Dream Face-ups
From time to time I see other face-up artists giving out discounts to clients who will send them a particular sculpt to be painted. It's either a sculpt they are really interested in or something a bit more out of the box so it'll be a nice challenge or some combo of reasons. So I started to think about which doll heads I'd love to paint, but not necessarily own myself.
It's worth noting though that I wouldn't give a discount on comissions for these sculpts, but that's mainly because I'm not charging that much for face-ups as it is. If I did face-ups more professionally, or really wanted to widen my portfolio then it might be another case. Like if I wanted to start doing face-ups on Dollfie Dreams or other really anime-type dolls, then I'd do discounts first, so that I could build up a portfolio to charge the actual prices later on.
But, let's get onto the list! These are in no particular order, just written as they pop into my mind ;)
I do love this sculpt in all it's serenity. I can well understand why this sculpt was and continues to be so popular. The features look so smooth and although she/he can appear to be a bit expressionless, I think of it more like a blank canvas. True, I've seen rare Ambers who have a distinct 'emotion' painted on them. Most, and pretty much all the ones I really, really like, are very emotionless. But there's just something about it that makes me intrigued...
I really love the lips and the eyeshape and would love to do a smoky-eyed face-up on this sculpt some day.
Onyx can be such a badass, I gotta love her :D I'd love to do a really strong face-up on this sculpt. For it to look good the lips would stay fairly neutral, which is a shame on it's own, since those wide, full lips are the thing I love most about this sculpt.
There's just something about Bory that keeps me going back to him... Sadly the MSD is not for me, at least outside the artist doll sector (Comoon Satyne! You'll be mine!), but I still love looking at pictures of this little grumpy face.
I wouldn't actually care about the colour palette much, just as long as the emotion was till this grumpy little thing :3 But vivid browns and reds would definitely suit it, especially in NS.
Any Bluefairy, really, but especially the baked May V is very pretty on its own already. I just feel a bit 'meh' about them usually, but it might be partly because I'm not that into their very downplayed default face-ups. Works for others, and BF does have a lot of fans :D , but I just prefer my dolls with more vivid face-ups.
Thenagain, it might be a really bad idea, since I've heard that BFs can be very addictive ;) Maybe I should just steer away from them and be safe :P
This is one sculpt that I fell for solely on stock pictures. I have found one Javi with a custom face-up and didn't feel the tug at all. So I'd really like to see if Switch just takes goddamn gorgeous photos, or if I could pull off an amazing face-up on this head myself.
I would like to try my hand at other Switch heads as well, but Javi is the topmost. It is strange really, since Javi is the one sculpt with the smallest lips, and I usually go for the full kissable mouth types...
Button nose! It looks so fresh, although for my own dolls I tend to prefer those sharp pointy noses. But I'd love to give this doll maybe a more fantasy-like face-up, with the elf-theme perhaps, with some red blushed onto that cute little nosey. And I'd have a field day with those lips as well :D Really the thing thattakes this beautiful doll off my actual wish-list is that it simply doesn't fit in with my other dolls.
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Then there's of course the mssive amount of Volk dolls I'd love to get my brushes on, not limited to Lieselotte, Charlotte, DWC-02, Williams... And the artists dolls that would be so interesting to do, like any Enaibi doll (I'm almost sad that they tend to always be fullsets with Enaibi face-ups that no one has the heart to erase), Nobledolls, Dust of Dolls... They are so quirky from the get-go, that there's no limit what could be done with them :)
Well, since I'm taking a face-up break atm, all I really can do is dream. But sometimes it is very fun to dream about what I could do with some of my favourite head sculpts :)
It's worth noting though that I wouldn't give a discount on comissions for these sculpts, but that's mainly because I'm not charging that much for face-ups as it is. If I did face-ups more professionally, or really wanted to widen my portfolio then it might be another case. Like if I wanted to start doing face-ups on Dollfie Dreams or other really anime-type dolls, then I'd do discounts first, so that I could build up a portfolio to charge the actual prices later on.
But, let's get onto the list! These are in no particular order, just written as they pop into my mind ;)
Soom Amber
I do love this sculpt in all it's serenity. I can well understand why this sculpt was and continues to be so popular. The features look so smooth and although she/he can appear to be a bit expressionless, I think of it more like a blank canvas. True, I've seen rare Ambers who have a distinct 'emotion' painted on them. Most, and pretty much all the ones I really, really like, are very emotionless. But there's just something about it that makes me intrigued...
I really love the lips and the eyeshape and would love to do a smoky-eyed face-up on this sculpt some day.
Soom Onyx
Onyx can be such a badass, I gotta love her :D I'd love to do a really strong face-up on this sculpt. For it to look good the lips would stay fairly neutral, which is a shame on it's own, since those wide, full lips are the thing I love most about this sculpt.
Luts Kid Delf Bory
There's just something about Bory that keeps me going back to him... Sadly the MSD is not for me, at least outside the artist doll sector (Comoon Satyne! You'll be mine!), but I still love looking at pictures of this little grumpy face.
I wouldn't actually care about the colour palette much, just as long as the emotion was till this grumpy little thing :3 But vivid browns and reds would definitely suit it, especially in NS.
Bluefairy
Any Bluefairy, really, but especially the baked May V is very pretty on its own already. I just feel a bit 'meh' about them usually, but it might be partly because I'm not that into their very downplayed default face-ups. Works for others, and BF does have a lot of fans :D , but I just prefer my dolls with more vivid face-ups.
Thenagain, it might be a really bad idea, since I've heard that BFs can be very addictive ;) Maybe I should just steer away from them and be safe :P
Switch Javi
This is one sculpt that I fell for solely on stock pictures. I have found one Javi with a custom face-up and didn't feel the tug at all. So I'd really like to see if Switch just takes goddamn gorgeous photos, or if I could pull off an amazing face-up on this head myself.
I would like to try my hand at other Switch heads as well, but Javi is the topmost. It is strange really, since Javi is the one sculpt with the smallest lips, and I usually go for the full kissable mouth types...
Supia Lina
Button nose! It looks so fresh, although for my own dolls I tend to prefer those sharp pointy noses. But I'd love to give this doll maybe a more fantasy-like face-up, with the elf-theme perhaps, with some red blushed onto that cute little nosey. And I'd have a field day with those lips as well :D Really the thing thattakes this beautiful doll off my actual wish-list is that it simply doesn't fit in with my other dolls.
**
Then there's of course the mssive amount of Volk dolls I'd love to get my brushes on, not limited to Lieselotte, Charlotte, DWC-02, Williams... And the artists dolls that would be so interesting to do, like any Enaibi doll (I'm almost sad that they tend to always be fullsets with Enaibi face-ups that no one has the heart to erase), Nobledolls, Dust of Dolls... They are so quirky from the get-go, that there's no limit what could be done with them :)
Well, since I'm taking a face-up break atm, all I really can do is dream. But sometimes it is very fun to dream about what I could do with some of my favourite head sculpts :)
I love your list! It has some sculpts I love (Bluefairy, switch, Supia Lina).
VastaaPoistaMy plans to my Onyx is to give her a more dark or dramatic face up (I was thinking something like the Evil Queen from Once Upon a Time).
I'll probably fail because I'm such a newbie with face ups and I've never tried dramatic face ups, only natural or cute.
Since she already has a face up I don't plan on doing her until I finish all my blank dolls, I already started with Supia rosy. I wish I could just send my Onyx to you, but I spent a lot of money and time trying to learn how to face up, so I might as well just do it myself X(
It's funny how you say her lips are your favorite part, it used to be mine as well, but now I think it's very dificult to make her lips look nice (the current face up on my Onyx does an awful job at that), I hope it can be fixed with another face up, because I love big and full and unique lips and She has it all.
Amber is lovely, I'd love to paint one, but just as you, I probably wouldn't own one. At one point I was really obsessed with having an Amber, but when it was time to choose a sculpt in the free choice event, I didn't even consider her, it was Onyx, Vesuvia or Beryl for me. I'd love to have a tan Beryl one day
What an interesting topic and I'd love to see what kind of face-ups you'd do to these pretty faces. :3 Hopefully people with various sculpts will commission you when the hiatus is over~
VastaaPoistaI love Supia Lina, she has such personality in the sculpt. Those full lips and that little nose too~ She's so cute. <3
I'm also having mixed feelings about Blue Fairy dolls. There's something that I like about them, but still a lot of things are putting me off. Like the fact that all of their sculpts seem pretty much the same to me. Also, the dolls look "too" childlike to my liking. But then again they have something adorable in the way their mouths are sculpted and I'm kind of drawn to that sun-baked skin...
Oooh, I think you might get to do at east one Switch doll if I ever get around ordering a head from them that I've been longing to do(and I've taken a liking to that Humming Dolly male body as well). It probably won't be Javi, though, but a more of a nose-y fellow. ;)
To do dramatic face-ups is to just do it in layers. When I first started out, I did some dark face-ups which all turned out really blotchy since I just started with blushing a lot of black straight on the face. But if I do it layers, first a more natural layer, then adding more and more colour with darker tones, then it ends up looking nice.
VastaaPoistaI don't know what kind of a face-up your Onyx now has, but I maybe can give a hint on how to do full lips. I noticed that with large lips, like my Dia or how I'd do an Onyx, you maybe shouldn't blush all of the lips. The lips will look full enough if just the center parts are blushed. Or the outer parts have a really light blush, and then it becomes more vivid in the center.
In the end face-upping is a lot of trial and error when starting out. I needed a lot of work to find the techniques that worked for me :) So I'm sure that you'll be able to do your own face-ups and be happy about them.
Yeah I hear you on the "Bluefairys look similar". I really can't tell them apart, aside from May V. But that's just it, I wish to paint one to really bring out the features and make one unique!
VastaaPoistaAnd I'll be happy to paint any Switch head :3 They have some amazing noses and very lushious lips. I have a real thing for doll lips, there's no denying it... Mostly every sculpt I like is decided with how the mouth is sculpted. So me wanting to paint a BF doll is really an exception to the rule XD
Thanks for all the tips! I'm sure that even If I screw up I can always start again, there's no rush :D! I hope I succeed in the end >.<
VastaaPoistaHere's a pic of my Onyx face up (the one that the artist sent me by that time) https://www.flickr.com/photos/cinnamon-garden/7841310044/in/photosof-fantasywoods/ (yay I'll go back to moderation xD)
I really hate the lips like this, I'll try doing darker in the center, but not so exagerated like here because she looks weird in every pic I take.
I'd love to see some of the face ups you've done up close, do you have a place for that? I didn't find any in the top menu