Face Up

My mascot icon above is a Dollfie head made of soft vinyl. Doll heads are usually sold separate from the body, as this lends to total customization by the artist. There are many types and scales of ball jointed dolls. Heads also come in different sculpts. The doll bodies are generally gender specific, with the artist or collector having the choice of purchasing a child body or an adult body form in various sizes.

Ball jointed dolls may be purchased from manufacturers, or a doll artist who hand sculpts their own ball jointed doll from scratch. Ball jointed dolls are made from many different materials such as porcelain, resin, ceramic, polymer, and paper mache.

The best way to learn about a doll is to purchase one. I purchased a Dollfie head to learn about the material it was made of, and to understand its construction. The Dollfie head above is made from a soft plastic, and has a rough face up. What you see is exactly as I received it.The back of the head is carved around the skull hairline. The eyes are carved openings to allow the artist to insert glass, plastic, or other eyes. This enables the artist or collector to change the eyes at will, if so desired. The doll's look may be changed dramatically with the use of various wigs, as re-rooting for this type of doll is impractical for changing the eyes or overall look of the doll.

No two dolls are exactly alike. BJDs are usually hand painted, hand sanded, hand sculpted, etc. Ball jointed dolls can be found as simple as being jointed at the elbows or knees to being ball jointed so complex that their wrists, ankles, and fingers are jointed to allow for a pose as close as humanly possible.