Artist dolls in the larger community

That's quite an interesting discussion topic you've come up with there, and I am looking forward to reading the replies to it.

However, just to clarify one point: in general, as per the gallery rules, artist dolls aren't actually allowed in the gallery. If they are sold to another person, and then that person chooses to post pics of them in the gallery (and they pass the forum criteria) then that's okay! But as a rule, we disallow sculptors from posting them there.

And that aside (and sorry for the mod intervention!) here's to a long and interesting discussion.

 

what about ones that are cast? Lolipop and I's dolls are resin cast and afaik meet all the requirements of the forum criteria?


I keep thinking we should make a forum just for artists bjds. But I know I don't have time to maintain it... X3

 

Oooooo! Good reasoning!

I highly doubt, with all the time I spend making my dolls, that I'd ever be able to part with any of them. I have bonded with them because I brought them into this darn world.

Lol, my aunt said I should make her a doll and I was like, "Uh, yah right..."

Maybe if I had the skills to cast, I could part with my babies, but even then...

As for the making process, you can sympathize with others about your pros and cons in the sculpting process. And I really love all the constructive comments more experienced doll-makers give to the beginners.

I'd say it's a very tight community, even more-so than the basic BJD community. =^w^=

And I post my homemades along with Shiwoo so they're not called off-topic...


(Lol, I just realized that I have more homemades than factory BJDs! )

 

I'd be honored to see people posting pixs of my dolls (when / hopefully I can send some out to new homes)! Seeing that someone play with / loves something you put so much time into is the best ever!

I know I look for custom / unushal dolls in the gallery. I love things that are unique / different. I don't think the artists cast dolls get 'less' love, just maybe a lot of peopel are looking for well-known molds and don't even look at other types of doll 'brands'.

I was curious of this as well. Why is it any different for someone else to post pics of an artist cast doll then the creator (of the same cast doll)?

 

Hnn, that rule struck me as kind of weird. I mean, I can certainly see why production-photos are limited to the section for them, but shots of outfits and stuff taken months/years after the doll is finished too? Yet, if the doll passes hands to someone else, it's suddenly okay for the regular gallery? So, ancient artist threads wind up getting bumped and becoming super-unwieldy whenever they want to post a new photo of their own works? I'm sorry, I know you guys have your reasons and all, I guess I just don't see them clearly. It just strikes me as peculiar. Is it seen as shameless self-advertising or something?

 

I am also curious as to why this is disallowed.

 

I think that, though the rules do state:

There might be some room for a revision or clarification.

I think that part of it simply has to do with the general rules of the forum (i.e. what is the definition of the type of doll that is allowed to be posted here):

However, once the doll is cast in resin, it does meet the required 7/8 of the guidelines. If it is then produded on a larger scale, the 'manufacturer' part then applies.

What makes the most sense to me for why artists who post here are to post in the Artists' Asian-styled BJDs subforum and not the regular gallery is to keep 'in progress' pictures in this thread verses the gallery thread.

Beyond that though, if you have cast your doll in resin, I dont see why it should not be allowed to be posted in the gallery sections.

 

I don't think that rule should be in place as long as they fit into the rules. I mean, actually companies have put pictures in the gallery before the dolls have been sold.

And what about the recent increase in doll artwork in the gallery? I'd rather see a doll then a drawing of one.

 

Thats a good point acutually. While I do enjoy seeing the drawings, why are those allowed, and not acutall dolls? They are both being made by someone not representing a company, and the drawings arent acutally dolls.

 

I'm curious about this, too.
So basically, if I make a doll, I can't post it in the gallery, but if I sell it to someone else, they -can- post it in the gallery? That doesn't seem quite right. Can you explain this rule to us?

If artist-made BJD's aren't allowed in the gallery, then maybe there should be a subforum of the artist-made BJD board that's for photos of handmade dolls? I'm kind of upset that if I finish my doll, I won't be able to post her in the gallery because I have no other dolls to put in the photos so the post would be on-topic.

~Saiya

 

Definitely agree that doll artwork is severely out of place in the 'gallery'. That belongs on an art forum, even if it /is/ of BJDs. A piece of paper doesn't even come close to meeting any of those criteria.

 

This thread has sorta gone off topic to discuss the rules instead of the questions put forward by lolipop....

 

twigling: True, true, but I kinda want to clarify lest I do something wrong. :/ I hadn't realized that it wasn't allowed even if the dolls are resin till Cassiel said something.

To answer lolipop's questions...

I've only sold a handful of my dolls so far... and the person I've gotten pics from mostly were on a Spanish board. I can't read the comments very well since I don't speak much Spanish but she said she's had a lot of positive comments about him. That makes it all worth it. :3 She loves him and that makes me happy.

Celebare owns, owned?, a bastian head and i see pictures of Boe every now and again. It always makes me really excited to see him. Bunnydots owns several of my heads and she'll be getting an ooak tan timmian going home to her here shortly. She posts from time to time and I always love to see her dolls.

A long long time ago I wrote a story and someone liked the character enough that she drew a fan art of him. I realized then that my character hadn't lived anywhere but my own head until I decided to share him with others... and that's how I feel about my dolls as well. Until I see other people playing with him and enjoying him I feel like he's not really alive.

Coincidently that story and the character drawn was Nathan, who is now embodied as a Hound. :3

In general I think making hand made dolls you tend to take a deeper interest in the buyers and owners than you would if it was a company doll. Of the company dolls I've sold I've only kept track of the Paris I had and the three dolls I've sold to close friends. But I don't know where the others are...

On the other hand, like I said, I get pictures from the other owners often enough and I love talking with them and finding out where the dolls are going. And if the owner has to sell the doll for whatever reason I try to help find new owners for them. :3 It's almost more like adoption than just selling them...

at the same time I hope no one feels guilty over having to sell a doll they've bought from me. My dolls aren't perfect, I'm not a company and I don't have the facilities or the abilities to offer them in as perfect condition as a company could. While they are my creations and are special to me, I also realize they're just dolls and there are more important things in life, like family and friends and living creatures that depend on us, that come first. :3

sorry, that got rather long. o_o;;

 

I think artist dolls do get less love, but honestly I am much more interested in seeing artist dolls than company made dolls. I enjoy seeing all of the progression pics and finished images of the dolls in this forum. I feel that they are much more unique and you see a lot of different body types and facial structures.

Actually, I would really love to see a website or forums dedicated to people who craft their own dolls with image galleries and etc... Does one exist? I haven't found anything through my google searching.

As for the bought vs made question. I only have one doll that I have bought, and my artist doll is still in the making, so it's hard to say what my thoughts will be about my artist doll in relation to my bought doll. I think that there will be a sense of pride and that certain artist to art connection to the doll I am creating now, which will be absent for the other, but I do not think it will affect my enjoyment of either of my dolls.

 

I love artist dolls. Better yet, one-of-a-kind artist dolls! Honestly, if I ever finish making a decent doll, I'm sure she'll get more love than any dolls I would ever buy, simply because -I- made her. I know how much love, time, and effort has gone into the doll, and that will just make me love her even more.

Not art of dolls, but real dolls made by people, as opposed to by companies.

 

Wanted to clarify on what Cassiel said - Artist dolls are allowed in the normal gallery if they fit the criteria that is applied to company-made dolls. For example, BishonenHouse dolls, DarkCastle Dolls, Liebchen, Twiglimbs dolls, Enaibi's dolls, etc. Basically, resin-cast, ABJD-styled dolls with changeable eyes and wigs.

Non-resin dolls can be shown in pictures with other dolls, but are not really on-topic by themselves.

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks, that clears things up for me.

 

That's good to hear. The rules could probably stand to be clarified, since they do say sculpted or cast.

Back on topic: I know I'm much more inclined to click on Gallery threads with molds I haven't heard of. If it actually specifically says it's an artist's own doll, I'm even more curious. I'm sure part of that is being an artist myself, but people do tend to like novelty.

 

I agree that artist dolls get "less love" than company dolls, but I think that it's mostly because there aren't that many of them who fit the requirements (mainly, being resin) so they don't get a lot of exposure. I kind of wonder how many people who visit DoA everyday click on this little lonely board down here. And it's a shame, because there are amazing dolls and creativity everywhere XD I haven't browsed the galleries much in the past, but I've started too! And I'll be on the lookout for everyones homemade lovelies!

I haven't bought a doll yet (stuck at 50%, grr)... But I think I'll be able to appreciate her more when she gets here, because at some point, someone devoted to same time to making her, right? (And if not, let me live with my happy delusions, hehe)

And I know it wasn't in lolipop's post, but a few people have expressed interest in a seperate forum for artist dolls. I think it's a fun idea. I've been wanting to start one up, but have very little forum making experience. If people are interested, PM me your ideas! : D

 

So, how resin does the resin have to be? Does it have to be actual liquid casting resin, or is a resin-based product resiny enough?

 

OHhh okay gotcha!

Yea, people should all come down here to our little section and see everyone's awesome creations! I love seeing what people do next. A friend of mine who has been on DoA was surprised to see all the stuff here cause she was like 'I just never click on it! XD' . I guess maybe it gets less traffic than other sections, not cause people 'don't love' artist dolls but cause they forget it's down here or are too busy with 'company' dolls and stuff.

 

XD Ehh? LOL sorry this whole phrase just amused me too much. XD

Oh do you mean like made from a resin-type clay? (In fact, there is even little bits of resin in Super Sculpey, that's what causes the 'mooning' spots in it. X3 lol )

 

I'm new here, and I find all of these wonderful artist dolls simply fascinating! You all are so talented, and I admire all of your hard work. I don't have a BJD and no plans for one yet, but I'd love an artist-created doll more than a company doll because it's unique and lovingly crafted. I'd be so thrilled to have an artist doll as my first BJD, and I'd spam up the gallery with pics! I'm an artist myself (though not a dolly artist--I'm not sure I'd have the patience), so I know that exhilarating feeling of having a piece loved and appreciated. One of the greatest joys in life is to help spread that kind of admiration and return some of that feeling.

If I had an artist doll, she'd be so loved. I love many of the artists' designs and sculpts here more than most of the 'official' ones. So, please don't feel like your efforts are going to waste. There are those of us here that would buy one of your dolls in a heartbeat and give it a loving home if we had the chance.

 

Omfg, there's resing in SS!?! AWESOME!!!.... I think...