What do do if you can't art?

This. One of the questions I hear most often from people asking about my dolls is "What do you do with them?" I never quite know how to answer them. Nothing? Everything? I tell them they are art dolls, and I draw them, photograph them, etc., all of which are true, but not always. I don't do face-ups, I don't make wigs and I can't sew, but darn it I can utilize other resources to put together a beautiful looking doll that brings me happiness to have around. You don't have to be an artist to enjoy art or interact with your doll; you just have to be happy.

 

I'm not good at drawing, but I can do an okay faceup now that I've had a bit of practice. But there's nothing wrong with just collecting dolls to admire if it makes you happy.

 

I am in the same boat as you. I never thought I could do a faceup, make a wig, make clothes, or make anything for my dolls. Some people are like that and yet they can still buy and coordinate all those things to make their doll look great and unique. If you can't make props then you can go prop hunting! You can commission someone to make clothes and do a faceup! And you can just simply enjoy your dolls exactly how they are. You can also take pictures and write stories for them.

On the other hand, this hobby has a tendency to get people who think they can't do something, to do something. Despite my earlier statement, I am now building a dollhouse for my dolls to live in. I'm going buy some patterns and try my hand at sewing, and I might even try doing my own faceup down the road. Never say never in this hobby! There is no harm in at least trying!

In this hobby you just have to go at your own pace and do what you are comfortable with and what you actually want to do.

 

Totally feeling the same. I'm not a tinkerer, so no faceups, clothes, wigs, etc. But I do enjoy the time with my girls at home or when I bring them to work. The only thing I ever DIY was a leftover ribbon and I used it as a belt for my MSD girl.

Sometimes I watch movies on my iphone over a meal and she sits there watching with me. That worked out pretty alright for me too.

 

There are no rules.

Enjoy your doll however it suits you. Personally, I think one of the most fun things about the hobby is the excitement of getting the things you order for your doll in the mail. Sometimes I get two in one day, it feels like Christmas!

 

I don't art either. I just play with the dolls, take photographs, and write stories about them. This means I have to rely on other people for faceup, clothes, etc, but that's OK! There's plenty of people out there who ARE great at and love those things, and they can help you out (for a cost, typically, but still!).

 

I'm an artist, and I can do crafty things, but I don't really have the time to dedicate to modding and crafting stuff for dolls (even though I think I would enjoy it). Instead I post them, play with them, dress them, discuss and display them! You don't have to feel beholden to do anything you're not sure about. It's your hobby, do it your own way!

 

I do a lot of arty things for/with my dolls. I sew, make jewellery, knit, photography, but my biggest reasons for having them is that I can finally have the characters from the novels I write in a tangible form and not so much any "artistic" thing I make for them. However, I do consider my writing as an artistic endeavour although it may be less... tangible than say a pair of pants or a wig or a necklace.

I'd love to be able to do my own face-ups but I'm face-blind so it's a total no-go. No amount of practice will make me better at it either because I can't actually see faces as a whole (this applies to all human faces, flesh or resin and yeah, that sucks as much as you think it does). So while it is disappointing that I can't do my own face-ups, I don't dwell on what I can't do because of something I'm powerless to change. I have my favourite face-up artists and I commission the heck out of them for my boys.

If the way you enjoy your dolls is by dressing them in killer clothes you scoured the internet for, go for it. Putting together a brilliant outfit from random pieces is an artistic/creative thing (we've all seen badly dressed people in RL so dressing well is definitely an artistic/creative skill). Or maybe your thing is wig styling. A lot of people ask for help in getting wigs to behave while some just have a natural flair for it. That is an artistic talent, too. Doing something artistic/creative doesn't have to mean making something from scratch.

Remember, there is NO wrong way to doll. Whatever you do with your doll(s) that makes you happy is the perfect right way for you.

 

I don't know if anybody else has said this, but don't be afraid to try even if you think you "can't art". You might surprise yourself! Not to mention art is a skill like any other, and the more you practice the better you will get. Some people have a natural talent and affinity for art from the beginning that helps them along, but others just have years and years of practice under their belts.

 

You art anyway. Practice Practice Practice. I know a bunch of famous fantasy artists and the one thing they all tell me it took hours upon hours of practice to get good.

There are going to be niches you like more than others, but until you put in sometime, don't rule anything out.

 

I've never had much talent for drawing myself, but I find that photography is an art that is easier to get into, especially with digital photography. With a digital camera you know immediately if the shot isn't working or if it's blurry, so your initial improvement goes pretty quick. As with anything, it takes practice.

If photography isn't your thing, there are lots of tutorials on youtube and such for making props, furniture and backdrops for dolls of all scales (1/6 scale is more prevalent obviously due that is the most common in mass market dolls). Those can range from simple printed paper on cardboard to elaborately painted clay, so there is something for all skill levels.

I would also recommend keeping an eye out for things that are a good scale for your dolls at garage sales and thrift stores and then just customizing them to your needs. A simple coat of spray paint can do wonders and you will still feel accomplished in finishing a project.

 

At the end of the day, the most important thing to keep in mind is that dolls are toys. Expensive toys, sure, but still toys! There's not right or wrong way to enjoy them. You can mod them, pose them, display them, craft for them, play with them like regular dolls, or any combination of the previous. I can definitely understand feeling a little pressured to do it 'right', but whether they were gifted to you or purchased with your own money, they're your dolls.

And of course, if you want to get better at art then my best suggestion is to just do it. 5 years ago I could barely sew a straight line, and today I make clothing and costumes that have people asking which store I bought them from. Everyone sucks at first, and even the pros have forgotten to seal a face correctly, glued eyelashes on crooked, sewn a zipper on backwards, ripped through their fabric instead of a seam, or under-baked a sculpey piece. Don't shy away from your mistakes. Embrace them, understand how and why you made them, and learn from them for your next attempt.

And again - dolls are toys! The most critical thing here is to have fun with them!

 

i agree with a lot of what is being said. many of the crafty things are a skill that you can develop, though i also thing talent can also be a factor in how good you can get. i do a lot of things for my dolls that looked bad at first and are now much better. faceups is an example. i still take a long time to get them right and am not at, and probably will never be "professional" quality, but i am at the point where i am really happy with them for myself. and i am terrible at drawing even after several art/drawing classes. i happen to love bjds because i can use the crafts i love and learn new ones while playing with them, but that is just because i happen to like doing crafts. i have also found some crafts that i don't enjoy after trying for a while, so i don't do them anymore. i also love taking photos and have learned over the years to do some fairly good ones, again this was a skill that i developed, i didn't start off good.

but, while i like reading other peoples stories/looking at photostories, it's not something that i personally want to do. i enjoy playing with my dolls and sometimes make up simple stories in my head, but have no desire to write them down or share them.

the point i was trying to make is try things and see which ones make you happy. you may surprise yourself and turn out to be better at some things than you thought you would be, and others you may find just don't interest you at all, that's fine. do just the ones that make you happy. i think the reason bjd's are so popular is that there are so many different ways people interact with them. it may seem like most people "do art" but that is probably just because the ones that do are more likely to post pictures and say "look what i did!!!" people who just enjoy having the dolls to look at or playing with them solo, are less likely to post pictures so you don't kow how many of them there really are.....