'Cheerful' BJDs?

[Yoscuuro]

I've only recently become fascinated with BJDs- as in, yesterday. ^^; but over the past couple days, I've looked through every company's selection of dolls I could find, had my heart flutter at a few, and generally squirmed around with joy- but I noticed something; almost all of the males wore these somber/sad/sinister expressions. Oo;;;

I could find slightly more up-beat expressions, but only on the smaller, more Childlike dolls, or very rarely on a female, and I can't properly recall a full-blown smile.

I have several broodier characters, but I'd love to be able create my guys that are more the Kindly Punk and Gentle Giant, y'know?

Did I miss a company? A particular artist? Or are the more serious expression the strict norm? I'm beginning to think I may have to order a MiniMee.

Any info or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[decadentarisu]

Hmm... actually, I think it's all in the way the face is painted sometimes Depending on how their lips were painted, they could convey all sorts of emotion unless the sculpt's lips were really downturned or upturned.

True, full blown grins (except for the one on a certain minimee I both fear and love) and big smiles are kinda rare. But personally, the smiliest sculpts I know of, so far, are CP DELF Shiwoo (Although that looks more like a smirk most times), and most Volks heads I've seen exhibit smiliness. The most prominent ones I've seen were Mimi13 and Tsukasa Konoe and personally, I think the Volks F-20 is the hands-down smiliest head I've ever seen

[tarouchan]

The very first dolls that comes to mind are the Volks FCS F-20 and F-21. There aren't too many owners of these dolls, but I do know that thesaraghina has both, and they're lovely smiley boys.

Volks School A can be cheerful, too - or somber, depending on the way you paint him.

I would spend some time poking through the galleries here, as owner pictures more often than not better portray a doll's true potential. Good luck!

[Yoscuuro]

Thanks, guys- this helps a lot! And you're probably right, Tarou, I'll definitely do that. :3 Thanks again!

[ruaki]

One of the most smiley dolls I've ever seen is AngelRegion Kai. Definitely a boy with a smirk in the sculpt. One thing about him is that you can either make it a cocky smirk or a gentle smirk depending on how he's painted!

CP/Luts Nanuri 2006, for all its um... quirks... is also a very smiley doll. So is the CP Shiwoo, but the smile is much more subtle, but the expression is definitely pleasant.

But yes, usually it's all in how a doll is painted. Typically you'll want to choose a doll that doesn't have a deep set to the mouth, and then you can often ghost a smile on. My CP El-SS with a blank face has a very natural repose, so it's easy to simulate a secretive smile onto him. Another thing to look for is a gentle slow to the brow; when you smile, your eyebrows lift, so when the eyebrows are painted on, you want to be able to convey that without going too much against the sculpted browline.

Like you, when I first got into BJDs, I was kinda saddened by all the angsty, emo, frowny, mean looking dolls there are (and we didn't quite have the choices we do now!), but as I got more into the hobby, it's easier to see a lot of it has to do with how a doll has been painted, even more than the actual mold.

I remember seeing someone's very smiling, pleasant looking Dollshe Hound and was super surprised by that. No mods--just paint.

[sister cuervo]

the Limho 43cm is quite smiley, I think and of course L-Bi in Unoa has a sweet smile. They may be smaller than you would like.
I agree with the Hound's smile--he does have a great, soft look about him.

[MelWong]

Check out Volks' Elena. She looks really happy, like she has great news she's sharing with a best friend. Her mouth is even parted as though in mid-smile.

- Mel

[Evil Kimba]

The 60cm girls from Buddy Doll are very smiley and happy looking, especially Elisha, March, and April.

[Taco]

A lot of the Ninodoll heads are happy looking --I'm also going to second the opinion that the faceup can really influence a doll's expression.

[onegreyelephant]

Weve got some pretty smiley F-29/F-17s if you check out the database. beware of the smile

[windspiel]

seconding ninodoll - have you seen Bada?

[kathrynmary]

Originally Posted by Evil Kimba

The 60cm girls from Buddy Doll are very smiley and happy looking, especially Elisha, March, and April.

these were the dolls i was going to suggest too. i think the face up plays a huge part as well in the emotion the face conveys.

[Lotte Rotten]

The Narae & Narin Dolls have really friendly and happy faces too

[janmurphy]

Souldoll Byeol is really smiley. Ive been keeping an eye out for a smiley girl, so far shes my fav.

[EilonwyG]

My Dollzone Shoyu is a happy, smiling girl. As is my Cherishdoll Alley. And my Juri '05 is very happy. My DoC Kirill mostly smirks, but sometimes a genuine grin comes across. I agree that generally it's the make-up that really helps to portray the smile, and sometimes it's the angle of the head or the lighting hitting the face. There are more smiles out there than it sometimes seems.

[Loki's Mom]

Originally Posted by decadentarisu

Hmm... actually, I think it's all in the way the face is painted sometimes Depending on how their lips were painted, they could convey all sorts of emotion unless the sculpt's lips were really downturned or upturned.

I so have to agree with this. I have seen smiles on dolls that really don't have smiley faces and more cheerful looking faces turned grim based on faceups.

Originally Posted by decadentarisu

But personally, the smiliest sculpts I know of, so far, are CP DELF Shiwoo (Although that looks more like a smirk most times),

Originally Posted by ruaki

So is the CP Shiwoo, but the smile is much more subtle, but the expression is definitely pleasant.

Owning a Shiwoo myself I have to agree. While his 'smile' is very subtle, it can be made moreso or less so by painting. It's his cheeky little smirk that won me over though.

LM

[ruaki]

Originally Posted by Loki's Mom

Owning a Shiwoo myself I have to agree. While his 'smile' is very subtle, it can be made moreso or less so by painting. It's his cheeky little smirk that won me over though.

Hahaha, funny you should say that. I don't own a Shiwoo, but when I was first getting interested in bjds, kkscatnip's Shiwoo is what convinced me that not all dolls were grim or angsty. He has a really charming smile that seems to be bursting with secrets... but oh no, he's not the type to kiss and tell.

Again, all in the paint. <3

[Karhys]

As has already been mentioned, Volks' old F-29/new F-17 is well known for being quite a smirky sculpt. Volks have quite a few sculpts that I think of as naturally smirky or smiley. Nono/Ryo/F-11 is another, as is Mimi13/F-12. Many of the SD Cute look quite smiley. Sweet Dreams Kira always looked like she was naturally smiling, even as her counterpart Sweet Dreams Nana always looked permanently peeved. XD

Also as mentioned, faceup makes a big difference. I have several dolls where I've specifically asked the faceup artist to make it look as though they have a bit of a smirk or a smile about their lips, and even where the headmold is not generally smirky, they've usually pulled this off very well. (Examples: Kash and Xon.)

Another thing that people haven't really mentioned is that the angle of the photograph can make a big difference as well. I've been able to make generally serious dolls look like they are smiling, and smirky dolls look serious, by tilting their head and taking photos of them from a different angle to heighten the effect. So I find that to be useful if you want to alter the mood of your doll especially during a photoshoot. Obviously if you're after a doll to be smiley all the time, then this isn't what you're looking for, but I think it's good to know that it's achievable even with serious dolls!

[Carolyn.S]

Dollzone Demi, several BlueFairy girls, I think a couple of DOC's from Dream of doll, Narae Butterfly 43cm is very happy, Fairyland Minifee Shiwoo and maybe others.

Try looking through these face shots:
http://www.bunnysneezes.net/bjdstandardslist.html
At next one click companies on the right:
http://www.gigglegeek.dk/bjd.htm

Carolyn

[janmurphy]

Ive been searching some more and Peak's Woods dolls all seem very smiley.