Doll or Dollz

A (digital) doll is a digitally drawn human or humanoid figure. They have also been known as pixeldolls, e-dolls and just plain dollz. Most dolls are actually made by two people: a basemaker and a doller.

The term comes from old paper dress-up dolls. Dolls start out as bare bodies and are dressed by drawing clothes on. Most pixel dolls are a single image with a transparent background. Some dolls and baseless dolls come closer to being a digital mini-painting.

Pixel-shaded dolls are shaded like pixel art, tool-shaded dolls are shaded like a digital painting.

Base body by zipple
Dolled by daenelia

Base body by mahoubunnybell
Dolled by daenelia

Hobby or art

Dolling is a very accessible hobby. There are many levels of skill allowed. The dolling community is large and takes in many different types of dollers. Most dollers are girls and young women aged between 13-22, but male dollers are around as well. The community is international, with many different styles, from cutesy-girly stuff to dark and disturbing dolls.

• Find links to sites about dolling;
• Read about how dolling started as an internet phenomenon;
• Find more dolling community forums.

Interested?

Find more about pixel dolls and dolling on other sites:

• Digital Dolls explained on DeviantArt;
• Difference between Cell and Pixel Shading;
• Ninique's Newbies Guide;
• Information About Dolls;
• Dolling Dictionary.

Base body by holli
Dolled by daenelia

Base body by doll on the hill factory (Site closed)
Dolled by daeidre

How to Draw your Own Dolls

The Manor Dollhouse has dollmakers that you can play with. You can use parts I drew to build your own dolls. Playing around with a dollmaker is fun, but not as good as drawing your own pixel dollz.

To draw your own dolls all you need is a program that allows you to draw on your computer. You can draw great pixel dolls in Paint, for instance. All you need to start is a good base body and your imagination. Following some lesssons, or tutorials, is also a good idea. You can find some tutorials on The Manor, but also at the Doll Tutorial Directory.

Anyone can start and learn how to make their own dolls by drawing them. Anyone can draw, anyone can develop a style. Even if no one else likes it, you can have fun drawing things for yourself. I really hope that even if you came for drag and drop dollmakers you will open up Paint and start drawing your own.

Some Dolling Terms:

'Adopting' is a term used in dolling to describe showing off someone else's dolls. If you really like someone's dolls you can make a page on your site with two or three dolls they made, with a link back to the original site. You can see some adopted dolls on The Manor Dollhouse's Adoptions Page.

'Credit' is to say who made the doll, or base, or props, or palette, you used to make a doll. Most of the time a doll is the work of more than one person. One person would make the body, the base, and another person would draw the hair and clothes. It is very important you say who made what, with a clickable link back to who made it.

'Sisters' or 'Siblings' is a term used to describe dollers that have become closer friends. You can ask someone to be your dolling sister if you feel you have a lot in common.

You can find more dolling terms at the Dolling Dictionary.

Base body by monica ng
Dolled by tierratheseeress