Becoming attached to a Blank Sculpt

I don’t have any to share but just wanted to say that I adore his expression! His smile is so cute; it looks like he’s looking over to you and sharing an inside joke. I bet the makeup will enhance his charm and bring him to life

 

I never thought I would like a blank sculpt at some point. But last week I was proven wrong.
I found this cutie and realized that I love him with or without faceup, hehe.
Doll Parts, Doll Family - BJD, BJD Doll, Ball Jointed Dolls - Alice's Collections

 

I can definitely see it! I think you’re just drawn to faces that really communicate a feeling; all the makeup in the world couldn’t get rid of that unamused stare, haha. It’s like he’s the exact opposite of Wilbur.

It’s perfectly fine to keep a doll blank if that’s what makes you happy! They’re both very handsome either way ♡

 

I kept many of my dolls in blank state because I generally liked the flexibility and statuesque feel of an unpainted doll , this helped me with dolls I sold away but for the ones I am keeping I am going to ask a friend for a very minimal face barely and only to just look a bit less lifeless but still statuesque most face ups are maximalistic something that makes the doll feel and look much different than blank much more doll like or human like and less aethereal many times it makes the sculpt look different too . So yes with all my dolls that are blsnk I am attached to their blank state and want a face up that will still be a "blank" one as much as possible

 

I would get attached too, that sculpt is really cute! I don’t have any blank dolls but I do look at some and see the appeal, Iplehouse has a few that are really beautiful blank.

 

I do like the blank sculptures of my dolls. I always want to see the blank face of the doll before I get it to know if I really like it. Sometimes when I get a doll I just keep them blank for a few days. I like to admire the features, but I also don't want to put a faceup on them that is going to take away what I originally liked about the doll.

I try to keep most of my faceups to fit the face of the doll, I don't usually go for anything too elaborate, I keep their faces clean and simple. More of a light faceup to enhance their features rather then something that changes the way that they look. I want to bring out the natural elements of the sculpture.

The few times I have went dark, or heavy, or dramatic with my dolls faces, I end up stripping it off and making a more simple face for them.

 

I’m having this issue with my grail, Dollzone Sawarieda mermaid, who I was able to get in lavender resin. I’ve had her for a couple of years now and have yet to give her the faceup and artwork on her scales I’d always planned. I even managed to make her an entire wardrobe! But actually working on her has me hesitant because her blank sculpt is so gorgeous and artistic as it is. I’ve really enjoyed viewing her this way. I’m telling myself this will finally be the year, but we’ll have to see.

 

Ironically I have an old Resinsoul Pixiu that i really, REALLY like the look of blank. I've considered getting a veeeery minimal faceup and body blushing done, but in mostly grey tones as I have started to envision them as a statue or gargoyle haha! I often prefer customized dolls over blank ones but the sculpting on Pixiu is so expressive even blank

 

That little expression is SO cute?! I can't blame you!!

 

I feel this way about a couple sculpts - doll chateau grace, dollshe aramis with closed eyes, and bonelace miss orc! my grace has a faceup now but the other two don't yet - I plan to get both painted eventually but they surely don't feel "incomplete" as they do now!

 

I have several that I've kept blank! Esmeralda's character is a statue who came to life, Thorn and Vessel are Hollow Knight OCs wearing white "masks", Roz and Brixie are aliens and just perfect as they are, Exo is a tardigrade with so much sculpted detail he didn't need paint, Romi is a solid black cat...I think if you love the sculpt as it is, then you don't really need a faceup. You can just view your doll as a sculpture. (And you can see any of these dolls in my doll profiles if you're curious!)

I've had the opposite too, where I've thought a sculpt was so beautiful and perfect blank that I was afraid painting it might ruin it. But....I did it anyway. My first doll, Amir, was perfect as he was, but the character is human and he really needed paint. The first few faceups I did on him were pretty horrible, but I'm so happy with him now, I'd never be satisfied if he were blank!

In the end, I think it really just depends on what you want from the doll. Let that determine whether you're happy with them blank, or would love them more painted.

 

I am waiting for my friend to send me some draft designs from my description to see and decide I ll post them when I receive them I used to like the old Iplehouse company face ups (back in time when yid and Eid first released) but I wanted even more minimalist level

 

Not weird at all, loving a blank sculpt! And this one has the loveliest of smiles ^w^
I always order my dolls blank for two reasons: (1) cause my characters do not usually fit company face-ups and (2) cause it's like a personal mandatory check for me. Over the years I've learnt that if I don't love the sculpt blank, I most likely won't love the doll with a face-up. I don't keep them blank, but I treasure the moments and take a thousand pictures of that stage.

 

Got a second hand Doll Clans Vezeto head. I guess with company face up, don’t know for sure. Didn’t fit my idea, cleaned it off, easy peasy. OMG how much more beautiful it immediately became! So tender, so delicate! Now slowly working my way through the very first face up in my life. Watching with amazement it becoming alive. And afraid to make it too bright.

 

I personally have two discontinued color pitsuas in java (kittym and knita) that have had for several years in my collection (took a hiatus) they have never had a face up until this month (will post doll profiles soon). There are just some dolls the sculpt and appearance of them look so good you don’t need to rush to get them a face up because they do fine with just eyes and a wig.

 

I've got a rule to always look for pictures of the blank sculpt when I like a doll. If I'm not in love with the bare sculpt I pass.

 

Omg, Wilbur has such a lovely expression! So lively and mischievous.

When looking at dolls for purchase I make sure that I enjoy the sculpt when blank. 80% of my dolls are blank, so I'm just really comfortable with that.

With that said, I've gotten REALLY attached to keeping my Choma [Napalm Dolls] blank. I've had it for so many years yet never taken the leap to do even a minimal faceup. Part of my hangup is figuring out the right eyebrows, and then the difficulty of adding them to the sculpt skillfully, rip.

 

What a sweet expression! 100% get you on getting attached to a blank sculpt. I don’t know exactly what it is, maybe it’s being able to see all the potential or that you can see the sculpt more clearly, but it’s hard not to get attached to some blank sculpts! For me, I’ve gotten attached to dolls with no faceup and dolls with faceup but no wig because it makes me happy to see their faces better. I dunno, it’s just so inspiring.

 

I fell for a secondhand doll on Instagram and when the seller offered to wipe her clean I said, "No, I love her simple face-up!" Then she admitted that it wasn't a "finished" face-up, just some simple light blushing.

When I looked up the old company photos I realized that I never would have been attracted to the doll in its original incarnation, with the heavy face paint, it didn't even seem like the same sculpt.

Momocolor Elle:
Tuuli and Blizzard by Nadine, on Flickr

 

I got a blank Vezeto head when they first came out, I'm not sure the company even offered face-ups. That may be the first time I ever had to find an artist to complete a doll, and I don't remember what I told her, but he turned out beautifully, with a fair, natural look which blended perfectly with red hair.

Leon

 

My Rosette Fir has been totally bare faced for a while. Years ago I meant to redo her faceup and only realized I’d run out of MSC spray after removing her face up. Ordered more and of course never got around to doing it.

Since I got back into this hobby only recently, there hasn’t been a good day for face-ups yet. It’s been too rainy/humid or I’ve been sick. On any other doll this would drive me nuts and I’d have difficultly enjoying having her around, but I do like Fir as she is.

I’m not planning to keep her bare-faced, but as far as becoming attached to blank sculpts, hers is really nice when totally plain too.