IMPL dolls Star, Model and Idol Discussion thread 14

That sounds like a really promising fit off the bat!

 

@Chameleon Yes, I've been enjoying making eyes. Not a mod thing since I'm making them from scratch but still something I never envisioned myself doing when I first entered the hobby so long ago. Honestly I'd never considered making eyes just a few years ago. I need to get off my duff and take good pics of them for sales purposes, but I've also got to get over the laziness that infuses me *sigh*.

@Girrl It sounds like the mis-mash would work and not be too troublesome then if those are the measurements you're going off of. Again, take whatever I say with a big helping of salt as I don't know the finer points of modding.

 

that's so fair, I've been meaning to get into eyes (though first I want to finish the mask I'm working on, and cast several of those in resin, which should hopefully teach me how to do that for when I do eyes). I also want to get better at dyeing, which terrified me when I tried it for the first time!

 

Casting eyes isn't that hard once you get the hang of it. Patience is def the key. Rushing will result in air bubbles and that usually means the eye needs to be trashed. Not always but still. I don't pour direct from the bottle either as I've found that will produce air bubbles and your control of the flow is not very good. I use the UV resin, BTW.

I'll pour out some resin into tin foil shaped into a small cup (this makes clean up a breeze). I cut plastic straws into roughly 4" long segments and then cut each piece in 1/2 to use as scoops to drip the resin into the eye moulds. Toothpicks are very handy to gently "stir" the resin in the mould to make sure you don't have any bubbles/voids at the lip of the iris base (they occur here most frequently). I've also found for eyes that mixing my own colours is better than the pre-mixed. A small drop of acrylic paint will easily tint clear resin and doesn't screw up your cure time (I generally cure them for 3 minutes just to be sure).

 

Thank you for sharing this photo! I had wondered about this. Cerise is such an interesting sculpt.

 

@Girrl If I have the time and gumption, I can try this out for you...I have an old Model boy and a Star muscle girl. At least I can measure their parts around and let you know what it's like inside.

 

that would be very useful to know, thank you!

 

@mimi100 and @Dei I missed Dei's post and picture, thanks for quoting Mimi . Wow, blank Cherise looks so different!! It's amazing what a difference a Faceup makes! This Faceup always looked a little sad to me, but I think all that is in the eyebrows. I always liked her little pointy chin

 

Woo, took some time to go back to this thread!

@jade-eyed-cat Congrats on your MGB! While I really love how the legs pose (it's one of the most mobile I have at the moment), I have to agree that the thigh peanuts may take some fiddling to pose properly. It currently lacks the notches that their fashion-size body has, but it's a small inconvenience I can live with.

@Meowjima I started this hobby with nigh-zero sewing, wigmaking and photography skills, haha. I guess frustration with not being able to find readily available stuff could push you to move heaven and earth to get that look you're aiming for.

 

Does anyone know if the Impldoll head Algne is still available?

 

She's still available on acbjd;

Aigne, 56cm Impldoll Girl - BJD, BJD Doll, Ball Jointed Dolls - Alice's Collections

I ordered just her head directly from impldoll a couple of years back - some of their older dolls have disappeared from the site but they've been very accommodating whenever I've emailed them!

 

Oh gee, I just want the head and they are not showing it. I'll try emailing them. Thank You!

 

I just sold my John's lousy hybrid body (next to 0 head mobility! My #1 pet peeve!) and now I'm struggling between the Idol ver. 2 or 3 body. I think the 3 is a little too bootylicious for him, but if it's the better poser than I rather go for it. Anyone have any experience with the two or specific complaints about one or the other?

 

What size does Impldoll Algne take? The look huge!

 

I went ahead and ordered her! I have an older body, but I can use it for another head. I don't want to take a chance of not getting, which has happened to me before.

 

I'm assuming you're asking what size eyes? She does have wide eyes but mine still wears 14mm, same as most of my impldoll Models. Here she is with Iris for comparison. Aigne is on the Model body but Iris is on an April Story body, with a pregnancy bump.

Maid and Princess by Rubydoll Chaos, on Flickr

Congrats on ordering her, she is a total darling!

 

Wow, @rubydoll, your Algne is so much prettier than the Impldoll website! I shouldn't be but always am shocked at how pretty their older dolls are. The old faceups weren't the best, LOL

 

@Thymeseer Which one is which...? I can try out Tony again

@Girrl What size are you looking for your hybrid, just so I know what to test

 

@A Wee Tiefling version 2 Doll Parts, Impldoll - BJD, BJD Doll, Ball Jointed Dolls - Alice's Collectionsversion 3 Doll Parts, Impldoll - BJD, BJD Doll, Ball Jointed Dolls - Alice's Collections
The biggest thing I notice is the thigh slits on the version 3 body and I've heard a lot of complaints on other company's dolls when they don't have them.

 

Aww, thank you! I did do a subtle mod on her, rounded out her lower lip a little so she looks a bit less sulky than originally! Impldoll have come a long way and their old sculpts are very different to their more recent ones - I totally blame them for the mix between realistic and more anime styled faces in my crew! XD

 

I always told myself that I wouldn't bring home an SD until after I made it to a meetup or event and got to see one in person (hahaha not happening any time soon) and that I wouldn't shell any D&D characters because um that's a slippery slope.

And then a secondhand listing hit me in the face.

Right eye shape. Right nose and lips. Right face shape and expression. Right body type. Even had the right color eyes, the included wig was the right hair color and length, and he came with an outfit that he would canonically wear. Plus he was the right price and I had a bit of extra money due to part-time census work in addition to my fulltime job.

So hello everyone, this is Gwendal (Impldoll Isaac on the old Star body):

 

@Rakonto Congrats on your purchase. He's lovely.

Sometimes a doll just wants to come home and we are helpless but to obey. I've acquired an embarrassing number of my guys that way. I doubted I'd be making any doll purchases this year aside from getting a body for Qayin (BiDoll CS head). You may commence laughing hysterically now because I really should know better after 12 years in the hobby.

I am blaming Impl for 2 purchases since they made an error in the shade of green of my custom colour Ziv and generously told me to keep the wrong colour Ziv. I could've sold him *laughs so hard I was wheezing*. Instead, I did what any sane dolly collector would do. I bought 2 more dolls to be his husbands. The other full doll and head I just recently bought is on me but I bought them as my birthday present to me. I don't foresee buying more dolls this year *shifty eyes* but there is still 2.5 months worth of 2020 left so I'm not entirely ruling it out.

 

@Iron_Dog omg can't stop laughing at the two husbands...

 

@Mahgiep Well, they are a thruple. Kulfi (Impl Ziv) is married to Rhyia (Soom Euclase) and Akusuo (Dollshe Hound). Kulfi and Rhyia got together first and Akusuo was supposed to be a one-time thing. Only... it's really hard to say no to a God and make it stick. Not that Kulfi didn't try (he was initially quite vexed that there was ANOTHER god intruding in his life at that point). Rhyia just shrugged his shoulders and accepted it because he is a Monk to another god and he has a deeper understanding of gods than Kulfi.

They're also not the only ones. Funny enough, the other dolls currently sharing space on the loveseat are one of my other thruples. And really weirdly enough, the Ziv that Impl is re-making in the correct colour (which I'll hopefully be getting maybe next month) is also part of a thruple. Malachite (Ziv) is married to Qayin (BiDoll CS) and Ji-Sun (SD Juhl). Malachite is the God of Crystal & Stone while Ji-Sun is the God of Carnal Desire, Love & Fertility. Qayin is a Chimeric Demon.

 

Congratulations, wow, I wouldn't have ever guessed he'd look like that. Impldoll photos are so deceiving! He's so handsome! Congratulations again .

LOL @Iron_Dog it's frightening how sympathetic I'm sure 90+ % of DoA members probably are to your vow and are fighting to keep that vow tooth and nail.... as the winter events loom.....

 

@Rakonto Congratulations! I oh so understand how one can go down the rabbit hole where shelling tabletop RPG characters are concerned. All but one of my crew members have their RPG incarnations, although mine are for Legend of the Five Rings, and not DnD.

All of @IngieBee 's posts on jointed hands have finally caused my resistance to crumble. I just ordered two pairs (one from Impl, and another from Doll Legend) so my two primary Implbody dolls could finally point their fingers at each other, pun intended. I'm near-100% sure none of them will match the RealSkins being used by Adhara and Guórén, but nothing wrist warmers and gauntlets won't fix!

 

@Iron_Dog @IngieBee @AntarelNefertili Thank you all so much! Now to resist buying too much stuff for him (too late, already have boots, a wig cap, a spare/alternate hair style wig, socks and underwear, slightly more casual pants and top, and some rings to hopefully hide the fact that he has some fingers that were broken/reglued on order). Resisting buying more dolls his size is going to be tricky, but thankfully space (small apartment), finances, and the character being asexual is going to help...probably. Maybe. (What have I done.)

(Also I've never played L5R but have heard lots of good things about it. Back in college I played a couple of D&D games that stole a lot of elements from that setting, and it sounded quite intriguing with the various clans. I will try really hard to not off-topic with RPG talk, I swear.)

Back on topic, I like the eyes he came with, but in case I decide to experiment some day, what eye size do you use in your Star Impldolls?

I look forward to hearing about the jointed hands as well! I have waffled back and forth about them...sometimes they just look really...uncanny valley to me? But they certainly would be useful!

 

Eyes will depend on 2 things. What his eye wells can accommodate and what sort of look you want for him. You can generally go up/down a size from what the company recommends without issues. The shape of the eye itself will also play a role in what you can get away with without gaping. Smaller irises will give him a more mature look. Eyes with high domes may give you some issues unless the eye hole is large enough to allow for high domes (generally sleepy/romantic eyes don't work well with these types of eyes because they're not open enough for the domes).

 

Or white pastel chalk, I've used white to lighten things up and it's worked well.

@Rakonto , I think putting your resources toward one doll can be extremely cool. Over time, you end up with a doll that has a wardrobe that can change, and slowly you get them better hair, better eyes, better faceup, better clothes, and you end up with a doll that is top notch amazing. There is a LOT to be said for sticking with one gorgeous doll. I myself have too many dolls, and once adopted I can't seem to sell them, and few of them are finished, and all of them could use a little something extra

 

@IngieBee Too many dolls? Blasphemer!

I can't say much. I'm up to 68 dolls. Right now only 1 needs a face-up but the whole pandemic put sending things out on hold for a while. I organized all the doll clothes, putting them into ziplock bags with a tag for what size it is and then putting them into plastic totes by overall size (tiny/MSD/SD). No word of a lie, it took me 2.5 hours to do that and 95% of their clothes is what I made.

 

I was going to write "I'm not far behind you, @Iron_Dog " but that might be a lie. I wasn't counting all my tinies!

 

I realized I was almost in the 30’s the other day, and that’s a cognitive dissonance and a half.

 

@Rakonto Even though I technically have six shelled out characters now, I am guilty of favoring two above the others (coincidentally those are the ones that are on-topic for this subforum). Said two get far more attention than the rest, and it shows in their evolution over the years. Case in point is my first doll character who is totally different now, and yet is due to undergo another drastic change of look once I've finished something for her.


Fire in Her Hair 01 by Yela Gatchalian-David, on Flickr

Spoiler: From July 2017, as an Impldoll Azalea

Flaming Hair by Yela Gatchalian-David, on Flickr

All of my SD sizes and up use low-dome small-iris eyes because I want to avoid the childlike look, and many of them have trickily small eyewells. (Looking at you, Granado Michael -- standard 12mm irises will take up the entirety of your visible eyes.) I can understand how some people may not like jointed hands. In my case, I like to pose my dolls a lot, and you'd be surprised how hand gestures can do a lot to convey body language. My Starwoman body used to have jointed hands, but my LoongSoul guy has since claimed it because it suited his resin color better and his archery poses needed them more.

 

@Iron_Dog Thanks for the eye advice! He has pretty narrow eyes, so it will likely be a bit of a struggle to make them look good. (Maybe someday I will be cool like you and make eyes! Probably not going to happen, though...I am not especially crafty.)

@IngieBee One doll...haha...hahahaha. Yeahhh I am so not that person. I did finally cut down my MSDs to my two favorites (and thankfully they are already "complete" though as we all know they can suddenly demand something new), and I'm not too concerned about my dragons and other fantasy tinies since they don't take up a ton of space, but um...we will SEE if I can stick with one large doll and just spoil him.

@AntarelNefertili It's always a pleasure to see your beautiful dolls and their elaborate outfits and props, and there's nothing wrong with having favorites! I'm looking forward to seeing what happens. I appreciate the advice about the eyes and am anticipating the amazing poses you achieve with the jointed hands!

 

Your dolls are gorgeous, @AntarelNefertili and FYI, I am working on my first laced wig. I've made some unfortunate holes though, ROFLMAO. It's HARD! Anyway, thought I'd let you know your help has been super well appreciated I did make a pattern, and put it on the lace, which is in a hoop on a stand because I do get backaches and need support, so I went ahead and bought a little set up. I can use it for embroidery as well so it'll get a lot of use

@Rakonto that's where children flying the coup helps

 

I'd have to have children and then wait for them to grow enough to fly the coup. I am glad you are making good use of your newly expanded space!

 

I don't know if I would call it "good use" ROFLMAO. I do feel guilty as I should. I shouldn't be spending so much, but I'm not quite that bad lately, I've been waiting for a body for Plaice nearly 14 months now, and it will come with a Leona head which was new back then. and some clothes. I've since bought another doll from another company, but that was special to me. I don't plan on any more dolls. They will have to share bodies, the heads I have from this point on unless I see fit to buy one of them a body. I wish I had money now because I'd love to take advantage of the sale, which may have ended now, no? But I couldn't. I hate floating heads, but I've bought a case that I could hang on the wall where they'll be safe, and although it's creepy as heck to most people, I like that I can see them, and I know they're safe at the same time

Oops, sales is on until October 28th, so I have about 5 more days of wishing I could order bodies, ROFL. Oh well, not going to happen for certain

 

Ah yes, the guilt feeling. As long as we don't go into debt/pay our bills/etc...hahaha. I also don't plan on getting any more, but you know what they say about the best laid plans...I don't delude myself. I have an (off-topic) mature 1/12 elf on the way because it's another size in addition to a larger doll that I've been wanting to try (if it ever gets here from overseas...ahhhhh the joys of waiting forever for packages). I've never had a floating head, but I can imagine the annoyance. Your way of displaying them sounds neat!

 

@IngieBee are you familiar with The Game of Thrones' House of Black and White? My floating head problem is getting pretty serious. Well technically, two of those are just alternate heads for two dolls, hence they don't need separate bodies. I'd love to get bust stands for said two alternate heads, and prolly end up having the same vibe as this video, lol.

Also, happy wigmaking, and glad to know my notes somewhat helped! Don't get discouraged if you don't get perfect results the first try. Warpaint-Adhara's wig is already on the THIRD version (not the one she's wearing in the pic on my previous post), and it's only now that I finally seem to have nailed it. I call it the "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" of my wigmaking forays. The first one ended up becoming too thick, the second too thin, and the third seems to be just right AT LAST.

 

I'm not doing a vented wig but I can confirm that it takes practice to make a wig. I'm doing a hard cap variety and it's time #2. I'm doing 2 wigs at once as well because why not? The mohair I'm using for each is different in not only colour but the... weight? type? Both are on-pelt but the one colour is a thicker, curlier type than the other so I've found how I need to apply them is slightly different. It's all a learning experience, right?

 

Yes, @AntarelNefertili , I've watched GoT just not the last season...yet I'll keep working on the wig, but I am going to practice in a blank spot now, not try to do everything first try , I think that'd be a wise move, LOL

I am in the middle of making a hard cap too, @Iron_Dog I've got so many projects and so little energy, I hate my body!!!

 

So ofc while I have to isolate I miss all the action on this thread!

@Rakonto Congratulations! He looks so nice in your pic vs what is on the company website. He looks gorgeous! Like @AntarelNefertili I've limited my shelled characters to my Delia ( aka my psionic Lich Fia Shapiro ) because otherwise that rabbit hole is deep and dark. (I desperately wish I could get an Acron and a Martin to shell a couple of my male PCs but nope. I like eating and living under a roof). Although I should also thank @IngieBee for selling me jointed hands. I can't wait for a nice holiday present. It's worth it to save up and spoil a doll with the things that look good on it! I've been focusing on my LR Andre lately and getting his hair and shoes made his look so complete and so like him. Now all he needs is jointed hands (and tattoos but UGH that will take a while)

 

Oh gods, shelling character is a very deep hole you'll never get out of. All my guys are characters from my novels and while not everybody demands to be shelled (thank goodness for that), there are 68 of them now. I've also got a doll idea I've toyed with for years and I've seen 2 of the sculpt in various places for sale recently (she was limited so finding her is a bit challenging) but I'm being good and not messaging the seller(s). I'm trying to hold firm and not buy more dolls this year but my willpower is only slightly stronger than wet tissue paper.

 

@A Wee Tiefling Thank you so much! And agreed about the character shelling...thankfully the difficulty of finding something that would work for their character makes it less likely (for example, if I were to shell one tiefling character I had in mind, I'd have a hard time finding a sculpt with the right hooked nose and worried expression, he'd need to come in the right skin color or I'd have to get good at dying, I'd really really want a ball-joined tail or else something that would look extremely cool and tiefling-like...and that's not even getting into clothes and hair etc. etc.). Thankfully Gwendal is one of my few human characters.

I always love seeing your dolls - they're so colorful and full of character! You often make me wish I had a more "modern" doll I could deck out in some rad attire, but I know based on how little I actually change my doll's clothing and take pictures...I'd rather keep watching yours.

@Iron_Dog *ponders what would help make wet tissue paper stronger* Umm...paper mache, maybe? (Wow I am so not crafty.) I feel you on the willpower. We can do it! (Maybe...probably.)

 

@Rakonto Twist my arm and it'll bend!



(observe the weird knee buckling happening on this model body. Star body?)

 

@A Wee Tiefling Yay! I love that bunny shirt. (And you too, Dante.) Looking stylish as always!

Yeah, my old Star body has super wobbly/buckling legs too. Good thing he looks so handsome sitting. I need to play around with his posing at some point. (You made it look super natural in that pose!)

 

@Rakonto I'm considering wiring Dante's legs and/or getting him kips and/or sueding his knees. I've been discussing the best tactic and since his upper body movement is solid, I don't want to get too involved in modding. I might have to reshell his body to something more suitable.

His bunny shirt gives me so much joy! Everything about Dante's style is me indulging in silly street fashion. I imagine he's the type to have lots of indulgent, silly and impractically fashionable clothes. But lately I've been living for his hair! He finally (FINALLY) has natural hair, and it's in a faux-hawk! All I need are those damn tattoos.

 

Not to be a bad influence, but you can always make a magnetic tail out of teddy bear armature and cover it in some kind of fabric, for an easy jointed tail

 

@A Wee Tiefling Good luck with the modding, and let me know how it goes! His style is terrific.

@Chameleon One day...maybe...when I feel ambitious and level up in crafting skills. (Oh, and have a LOT more money.)

 

That’s So fair! I have an (ot to this thread so far) hybrid that’s going to be a cambion I created for my Hell campaign, so she’s going to be my concept test for my tail construction. The wings are also going to be tricky

 

@Chameleon Ooo, I'd love to see if you ever feel like sharing!

 

I have a project journal for her here! As a warning though, I'm stalled out on making her tail until I can get warm enough weather to Dremel outdoors.

 

Thanks! It looks amazing, and I will have to watch that thread. Good luck patiently waiting for warmer weather!

I love all of the creativity and resourcefulness on here. I'm not an especially crafty person, but I love to admire what everyone does.

 

@Iron_Dog , I've been pulling down dolls I already have off the shelf to shell characters, so it's not too horrible, LOL. They're helping me visualize personalities!

@A Wee Tiefling , sorry for getting you hooked on jointed hands, but they're awesome, no? LOL

Oh dear @Rakonto , I might know just the doll for your hooked nose worried expression.... I think good 'ol Unidoll Ark sounds like what you're describing, he's awesome, but no longer made unfortunately. Or maybe I get the picture wrong. Love @Chameleon's idea for the tail, I might still have some of that stuff around, and if it's not too big, ... great idea, I might try it! LOL (what I have is probably too big though??!! Got to look into the 30 year old boxes in the deepest depths of the garage, LOL.

 

@IngieBee Haha, I saw a used one for sale once, and to me that sculpt looked more angry/annoyed than worried. That could just be how he was painted. Thank you for the thought, though! I did look up Chameleon's tail idea and thought it looked pretty spiffy. Looking forward to seeing what happens if someone tries it!

 

No, Ark doesn't have a hooked nose and the angry expression is actually part of his sculpt not painted on. I know as I have one. Ark is the Angriest Doll Ever (tm). I adore mine and he'd been one of my grails forever along with his husband, Impl Miguel the Demon Hunter (which I also own). I can take a picture of Kathiel (Ark) and Mkhai (Miguel) if you want @Rakonto but it won't happen until late tomorrow or Monday as I'm playing D&D literally all day tomorrow.

 

@Iron_Dog Have fun with D&D! I don't need a picture (that sculpt is super cool but definitely not my character and I am not shelling more D&D characters*) but I would very much love to see any of your characters you care to share. All of your dolls and the stories behind them sound so neat!

*I will not cave I will not cave I will not cave

 

Oh yes,I want to see your Ark, @Iron_Dog ! Such a rarity, and do include Mkhai so we stay on topic, and I'd like to see him too

 

Okay. I wasn't kidding when I say I have all the odd/little seen dolls. So much of my collection is made up of limited/discontinued dolls. I didn't intend for that but.... In a bit of wild coincidence, there's apparently someone in my local doll group who has an Impl Triton. We've agreed that whenever the heck we can have meets in person again, we're going to bring both our Impl boys.

As a side note, I can provide a link to Sheathing The Sword, the short story of how Mkhai and Kathiel meet if anybody is interested. Be warned though, it is definitely NOT work safe and rated R for graphic sexual content.

 

@Rakonto I'm the bad influence here as I sit on your shoulder and whisper: Have you looked at some of Meeks dolls? (There's a stock sale on if you're lucky) I know one of her demon heads has a mild and gentle expression that could look worried with good eyebrows. Just saying...as someone who also has yet to shell her iconic tiefling character (mostly because that rabbit hole is bottomless)

@IngieBee Jointed hands are exactly what I need, right after Dante's tattoo's and Fia's finger-wave marcelled wig. And Tony's entire face.