What attracts you to a doll mold?

[megomobile]

I'm very particular about eyes and mouths in a sculpt. I don't like eyes that look too large or "buggy"; there are always people who can make it work for their dolls, but I generally don't like it. I like eyes to have a pleasing shape, and I am also very partial to sleeping/dreaming heads even if I don't own one yet. I adore full lips, and am guilty of making my hara's a focus of my various photoshoots.

I think how I interpret the over all "personality" of a sculpt to be pretty important too. Like, if it looks bratty, pouty, happy, sad.... if the expression or personality works to my tastes, it can very much influence my opinion of the mold.

[Soula]

For me it's cute and funny that's irrisistable. That can mean happy/smiley (like Bambicrony), but also pouty/sulky (like Nari Pon, Secretdoll Yoi).

[saranilla]

First is the head mold. Then it is the sculpting of the hands. Hands are very important to me. Beautiful hands with long fingers. I have an SD girl right now and her hands drive me bonkers but I am too cheap to get her a better set.

[MugenShu]

Hmm for me it has to be the face shape, that number one on my list. Next is the eyes (or maybe I should put that first...) I love looking into dolls eyes and seeing the character just jump out at me. When ever I look into eyes I see a part of the dolls character which is why I tend to stick to one foundation color (usually the manufacturers) rather than use like 10 different eye colors. For example Micah's (who sadly is still at Latidoll) eyes are usually some shade of Green, weather it be light or dark. It depends on his mood, but no matter how light or dark his eyes get you can always still see some green in them.

[Winterlude]

The whole appearance of the sculpt does it for me. The meeting of proportion, expression, and that intangible something of charm that is shown in it. They can be beautiful or not so handsome, the boldness and skill of the artist's work makes a fine statement with it.

[OddEthics]

xD I tend to like more mature looking girls. Boys... eh, I don't know. I like things to be proportioned right. Hands especially so it's an overall look for me. I gravitate towards girls. xD I think it's the curves.

[Wickedgood]

I'm most attracted to child-like sculpts, so nothing too 'adult' looking (this goes for bodies too - I like the more flat-chested girl dolls, giant fake knockers are a huge turn-off).

Anyway, I think the first thing I notice is the mouth/lips. I like realistic mouths with lots of character. The eyes I like are large and anime-ish, but I don't like 'droopy' style eyes. And most of all I like dolls that seem to have 'souls'. It's hard for me to explain. Some dolls are really pretty but don't have any spunk. I guess I look for a mixture of innocence and character.

[eienmornie]

Eyes, lips and how well the face is balanced. There has to be a distinct attitude there that matches the character I have in mind. And if I don't have a character in mind, I just fall in love with the mold's potential. And if I find something about the mold that I don't like, I know I can change it. I can sand or paint or not take certain picture angles.

I once fell in love with a mold, I previously disliked! ^^; I had to search for all sorts of pictures of her and made a list of what I didn't like and what I did like. And then when I got her in the mail, I loved her instantly and kind of forgot about my dislike list. It was really weird.

[Shizen]

I definitely have a preference to sculpts that can bring out the best in eyes. For me, it's not so much as the size of the eye cavity as it is the shape. Totally round eyes don't attract me, nor do molds with fully closed eyes.

I'm also more into tapered chins than wide ones; curved jawlines and cheeks as opposed to squarish and strong. It's no surprise I definitely prefer female-oriented sculpts.

[AENEAS]

I like dolls with full lips and cupids bow. I tend not to like heads with point noses or huge anime eyes. I prefer boy dolls to girls.

[cloverfirefly]

I like head molds that I can see a personality behind. I also tend to prefer sad or pouty looking dolls, as well as cute molds over pretty ones. But ultimately, I guess it comes down to whether or not I can see a personality in the head mold.

[Bel]

Man, reading the rest of the thread showed me what a difficult question this really is!

I guess I gravitate toward hooded or narrowed eyes, broad mouths, and serious/morose/grouchy expressions. I like a sense of maturity and agelessness, too. But it's not like I have a checklist - some molds just holler "mine." It's not until I critically examine everyone at once to try to find common features that I can see a theme.

[joey]

For me it's a gestalt. I sudden recognition of something that doesn't even have a name. I just feel a connection. If I think about it or look at the resin guys here I'd say it had something to do with a curious look, a natural eyesculpt or look, some have just beautiful hands and except for maybe 2 there are no rosebud lips.

[Bandwidth Broad]

I am drawn to faces that have at least a touch of mischief in them ... that or a certain daydream-like quality that I would be hard pressed to define. Most of the dolls I own have these qualities whether or not they have had "face-ups." Beyond that, presentation is extremely important.

There have been one or two dolls towards which I have not been drawn until I saw them in person, and I assume it's because their original presentation didn't draw me.

[nakitama]

Originally Posted by joey

For me it's a gestalt. I sudden recognition of something that doesn't even have a name. I just feel a connection.

Joey, that's how I feel. I can't pin it on any certain feature or sculpt; my likes run the gamut from anime-styled Volks, to realistic tiny headed Dollshes.

When I look at a doll, I know it's meant for me if I look at it and can say that I can make this doll "mine". It's not about the features of a doll, but how "me" I can make it.

[TammyTammy]

For me it's elf ears, uniquness and rarity, I guess.

[BlueSand09]

hmmm... First I look for the impact or the impression of the doll to me. When I see it for the first time it should have some great impact to me. Next is I observe and check the overall look by looking at the eyes first, nose, lips and face shape. then I look at the different angles. If it still have that impact to me the I'll say that I must have that doll. I don't have a specific how i should look like. More important to me is if I really like it or not... Just like what happen when I saw Ducan. he's the first doll I saw before I got in this hobby and after a year of saving I didn't change my mind and I still get him as my first BJD. ^_^

[mylittlefighter]

For me, they have to look like they belong to my doll "family." That is, pouty lips, a button nose, and usually a hint of teeth showing. This usually leads to me buying Volks dolls so that they "match," but I also have a Domuya Potpourri and a Unoa, who I think look similar to each other anyway.

[harolink]

I've found myself being attracted to the overall expression of the doll. I look to see if the doll shows personality particularly in the eyes and lips of the face. I also tend to go for the more mature looking dolls. For some reason, I find baby faced dolls adorable but I never feel compelled to own one.

[mahoubunnybell]

Hmn... I'd say usually it comes down to the body sculpt, with me. I'm a sucker for interesting bodies. Both unusual and aesthetically pleasing ones tempt me, but I prefer they look somewhat doll-like. Too realistic with not enough joints showing and it actually tends to throw me off. And hands. I want my hands in good scale with my doll, not too tiny.

I also am big on eye sculpt, and mouths. But in the end it's the bodies that really do it to me, and heads are just secondary. Well, mostly. There have been some heads that the "feel" of just really spoke to me. Like my Bada- she was just so utterly happy and nice looking!