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Would you rather commission a faceup, or do it yourself?

Mar 24, 2013

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    1. There are threads about getting a doll with or without a faceup, but this is geared more towards people who have bought blank dolls or have had their dolls for a while and just want a repaint. So I hope it has a place here.

      One of my dolls could use a repaint. However, I'm torn between buying the things so I can do it myself since I know what I want, or spending roughly the same amount to hire an artist to do it for me and hoping it comes out how I hope it will. Even with progress photos, the end result could be different from the "almost-done" photo you give the nod to.

      So this got me thinking -- What about you? When it comes to faceups, do you normally choose to hire someone, or do you do it yourself? What are the major reasons behind your decision? Do you ever switch it around?

      Would love to hear about it : )
       
      #1 satoru, Mar 24, 2013
      • x 1
    2. Commission, I have very shaky hands and I'm not really good with a brush.
       
      #2 Arashi Uchiha, Mar 24, 2013
    3. Commission for me

      I do have supplies and I do have a spare head I like to do face-ups on but I don't really enjoy looking at my own art work, I like making it but if I stare at it too long I start picking out tiny flaws and it drives me crazy :sweat

      ETA: My best advice for choosing a face up artist if you end up going down that road is to find someone whose general style matches what look you are going for, if you are worried ask for step by step photos and provide lots of refrences
       
      #3 vulpes, Mar 24, 2013
    4. I would rather do it myself,even though I'm not the best at it. It's just fun for me to watch a doll's face come to life while I'm painting. I got a default face up one time and I wasn't 100% pleased with it. However,I have seen some beautiful commissioned faceups that I wish I could do or have done. It's tempting.
       
      #4 DahliaDevere, Mar 24, 2013
    5. Commission. In my dinky apartment I have no place suitable for a work area to even attempt faceupping. :p

      ETA: Nearly a decade later and I STILL have no place to do a faceup! I want to learn, but arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.
       
      #5 Anriko, Mar 24, 2013
      Last edited: Jan 27, 2023
    6. It depends on the doll and what I want for them. I have a few around here I want to do myself, but I've sent out several to have work done (or bought ones with face-ups by people I like).
       
      #6 bagofspiders, Mar 25, 2013
    7. Commission! I'm no master artist, and after spending hundreds of dollars on a doll the last thing I want is for their face to look bad in every photo.

      ETA 12.2019 Years later, I’ve learned to paint and my answer to this question would be the total opposite! I do my own faceups and I honestly don’t think I’d have survived as long as I have in this hobby if I hadn’t started, because waiting on a doll and then having to turn right around and send them out again was too much. It’s much easier when I want a new look for a doll to be able to make it happen on my own.
       
      #7 Amet, Mar 25, 2013
      Last edited: Dec 17, 2019
      • x 2
    8. Commission, always. I am absolute crap at anything art-related and I have a lovely friend who does lovely work so I commission her to do it. :3
       
      #8 Tez, Mar 25, 2013
    9. I want to have an experience with both. I want to have a professional looking faceup but I also want to try and do one for myself because it would be fun and a great bonding experience
       
      #9 itzreeseybetch, Mar 25, 2013
    10. Do it myself. I have a few dolls that I already bought with a face up, but the rest has never seen a professional artist so far.
      The biggest reason for this is probably that I simply do not like to ship the heads around once I got new dolls. But it's also a lot of fun to paint them myself, bring my characters to life, and see if I improve over time or not.
      If I'm sure I can't do a face up the way I want it to come out, I will definitely go and find an artist who can do a better job than me though.
       
      #10 Hatsya, Mar 25, 2013
    11. Commission. I really can't stand my own paint work, so I'm choosing someone who's work I admire to do it for me. Still, I've recently decided to pick up the paintbrush again and start practicing. ' Don't think I'll be painting my own dolls soon, but in ten years time... who knows?
       
      #11 Silk, Mar 25, 2013
    12. Commision. There are some artists that I like and can make the face up I want. If I did it myself it would turn out in a disaster xD
       
      #12 Dailah, Mar 25, 2013
    13. I enjoy doing face-ups, but only for those of my dolls who have a 'fluid' appearance and personality. If I've settled on something for a doll, I prefer to send them to an artist :)
       
      #13 Jescissa, Mar 25, 2013
    14. I usually prefer commission because I want very specific faceups on my dolls...and I know I couldn't do it. However, my grail doll will end up being painted by me afterall, which is okay...because I've already put so much personal work into him. T_T I hope he comes out alright.
       
      #14 PrincessBane, Mar 25, 2013
    15. I do my own. My dolls are very specific to their characters, and I wouldn't be satisfied with another artist's take on my character. No matter how talented they are, they can't see inside my head to get it perfect. I'm SO picky, I'd feel bad for an artist commissioned to work on my dolls. lol
       
      #15 CloakedSchemer, Mar 25, 2013
      • x 1
    16. I would like to do it myself, but I've only practiced a few times. I have commissioned others in the past before, but my biggest worry is how well they seal the head in the end. I've had one commission chip after a month...I was not very happy xP.

      I think I'm also more comfortable knowing I'm the one handling the head and what not.
       
      #16 CelestialSnow, Mar 25, 2013
    17. I commission. I have tried doing my own and they just don't come out. I rather someone who's much better at it do it for me.
       
      #17 Rynn007, Mar 25, 2013
    18. Commission; my forte' isn't painting. I'm better with crafting. :)
       
      #18 deineHasi, Mar 25, 2013
    19. Paint them myself... I myself am an artist and it really helps me bond with my dolls if I can paint them myself... I have a small joy if my doll's face-up gets chipped because I get to practice it again and again and it makes me a little better each time... ^.^ I am always scared of having my dolls in other people's hands especially if I don't know them personally or am familiar with their work... while my work isn't always the way I want it, the joy of these dolls is that, they can be redone over and over....

      (of course recently I've been a little put out because my airbrush died on me :( so when I finally get my Black Tortoise Junshi from Loongsoul his awesome dragony self will just be blank for a while until I can fix my airbrush... or break down and just pastel the heck out of him lol!!)
       
      #19 Xura, Mar 25, 2013
    20. My first doll has a face up, I did that on purpose to see how it actually looks in real life. My second doll came with a blank face and I did a face up with colour pencils which wasn't too bad for a start. I am planning to learn face up with various materials but also commission some face ups from artists whose work I admire. So I want a bit of both.
       
      #20 Mizou, Mar 25, 2013
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