BJD Doll FAQ

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Please read this if you are interested to learn more about the dolls I photograph. I dont have time to keep answering the same questions over and over again >_< I will be updating this journal entry as time goes on. Feel free to add a question in the comments section and I will try to answer it.




BASICS


What are these dolls?
They are BJD - ball jointed dolls. If you search Google with those keywords you will get plenty of results with companies and other info about them. This is the Wikipedia article en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball-joi…. Also this LJ answers some questions too bjd-wtf.livejournal.com/ . If you want to learn more, I would suggest Den of Angels forum (www.denofangels.com/forums/).


Do you make them?
No I don't make the actual doll, I don't sculpt it. I am a customizer, I paint their faceups. I am basically a makeup artist for resin dolls. You can find the link to my commission shop and main Flickr faceup portfolio in the links above.


How much do they cost?
That really depends on the size, company and rarity of the doll (if it was limited). The most expensive doll I bought was a Unoa Zero, she was about $1400 USD, the cheapest one was a Pukipuki which cost me $160 USD. Note that those two examples only included a naked body and head, no wigs, eyes, clothes etc.


OMG how can you afford this?
Well I work and I earn money that I can spend on my hobby ^^; It took me many months to save enough for my first doll, putting aside a few bucks every week, but it was worth it. I believe this hobby really tests your patience but if you REALLY want one, you will get it sooner or later.


Where can I buy BJDs?
If you Google "BJD company links" you will find many helpful websites with huge lists of BJD websites www.google.com.au/search?q=bjd… I recommend checking the BJD Collectasy site since it is pretty much constantly updated bjdcollectasy.com/companies-ot….


Where did you buy your own dolls? (listing only current dolls I own)
Jess, Cassie and Bree - Fairyland Minifee Chloe dollfairyland.com/
Mocha and Ichigo - Latidoll Yellow Noa
www.latidoll.com


Are you selling your dolls?
Not unless stated. If I decide to sell any of them, they will be up on Den of Angels BJD forum. denofangels.com/forums/


I like one of the dolls in your monthly mosaic uploads. What is the name of the sculpt?
I don't remember every single sculpt names so I recommend checking my Flickr photostream and find the doll there. The title of my faceup submissions have got the company and sculpt name added.


Your dolls very much resemble my character. I was wondering if I could use your photos as a visual example for my stories/RP?
I am sorry, but my answer is no. These dolls already represent my own characters and have their own stories so I would feel very uncomfortable finding people using my photos for other characters. I hope you can understand and respect my decision.





FASHION AND STYLE


Where do you buy clothes for your doll?
I get them from many many different sources. Some are from Etsy, Ebay or DoA marketplace, others are from specialised bjd fashion websites like Brennil or Atelier Momoni, and sometimes I simply commission seamstresses. I care a lot about my doll's fashion, I want them to be unique so I always try to get clothes that are one of a kind or difficult to get but of high quality.


Where do you buy your doll's eyes?
I am a big fan of urethane eyes so lately all the eyes I buy are Dollflowers. For those ones I join group preorders held on order.bjd.in/dollflower/ which happen about twice per year.


Where do you buy your doll's wigs?
I usually get wigs from Dollga, nDoll, eBay, Etsy etc. But there are many more options available than just those, almost every BJD store sells them so if you have a look at the BJD company list linked in the fifth answer, you will find a ton of options :)





FACEUPS


What materials and tools do you use for your faceups?
- Liquitex Matte Medium and Varnish for sealing (check my Youtube channel to learn more about brush on sealants)
- Schminckle pastels
- Faber Castell and Derwent watercolor pencils
- Iwata airbrush with Tempera and Art Spectrum gouache paints
- Aqueous Hobby Color Clear Gloss or Tamiya Acrylic Paint Clear X-22
- various colored craft shimmer/glitter


How do you paint faceups?
I have a Youtube channel with a bunch of videos showing the work in progress of faceup painting. You can find the link just below the title of this journal entry.





HANDMADE WIGS


Do you take commissions for your wigs?
No sorry, I currently do not.


Can I buy one from you?
Sorry they are not for sale. If I decide otherwise I will make an announcement on my Facebook page.


What fiber do you use for your wigs?
I use both organic and synthetic fiber from Thermal Saran to Alpaca and others. My choice depends on the type of wig, colour and style I want to create.


Where do you buy your fiber?
From dozens of different shops. Because I started making wigs just recently, I am still in the process of testing out the quality and general experience of a variety of suppliers. I've bought my fiber from a different shop every time, and no, I do not have a favorite yet, they all have their pros and cons. You can find plenty of stores on eBay and Etsy or by using your favorite search engine.
Here are just a couple:
www.dollyhair.com/
www.reborndollhair.com/
www.etsy.com/shop/StephanieASm…
www.dollmore.net/


How did you learn how to make wigs?
I learned the basics by spending about two weeks researching during my free time. I've bought a guide on Etsy, I've read articles and tutorials that I found on the web and watched videos on Youtube. After I learned the basics I kept researching the ABCs of hair styling and hair dyeing.
Some links that I recommend checking (remember that you can always learn more, so extra research will only do you good, I've read all of these plus many many many more).
www.blythe-doll-fashions.com/2…
pinterest.com/joannecranston/d…
desertmountainbear.blogspot.co…
bjdmagazine.com/2011/01/11/tut…
dolls.wonderhowto.com/how-to/m…
www.dollmakersdream.com/Doll-w…
www.fantasydollsbyd.com/New_pa…




How did you dye the hair?
The same way as you'd do with human hair. If the fiber is organic (such as angora, alpaca, etc) it is very similar to regular (human) hair and you can change its colours just as easily. So far I've tried Manic Panic dyes and PaintBox, both worked just fine.





PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO


What camera do you use for your photos?
From end of January 2014 I switched to a Nikon D7100. Before that I used a Nikon D90 with a Sigma 1:2.8 DG Macro lens.


Do you edit your photos?
Yes. A lot. Editing photos in Photoshop is the part I enjoy the most.
Jess Purple - before + after shots by AndrejA


What editing program do you use to make your videos?
I use After Effects.




Q&A VIDEOS

I made two videos that answer additional questions that I received.





These are the questions and the timing for the video above

00:16 

I've been interested in these kinds of dolls for about a year and a half now, and I was wondering if you had any tips for someone who's looking into trying these sort of things for the first time?
00:31

What brand of watercolour pencils do you use?
00:38

What brand of pastels do you use?
00:44

What kind of sharpener do you use?
00:56

What gloves do you use and why?
01:10

Do your customers typically ask you for specific colours and etc, or are you usually the one to decide what the doll's makeup will be like?
01:30

Wouldn't an exacto-knife be dangerous on resin (scratching, particularly)?
01:39

i like the song! What is it?
01:49

What is the little green thing that you use to make small repairs?
02:00

You do the lower lashes and eyebrow hairs several times. Are you simply retracing previous lines, or adding more lines?
02:14

Do you brush color right off the pastel sticks, or do you shave it and dip your brush in the powder?
02:29

What program do you use to edit?
02:38

How much of a plan do you have before you start working on a faceup?
02:51

Do you plan on doing a FaceupStories on >insert sculpt name03:08

How many times do you seal the faceup?
03:19

What brand of gloss do you use?
03:25

What type paintbrushes do you use and what is their size?
03:39

Where do you use paint and where do you use pastels exactly?
03:55

Is there a certain kind of paint that you use for the airbrush?
04:04

What brand/model of airbrush do you use?
04:12

When you're using the watercolor pencils, are they entirely dry or have you wet them a little bit? I've used them before, but I feel like the lines don't look as smooth as yours.
04:27

What if u made a mistake?? how do correct it? Do u clean it with something?
04:42

I noticed you used one brand of watercolors when doing the eyelids and another one when you were drawing the creases of her eyes, does that help make the color more visible faster or it doesn't really matter which brand you use for different parts of her face?
04:58

I don't own an airbrush would pastels work just as well for the airbrushed steps?
05:11

What sealant do you use? And why do you apply after every layer?
05:25

Can you use eyelashes intended for humans?
05:35

What do you do with the back of the lashes? I've noticed that you place them so that the back kind of sticks out. Do you clip them when the glue is dry?
05:49

What sealant kind of glue do you use for the eyelashes?


© 2011 - 2024 AndrejA
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Christopia1984's avatar

Hi, I saw your video and it's good.

https://youtu.be/Lo1emtXlvrw

But say, have you ever done Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie? If not, have you thought about them?