Which Came First, Character or Doll?

It's a mix. I don't try to shell dolls based off characters in my writing anymore. I let the dolls create characters, and I create stories around them to make photo stories or even short stories about those characters that are created. Other characters that i need in the photostory i will shell. That's as far as I go now. I started out when to shell ALL my characters in my writing, but I changed gears so all my dolls were in the same story-verse and could somehow be intertwined.

 

My first (and only) Doll came first, then her character came after I received her and had time to figure her out.

Though I do finding myself picturing other characters that I may have to find shells for in the future!

 

As far as my BJD world of dolls, I guess it went Doll, Character, Doll... My favorite characters were developed from some Barbie dolls I had that just blossomed with personality, when I got into BJD's I wanted to find some that better resembled them since there is more variety in sculpt, Not to mention most of my characters are boys, and lets face it, Barbie ignores the boys.

 

Mine was doll first, I'm still working her character out ^^

 

For me the doll came first. I’ve tried taking OCs I’ve had in the past and shelling them but it never works out how I want so I end up wiping the faceup. I’ve learned to find a wig I really like, then base the whole character around the wig.
But recently I’ve come up with 3 new characters. I won’t draw them out because I like winging it, but I’m excited to get working on shelling them.

 

In the case of my favorite doll, the character! I conceived of the idea for her character about 7 years ago, and always intended to interpret it on a different type of doll. Years went by, and even after finding the "right" doll, the plan never came together. As soon as I saw my Zuri, I knew she was the right host for the planned character.

And just to prove once and for all that I'm not in charge of these things, my oldest bjd recently decided to be a completely different character. The character in question was never meant to be in bjd form... but I guess she is now.

 

Definitely doll. Then character. I had to switch looks for my dolls so many times. But now they have definite personalities. One of my dolls still has no character or name. No idea what to do for inspo haha.

 

In the case of my first doll, who I'm still putting together, doll came first! Once he arrived, I was hit with a full story and character instantly. So, now that he's "spoken" to me, I know I need to get another doll to shell his friend into!

 

I was curious how many people go into buying a doll with a plan, or they just buy the doll because they might one day have a plan.
Basically, do you buy your dolls for OCs you've thought about and planned out ? or do you buy then for the sake of buying and then later on possibly create an OC.
Don't get me wrong I think both is completely fine ! I'm simply curious what the ratio is ! One is planned out and organized while the other is more relying on creative flow !

 

I usually start creating a character when I see a doll I love. Things are never nailed down for me until I get the doll and see what really fits them.

I'd love to shell some of my already-created OCs, but I'm too picky to find sculpts that work, since for them I don't have that same wiggle room for changing my ideas if the doll happens to disagree (as it were).

 

Most of the time I will see a doll that I really like and I start picturing a character for them in my mind. Then I buy the doll and start customizing! I do have a few of OCs imagined, but I haven't shelled them yet.

 

Well, my intention for my first doll was to be Alucard from Hellsing Ultimate, but when I got my doll it was too small to be Alucard. So I created Endigo. (At the time it was Adonis)

But I have everyone else planned out already. I guess it can go either way depending on the situation.

 

I do what several others mentioned where I'll see a sculpt I like and start planning a character around it. Some of my dolls have actually been ~4 years in the making because I did a lot of planning when I first got into the hobby.

 

I usually create a character to fit the doll rather than the other way around. I would never go for a doll I didn't like as a doll because it fit a character - so I always go for the dolls I like and once I have brought them home I let them speak for themselves.

 

All of mine are OCs that I scoured the interwebs for a matching doll. While I could easily go the other route, this limits me to how many I can buy. I did buy one minimee head that will be a fan art doll, but other than that, all 5 (soon 6) were ideas before they were dolls.

 

Sometimes I have a character in mind, and I'll buy a doll to shell it - but more often than not it arrives home and tells me that I picked wrong, and it is someone else entirely. Other times I'll see a sculpt that I love and buy it on that merit alone...and those, too, all end up telling me who they are, and developing distinct personalities on their own.

...It sounds kind of creepy when I put it like that. No wonder some people are scared of BJDs.

 

I got the dolls with characters already in mind but all of them ended up being someone completly else when they arrived to me x'D

 

I really don't do either. I buy a doll because I love it then when it gets here it tends to take on a life of it's own. Once it's proper name is found then a character begins to emerge. The dolls sort of talk to me (Not literally.) They just seem to take on personalities & fit themselves into my universe.

 

That sounds normal to me honestly but maybe thats because I hang around gemstone collectors seriously they name their gemstones and I'll admit I have 4 that I have named lol. But ya not creepy at all to me, But there are some creepy looking BJD's I'll admit the look of some of the impldoll star line look creepy to me.

Also how bad is it I had to google oc to make sure it ment what I thought it did? and to the orginal question I just buy on sheer impulse and once bought I have a few ideas float around my head can't wait to get mine have 3 bought one is a blank Doll Chateau Grey Ada was lucky and she was in stock bought 1 of the 2 they had can't wait for her to come.

 

I do it both ways. Sometimes I see a doll that I want and create a character before buying it, but other times I just like the doll get it and later I came with a name and a character for it.

Most of the times I get he dolls first because I really like the sculpt and do the character creation later. But is not really a character creation because I only gave them a name and that's it.