I have been reading some of the posts regarding open mouths / hands etc. I for one am not a fan of open mouths but do like open hands. When I use to do porcelain dolls (and some sculpting) it was brought to our attention that expressions that are over-emphasized begin to look un-natural over time. What originally attracted you to the sculpt begins to get not so good as time goes on. Lets say a hand that has an un-natural pose to it gets to be the very thing you start to dislike about the sculpt. Same with facial features (specially mouths), you are taught that having natural poses for faces and hands is much more pleasing to the eye long term. Simply because a hand or mouth doesn’t stay in an un-natural position for any length of time, it quickly goes back to a relaxed position, Just throwing out my opinion here, has anyone found this to be true in the dolls they own?
I totally agree. The most fleeting baby expressions are sweet, but they are meant to be fleeting and I much prefer the more relaxed expressions. I love a kit with personality, but the ones that depict a very rare and fleeting moment just take that moment and by making it permanent make it unrealistic and not something I wouldn’t want to look at for a long time. The wide open mouths on crying babies remind me of when my children would hold a cry so long the sound would stop and they would start turning purple…makes me want to blow in their face to get them to take a breath! Not a treasured memory!
I couldn’t agree more. Those fleeting expressions are definately meant to be transient. This was a very insightful post, Lynn.
Yes Lynn, I concur 
I’m new, but I’m drawn to closed mouths. I like both hands, so far. This is in cases of realistic. When/if I get the chance to create an alternative baby, anything’s game! Lol! 
Yup…had purple criers also…one was worse than the other…pediatrician told me to ignore it and it would go away…worked…!!..but that first time I was scared…very scared indeed…!!
Exactly…at some point you want that open mouth to close and it starts to irritate you when it doesn’t. I know I feel that way and it worries me that my customers will feel that way as well. I was disappointed in Twin A because I thought (don’t know why I did) it would be the same as twin B only with open eyes and closed mouth. I would have bought them both in a heart beat had that been the case. Don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. Everyone feels differently…
I have Twin B. I don’t like Twin A’s mouth at all, so I did not get her. Twin A’s mouth reminds me of the stillborns I have seen. I have done several memorial reborns over the years, so I’ve seen a lot of pics of stillborn babies.
I agree, Lynn. It’s unfortunate that an otherwise great sculpt can be ruined by the mouth or overall expression. 
Don’t mind slightly open mouths because I see them as natural…the gaping ones, not so natural but babies do have them from time to time. and for their parent it may indeed be a ‘natural look’…lol
Technically, any open eyed baby is not "natural’ looking because there is no ‘life’ in the eyes…they just stare in one direction and never blink…lol but we love them just the same.
I guess I am the odd one out here because I do like babies with expressions - that “captured moment in time look” as one lady here has apply described it…if the artist has captured an expression in their sculpt, it is like a photograph in a way or a painting. Reborning is a form of art so it is nice to see a canvas change…especially if you are a collector. It becomes a bit boring looking at 100+ babies all sleeping peacefully with the same expression. The longer you collect the more you look for that unique OOAK expression…not saying that you don’t still want and buy the little pretty ones as well. of course…
Also, as a collector you’re looking for qualities in the sculpt artist work - their ability to create something different or unique…so to speak…so I think it is really dependent on WHY a person is buying them to start with. I had a OOAK clay sculpt of my grandson…It has a big smile because the photo that I sent to the artist was that way…It is the way I remember my grandson the most as he was a happy little chappie…He didn’t go around with a giant smile all the time and I could have sent one of him sleeping but I wanted the 'memory"…
I will have to say that there are a few sculpts out there with expressions that are even a bit tooooo exaggerated for me. I don’t particularly like screamers, cryers or babies that look angry…lol (I know real babies are like that from time to time but I don’t need the stress…heehee)