Hello, everyone 
Hope all is well.
To complement my doll, I’ve been on the lookout for a custom head to add a more personal flair to it. Throughout this search, I spoke with countless manufacturers and vendors about taking on such a project and was met with a number of responses from costs to available features.
By chance, I stumbled upon a relatively new manufacturer, Normon Doll.
Normon Doll specialized in wax figurines showing their range with a wide assortment of expressions and looks. This spanned from a realistic appearance to more on the fantasy side with animated characters. Here’s a quick collage showcasing the possibilities along with a linked thread, some of whom will be familiar:
Upon seeing their work, I was left amazed and had to get in touch with them. Lucky for me and the doll community by large, they were more than happy to oblige and take on my request.
In wanting something unique, I opted to go ahead with AI generated images for the project. I provided reference photos covering the subject from different angles to help paint the big picture. Here are the concept photos for my custom head:
As far as options, I chose to go ahead with soft silicone as the material. This included ROS with a movable jaw. I placed a huge focus on the facial expression with the goal of capturing it as best as possible in the design–a slightly open mouth with a hint of a smile. This will be something to keep in mind as the combination of movable jaw and ROS opened a world of possibilities when it comes to facial expressions.
Normon Doll matched my enthusiasm for the facial expression and the internals as they introduced a new, softer silicone to be used for the ROS portion of the custom.
They took great care and detail and honed in on it by designing it through software.
The craftsman heading the project took on a more traditional approach in crafting the custom head with the use of wax. Much praise to him, it’s their speciality after all! Here is the initial wax design:
And from that, it went to this. Very detailed to say the least. A side-by-side comparison of the source image and clay sculpture along with different angles of the design itself.
After some time, the craftsmen showcased the mold of the custom. Here it is available to view along with the ROS feature. It’s really coming along:
In addition to wax sculpturing, Normon Doll also excels in the use of makeup. There was some back and forth with them about the final makeup look before deciding on it. Here, the craftsman was applying makeup:
Soon enough, the custom head came with beautiful makeup applied to it. She’s a real beauty.
It’s a world of difference with what looks can be achieved with makeup application as shown in the above and following images. The custom head has an entirely different look from earlier.
Each step along the process, I was pleasantly surprised. From the planning stages with the sales rep, Lisa, to the final completed design and everything else in between.
The craftsman did a really good job with her facial expression. It has the desired open mouth with teeth showing and a hint of a smile. Although it’s fun to use the app–by achieving this type of look with the movable jaw, it bypasses having to use FaceApp for it.
A common finding for head designs being offered as both a hard silicone and soft silicone head with ROS is with the upper teeth. While it shows on the hard silicone design, more often than not, this does not translate well when making the move to soft silicone with ROS, instead with the lower teeth being visible and the upper teeth NOT visible. For comparison, here is the source material when matched with the end result. Yes, they not only did it–they absolutely knocked this one out the park!
Things to consider: I was advised by Normon Doll prior to the project starting that going with hard silicone will more closely resemble the source material and offer greater detail. I heeded their advice but still went ahead with soft silicone for this project, which worked out for the best for everyone involved. Shown is an example of one of their own head designs being offered as both hard silicone and soft silicone:
With that said, I’m already in the planning stages looking into a follow up custom project going in the direction of hard silicone for the next go around. Yes, Kimiko will become an older sister. They are my go-to when it comes to customizing a head design for now and the forseeable future.
For anyone interested in this custom head, Normon Doll is offering it as Kimiko matched with their new body 166cm:
For more on this custom head, @Arthur1960 has brought her to life by capturing her beauty and showcasing her in the best light possible through his photographs. Thank you @Arthur1960!
I hope this gives better insight into Normon Doll’s approach along with what they can do and achieve with a custom order. There is no one-size fits all approach to it, and they are willing to work with you on your wants and needs for such a request.
I was very happy with my decision to go with this newer brand and can vouch for them. Many, many thanks to Lisa for all her work in communicating and keeping me updated throughout the project. She worked tirelessly to ensure everything was perfect and kept me in the loop throughout. Thank you so much to Normon Doll and wishing them continued success in the future. A big round of applause for them 
Here are some pictures taken with the custom. Enjoy!
