What do you think about asymmetry?

Im really big on asymmetry if its intentional!

There's a Flower & Jr sculpt who's got a crooked smile and one eye more closed than the other and I think he's got such personality.
KAKA by xiao, on Flickr

 

I think that the level of asymmetry accepted by each person varies widely LOL I'm not sure about my own - it depends so much on my initial reaction to a sculpt (or seeing a face).

 

A lot of my dolls have little things to make them more human, Scars, Chipped nail polish, hairs out of place... Unless its a display only doll, I try to stay away from perfection

 

A little bit of asymmetry is acceptable, as long as it is not too noticeable.

 

I love it! That sculpt just screams trouble!

 

I like fantasy dolls that are more symmetrical. They aren't meant to look realistic to me, they are a fantasy that takes me to a different world for a moment. In people I prefer some kind of flaw or something that adds character - people who are too perfect seem boring to me.

 

I also love the fantasy dolls because they're so unique. I love my "human" dolls, but I absolutely adore my unique dolls (like Doll Chateau Xaviera, Dollzone Egg).

 

Love the asymmetry is natural. After all we are asymmetrical. Just often these features are invisible for our eyes.

 

For me it depends. I have seen some good and some bad both ways. Moderation I guess? Nothing too crazy for me.

 

I like intentional asymmetry!! One eye being a lil wonky, a crooked smile, a crooked nose- all great as long as that's the intention.

Like many others however, when it becomes asymmetry due to a bad or lazy sculpt... well.

Eyes, however, are a deal breaker for me- they can be a bit off as long as it's due to the expression, but as soon as they're differently set, I hate them. Though there's a reason; I have a cyst in my right eye socket, and I see that asymmetry all the time and absolutely loathe it. It's maybe my biggest insecurity. I don't like to see that part of me mirrored in a doll. Makes me feel not so great.

 

My realpuki has an asymmetrical smirk and it's one of the reason I love him so much. It's natural and endearing to me when dolls don't look perfect because real humans aren't symmetrical. Atelier Momoni's Momoni also has an asymmetrical smile and I love her too. It can really set a doll apart from all the sculpts with pristine features or neutral expressions. Nose and mouths, eyebrows can be a little off and it can give the face character. The only time it is off putting to me,is when its to extreme or unintentional. Like eyes being uneven or ears (one high and the other low).

 

This reminds me of something from way way way back in the day. In a Wizard Magazine (anyone remember those? Anyone?) the artist Terry Moore of SIP did a how to draw faces thing. He drew two faces, one was a quick doodle, and the other was "technically" perfect, but boring and lifeless while the doodle had personality and character. Basically he saying to worry less about perfection and symmetry.

A million years later I look at "perfect" dolls and I get what he was trying to say. I feel like dolls who have flaws and are asymmetrical are more realistic and lifelike than the ones who are symmetrical. Not saying there's anything wrong with perfection - I own some who have that perfect symmetry. But the ones I really love are a little crooked (like the early Migidolls. Turn Ryu upside down to see what I mean. And he's gorgeous). And if they're not I tend to make them that way with one eyebrow raised or a scar or mod of some kind or something that makes them asymmetrical.

The only time it bothers me is eye placement....I don't really even notice it in other peoples dolls but I'm constantly messing with my own dolls eyes trying to get them both straight. It drives me nuts. At least it's fixable.
And really, I have several dolls with purposely different sized eyes so I guess it doesn't drive me that nuts...

 

I don't think im very fond of it, i guess it depends on how natural it looked. if it's crooked eyes I can't deal with that lol.... especially if im spending a ton of money on a doll i want it to look perfect, im kind of ocd about things being symmetrical though :/ so it's just a personal preference

 

A bit of asymmetry makes sculpts more realistic. But too much does bother me, to be honest.

 

XD Seriously, do it! You get better results if you take his head off, remove the headback and put the head on the table to look at him (I noticed this when doing faceups)

 

I love juuust a little bit of asymmetry, especially in the lips! I'm not so fond of sculpting 'mistakes', though-- like if the ears are badly lopsided, the jaws are uneven to where I'm having to try and correct it in a faceup, or if the sculpt makes it hard to position their eyes well. A hard pass for me is when the body itself is asymmetrical to the point where it hinders posing. :X