Commissioning a BJD Faceup 101
Rivanone is back from her faceup — well, she actually arrived last Saturday! I’m just bad at posting blogs on time! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ I thought I’d do a little educational post about how the whole faceup commissioning process works, since most of the faceup resources I see are about doing faceups yourself.
My Rivanone arrived back in December. At first, I thought I was going to paint her own faceup, but to be honest, she’s such a beautiful doll, and she deserved better than my skills. (≖⩊≖) I kept her blank for a while! Here she is at my DollCon Dallas booth back in February.
Isn’t she lovely? I love her droopy eyelids and pouty lips!
I booked Rivanone’s faceup for May and sent her out a little earlier in April, so it took a little under a month to get her shipped out, painted, and back to me. Not bad! Timelines vary from artist to artist, so ask about that before you send your head off.
Sending your doll out for a faceup can be pretty nerve-wracking. I don’t know about you, but I’ve read way, way too many horror stories about dolls getting stolen, going missing, ending up broken in transit, replaced with another head — you name it! Plus, there’s also just the possibility of you hating how your doll turned out. Silly, but true!
It took me forever to gather up the courage to send out my Raspberry for a faceup, but I’m so glad I did! I went with Preciouslily Aesthetics for her faceup, and I sent my Rivanone out to her again this time. I feel like I have a really specific look in mind for my dolls, and she just gets it!
Here’s how my Rivanone turned out, by the way!
If you’ve never sent your dolls out for a faceup before, the general process is pretty similar from artist to artist.
Wait for slots to open.
Not all faceup artists actually accept commissions. Some might just auction heads that they’ve already painted off. Be mindful of this! Usually, social media is the best way to keep up with slot openings.
Claim your slot.
How this happens varies from artist to artist. Some might want the full payment up front, some might do half up front and half when you get your doll — maybe they just don’t accept any payment until they start! There will usually be some sort of FAQ available for you, but if not, just ask! :) You’re going to have to talk to the artist anyway, so don’t be shy now!
Let the artist know what you want.
Some artists also offer an artist’s choice option if you’re not sure what you want. I’ve seen artist’s choice range from the artist 100% picking how the faceup will look to you providing a description of the general vibe you’re going for and the artist taking it from there. If you’re not super picky about how your doll turns out as long as it’s painted and looks good, this might be an option for you. I know exactly what I want, so I don’t pick this option. (๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑)
If you’re picking how your doll looks, there’s usually a form to fill out. The forms are a little different from artist to artist, but generally, you’ll be asked to describe the vibe, colors for each specific region, if you want a specific expression, any character traits to be mindful of, and so on. I provided a Pinterest moodboard and some more detailed descriptions in the form for Rivanone.
Send your doll off.
The WORST part! It’s time to say bye-bye to your baby. You’ll be asked to ship the faceplate (well, obviously haha!) and likely also the headback. Make sure to package your doll up securely and leave some sort of note with who you are, especially if your artist is taking on multiple commissions at the same time.
Don’t forget to provide the tracking information to your artist! It’s a good idea to set up shipping notifications on your end as well.
Tip: Don’t skimp on things like insurance and tracking. Insure your doll for what it’s worth, including the body if you can’t buy the head separately. You’re really going to wish you spent that extra $20 if your doll goes missing, just saying~
Tip for US residents: USPS allows you to pre-purchase shipping labels. You can select insurance and tracking options, pack everything, and print out the label all at home! You don’t need a label maker for this. I just print the labels out on paper and tape them to the box I’m shipping in. It makes things much smoother since most USPS offices have a separate, faster line for packages that already have the label ready to go.
Be patient.
The second worst part. (˶ˆᗜˆ˵) Keep in mind that things like weather, your artist’s work schedule, and the complexity of the commissions ahead of you might all impact how long you wait. If you’re nervous, ask the artist if they’d be okay with providing you regular updates, even if the update is just that they haven’t had a chance to start yet. One thing I really love about working with Preciouslily is that she provides updates without you even having to ask. ♡
Some artists send WIP photos, some don’t. If you’d prefer updates throughout the process, it’s best to go ahead and ask for that up front.
Tip: Trust yourself. If it’s just been too long without any updates, reach out to the artist and ask for an update. They have your money and your doll’s head — you’re not asking for too much to just know what the status is!
Get ready for your doll to ship back.
Your artist will provide a photo of how your doll looks for your approval. Hopefully it’s what you wanted! Let your artist know what shipping options you’d like (for example, tracking and extra insurance) and pay the cost to ship the doll back to you. Hooray! Your doll is almost home!
Inspect your doll when it arrives and let your artist know if there are any issues.
Seriously, don’t skip this step! Your artist can walk you through any scary situations that might have happened in the shipping process. For example, the Texas heat caused some stickiness between my Rivanone’s lips and the tissue paper she was wrapped in. I was so scared, but Preciouslily suggested using some water to wipe that off. Turns out I was worried for nothing! It wiped off so easily! ꉂ (≧ヮ≦)
Enjoy your beautiful doll!
Isn’t she gorgeous? She turned out exactly the way I hoped she would!
