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

I think I would every now and then, but mostly no. I love painting and I think I would have the necessary skills with time, but I want to focus on making sets and clothes at the moment. I’d love to be a jack of all trades, but I think that would be too much for someone like myself who is just starting to take on. A lot of supplies!

 

I would rather do it myself and learn new skills. I'd hate to have to send away my doll's head.

 

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I started the hobby a year ago, and have improved the most at the activity I do most often: sewing.

I do notice a small improvement with faceups (I used to enjoy shading faces before with watercolors so feel like I had a good base to start.) But I would definitely get better faster if I did it more often.

 

I don't know how to do a face up. I think it might be hard. I think I would rather pay the doll company to do the face up or commision the face up. I haven't commissioned any of my doll heads yet because they are still coming and I don't have marketplace right now.

How much does a face up commission normally go for? The person I want to ask don't take orders right now and I feel like if I ask for information right away on the cost it might come off as rude.

I'm scared I will send my doll head and never get it back. I read today that someone got their doll head stolen from someone named CrazyClam or something on an old thread. She got her head back, but it sounded like some people don't get their dolls back.

 

I rather do it by myself. Not because I think I’m better than face up artist, of course not but I often change my mind about how I want my dolls to look and like to experiment with them. It would be sad if I commission someone to paint a perfect face just to wipe it off some weeks later. Besides I’m a bit scared about the shipping

 

I have tried doing a faceup, and it really sucked. XD I ended up commissioning someone. But I do want to get better and since I will soon have a floating head on which I plan to train and make wigs with it. It is a beautiful head, but it is not rare or anything, so I do not think there is much point in selling it, especially with the high shipping costs, so I might as well use it.

 

Actually, my dolls have default face-up and much to my surprise they are still flawless after many years. I did not expect face-ups last so long. I tried to do face-ups myself on floating heads. I practiced a lot, I even invested in some professional art tools and they came out pretty decent - but I am not an artist, so I better leave the job to those who have both the talent and the experience. It was a good experiment and I enjoyed it - and I also love to see how BJD lovers try their hands, learn from each other and from artists who feel like supporting newbies with feedback and suggestions.

When my dolls need new face-up, I will try surely turn to Poppy. I adore her face-ups. I had a chance to see one of her face-ups up close on a doll of local BJD owner and it blew my mind. Really, like a piece of art at the museum.

Why don't we have temporary doll exhibitions in museums of applied art? If there were BJD exhibitions like this, who would you choose to curate the submitted artwork?

 

I would rather do it myself. I like doing faceups and other craft stuff for my dolls. It’s fun and it’s relaxing. I also get worried about sending my doll out it’s nerve wrecking

 

Never comissioned a face up because it doesn't feel like it's my doll if someone else has done it. I had a few dolls with company face ups and I've sold them all already

 

I always commission the face-ups for my dolls and I've never been disappointed so far.
In my case, I have zero to none skills when it comes to painting in general. I've tried to learn with other kind of dolls but I'm still really far from knowing what I'm doing and, perfectionist as I am. I'd never be happy with my doll if I had to make them myself.
Instead, I search and search for the perfect artist looking at their other face-ups to find the one that fits the style I wish to achieve in my doll and most of the times only have to give a few directions because I feel I can trust their instincts.

 

Myself.. Mainly because its cheaper

 

I really wish I could do it myself. I have nerve damage in my hands, and so I can't hold a paintbrush. It makes me sad because I had art training and I worked as a designer.
I have only commissioned a couple of faceups, because of finances, Most of my dolls have the company faceups.

 

I eventually would like to do it myself. Where I live has terrible nasty muggy weather and I just have no space for all the materials, but I really really would love to one day try it out myself! So for now I will just commission others or buy my dolls with company faceup! :3

 

For me right now it’s either myself (I’m an artist) or a company faceup, and that’s all due to money. I absolutely love some faceup artists but when strictly talking price, company faceups are always cheaper. Usually around $40-$60, compared to artists who charge $100+.

I am only talking price though!! I don’t want anyone to think I don’t support other artists lol I have tons of artists I’d love to get a faceup from, but when I’m short on money…. That’s the cheapest option. Other than doing it myself which is free lol

 

Comm!! Like…100% even though I’m an art kid I don’t really understand makeup..and I feel like if I were to ever paint a doll myself I would want to redo the face every week…so…I do have a Dollfie Dream head floating around that I’m thinking of taking a shot at because it’s a more animatic style…so yeah. Anyways shout out to dunceclown, his faceups are great :]

 

If I buy a blank doll, it's often intentional. I'm a very stubborn (and woefully mediocre) artist. I don't want to pay someone else most of the time (though these incredible artists absolutely deserve financial compensation for their work, but more money in my pocket means more dolls in the future lol). I also view it as a challenge to work hard and improve my skills. I like to study people's faceups, analyzing their technique and trying to find out how they did it, what mediums were used and what colors were chosen. Folks who make videos of their process are akin to heroes in my eyes!

There are simply some company faceups, however, that I love. Those dolls would be purchased with one.

 

I do both

I enjoy doing my own faceups, but I know what my own style is and what it isn't. I do venture out of my own style, and can do other things; but sometimes it's nice to have someone paint my doll that does a specific style more naturally than I do.

When it comes to anime style faceups, I almost always comission them. I have a couple of select artists that I use and they spoil me since I don't have to rush myself to learn the style.

 

I've never commissioned a faceup. At the begining, it was to avoid more expenses. I wasn't very good at it and I didn't enjoyed it a lot. But after some years, I've found my own style, and since I love doing faceups. I even become a faceup artist

 

definitely do it myself. even though it is a biiit scary and i feel like i could mess up my doll's face, but can't get better if i don't practice! >_> unless i find an artist who i definitely think could perfect the look i want! which hasnt happened yet.

 

I'm still new to bjds and have been sticking to faceup commissions as I would rather have a professional handle it. However, as an artist (I paint and do makeup on people), I plan to start practicing faceups soon and eventually take in commission work.

I see that different faceup artists have different styles as well, so I feel that even if I end up confident in my faceup works, if I think another artist would be able to portray the look I want better than I can myself, then I would totally still commission them for a faceup instead.