Custom DD builder guide thread

I tried looking up everything at once but the results were pretty much incomprehensible for me as someone who wants to begin in the hobby.

I noticed that most threads/articles are about the maintenance and stuff that you'd usually need to know when you already own one, so I wanted to start this thread as a reference to myself as well as a future guide to people who want to break in the hobby just like me. So basically what I want to do is ask questions and have the DD veterans answer them.

- What are the differences between a DDS body and a regular DD body? It really isn't that obvious to me if there actually are.

- Every head from DDH-1 to 9 fit EVERY DD body right? ( By which I mean DDS, DDdy, MDD and the normal DD)

- I really don't get it with DDH-8 and 9. What's the deal about them? They were limited abs won't ever be released again? They're constantly restocked? What is it???!!

- So DDs are 1/3 scale... I saw someone saying that to make clothes for them you just gave to divide measures by three... So that means that bust size and such shouldn't be taken in account?

- How do you even do faceups with watercolor pencils?

- I noticed a lot of faceups end up looking stiff compared to some Japanese ones. What if I want to make them like cototono? How do I get that eyelash effect?

These are just mine. I think others should post theirs as well since the more we learn, the better. I'm not asking one person to answer all of these but even if it's gradual, it would be nice seeing them answered. Thanks!!

I tried looking up everything at once but the results were pretty much incomprehensible for me as someone who wants to begin in the hobby.

I noticed that most threads/articles are about the maintenance and stuff that you'd usually need to know when you already own one, so I wanted to start this thread as a reference to myself as well as a future guide to people who want to break in the hobby just like me. So basically what I want to do is ask questions and have the DD veterans answer them.

- What are the differences between a DDS body and a regular DD body? It really isn't that obvious to me if there actually are.

- Every head from DDH-1 to 9 fit EVERY DD body right? ( By which I mean DDS, DDdy, MDD and the normal DD)

- I really don't get it with DDH-8 and 9. What's the deal about them? They were limited abs won't ever be released again? They're constantly restocked? What is it???!!

- So DDs are 1/3 scale... I saw someone saying that to make clothes for them you just gave to divide measures by three... So that means that bust size and such shouldn't be taken in account?

- How do you even do faceups with watercolor pencils?

- I noticed a lot of faceups end up looking stiff compared to some Japanese ones. What if I want to make them like cototono? How do I get that eyelash effect?

These are just mine. I think others should post theirs as well since the more we learn, the better. I'm not asking one person to answer all of these but even if it's gradual, it would be nice seeing them answered. Thanks!!

 

I start replying some questions, even if some are stated in many threads:

 

-DDS and DD have measurements differences, DDS is like a younger sister of DD , so her busts are smaller compared to same in DD size, are a little shorter and a little smaller in measurements of waist/tights etc you can check official measurements here http://www.dollfiedreams.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=44 and an amazing size comparison through photos there http://www.dollfiedreams.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2333

- EVERY HEAD goes on any body , they all have same way to fit in the neck plug so they are all designed to fit in any body you want (DD, DDS, MDD and DDY)

- Actually 8 and 9 heads are not limited, they just are sold only in the Volks' physical store in Japan about DD, and are only in Normal Skin FOR NOW , so you have to go to Jpaan to buy them or have somone going there for you to pick them up, actually that's the choice Volks made, also they have also a couple of animetic eyes as well sold only on the physical store. Actually there are no news regarding them being sold on the web store (but they have said in the news that they will release the 2 heads also in semi-white skin) .

-1/3 scale is the height scale, all measurements are way different from just dividing by 3 human's measurements (for example a DD3 has waist size of 14 cm, no way a real woman has a waist of 42 cm!) , i sew for DDs and it's way more difficult that just dividing by 3 human patterns, everyone here who sews for them on daily basis for commission or not creates mockup and/or custom patterns based on dolls itself, they have no realistically human proportions, they have waist too thin and tights too big, too long legs, etc etc

-Here we use acrylics and watercolour pencils to make faceups (along with soft pastels) , usually with watercolours you have a softer look, less vibrant colours, but many, like me, use both, it's matter of practice.

- There's no way to know how some oriental faceupper achieve a determinate effect, everyone here works in his way and with his own tastes, many like a more "Graphical" style like volks faceups, other choose other styles and path, you have to take in account also experiente, faceupper like Cotonono have done like 100+ heads keeping same style because they don't work on commission basis but just on their tastes, obviously everyone gets better with practice, so it's only matter of exercise and practice, and obviously following your own visual taste, no one wants to be a ripoff of someone's other

Edited July 3, 2015 by Guest

I'm aware that some of these were already answered. But I'm also pretty sure no one would go through the trouble of looking through thousands of posts for one phrase. My idea here is to make a master thread which would become a reference for everyone !

I'm aware that some of these were already answered. But I'm also pretty sure no one would go through the trouble of looking through thousands of posts for one phrase. My idea here is to make a master thread which would become a reference for everyone !

You don't have to scroll through thousands of posts, there is a search function located at the top of each page.

I remember when I looked into the hobby at first, I saw on the old Volks USA site a ton of different DD categories (back when they were still selling DD2 bodies) and it was like, why so many?? what's the difference!? They just had a big list of product categories (including each skin tone) with no explanation

 

What are the differences between a DDS body and a regular DD body? It really isn't that obvious to me if there actually are.

As said, it's like a younger sister body, so also a bit shorter. One example is the recent Macross F pre-order project, Sheryl is a DD and Ranka is a DDS. When you put them side by side it's a bit more clear.

 

You can also see the three base bodies here (next to the headline "Dollfie Dream BaseBody"),

 

http://www.dollfiedream.tokyo/en/dollfiedream/concept.html/

 

Dollfie Dream Dynamite (DDdy) is sexy, DD3 is normal (DD3 means third generation DD body), Dollfie Dream Sister (DDS) is more on the cute side.