Head Sizes & Visual Compatability?

[Kadyssa]

Among 1/6 scale dolls, there is a massive variance in head sizes as well as in body sizes. My personal experience is very limited, and I've only really ever owned Monster High and Ever After high dolls as an adult. As I expand my collection and move towards more BJD's and hybrid dolls I'm beginning to wonder, will all these head sizes and body sizes look alright when I start doing more photography and having them interact?

I'm kinda guessing that a Barbie would look awkward beside the 6.5in head of the DollZone Candace I ordered, but I really don't know since I don't actually have her yet. I would like to get a boy to go with my BJD as well, but all the 1/6 mature-bodied boys have tiny heads!

Do you think it's aesthetically pleasing to pose dolls with different head sizes together? Is there an 'acceptable range' of head size for dolls to look good together? (For example, since my doll will have a 6.5 inch head, should her companions have heads between 5.5 and 7.5 inches?) Do body proportions look odd if they're too different, as well? (Will an Obitsu-bodied doll look like an alien beside a more chibi BJD?)

I've seen comparison photos of dolls lined up like sticks, but a more natural photo would help me see how they look together as little art models. Lounge a few on a dolly-sized couch, or (the first thing that popped into my head) dolls with different head sizes arm wrestling!

[Iwa_Hoshi]

I figure you might have come by this site (http://dollection.fi/heaven/). From the experience as a 1/6 Obitsu doll troopmaster, jumping size to Obi50 is a little weird but cranking it up to a broad shoulder Iple EID Hero dude really throws things off when you see the doll in person.

I have an anime face neemo that runs around with eyeholed Paraboxes and action figurish Obitsu, Amazons and dudes. I think of said Neemo as a catgirl to account for her different face style.

In my case I chose to ignore the difference and pretend that some of them have in-between were creature form and as well as kyojin or alternative forms(any excuse for more dolls), At the end of the day, your dolls take on your storyline, they can be as fantastical as needed. Your new doll will let you 'know' if there's a need to get more dolls of the same size and style.

Parabox Neko with 8-9 head Iple, the same character.
2 set of big small version
Doubling as older younger version (7-8 head with 9-10)

Some days you just want to work with faeries.

[DollyKim]

My doll people go from 11cm up to 70cm and it seems each brand of 1/6 has its own idea of proportions so the only cut off I have is if they can or can't fit through the dollhouse door. It's occupants go from proportional to slightly oversized like the Obitsu animae head on 21cm bodies.

I don't think the dolls care, new friends are new friends. Just be careful leaving boy and girl dolls together, that's an easy way to end up with more

[embyquinn]

As you can see in my sig pic, I have both 3/4 heads and 5/6 heads in my collection. The 3/4s are more common, but I currently interact with the 5/6s (Cherry and Johnny) most often. I'm used to it, so it doesn't look jarring to me, but the size difference is marked and no mistake. Then again, all the members of my dollieh krewe know they're dolls and not real people, so proportion isn't so important. In fact, my 14-inch Miyae is very outsized, being 1/5 and not 1/6, something that Ashe has often made comment on. No pics, but here's a handful of 3D cartoons that illustrate this dilemma:






Yes, as shown in the pictures below, I do have a 1/6 Miyae as well, to go with my 1/6 Joe (her significant other), but I really like the interaction between 1/5 Miyae and the other dolls in these. It might at least give you some idea how dolls of slightly different sizes look when interacting.

[Kadyssa]

I love coming back to a goldmine of information when I ask a question!

Iwa_Hoshi, I hadn't actually seen the dollection blog... or if I did it was so long ago that I don't recognize it. I was a little confused by all of the buttons at first, but it only took a second to figure out and it's absolutely awesome. I liked seeing your 1/6 obitsu, neemo and hujoo freyas together, I'm thinking really hard about ordering a hujoo freyr or phoebe and that picture might have sold me on the size of the hujoo anthros working with the obitsu bodied dolls I was already planning for.

Embyquinn, I love your comic! Do you mind if I ask how it was made? I was guessing 3-D modeling or photo editing, but I'm really not sure. I probably should have clarified when I said 'little art models' that I actually intend to draw them! I'm an art student taking a break from college, but I 'm really much too awkward to just ask my friends to hold still for half an hour in a weird pose so I can practice... My dolls never mind holding still for me. I was worrying that I would want to equalize that proportions of the dolls as I drew them, either resulting in a bunch of wasted time and erasing or simply pulling proportions out of my head. (Drawing from imagination doesn't help me learn!) You, though, you've managed to make art and hold the proportions beautifully, and seeing someone else make the difference look nice makes me a little more confident that I can do it, too.

DollyKim, 70cm is so big! I can't imagine where big dolls live, mine would have to hide in a box like a vampire until I got my own house... Though I would love to have an elegantly detailed 1/3 boy. You don't think I'll end up with more resin dolls if my BJD is left with the Obitisu boys, do you? Perhaps I will discover a bunch of resin apple heads on little obitsu bodies.

[Iwa_Hoshi]

I'm thinking really hard about ordering a hujoo freyr or phoebe and that picture might have sold me on the size of the hujoo anthros working with the obitsu bodied dolls I was already planning for.

Lol! I was waffling over whether or not to hunt down the Monster High Grey cat sisters to custom into something like Toralei (Looks like Helen's base except orange...) Was afraid that I might break the Monster High limbs and Hujoo cats won.

[DollyKim]

The 70s do live in their boxes because of their size, the big dolls used to have a chair to sit in. My preferred size is 1/6 because I came in to custom dolls with all my Barbie stuff. I went Obitsu 60 for my first big doll and could have had just him but fate determined I needed my resin 45 who opened Pandora's Ball Jointed Doll Box.

Iwa_Hoshi you are right about Monster limbs being fragile, my Toralei has a cracked leg and I keep finding thrift store dolls with broken arm pegs. Hujoos will probably hold their poses better.

[Iwa_Hoshi]

Iwa_Hoshi you are right about Monster limbs being fragile, my Toralei has a cracked leg and I keep finding thrift store dolls with broken arm pegs. Hujoos will probably hold their poses better.

The Hujoo cats are okay so far, although the lower legs seems to rotate to the back on their own.

[Kadyssa]

I'm pretty rough on my MH dolls as I customize them, and though I've got some bent neck pegs and loose limbs I've never actually broken anything... yet. They really don't pose well enough for me, but all of the different shapes and colors make them wonderful for character realization. I usually only buy dolls that immediately give me ideas for customs, but lately I can't decide what to actually get because all of the bases are so different and fascinating! To steer myself a little bit back on topic, I'm really used to the MH doll head-to-body ratio now, even though I used to prefer the realistic head proportions more like barbies and Limhwa mature 1/6 dolls. I guess it's won me over because I can't think about buying a made-to-move barbie without desperately trying to figure out what to re-head her with...

I've been looking at the Hujoo anthros and the FallinDoll anthros forever... I just wish the hujoos were taller, or at least the cats. I think I'd prefer long, elegant cat girls. Phoebe, though, is a good scale for a mouse! On a side note, I've seen a Wings head on and Obitsu 27cm male body running around somewhere... It made me want to try a Jake head on the same body, I'm starting to think it'll be perfect. (as long as I can stalk the hujoo site effectively enough to catch a Jake head in stock) Anyone think that will work well?

[Iwa_Hoshi]

I've been looking at the Hujoo anthros and the FallinDoll anthros forever... I just wish the hujoos were taller, or at least the cats. I think I'd prefer long, elegant cat girls. Phoebe, though, is a good scale for a mouse!

Be careful what you wish for, we have quite a number of enablers here. Off hand it does looks like the Hujoo cats are the tallest(friend has a Pippos Cheshire). If you don't mind wading into 1/4 territory for elegant ladies and dashing gentlecats, peak into Dollmore(resisting grey Rhea), Luts and Dear mine (I can't help it that Helen is grey and I want to attempt the 9 lives, 9 forms route )

Off hand these are the 3 MSD cat types that come to mind.