Customizer Spotlight: Lilykoi

Your name: Lilykoi
Your Legal Name: Michelle Adams (Nina)

Website: http://www.dollfair.com/banner9.htm on Deviant Art: http://lilykoi-designs.deviantart.com/

How did you get involved in Super Dollfies and customizing them?
I saw one several years ago and fell in love with the look of the doll. I purchased one as soon as I could and I’ve been hooked on them ever since.

What Inspires You?
Colors! Vibrant and strong colors, even if I don’t use that many strong colors when doing a face-up, I get very inspired by vibrant reds and greens and blues.

What do you want people to think when they look at your Customizations?
Hopefully my love for the doll shows in my work. I want people to know that I really like painting their dolls. It’s the best thing ever.

What do you hope to accomplish in the next 5 years?
I would like to sculpt my own doll. I’m a terrible sculptor so this is definitely a challenge. I also would like to continue working with ABJDs as long as I can.

What sorts of things do you enjoy the most about your designs/customizations?
I really like how diverse my work can be. I think I have a wide range of looks that I can pull off really well, and this versatility is probably what I’m most proud of having accomplished.

Other than yourself, who are your favorite doll customizers?
Avvelenato… Avvelenato… Avvelenato…

What’s the Best thing about customizing your own dolls?I can do whatever I want and let my imagination go in any direction it chooses. Plus, if it looks awful nobody will ever know.

What’s the most difficult thing about doing face ups and altering them?
Placing eyelashes in the dolls! Those things were created to bring about the end of humankind.

What type of dolls do you enjoy customizing (male/female/brands)?
I like customizing both female/male, but the girls get more color, so I can play a bit more with shading and lip color and such.

What is your favorite style to create?
I like all of them but I think I have two that I enjoy the most: I call one style gothic-romantic, because it’s not as strong as full-blown Goth. And I really like when I’m asked for natural face-ups, the dolls features become the focal point instead of the paint, which is just the accent.

Who would you love to collaborate with?
Everybody! The amount of talent in this hobby is overwhelming. I’d love to work with everyone involved.

Why choose doll customizing as a form of Self Expression?I don’t have an answer to this question. All I know is that as soon as I found out that I could paint the dolls I had to do it.

How long does it take from start to finish on a typical doll to create and complete?
It usually depends on the weather, but I take from three to five days, sometimes longer, depending on the amount of detail. Also, I like to have the doll fully dry and “cured” before I send her/him home.  So I would say for the whole process and if the weather plays nice, it takes me about a week-and-a-half.

How do you like to work best with a custom order for a client? With total freedom to create your vision, or do you like some feedback/interchange with a client who might have an idea or theme they would like to see realized?
Both ways works well for me. So far, I haven’t had a problem with either approach.

What have been your favorite projects you’ve done thus far?
All of them, seriously! Each doll has been a learning process and I really like everything I’ve done. I don’t know if I can really choose one because they all have something special to them. I think the doll reflects a bit of the owner’s personality, so when I paint them I’m getting to know the owner and that makes each doll unusual and interesting.

What sets your doll customizations apart from all the others?
I don’t know. I think it depends on whether you like my work or not.  Art is so subjective that I could be the Picasso of the ABJD world but if you don’t like how I do face-ups, it won’t matter how good I am. Hopefully, I come across as a skilled customizer even if you don’t like my style.

Are there any sorts of projects you’ve been hoping to work on but just haven’t gotten around to it?
Yes! Half of my dolls are blank…

What was the most challenging thing you have ever done thus far?
Child birth! LOL. Doll-wise: It has to be when I tattoo dolls. I get very involved in the process of tattooing the dolls and tend to really complicate things. In the end, though, it’s really worth it, because I love how my tattoos look.

How has your style evolved over time, and where do you see it going in the future?
My style was very theatrical/Venetian-Carnival-ish in the beginning.  I was very raw with my colors and lines. I’ve learned how to be subtle and that less is often more. Now my face-ups are a series of color layers instead of blobs. Hopefully, I will continue to get better with the small details, such as lower eyelashes and eyebrows.

Describe your perfect client. Do you like to get a lot of direction, or just be given a general mood, or do you like to see visual examples?
My perfect client is someone who is enjoying the process as much as I am. I like to communicate with people and see what they want from me. So honestly, as long as the customer is comfortable I will be too.

I’m OK all three approaches to customizing. Visual examples help me get an idea of what the client wants, but this is my least favorite approach. I like coming up with my own thing. I’m always reluctant to look at too much stuff because I don’t want to be influenced.

Of all the faceups you’ve done, do any stand out to you in particular? Howso?
I loved the St Mina that I did a year ago. She’s mix of Kabuki and Chinese theater and she always comes to mind when I think about my work. I love all Oriental art forms, so when I get the chance to incorporate that in my face-ups, I love it.

Have you ever refused a commission? Why? Or if not, can you think of a circumstance where you might?
Yes, several times. Every single time, I was asked to blatantly copy someone else’s work. I think this is very disrespectful to me and the artist I’m being asked to copy. I will not work with anybody that asks me that.

Is there something that is still difficult for you to do? What is the most difficult?
Sometimes eyebrows have different opinions from mine…

How important is customer feedback to your creative process?
Customer feedback is the most important aspect of my work right after my ability to do what they ask. So first comes my skill level, and whether I can do what is being asked of me and then, I need the input. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to read minds.

Is there a mold, doll, or company that you prefer to work on?
Not as far as commissions are concerned, I like all the dolls I’ve worked on. I do like Volks resin very much. It just beautiful; so luminous and smooth. It’s almost like porcelain.

Do you have any other interests?  Collections?
I collect books, especially old ones and masks. I have masks on every wall of my house. I also collect old sheet music, don’t know why, but I have stacks of it.

What factors do you consider before giving a doll its make-up so it will have the expression you want?
The position of the eyebrows in relation to the shape of the eyes and the over-all head.  All three things need to match somehow; otherwise the doll looks silly and misshapen.

Are there any painting techniques that can make a face look more masculine or feminine?
The placement of the blushing dictates the “gender” of a face, also the thickness of the eyebrows and the color palette you choose.

Can you offer any helpful hints to the amateur face-up artists? Can you recommend a list of supplies including colors, paints & pastels etc?
Practice, practice, practice! Also, if you’re not having fun then stop. It can be very frustrating at times and those are the times to take a break.

I use an airbrush and acrylics so if this is what they want to use, I’d recommend investing in a good quality airbrush and colors. You don’t need to go out and buy a $1,000.00 airbrush but investing in a good one will save you many headaches.

Do you have a favorite medium you like to work with when not creating for BJDs in your spare time?
I love watercolors and I like earth pastels.

What is your biggest inspiration for your faceups and customizations?
Flowers. When I’m stumped for inspiration, I look at gardening books.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share for people that want to learn how to do face ups or just want to improve?  Something that’s helped you a lot or something that you think is important to know when doing a successful faceup?
Be patient. It takes time and lots of practice. Try out different things and find out what you’re comfortable working with. It’s your creative process so you need to be able to enjoy it.

Closing Comments (anything you’d like to tell us)?
I’m very lucky! I get to play with dolls all the time! What could be better than that?

 

Thank you for the interview! *hugs*