Those who consider imitation the highest form of flattery should meet Noel Cruz. The California-based Filipino’ artist Noel Cruz’s hand-repainted dolls fetch huge sums from celebrities and collectors, and have gotten him featured on A-list Hollywood blogs such as Perezhilton and TMZ.
Far from generic-faced celebrity dolls, Cruz’ creations are works of art that capture signature features and expression in a startlingly lifelike manner. One non-celebrity doll even came with private anatomy.
According to his site, Cruz’ career began when he was searching for a particular doll for his wife. Unsatisfied with the likeness of even very expensive dolls, the portraitist took it upon himself to do better. (A lifelong artist, Cruz has been taking portrait commissions since age 16.)
Procuring an authentic Noel Cruz repaint is not difficult. He sells them on eBay, and accepts occasional commissions; his works start at US$650 — a good buy for doll collectors and even just for those who want a replica of their self that will not age. Visit his site (www.ncruz.com), or read on:
“Of the dolls I’ve created, two of the more challenging were Legolas and Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. Apart from the repaint, the dolls had to be completely hair re-rooted, which is tedious in and of itself. Also, the dolls’ faces had to be resculpted to better match the features of the respective actors.
I have quite a few personal favorites — those dolls based upon Old Hollywood stars, like Lana Turner, Hedy Lamarr, Liz Taylor, Vivien Leigh, Julie Andrews etc. Of the newer celebrities, I enjoyed creating Cher, Angelina Jolie, the main cast of Pirates of the Caribbean, Lindsay Wagner aka Bionic Woman and of course Superman Chris Reeve.
My dolls’ bodies are factory-made, all readily purchased. [Most] are 16-inch fashion dolls from Tonner Doll Company, [which] most collectors prefer, and at the same time fetch the best prices. Every now and then I work on other dolls, such as the British-made Sybarite BJDs (ball-jointed dolls). These are also 16-inchers, much pricier but very sought after.
One doll can take from three days to a week, depending on the complexity. Some dolls need complete hair reroot, or more features painted. I am very exacting with my work, and take careful time with each repaint. To me, it’s not about how fast I can get a doll done. I will never compromise quality for a fast turnaround.
I only work on one doll at any given time. I prefer to work by inspiration, but of those [dolls] commissioned, I particularly enjoyed replicating Cher. I cannot disclose the buyer, but the commission price was close to $4,000.
For aspiring artists and designers, the most important thing is to truly learn your craft. I have been a traditional portrait artist all my life; when I first ventured into dolls, I was surprised and disappointed that my traditional skills did not automatically and easily translate. I realized later that a doll’s face is a different medium, a unique three-dimensional canvas requiring very specific skills. Needless to say, my first attempt [was] a disaster. But I was undaunted. I kept practicing and trying different techniques, [and] in the end I prevailed. My first repaint fetched $162 on ebay, a big deal for me at that time. In hindsight, the dollar amount wasn’t very much, but it validated my work and [proved] that someone finally believed that I was doing it right.
Secondly, create what you are passionate about. It would be a real travesty if every artist created for money. I’ve always had a fascination for miniature representations of people, and always been stimulated by the human face. So doll repainting proved a perfect avenue for me.
Third, never copy another artist’s style. Find your own, that people can identify. Lastly, always be imaginative. Be receptive to new things, don’t get stuck in a rut. Thinking out of the box is what allows artists to flourish and be competitive.
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