FAQ About Other Art Dolls

 Reborn Dolls Are NOT The Only Art Dolls!

 

1. This might be a little off-topic but I am curious. Where did you find Bongo? Yes, you may have noticed by now that Bongo is most definitely not a Reborn doll. But he is a type of art doll, nonetheless. He is what you would probably call an OOAK Realistic Animal Doll. "OOAK" stands for "Original One of A Kind" or "One Of A Kind", depending on your preference. This tagging means that Bongo, unlike most Reborn dolls and definitely unlike any other doll in my collection, is not made from any sort of mass produced mold or blueprint in any way, shape or form. He was individually made by the talented Olena Batii and there will never be another Bongo on the face of this Earth, he is the only one in existence, even if the artist attempts to replicate him for someone else. I discovered Bongo one day while perusing a site for artist teddy bear enthusiasts, Tedsby. The moment that I laid eyes on him, I felt a very powerful thought telling me that he would make a great character for a children's book series, in which the photographic illustrations could be inspired by a childhood favorite of mine, I SPY. The author in me *needed* him as her companion and he is now waiting in the wings here in my nursery for me to be able to begin work on his first book. I also notified Olena right away that I would like to use him for a book series and she consented happily as she sent him home to me after the purchase. 
2.  What are some other types of art dolls? Oh, there are quite a few. There are ball jointed dolls (BJDs), there are Monster High Dolls, there are custom Barbies, there are handmade dolls, there are Blythe dolls, there are Taeyang/Pullip dolls, there are custom plush dolls and there are even custom/hyper realistic animals. There's basically an art doll for just about any and every taste: Etsy even boasts a slew of amazingly detailed gory/horror art dolls and plushies.
3.  What materials are commonly used in art dolls? It depends largely on what type of doll you are looking for. I would say that most, like the BJDs, Blythes, Monster Highs, Barbies, Pullips and most general handmade dolls are acryllic-painted, varnish-sealed, rooted vinyl dolls, but some artists also create plush or cloth dolls that utilize fabric paints, faux fur, buttons, dowel eyes, thread, stuffing, fabric, etc. 
4.  Are all realistic dolls considered art dolls? Nearly. In the Reborn hobby, there are some manufacturers of semi-realistic dolls that are not quite "art dolls" or "Reborns" but aside from that, yes, realistic dolls usually do tend to turn out to be artist-made dolls in my experience. But there are non-realistic dolls which are also art dolls, like Long Furbies or Skull Animals. 
5.  How do the artists achieve such lifelike detail on these other art dolls? When it comes to the vinyl dolls, I would assume the process is quite similar to creating a Reborn doll. With faux fur or fabric dolls though, artists typically start with a pattern that produces realistic shapes if their aim is to create a real world animal as faithfully as possible. They will also use dowel eyes or taxidermy button eyes and taxidermy plastic noses and claws. When the animal is sewn together, these artists then usually take a paintbrush and add tinting or markings with oil paints. So if you see a realistic animal plush, the artist likely painstakingly learned how to cut and sew a very difficult project together and then spent hours layering on paint to create a lifelike look. 
6.  Is Bongo one of a kind or part of a limited series? Olena made only one of Bongo. There are no others. He is a one-of-a-kind bear for sure!
7. Did you name Bongo and what is the significance of his name? I did not name Bongo, my lifelong best friend named him for me, technically. I picked out a list of names and had friends vote on what to call him. My lifelong best friend strongly urged me to include 'Bongo' on the roster and literally everyone voted for it in every round it cropped up in, so he became Bongo. I think she wanted me to name him that, after one of the bears in Walt Disney's "Fun & Fancy Free". It was fitting though, because I was writing his backstory as a circus bear and Bongo was a circus bear, too. 
8.  How do you protect or care for an art doll on display? Best things to do are follow the guidelines that you would as if caring for a Reborn, for starters. Additionally, for both Reborns and other vinyl art dolls, using distilled water and a gentle cloth with a dabbing motion works for keeping them somewhat dust-free. For art dolls like Bongo though, who are made of stuffing and faux fur with oil paints, moisture of any kind is probably not a good idea. For these, it may be best to gently bat them all over to remove settled dust but my personal favorite recommendation for taking care of dolls like Bongo is... gently play with them every so often! If they are being played with here and there, dust is a bit less likely to settle on them. Another tip is... Keep them away from small children or children who are not old enough to handle delicate artwork with care. 
9.  What kind of environment suits an art doll best? A dry space, with cool or room temperature that is away from direct sunlight like a window. Additionally, heaters, fans and vents are not advisable in close proximity to any art doll, as their paint can dry out, vinyl can warp from heat and sunlight can fade paint. Moisture is also a huge no-no, as it can damage paint and grow mold... and trying to keep the space dust free is a good idea as well.
10.  Is it okay to handle or dress the doll, or is it meant to remain untouched? It depends on how the artist chose to make the doll in question. Some most definitely can be handled for gentle cuddles, posing for photos and dressing. Others, which are usually more like sculptural works, probably not. Bongo in particular is able to be cuddled, posed for photos and dressed up, but I try to keep all of that to a minimum so as not to damage him.
11. Are there communities or exhibitions for art doll collectors? Oh, yes! There are doll shows and conventions where all kinds of dolls are welcome to be featured and for ones like Bongo, there are actual artist/collector teddy bear shows and conventions. 
12.  Why are art dolls sometimes misunderstood or overlooked? I think that people actually just are not very aware of the existence of art dolls as a whole. It is not that they are overlooked, it's more like people just are not exposed to them much. With the exception of Reborn dolls, art dolls as a whole do not get much exposure to the outside world. Regular people are not made aware of their existence via movies or games or the news or anything. I also am not sure we can say that they are all generally misunderstood. Because there are more widely accepted art dolls and there are art dolls which people find too odd or creepy. Monster Highs, for example, are pretty widely accepted, but a gore plush from Etsy might be met with some disgust or shock. The scarier ones might be misunderstood simply because it is a natural reflex in people to react to fear in such a way that they immediately shy away without trying to process and understand first.
13. How do art dolls challenge conventional ideas of beauty or realism? Art dolls challenge conventional ideas of beauty and realism simply by providing an avenue with which artists can sort of bend physical reality with their ideas. A good example of this might be the original Pennywise Monster High dolls that artists were making around 2017. Monster High dolls are widely liked for how they beautify fictional monsters and Pennywise is a monster that is often feared or thought to be ugly at the very least. However, when one artist applied Pennywise's skin tone, markings, teeth, eye color, bright orange hair and silvery outfit to a Monster High doll base, suddenly a lot of people wanted one and thought it looked amazing. Suddenly, a Pennywise doll was considered beautiful and that fed into the phenomenon at the time where people were sort of realizing that the monstrous character could be considered attractive. Some art dolls also do challenge ideas about- or rather, perception of- reality and realism. Like Bongo for example. Art dolls made to so closely resemble living creatures force people to rethink that perception a bit. I sometimes take Bongo out shopping with me and he has actually had a few people mistake him for a real grizzly bear cub, despite the fact that he obviously does not move or breathe. It makes people do a double take, as they wonder "wait- that animal wasn't moving!". 
14. More Q's coming soon!