Pros versus cons of having a default faceup

Most of my dolls have very specific characters in mind, so I usually buy them blank, but if I buy a doll secondhand with a faceup that I fall in love with, I will tweak the character (if it's original) around that faceup. I'm an artist, and constantly practicing so when I get a new doll, I can do their faceup myself and feel good about it.

 

In the beginning I ordered the dolls with face-ups from companies. I did not know how to make it myself and was afraid to customise my doll. But after some time I learned some info and got all the necessary art materials so now I always paint my dolls myself. It gives me opportunity to get the exact face-up I need. That's why now my dolls arrive blank.

 

I prefer the default face up because I hate looking at a blank doll and it might be a while before I find a face up artist who I like and trust to send dollies head to so unless I hate the company face up I will always do the default face up.

 

default face-ups are nice and all, but i prefer to buy my dolls blank cause i don't think the price is worth it on some of them.

 

Pro's - You get a complete doll on arrival with a professional face up.
Con's - The face up SOMETIMES doesn't look as good as it does in the promo pictures or looks different.

I only have 2 dolls that I ordered with the company face up because they were beautiful and suited the sculpt/character I had in mind.
My other dolls I've sent out to artists.

 

The first bjd I ordered, I ordered with a faceup. Mainly because I couldn't find a face-up artist in Australia, and the thought of sending her away just after I received her, to the U.S., didn't appeal to me.

I have since bought a blank head and sent that off to the U.S. to be made beautiful and I am a nervous wreck, and I will be until she gets back lol.

If I had of known a face-up artist prior to ordering my first, I still think I would of done the same thing. I wouldn't of liked looking at a blank face and I wouldn't of wanted to send her straight out as soon as I received her. In the future I will probably order blank.

 

I used to order all my dolls with faceup, having discovered I am no faceup artist (and didn't really want to learn either) and not wanting to find a faceup artist I like, then wait for them to have a slot free, then wait for my head to get back to me - all on top of months of waiting for the doll in the first place!

Because of this I almost missed out on a doll I absolutely love - dollzone latte, discontinued - I hated her default faceup, so bought a different doll. Very lucky to find one with a dealer recently, blank. To my surprise I don't mind her being blank at all - she's still lovely to me. I guess I will eventually do something about a faceup for her, but I'm in no rush - and I'm quite happy to buy a doll without faceup, now I've realised they still look beautiful blank

 

When I got my doll, the recommendation I was given was "if you don't want to commission someone else, and feel that you wouldn't do a good enough job yourself and potentially ruin the doll - get the face up." I feel it's still good advice. I was also advised that if I really wanted to do my own face ups on my dolls the best bet would be buying just a doll head to practice on.
Pros of face up (my doll does have one from the factory): It's beautifully and professionally done, and it goes as far as to have blush and shading on your doll (NOTE: if you do go with the face up offered at purchase, I would also taken the body blushing if it's offered, otherwise it looks just a tad odd.) It also does not come off very easily, so nothing you really do to the doll will mess their face up up. I think the other bonus (depending on why you purchase BJD's and what you do with them) it completes the piece as a work of art.

The cons: If you want to get creative, or suddenly think of something else to do with your doll, the face up given really isn't removable and you're stuck with it for all eternity (duhn, duhn, DUHN). Also if you get the face up done, but can't afford to get just a doll head, you can't really practice on anything to get good at face ups so you can do your own. It's a matter of price too, if you can't afford it, it's an extra charge that you can't really do. I would advise the same thing my friend told me above. If you really feel like you'd mess it up or would have trouble with hiring someone for a face up, get it done from the factory.

 

Pros would be having a ready to photo doll that is less likely to freak out your immediate family and friends (but still creep them out a little because people have a thing about dolls lately...I blame horror films) and that you can just stare adoringly at without pricing materials to make it pretty.

The cons are...when they come with factory faceup, I have a hard time bringing myself to ever wash it off and redo it. I mean, what if what I do I don't like as well as that fresh perfect faceup and I can never get it back! Nailbiter! That's why I order them blank now. Otherwise the faceup would have to be messed up for me to get the nerve. XD Also, its a con that you are sometimes less likely to customize it to your exact specifications.

Who am I kidding! If I really like a faceup /I/ have done, I have a hard time redoing it. I live in fear of the unknown. >_<

 

I only get dolls with faceups. I don't have the time or the materials to do my own, and I don't like blank faces. That being said, I won't buy a doll if I don't like their company faceup. I'm too picky

 

I ordered some dolls with faceups because they were tinies and I didn't want to go blind. I did order a SD with company faceup but was so disappointed in it that I don't really trust company faceups anymore. I'll do it myself and keep on doing it until I get it right. Also, I don't feel as bad wiping my own faceups.

 

My first doll was kind of a surprise. I knew I liked souldoll's MSD dolls, but I wasn't fond of Bonnie's mold or anything. Actually I didn't like her pictures either. Only once I actually saw her in real life, I fell in love with her.. And that was because of her amazing faceup. So yes, my first doll has a default faceup. I can imagine some would rather personalize the doll. But in my case that only counts when I fall in love with the mold. (which is the case for my second doll. I bought a Yul Satyros blank head, because I loved the mold and could imagine what kind of face up should be on there)

I tend to fall in love with dolls depending on their faceup. Only really specific molds I also like blank.
Though at this stage I'd rather have someone else do the faceup for me. I bought two practice heads the other days so I can learn to do faceups.. But until I get good, I won't actually do the faceups myself. Also I'm not sure if I 'm even capable of making what I want.. and I like having creative input of others..

 

im lucky to like factory faces, almost all of them look good to me. i've never seen a custom face up i like personally, maybe im weird.