Scarring dolls. How come? Curiosity...

That's really well put! I hope when I'm a liitle older I'll be able to see them that way as well, I think maybe I'm just a little young to see past the superficial at the moment. Thanks for giving me a way to see them positively!

 

Maybe you weren't asking the right people....

Do you want the raised scars to be permanent? Then carefully paint them on with successive layers of resin to the required height before painting, blushing or sealing.

Don't want to mess around with resin or alter the doll permanently? Build up the scars with layers of fleshtone acrylic paint (I thicken it with impasto gel - bulks it up and gives texture without diluting the pigment), then highlight with a paler colour and blush around the scars for an "inflamed" look.

Finish by spraying with sealant then for shiny taut scar tissue just brush a little gloss varnish along the scar itself.

That's how I created Eric's raised scars on his face.

 

I think its the sweetest thing to see. She's only nine, and her face just lights up when she feels a new raised line or something. Its really not a difficult way to brighten someone's day like that ^^

 

There's a lot caught up in this statement (and similar ones made on this thread).

Scars, in and of themselves, are not "cool" or "uncool". Some manage by accident to be aesthetically well-placed, but most aren't inherently "pretty". They're there. You live with them. I don't show most of mine in public; some are difficult to explain (ie, most folks aren't going to get it, and I hate getting tarred with certain small-minded epithets) and others are excessively personal (I've been cut open from hyah to theyah surgically and the answer to "Wow, where'd you get a scar like that?!" is TMI to the umpteenth power). My first 1:3 doll will not be scarred, but as I've done it to 1:6 scale customs, I know I will some day do it to a 1:3 because he will "tell me" that's a part of him.

And like I said before, and I believe Arkady said, scars are a mark of survival. What's "sexy" about a dueling scar or stitches isn't the pain the character was in, it's the fact he lived to tell the tale, he isn't broken by his hurt or his past (if the character is undead, it's a visual reminder of his curse, which is nothing like "OMG SCARS ARE COOL"!). Alone or with someone who already knows my story, my scars are part of my power; "I was there, I did this, and now I am stronger."

There is another attitude, which is that nurturing mother sort of thought. The broken and bandaged doll needs love; it's already hurt and you are safe around it; you can fix it up and it will always love you. There's actually a book which I strongly recommend to people willing to think about the relation between "cute"ness and "wounded"ness: Cute, Quaint, Hungry and Romantic: The Aesthetics of Consumerism, by Daniel Harris. That might be a bit heavy for this forum but I do encourage teh thinkin'.

Now. To associate accidental, surgical, or "self-mutilating" wounding with piercing and tattooing (which a few folks have done in this thread) is mind-boggling to me. Piercing and tattooing are a choice*, and the pain doesn't last that long. In fact, it's pretty negligible. Knives through your hand? Surgery? Those hurt for days and impair your actions. Nipple rings? Nope. Bing and done (unless they get infected but that's your own fault). Why would someone do those things to themselves? Depends on the person, and often, it's far too personal to really explain to a stranger. (Then again, I keep my piercings and tattoos out of the public eye with my scars; they're my business and my story and the common public doesn't need to be included. Saves everyone some trouble and confusion.)

All that said, I have a plan for a future doll with whom I will have a matching tattoo. :P

- Ann/Vektar


*I'm not so sure self-mutilation in the sense of "I cut myself because I don't know how to feel anything else" or "I hate myself and only deserve pain and ugliness" is a choice. It's a reaction to stimuli for which one has no coping skills. It's the same as scars from being beaten as a child except you're the one doing the beating.

 

One thing about scars that's important to me is something I don't think anyone's mentioned yet; people have talked about them as demonstrating strength, experience, and a survivor. But I think it's especially important if the rest of a character's appearance is at odds with their past and that inner toughness that a scar shows.

Take my three, of example. There's Adrienne; she's the oldest, very serious, dramatic, and beautiful in looks. She reminds you of the sultry girl who wouldn't hesitate to put you in your place if you step out of line. She looks tough and sensible; and she is. Then there's Romney--a cocky rock star who lives life fast and hard, and you can tell. He's muscular and smirking, and dresses like he might be on stage all the time. The third is Al.

Al looks like a complete sweetheart, babyfaced, darling, and always ready with a smile. He giggles. He's cute as anything, and dresses like it, too. But that's not all there is to the youngest of the the three; he may not show them off, but he's the only one of them with scars. He has lived more than you can tell at a glance, and it has affected him on the inside but you would never know because he likes to keep up appearances. A scar reminds you that there's more to him, where you might otherwise gloss him over as another darling little cutie whose world is all cookies and bunnies. That's important, both to me as his keeper and to him as a character. They show that he plays dangerous games on his own time, and that he's wise beyond his years; that he's seen and experienced things beyond what most people can imagine, but managed to come back and continue to be himself.

....Wow, that was long XD

 

That was actually really interesting to read! I think that is a very complete answer to the question 'why do you scar a doll'.

And if I may add another question to this thread; how did the scars effect your dolls personality? (some of you have already answered this one, but I want to hear more stories! )

Kiahn will have a scar on his forehead, covering a third eye. This was done by his father, because he was afraid of the forseen power of his son. This made Kiahn hold a biiiig grudge against his father.
Kyéwah will have to little scars on his upper lip, because that's a RPG mark of me XD It also shows his age more, he is a 41-year old man trapped in the body of a child.
Falcon, my sweet little rebellion, will have one scar on his right cheek. He does not know where it came from or how long he has had it, but I'm doing this because of almost the same reason as Wolfie; he looks like the regular boy next door, but the scars remind you he is an evil killer that can't be trusted.

 

I actually find a lot of scars beautiful, my own included. Aside from Leon, who will have a scar between his eyes because it's part of his character design, if any of my dolls end up with one, it'd be because yes, I think they're beautiful and for lack of a better term, cool on dolls and in character designs. They are designed to draw interest and create mystery.

I love Scarface Cecile, and I don't find myself asking the why and how to his scar so much as go "That's HOT." I suppose there is some deeper psychological reason as to why some people are attracted to them, or guro artwork, and others are not. I am also sure some people find this cavalier attitude annoying or offensive, but I view dolls like my BL incest pairings, it's escapist fantasy and real life issues need not apply there.

Scars means something different to everyone. I have quite a few, and I don't hide them or feel ashamed of them. I've been offered plastic surgery on my worst one many times and can't imagine being me without it.

 

Nope, I'm with you - what you say makes a lot of sense to me. For me, part of it might have been my upbringing - my father is a doctor, and my mother was a home-health nurse when I was younger, and frequently took me with her on her home visits. So from the age of 2 to about 10, I saw all sorts of people with debilitating injuries and whatnot - multiple amputees, people with extensive burning or all the skin gone from the top of one foot from a chemical waste accident, and all sorts of scars. So maybe it's something I'm more comfortable with than a lot of people are, but I frequently find scars to be beautiful. It's not a matter of OMG COOL!

 

Only reason my dolls would have scars is because it's part of them. Zi will have scars on his back because it's part of what his life has given him. I don't really plan on selling any of them if I can avoid it, but since all the scars I'll make will only be done with art stuff -no actual carving- then that's alright too, unless the next owner wants to keep the characters personality (which I'm not quite sure I'd be comfortable with).

 

It's strange cos, I have seen alot of scars of various descriptions during my short time of working as a nurse...But still unable to find the positive in them...I guess that's just me.

 

Well, my next girl is likely going to be modled after one of my RolePlaying characters, Sath. The charater has many, MANY scars that are very important to her background. While I admit I'm TERRIFIED to scar what will be my first female Resin, I almost feel obligated to do it for her. She's not Emo at all, in fact she's a very happy person, she just has a lot of damage done to her body, is all.

I have a few scars myself. I'm not proud of them, (mostly because only 1 or 2 have a cool story as to how I got them, lol!) but I don't think they're ugly either. Too many people worry about what they look like, forgetting that it's who they are that matters. If you have scars that are important to where you've been in life or what you've done, I think you should be happy about having them. It not only teaches you a lesson you can't forget, but gives you an easy way to pass those lessons on to others.

I think that's something some of our tragic-past-emo-dolls should learn, lol!

 

I have also wanted to ask the question, why do the scars look so fresh- and they all dont- dont get me wrong. Some times they look like fresh wounds as apposed to long term scars. Is it to make them more evident? Is that how you originaly envisioned them? Do they still hurt the character?
Also why dig into the resin, since most scars I have seen are raised.
I guess this is more a question of why did you use the technique you did- was it because cutting into the resin was more permanent?

 

I agree with this question. XD; I really like scars on dolls but some people do them and they look like they're still bleeding. I agree on the carved scars as well... I guess it's because it's easier than doing raised layers of epoxie? And some scars are a little collapsed... I know I have a scar on my leg that's actually dented in (but that's mostly because I'm a scab picker XD).

[Also: *whispers to Kim* I love BL incest too. >______> ]

 

Hiyas

I cut into the resin because they were ment to be fresh... swipes from the werewolf.. more cuts than scars, plus he is a Vampire so the never heal... so never actually scar... and due to a problem which wud take wey to long to explain.. they dont clear up and vanish.. so he is perm like that... they dont bleed they just stay looking fresh as they did when they were made...

and I cut into the resin because I wanted themto be permanent and realistic looking rather than just painted on.. they needed the depth that a werewolf's claws would make.

Buts thats just me and how I wanted Damien to look...

Hope thats helps...

Hugs Maz x

 

Markus has two cuts each in both of his eyebrows where the arch of his brows are. The four small slashes are his (former) Asian gang leader badge. They are cut into the resin and are paler than the surrounding skin to 'show' their age.

Markus is not emo, psychotic, 'hurting on the inside', nihilistic or angst-driven. He has a job to do and his scars, the gang sign ones included, are a byproduct of those jobs. At the moment he's got a fancy title that can be translated to being a hired killer. He kills people for money. He doesn't romanticise his job or how he got his scars. None of them are going to be carved with an eye towards 'beauty' either except for those gang signs...because seriously, I have never seen an 'attractive' scar or bullet wound. What a bizarre thought.

He doesn't feel them to be badges of honor or disgrace or has emotions invested in them. Even the gang marks are more of a nuisence than anything. His job requires that he remains anonymous and with something as identifiable as those symmetrical scars it could be deadly to his health. So he colors them in carefully or creates his own appliances (<--word for those awesome Hollywood movie skin pieces.) to hide the scar.

He only thinks of them when one of them starts hurting from the weather or when someone mentions them. Which is why he has a habit of wearing long sleeves, slacks, socks and has long hair in his face. Probably also why he's celibate and operates in a climate that allows him to dress this way. Easier to stay forgettable and disappear that way.

There's always cosmetic surgery but he's paranoid and believes any human can be bought. If the doctor who operated on him blathers then where would he be? And frankly killing a plastic surgeon (with the kind of rare talent/skills to hide some of his twisted, roping scars) will make waves exactly where he didn't want them to be made. Easier to just wear thin clothing that covers him up and keep the scars. The doll must reflect that.

Whoa, getting perilously close to 'describing an rp character instead of doll' there, even if I've never RPed Markus despite the fact that he's been with me all of my life. I'll shut up now.

 

I have two boys who are scarred - the twins Fuan and Fanuel.





The reason they are scarred is because of their history and backstory... [the short short version -> They were put on trial for "crimes" against their society. Fuan was tortured horribly and killed, Fanuel's face was carved off and he was sealed. Fuan was resurrected into a human body and because of it's weaker nature, the trauma of his death manifested itself. Fanuel gave up an eye so his brother could see and lost some ability to keep his masked, hence the reason they only show on his blind side] <--so their scars are basically all apart of who they are. The scars aren't painted, they are modded on and permanent. I will never sell them anyway so I had no problem doing this at all since they aren't for anyone but myself. ^_^

 

My boy Deshemel has some fairly brutal scarring (I'll put a picture here if asked but I've spammed those pics a lot lately) on his back, one lower arm, and collarbone. I'm the one that did the scarring, and for a fairly bland reason: because he's supposed to have them. To me he just looked odd without them. They're just part of who he is.
He's actually a representation of a character in a book I'm trying to write.

 

There are people out there, I think, who do hurt dolls (not necessarily BJDs) just to hurt the doll or express pain/negative feelings in themselves through an external medium, rather than doing it to an animal or their own bodies or a child or whatever. On several levels, I am OK with that... although I really have to wonder about the long-term psychology of it or the people that collect some of those things. I'm not talking one or two "weird" baby dolls or living dead dolls, though, I'm talking scores of butchered Barbies, or the recent "Dolly Dolly" issue with all the dolls that looked like rape victims (sorry, but uh, WTF?)

At a certain point, I feel expressing that much negativity isn't healthy to anyone, including the artist. Then again, I argue this point with my long-time studio partner at length. I have painted a lot of gore and misery over my time, but most of it has resolution, salvation, a bright side, whimsy, something other than brutality, hate, and desolation. (My sculptures, on the other hand, including dolls, tend to be sexy or just weird rather than, and I hate this label, "morbid".) His work tends towards the genuinely morose, "apocalyptic", and unrelentingly dark. I have seen people quite literally in tears after seeing displays of his stuff. While the effect interests me (being able to touch someone like that, good or bad, is impressive, even sorcerous), being a well of unending grisliness and cruelty represents more serious flaws to me. Turning it out on the world in a constant stream to share one's suffering has some pretty unpleasant connotations, IMHO.

In short, I do see what you're concerned about - I don't think it happens so much HERE because a BJD is a thing that is not so easily purchased as a baby doll or a Barbie. Whether or not you see them as living beings with souls or any such idolatry or animism, BJDs are an expensive, time consuming hobby! Just ordering one can take months, not counting saving up or what have you.

That point made, there are people out there who purchase several thousand dollar RealDolls(tm) and literally hack them to pieces. If you want to know why I know this, PM me, it isn't subject matter for the general forum. I like to believe the best about the people with whom I choose to surround myself, however, so I am going to assume that most folks with scarred dolls on this forum are not trauma freaks or future serial killers.

 

This is the only thing I can add to since none of my dolls are "scarred".

One way self or ritual scarring/mutilation can be seen is as a form of control over one's self and one's physical being. This one is purely psychological. If you can't control anything around you, you take control somewhere else. The reasons behind this can be a myriad of different things from both "good" to "bad".

Also, culture, race, sex and age say different things in different societies and sometimes a physical representation is used to show that. Example; a rite of passage, to show one has become an "adult" and now assumes all the responsibility of one.