The (original) character of your doll?

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you bought?

I fell in love with a sculpt and just bought before I could think. Once I got him I started to slowly create a character around his sculpt.

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behaviour and personality of the character?

I'm thinking the behavior and personality came through first. Then the concept yes.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?)

My character's personality was kind but scared and worried. So I asked why he would be so worried. From that I based that he's a detached spirit wandering around and worried he might be eaten up by some bigger spirits. But he's kind because he likes to help those who lost their way.

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often?

I'm still working on their design and having some trouble there. Currently I'm pressed for time on some stuff so I wont be able to work on that for a while.

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it?

I would be a little offended but not terribly. I would ask what they hate about his design. Then just tell them not everyone is interesting and meant to be the protagonist in an anime or movie. No matter what there will always be an accountant or engineer quietly doing their job and being okay with their non adventurous life.

 

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you bought?

That depends on which of my dolls I talk about. Some had characters before the sculpt and some it was the other way around. Raleigh and Aldric's characters came after the sculpts arrived, but Andy and Raico had characters beforehand.

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behaviour and personality of the character?

The behavior comes first for me, then the appearance.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?)

The personality, to me, dictates appearance. Once I know how the character will act, I can figure out how they dress, which is an extension of themselves. For example, Raico has no control over what he wears and is essentially a weapon so his clothing, by extension, is functional and minimal.

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often?

I don't tend to change their appearances often aside from changing their clothes. Personalities develop with characters but don't drastically change.

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it?

If someone said such a thing about my characters, I would be sad because I have put effort into creating them. However, they are my dolls and my characters, created for my own enjoyment. If other people like them, great. If not, then I can still have fun with them on my own. My dolls, and the characters they represent, exist for me, not to please others. I might ask for specifics about what they don't like as constructive criticism is always helpful. However, if the person is simply rude then I wouldn't change a thing.

 

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you
bought?

I found sculpts for the characters, mainly. I've never really had a say in shaping the characters, as my brain presents a complete concept without conscious thoughts.

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behaviour and personality of the character?

Behaviour and personality together with name and basic looks (hair colour, eye colour etc) of the first two. The others are related to them, so looks was never a question.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?)

Tuva's personality became based pretty much on her looks, but I knew before that she was a teen and more melancholy than her big sister.

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often?

Just upgrading wigs (but not hair colour) and faceups with the same basic colours and traits.

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it?

Never.

 

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you bought?
I choose the sculpt first, then I develop the character based on the look of the sculpt. It's better for me if I can create the character after I examine and experiment some looks with the sculpt.

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behaviour and personality of the character?
Depends..sometimes I can't control what came first because my inspirations came randomly and at the same time. I'd prefer to think about the visual concept first though.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?)
I imagine if my doll is an actual person, how he's gonna wear everyday clothes, after I found out about his appearance, I start to build his personality slowly by imagining his daily life as a person. My doll is a very casual guy for now. He could change depends on my mood

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often?
Since it hasn't been a long time for me to be in this hobby, I haven't changed my boy's appearance or personality a lot. Also, I'm still working to make more clothes for him. Maybe I would change his appearance oftenly in the future.

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it?
Nope. It would make me sad though, but I won't change my character just because someone doesn't like it. It's about taste, I understand that someone may like it or not.

 

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you bought?
All my dolls are avatars of my original characters. In some cases, the characters pre-date my entering into the BJD hobby by several years or even decades. In all cases but one, I've tried to find sculpts that would be a good physical representation of the character. Only once did I impulse-buy a doll with no character in mind beforehand and then sucessfully created a character for him. Generally, I don't do well with "characterless" dolls, so I try never to buy a doll that doesn't already have a character associated with it.
The important thing to me about my characters is that the dolls actually aren't the characters. Even if I never had the dolls to represent them, the characters would still exist. For me, the dolls are simply 3D "snapshots" of dynamic characters.

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behaviour and personality of the character?
This is actually difficult to answer, because for me these things are interconnected and tend to occur simultaneously. I don't generally come up with a visual concept and then think 'what kind of person are they?' and I don't generally have an idea about personality without at least some idea of appearance coming to my mind at the same time. For me, character creation is a holistic process. It seems next to impossible to create a character in stages, at least in my opinion. I create a character the same way I get to know a real person. At our first meeting, I see what they look like, what they are wearing, and how they carry themselves. I hear their voice and what language they speak. I get to know them a little and find out their gender, how old they are, where they are from, and something about their family and friends. In subsequent 'meetings' I learn more about their back story, their personality, their likes and dislikes, etc. I write a new character to see how they interact with others in their world and how they react in a certain situation. Sometimes, this isn't a conscious process and I feel like I just know what a character likes or what he'll do in certain circumstances; other times, I have to work at it and actively think about it for a bit.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?)
See above ^^

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often?
No. I mean, since characters are dynamic, they do tend to change in both behaviour and appearance over time, but I don't generally change the appearance of their resin avatars all that much. Since the dolls really represent a snapshot of the character at a particular moment in time, I don't really see the need to change their appearance all that much.

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it?
No. Why should I? I didn't create these characters for the benefit of others; I created them because they're important to me and because I wanted to tell their stories and - through them - my own story. If other people like them, I'm happy and pleased. If people don't like them, that's their choice. I honestly don't expect everyone to like everything I do. That's an unrealistic expectation. And yes, I actually have had a few people tell me that my characters are lame. Honestly, they're free to think whatever they like. I'm not about to alter my creation because someone doesn't like or understand it. Same goes for my dolls. They have been called boring and lame too, but so what? I didn't create them for anyone but myself. If others enjoy them too, that's a bonus. If they don't enjoy them, they don't have to look at them. It's really just that simple.

 

I don't have my first bjd yet. But she will be my fairy girl. I don't see fairies as just cute, little, sweet beings. They are fierce, wild creatures who don't exactly care for people.
They have personalities like the fairy from Labyrinth. I do so love Froudy fairies.

So when I saw the sculpt for Doll Chateau's k11-1 body, I knew that's what a fairy doll would look like. Lean, wiry, creatures built for speed and flight. I just had to pick a face. I was going to do the faceup myself. But I saw their Lydia, with her sharp, curious eyes. They're observant. And she has an unusual face. She's perfect for who I was thinking of. That's why she will be my first bjd.

 

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you bought?
I found a suitable sculpt for my character

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behavior and personality of the character?
She started out as a random drawing, so the concept was first.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?)
Her personality just sort of seemed right. I didn't really have to do anything for it happen, I guess.

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often?
Nope. Only thing that changed in the while since I made her was how her bangs are styled.

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it?
No way. My characters are my babies, and I wouldn't change them if someone didn't like them.

 

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you bought?

Generally, I find suitable sculpts for characters as opposed to finding characters for sculpts (though I did that with one of my planned dolls!) and sometimes I just improvise with what o have. Rina, for instance, was a floating head that came with another doll that I decided was close enough for her character.

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behaviour and personality of the character?

This is a hard question. I generally start with some concept of a character-- generally a song with meaningful lyrics and I build out from there. Personality and some meaningful events from the music come first, and then appearance. I've done it the other way before too, using sketches I've randomly made as bases, or taking inspiration from photos and building a personality from there.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?)

I decide whether their face should contrast or fit with the stereotypes for someone with their personality. Tacet is my best example of contrast. She's sadistic and power hungry, but has doe-eyes and a pastel goth wardrobe, because I wanted her to be insidious. Hades on the other hand, is a very strong character, and I wanted that to show through. I wanted strong facial features for her, so there would be no illusion of who she is. The rest of traits fit with their story. How old are that? Tall? Short? Would they be of any particular ethnicity? What's their build? That all correlates with character. And in the verse I write in, they also have wings and weapons that are very specific to their backstory and traits, which even further ties appearance to personality.

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often?

Other than Rina, who's been my character for a long time (seven different storylines!) their personalities develop as a result of their experiences, they aren't changed. Appearances... Yes and no. There's more racial diversity in my cast than there was before, because tan resin is beautiful and diversity is important, but that was done in a way that actually fit the characters better in my opinion, and didn't alter their personalities.

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it?

Not a snowball's chance in Hell, my friend. I really pride myself on writing very dimensional characters and developing them in accurate ways. A lot of research goes into these people. My reaperverse is even a character study centered around PTSD. If someone were to hate, it would either be because they just don't understand or want to understand the complexities, because they dislike certain traits (Grim gets this a lot. He's a sociopath who essentially defines 'problematic') or because they like to feel better about their own characters. No one says 'pretty lame' to be constructive. This hypothetical person is not worth my time or my anguish. That's where you block them and move on with life.

 

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you bought? Both. For example, My Luts Abadon heads were picked to suit an appearance I'd already made up in my head. Anton, my Dollshe Husky, however, was picked first, and I designed his character around the doll.

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behaviour and personality of the character? Visual concept comes first for me. Its easier to have an image in mind so I can then build on aspects of their character.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?) Honestly, I just try different things out in my head until something sticks.

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often? No. Aydren's, my Abadon, his personality changed a couple of times, but other than that, no.

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it? They can think whatever they want. I'm not making these characters for them, I am making the for me.

 

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you bought?

I kind of created a character from the sculpt that I bought, as I didn't really have a character in mind to model the doll after anyways.

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behaviour and personality of the character?

I've always found an interest in little shy boys, and since the sculpt looked like one, the personality came first.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?)

I think it just was a matter of what I found cute or not. My boy has little freckles, green eyes, paler skin, brown hair, etc. I just kind of pieced together some of the traits that I found interesting.

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often?

I change his personality a little with every new faceup, because he looks like he's feeling a different way with each one! ^_^

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it?

I would shrug it off, but probably feel the slightest bit upset about it. I think it just matters if I like my doll's character, and I'm not trying to impress anyone with him! I love him and that's the important thing. ^~^

 

Did you find a suitable sculpt for the character you had in mind or did you create a character for the sculpt you bought?
Mostly I create first the character and then start looking up for the sculpt. It might take couple sculpts before I find the perfect one. For example my main character is getting his fourth sculpt.

What came first to you? The visual concept of the character or the behavior and personality of the character?
Since I create the character first, personality comes first too.

Once you had the visual concept or the personality of the character, how did you decide on the other side of the coin? (If you had a personality, how did you choose their appearance? If you had an appearance, how did you decide their personality?)
Well, this is tough to explain. It's also something that comes to mind slowly. The sculpt might need few faceup before I know what suits the character best. And then it's just clicks.

Have you found yourself changing their personality or appearance often?
Yes. My main character is getting new appearance again. First one didn't click at all, second one was too tall and muscular but the face was perfect, then he got a new smaller body but then the head looked too big so I bought new head. Now this head is perfect for a while but now he is too asian, which he isn't supposed to be. And now I can finally get him in grey skin and found a perfect head which is msd size.

And that means I have to make his boyfriend smaller because msd and 72cm doesn't look good together.

How would you respond if someone said your BJD's character is pretty lame? Would you change it?
Well, I would get really offended. My friend actually said that he doesn't like my new plans for Níon and Braigon (getting them as smaller). I don't want to change Braigon but I feel like I must change him as I think other people would get offended if I have msd and 72cm dolls as a couple. And the smaller one is actually the older one. I like size differences a lot but even I think that might be too much.