The Deciding Factor--What are you picky about?

I think for me, it's all about the eyes. I'm very picky with what face sculpts I like. And they have to have the right kind of feel and expression to them, too. But mainly, the eyes are the deciding factor.

 

Ultimately it comes down to if the sculpt accurately represents my characters. From the shape of the eyes, the nose, even the lips, to the basic facial structure, and all the way to the proportions of the body. It's the whole darn thing, as far as I'm concerned D:

I can make compromises, of course, but only with certain parts. Like with you, lips are a big factor because they'd be the most difficult to reshape on a face, in my opinion.

On the other hand, if I were simply buying the dolls for the sake of the sculpt, I'd be far less picky. XD

 

The sculpt has to speak to me as a whole. It's not any single characteristic but rather the overall look. It has to be more than "pretty," it needs character, emotion, expression.

 

I think mainly the impression that the doll gives off. I like the quiet and cute looking ones XD Also I don't like the really big eyed looking dolls.

 

Facial shape and general proportions. I try to avoid very narrow or squished faces (even though I have two CP dolls, whoops). I like the positioning of each feature to be slightly proportionate. A doll could have the best lips in the world but if their eyes are too big I'll pass.

 

Eyes. Weird eye shapes are very offputting... I also tend to prefer small eyes. ...Though I do have a Luts Bory. He's one of the few sculpts with big eyes that I actually like.

 

Hm... The eyes mean a lot to me ( I love nicely big eyes! ) but I don't think that its actually the deciding factor- I think for me its the lips. Often I see a sculpt which has a lovely face shape and features in general (and big eyes!) but their lips are just o.o for me.

 

This would be perfect if she weren't so fat.

I'm sorry, but I LOVE the idealised look of BJDs. I got a volks nasia once, and I probably would have never sold her if her body wasn't so chubby.

 

hmmm.. I always went for the faces as a whole and the feeling I got from them, but eyes first, then lips.. these days those are all part of what I look for but I want the body as well to be poseable in ways I want. I do prefer certain eyes though so often a great doll someone has I'll see at a site with a face up I just don't like and I have to really look around here to see how different they can be.

It's a learning experience for sure to try something you wouldn't normally try. I tried it with my Kovacs and Ally and it surprised me that now I play with them more than my favs
I guess things can grown on ya after awhile...

 

I generally go for an overall look as well. I think I tend to start off with the cheeks and then go to the eyes. I don't want a doll with really round cheeks yet, but I don't want one that looks really gaunt either. I'm also not looking for a doll with overly large eyes, but at the same time, I don't want a head with partially closed eyes either.

After the face sculpt though it's body bits. Are the ribs sticking out, are the joints weird looking, does it look proportionate to the head, are the hands and feet proportionate to the rest of the body, etc.

I don't think it's so much being picky as it is trying to find a sculpt that fits with everything else that aesthetically pleases you and fits your style, and possibly your personality.

 

I don't know how to describe it, but I'm a 'know it when I see it' person. I love the look of some stylised dolls, but others turn me off. I like some realistic dolls, but others don't appeal to me. I'm not sure what it is! There are some dolls I will never buy because I find them so hideous to look at (Naripon Toadstool, anyone?)...I find it easier describing what I wouldn't buy than what is essential in a doll for me! I really, really dislike exaggerated mouths, be it overly sad or overly happy, I find that this kind of mouth really takes something away from adding your own character to a doll. The designer has already decided that the doll is perma-depressed or insanely happy, so you can't do much to put your own stamp on the doll.

I have four realistic-looking dolls (Souldolls Hye, Harang and Snyder and Volks Kurt [ignoring his froggy features here...]) and three stylised dolls (Volks Kurenai, Bobobie Cookie and Puki Cupid) and I love them all very much...perhaps it was just the mood I was in at the time of purchase?

 

I have come no notice quite recently that the size and shape of the eyes are important for me when deciding wether to bring a certain sculpt home or just keep admiring it on the net. All members of my existing resin-family has large(-ish) eyes and even though I'm not very picky about perfect matching it just doesn't feel good having one member look too odd in this case.

 

Wow, I'm not really sure! Is it a cop-out to say everything...? ^^; I remember one of the deciding factors for jumping on DG Noella was her profile, I absolutely love her nose in profile view. It's awesome-cute.

I think for me, the sculpt works best if it looks good at many angles... owner photos definitely help there! I am often attracted to large eyes, but then LeeKe Mihael is one of my favourite sculpts, and his eyes are rather small! Maybe I'm just a bit fickle, haha~

 

LIPS. If the lips portray an emotion I don't like, or are just a bit too this or that, I find that I really can't commit myself to the sculpt.

But, I suppose, eyes go along with lips too, as eyes also add to the emotion of a doll. I prefer slinky eyed dolls with a slightly smiley mouth. That way it kinda looks like they're smirking. So really, it's eyes and lips together, but if I had to choose only one, it'd probably be lips.

 

For me it is important that there is a little sign of a smile on the face.
I don't like the ones that look mean, worrying or without any expression.
And the eyes must be open though, I am not into the sleepy/shy looks.
Besides that, I am not so picky

 

Eyes, then lips, then the whole overall package. I prefer a realistic sculpt, although I'm always drawn to big eyes. I agree with Jescissa that I don't like expressions that are overtly happy or sad. I want to see a range of emotions from the doll depending on how its posed and dressed.

Plus, lately since I'm still searching for my first one, I've been really focusing on scale. If a I buy more than one doll from different manufacturers, I want them to look good together. I've been focusing on MSD size and getting a little frustrated with only finding overly large heads.

ETA: I think it pays to be picky because it keeps the number of dolls on my wish list much shorter.

 

I agree with those of you, my friends, who say about importance of a whole look.

When I look at my the one doll (even if she's second or third ) I want to see something more than just pretty eyes, or smile, or slender figure... I want to see something that makes my heart beat faster, that makes me smile when I'm sad or tired, that makes me remember about beauty and harmony of the world.

Maybe these are just words and my imagination. But I have two dolls and I adore each of them. They're my dear treasure. I open a door of my wardrobe where their rooms are located and I just forget about my problems... They're my cure.

 

I don't like dolls with too morose an expression - I don't want to own something that looks miserable. Also, I like slightly mature sculpts, and childish bodies or baby-faces put me off a doll. I also don't like droopy eyes or really undefined noses. My first doll was a single-joint body, but my second is a double-joint, and I don't think I would ever go and buy a single jointed doll again. Otherwise, once a doll meets all those factors, the over all look and balance is really important to me. I need to look at the doll and get an immediate 'click' for it, either because of presentation or because it fits what I'm looking for.

 

I prefer medium sized noses and pouty lips, with more defined chins- and slightly bigger eyes XD

I suppose the best example of this would be one of my dream sculpts Musedoll's Re-che boy
I've decided I love a sculpt that I never thought I'd love purely based on the way the big pouty lips complement the face- and Dollstown's sculpts are the perfect example of that.

If the lips or nose are too small then I don't go for the sculpt, and sometimes, I just don't feel that instant "take my breath away" love even if a doll has the perfect features.- I'm super picky about it.

Although in the case of my Lati Boy, his lips had that lovely dip in the middle and tons of potential for making them really stand out, so that was what swayed me along with his perfectly sized nose and adorable eye shape.