Which Came First, Character or Doll?

Whoow! hard but good question! I think for me it is also mixed.. but normally I have their character sorted out before they come home to me. Although I have changed my mind before.. when you get the doll in real life and you feel like another character would fit better than the one you had in mind~

 

I have sorta made the basic character before the doll arrives. But then i start to build more "layers" on their personallity. When i see a doll i like, i actually start to build a character for that doll before i might buy it. However the character is still just a "sketch", so it is first when i get the doll i start on the really character building hope that made sense

 

Definitely the doll came first. And it'll be the same way with my next one, too. And probably the one after that. XD I like the idea of my dolls gaining personality and sentience over time, as I learn more about them and watch them develop their own stories. To me the process of making the character is incredibly long but very fun. I get to see these beings bloom into living creations, and it really pleases me as a writer. I look forward to adding my dolls, once I have more of them, into a novel of their own, with of course Zenith (my first) being the protagonist. ^-^

 

The doll comes first. While I wait for delivery, I start to rough out a character and a story, but nothing happens until I see and fall in love with a sculpt first.

 

It seems for all of my dolls, the doll came first.

 

For me it varies. My first (and currently only) doll didn't have a character, and still doesn't really. And my character Oörna was sparked after I discovered DC's Stacy and started thinking up fun mods I could do. And Oörna sparked a story with a bunch of in depth characters, all of whom were developed well before I decided what sculpts I want to shell them in, in fact one is still searching for the perfect sculpt and another is going to have a custom head made.

 

For me, I've learned that I need to have a relatively developed character in mind first if I want to have a connection with the doll. So despite past mistakes, it is character first for me now! Three of my dolls were purchased just because I thought they were beautiful, then I tried to make characters for them but that just didn't work out. I ended up selling two of them. Three were bought because I tried to force a character idea on them (I just thought the dolls were beautiful as well, so I quickly forced out a character for them). Bad idea, because I'm now trying to rid those from my collection too. The only dolls that I've had a solid connection with are dolls that I've searched for in order to shell a character. So definitely character first! I learned my lesson

 

When I first see the doll I like to purchase, the character starts to form ^___^ I normally have the name in mind before they arrive Once they have their wigs and all other items, then it becomes more developed

 

I used to think I would only shop for characters but I relaxed my policy. So, both.

 

I dont intend to ever have to too many dolls, so I'd only buy a doll if I have a character ready for them. :3c

 

Both as well.
My first doll came before the character, and that's the way I thought all of them were going to be. It was after deciding on him I started thinking about a general story and look for the character, but the concept has changed quite a bit as I worked on putting everything together. It probably helps that I'm not concerned with having a solid story, just a general idea behind everything.
The next two are based on characters I already had. Both times I was just browsing companies and accidentally found sculpts that somehow inspired me or "showed" me something about the character, and it's been interesting to see how many ideas have come from working with doll rather than just working things out on paper!

 

It came around almost simultaneously for me. My already-in-customs bjd was bought during an event, and it was partly through a combination of good instances that made it possible for me to buy her. As such, her "unexpectedness" meant I didn't have a full character fleshed out yet. I did have an impression of what character I wanted her to be (even before ordering), but most of the nitty-gritty details only came around after she was ordered.

 

Both for me. Certain characters are already picked out when I order the sculpt, however some don't have characters till the arrive and then I shape them. I guess for me, it just depends on if the character was already formed and wanted to get one in a doll.

 

Both for me as well. With my first doll I saw him and new I had to have him, I had absolutely no character for him at all. I came up with his character and how he fit into my existing story while he was on his way home. With my second doll I had already had her story for a year before I happened upon the perfect sculpt for her and with my third doll I had his character also and searched for the doll to fit that character.

 

I suppose it will be an odd mix of both for me - i'd argue simultaneous growth, really. I knew I wanted to create a character with a doll, which is why I began searching for a bjd in the first place, but it wasn't until I had fallen head over heels for him that I began to form his character. He has a name already - Caspian - despite him not being here with me, but I almost always name my characters early on. However, his character development is on pause until I have him in my hands - so it'll require "doll first" before he's more complete.

At the moment I don't plan to buy any more dolls for the foreseeable future (hashtag college dorm life) but I guess we'll see what happens if I obtain a second one further down the road. I suspect it'll be the same, one element bouncing off the other, since that's how I create my drawn & written characters - they develop along with their designs and their story, all at the same time as one builds up the other.

 

Of the two I have one had a character already and the other didn't. I have a Popo doll Ramiel that I got because of his unique sculpt, he doesn't have much of a story otherwise. The other is a shell for my character Damien, I got the Iplehouse Akando because he looked so similar to my reference picture of my character. The other dolls I want include the Amanda Beauty and the David Kuncci, one without a story and the other with one I've already thought out. So, pretty mixed, but mostly I get dolls to design a character around, because of the sculpt or to shell a character. I've only shelled a character twice though.

 

For me it was a mix I guess? First the character of was developed, then the doll was picked. But when I received the doll another character began to develop.

 

First resin BJD had a backstory I created while I waited for her to arrive. When she did I just couldn't relate to her and did not keep her.With my second one which turned out to be my real first I had no preconceived ideas or story. We are slowly getting to know who she wants to be. Odd, as soon I took her out of box I knew what her name was- Mem.

 

Most of them, the character came first, with the exception of Emile who had a resin identity crisis before he even arrived