IA (Vocaloid) custom

Hi! I've been considering making a custom IA doll and wanted to run my ideas through here before I purchase anything. Any thoughts/feedback/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

One of my main goals is for her to look like she fits in with the official Vocaloid dollfies as much as possible since I do expect her to be in photos with them. I think I'm leaning for a DD and not a DDS so she'll be the same size as Miku. As for skin tone, I can't decide between semi-white (might be better for her very light colored hair? or is it too pale?) or the regular flesh tone.

I'm currently considering the blank head + base body route if the face is going to be custom painted anyway. Does anyone have head sculpts they'd recommend? I'm thinking DDH-09 so the eyes look less awake and have more of a calm expression.

As for eyes, I'm stuck deciding between Type-I in either Ruri/Blue or Sumire/Violet, but am still open to other suggestions if another eye type looks closer to the Vocaloid eyes.

If you take face up commissions and think this character would be up your alley, or if there's an artist you'd recommend, please let me know! Sharing a link to your/your recommendation's face-up gallery would be perfect! The Sakura Wars dollfie has some very sweet eyes, I think something similar is what I'm hoping for in an IA custom.

Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear any thoughts! 

I personally think Semi-White would be the best skin choice for her, as I agree that 'Flesh' would be a little too dark with her hair.  I'm a little biased because DDH-09 is one of the few heads that I actually like besides Miku's, but I think it's a great choice for the look you're wanting.  It should definitely give you that kind of 'softer' expression instead of being really 'bright' and cheery.  The Sumire eyes would be almost perfect though, if just to start with!  You can always find another pair later on or even find someone to make some customs for you, to really get ones that look like the other VOCALOID eyes but in the right colour.

I think IA is so cute, so I'm really excited to see what you come up with for a custom of her!  Have you looked around at wigs at all yet?

The eye shape and size in your first three pictures is much closer to that of DDH-07 rather than DDH-09.

The third picture especially with the 3/4 view, looks very much like DDH-07. DDH-09 doesn't look at all like that in profile.

However:

18 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

I'm a little biased because DDH-09 is one of the few heads that I actually like besides Miku's [...]

I'm the opposite here; I strongly dislike the DDH-09 so take that into account with my comments. It looks fine in the picture posted, but in profile it is weird to me, and without bangs covering the forehead, it has this weird furrowed brow look due to how it is sculpted.

I think you want semi-white because I don't think IA should be darker in skintone than Volks Miku, who is semi-white.

Volks eye reference:

https://www.dollfiedream.tokyo/dd_en/item/eyes/

I think blue/ruri Type-O or possibly the Type-N are the closest matches to the style of eyes in the artwork posted. Normally those are only available at the Doll Point Volks store, but for now you can order them from Volks Japan (ignore the "sales within Japan only" disclaimer; it is incorrect):

https://dollfie.ec.volks.co.jp/category/D_200415_SP_AKB/

If you use DDH-09, you probably want 24mm. For DDH-07 and the Type-O, 22mm, for Type-N either 22mm or 24mm would work depending on the look you prefer.

As someone who owns both the 07 and 09 sculpts, and likes both of them, I vote for the 09. To me, only the fourth picture down resembles the 07, because the eyes are a bit sharper and more narrow in that picture. The others have slightly wider eyes, more like the 09. I have always considered the 09 to look roughly halfway between the feminine prettiness of the 06 and the sharper maturity of the 07.

I also vote in favour of SW 9, but 9 is my favourite of the standard heads after all. 7 definitely seems too mature to be IA, especially next to Miku. But I say so also because I'm certain i saw a custom 09 IA somewhere on twitter a few years back, and for the life of me I can't find the pictures anymore ._. If I ever find them again I'll link them.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Monty

9 hours ago, Jezrah said:

I have always considered the 09 to look roughly halfway between the feminine prettiness of the 06 and the sharper maturity of the 07.

I agree that 09 is sort of in-between 06 and 07, though feminine is a word that would never occur to me in reference to 06; to me it's girly or innocent. It's far too young-loooking to be feminine to me.

Maybe it's my own old age that makes me see the heads differently than everyone else.

Edited May 18, 2020 by cfx

Thank you all for the input! I tried to Google some images and I see what @cfx means about the furrowed brow on the 09. The 07 is nice, but it does feel more mature than what I'm aiming for. I still like the eyes on the 09 and hope with a wig the brow won't be a problem.

I think a semi-white DDH-09 is my first choice in blank heads, but unfortunately it appears that VolksUSA is no longer in stock. That's fine by me since I need more time to plan and prepare, but I see something about it being a Dolpa head. I'm unfamiliar with what that means, but is that an event-only item rarely available in the USA store? I can't tell if I can expect it back in stock later in the year or where else to get one.

DDH-09 was originally only sold at Volks Doll Point, so it wasn't a standard product available to order. That hasn't been true for a few years but there are probably still references to it.

The lighting in most pictures doesn't show the brow thing. That's not the best description I guess; it's just how the eyelids and nose bridge are done. I've never seen anyone else mention it so I suppose only I find it bothersome. Bangs do tend to hide it; here's a random pic I found that shows it though the lighting doesn't show it as much as I've seen in some pictures:

Another one that shows it maybe a bit more:

While I'm posting pics, the other thing that I don't like is how angular the jawline is, which is most visble in 3/4 view like here. This face shape is why I didn't feel the head looks like that art of IA:

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by cfx

5 minutes ago, cfx said:

The lighting in most pictures doesn't show the brow thing. That's not the best description I guess; it's just how the eyelids and nose bridge are done.

I've literally never noticed this before, but you're right, it's almost like there's a 'puffiness' between the eyes that would greatly lend itself to more expressive furrowed-brow or otherwise moody looks.  I actually think it's pretty cute, though!

14 hours ago, MagicalRinchan said:

I can't tell if I can expect it back in stock later in the year or where else to get one.

It will be restocked! I dont know if VolksUSA has email subscription for items, but VolksInternational lets you subscribe so you get notified when items are restocked - I've done it a few times. Otherwise just keep checking back.

I still cant find the 9 I know I saw on twitter at some pount, but I found a different custom IA on this blog that I thiiink is a 6? I'm thrown off by the stern eyebrows because I dont think I've seen a 6 with them lol. I think she looks good but I wish the photos were clearer. I like how theyve done her wig.
http://kadoubaka.blog46.fc2.com/blog-entry-149.html

I actually went trawling through this blog to see if they mentioned where they got the wig they styled but couldn't find it if they mentioned it. They've also made a Yukari.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Monty

1 hour ago, Monty said:

I found a different custom IA on this blog that I thiiink is a 6?

If it's a standard head that's the only choice. Comparing to Miko, I feel like the eyes are larger than 6, but it might just be the huge eyes used.

https://volksusastore.com/webstores/dollfie/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=782

I also think it might be Cirno:

https://dollfie.volks.co.jp/dd/model/ddb-clm-0072.html

Unless her head is smaller being a MDD?

Edited May 19, 2020 by cfx

Looks like an 06 to me. The 06 can take really large eyes. Those custom eyes have very little white showing, which can make them look even bigger. Cirno's head would indeed be smaller due to being a limited MDD.

I am not much help on the options but I just LOVE seeing the custom dolls that are either based off a character or fits in a world as a new character.  I am currently working on making cosplay for my dolls. Can't wait to see your finished doll!

On 5/19/2020 at 7:16 AM, Monty said:

http://kadoubaka.blog46.fc2.com/blog-entry-149.html

Ahhh! She's adorable!! What an amazing job! Does anyone know which skin tone that is? Semi-white? The lighting makes it hard for me to tell, but the wig color against that skin tone works very well!

I thought it was Flesh, but its pretty hard to tell in those photos, and looking at them again I don't know anymore. I do think both would work, though.

The first picture looks like flesh; the second looks more like semi-white but could be anything.

In deciding what color to use, maybe take into consideration the skin tones of the Volks Vocaloids. Miku is semi-white, so if you make IA flesh she'll look a bit tanned by comparison, especially because the light hair color will make her appear darker.

 

6 hours ago, cfx said:

Miku is semi-white, so if you make IA flesh she'll look a bit tanned by comparison, especially because the light hair color will make her appear darker.

I'm honestly a bit lost as to which tone to go for. I've looked up photos of Volks skin comparisons and I think I want Semi-white based on that alone, but photos of other dolls in Semi-white with light-colored hair such as Idolmaster Takane look too pale, meanwhile dolls like Nier 2B and FGO Mash look perfectly fine.

On the other hand, the God Eater Alisa dollfie has light hair yet is Flesh toned, and she looks fine as well. (She also looks very IA-like, albeit more serious, to me? I can't tell if her likeness is tricking my eyes to consider Flesh-)

Takane is like my favorite DD ever heh...there is something about the combination of her skintone, hair color and sculpt that makes her look like a porcelain doll. Some of the best pictures of her I have found online are on this blog (which I think belongs to someone on this forum):

http://grande-masquerade.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-complicated-arrival-of-takane-shijou.html

I like Alisa as well. The skin colors are really hard to judge in pictures; the other thing is the names sort of imply something that's a little different than reality in my opinion. Semi-white is lighter than flesh, but not hugely so; the real difference is a difference in color; flesh has a tan or orange component to it, while semi-white is much more pinkish.

Look at @Monty's picture post here, because there are pictures of Miku (semi-white) and Luka (flesh) together which shows how the two colors compare:

While Luka's wig is more intense pink than what you'll probably have for IA, that hair/skin combination may also give you an idea.

Aquamarine has made two scale figures of IA:

https://www.goodsmile.info/en/product/6197/IA+ROCKS+ARIA+ON+THE+PLANETES.html

https://www.goodsmile.info/en/product/4710/IA+ARIA+ON+THE+PLANETES+ver+1+5.html

The skin on both of those is more like the color of Volks flesh, I think.

If all else fails, buy something like a pair of hands in both colors so you can see them in person. If you're planning on getting Rin and Miku eventually you'll have a use for whichever doesn't end up being IA's color.

Edited May 22, 2020 by cfx

lol, Takane is lovely and one of my favorite Idolmas girls, but I only mean in the sense that she's not what I want in an IA doll is all. 😉

Due to how Alisa looks and how I personally felt it was what I wanted in an IA doll, I caved in and ordered a Flesh DDH-09 head with a few painting supplies to start off! The semi-white is nice, but the paleness I've see in some photos has been a persistent concern of mine. I want to see the head in person and give painting a try before I commit to a whole body in Flesh tone, but I'm hoping everything works out!

My only real exposure to IA is via MMD videos, but anytime I've seen her, I've never noticed her skin tone being any darker than anyone else's. By anyone else, I mean Miku, Rin, Luka and the other usual suspects.

With DD, Miku is semi-white while Rin, Len, and Luka are flesh/normal, so either way IA isn't going to match someone.

Yes, IA generally has the same skin tone as a lot of the other anime-styled Vocaloids. I was just trying to decide between semi-white or flesh/normal skin as both are viable options. However I want a little more color in her skin, so I think the flesh/normal tone is the best choice. It gives a little more contrast between her hair and skin.

I haven't received the 09 head I ordered yet, but from what I've seen in photos and of dolls I've encountered in person, the flesh/normal skin tone really isn't as dark as some of the photos on Volks' website. She'll still match Rin, Len, Luka, and Sakura Miku. Miku and Snow Miku are the only semi-white skinned Vocaloid dolls at the moment.

She is going to be lovely. Adore the hair!

I'm waiting for the eyes I want to be back in the VolksUSA store, but in the meantime I'm trying to find potential wigs. Any recommendations for shops (or specifically for IA's long sandy/peach colored hair)? I've been looking around, but I have no idea if doll wigs generally leave the bangs left long for styling or are already cut. I'd like to have enough bang to style her long center bang.

I found Dollce's "long long" style today and rather like it. IA has such ridiculously long hair and it looks like there's enough wig to make the two braids in the front. I'm thinking this peachy color might work? It's a 9inch which I understand is supposed to fit Dollfie heads.

Though as it's a Japanese site and I'm only using Google translate, I currently can't tell if they would ship to the USA. >_<

Edited August 1, 2020 by MagicalRinchan
photo edit

8 hours ago, MagicalRinchan said:

Though as it's a Japanese site and I'm only using Google translate, I currently can't tell if they would ship to the USA. >_<

You want their English store here. https://dollce.stores.jp/items/5cca7eadf897543ebdb5338d They ship internationally through this shopfront - I used them last year to get a greeny black wig. ...Unfortunately they arent shipping anywhere right now due to the postal situation/COVID, as the popup will tell you, but just for future reference anyway.
That wig is also currently sold out, but you can sign up for restock notifications.