolls characters all seem to evolve once they're here so I'm happy with the face-ups they have. The face-up is an important aspect of a doll so whether you have the factory, yourself or an artist do it, it can depend on how you bond with your doll.

 

I'm far too lazy to send off my doll to a faceup artist. I didn't even know that was a thing you could do untill recently. I certainly can't do anything as good as a professional,

It sucks because I have to choose dolls based on their default faceup.

Heres some of the things I avoid... I'm way too picky >_< But everyone has preferences
- Having a little dabble of red only in the middle of the lips. I like the lips to be fully colored in
- Really long lower lashes painted on very dark. Almost all dolls have this to some extent but sometimes they look too uniform.
- Eyebrows that look surprised. Just prefer eyebrows arched and slanted down because I think its a more versatile expression
- A really dark eyelid crease. It doesn't look realistic if its black or too strong, more of an anime style
- Really orange blushing, around the eye and such. It clashes with some wig colors

 

This is a good point. Sending your valuable doll's head to someone you don't know is scary, especially with your first. I didn't want my first boy to leave me at ALL! He got a lip scuff not long after I got him, and I didn't get up the nerve to send him away for repairs for three years! But he didn't seem to mind being imperfect, and it wasn't devastating to me. And waiting for your first doll just to arrive may seem to take forever, and the last thing you want to do is send them away right after you get them.

About half my dolls are default and half are custom. The biggest disappointment I would have is a default faceup not looking like the company photos. My Volks seem to be very consistent in looking like the photos. But my DollZone Hong not only looks different from the photos, he also looks different from other default Hongs I have seen. I feel VERY lucky that I love his default faceup. Of course, it's never a problem buying a default faceup doll second hand, when you can see the actual faceup you're getting. (Gotta love that!)

Linda S.
galatia9

 

I don't do face up by myself because I'm afraid of my own skill (in terrible way) So...Now I have only 2 choices to choose; one, default face up by company or let an artist help. I order default face up only when my character is exactly like what they are on official photo and before I order, I may search around for some face up review from this company. Some look good only on photo but the real quality is disappointed. Or I may order them blank and let my favorite artist help me out

 

For me, if the default face up matches with my vision for the doll then I get it. If it doesn't then I wouldn't get the default face up and instead I would either do the face up myself if I think I can or I would commission someone else to do it. There is nothing wrong with getting or not getting the default face up. For me, I prefer to have my dolls ready to go asap but I can be patient too if the end result will be worth it.

 

i routinely get all my dolls blank and am actually disappointed when i the doll i want is only available with a faceup (such as an le to get a specific skin color) since i know i am paying for a faceup i will almost certainly wipe fairly soon. yes it is really nice to be able to play with the doll right away and not have to wait for time and good weather to do the faceup (which can be a long wait sometimes!) but i really prefer the individuality of knowing my doll is one of a kind and also just the way i wanted, or at least as close as i can get him or her . i am by no means a pro at faceups, but i keep practicing and improving and getting better all the time so i routinely re-do my earlier dolls when i have improved enough to make it worth while. with the number of dolls i have and the ones i still want to get, doing my own faceups has saved me enough to let me get several extra dolls i couldn't have afforded to get otherwise.

 

I prefer having a default faceup or commissioning faceups since I'm not very good at them. I'm practicing on OT heads but I'd honestly prefer to find a doll with a faceup I really love and have THAT since the faceup accents the sculpt.

 

For me, so long as the eyebrows matched their hair color and their expression isn't uncharacteristic of them, I'd go for default with the intention to wipe later. If I'm missing even one of those criteria, I go for blank. I think I would find it hard to bond with a faceless doll and easier with one with a face up even if it's not perfect. I also don't think I would want to send the head out to get a face up (and I'm not really interested in doing face ups except I get that I should learn for the sake of practicality) right after waiting months for the doll which is why I don't like to get it blank.