The design of dielectric materials with artificial molecules formed by electrically small dipole antennas loaded with passive electrical circuit elements is considered. Variations in the antenna loads lead to known and generalizations of known dielectric material models. These artificial dielectrics are characterized in terms of their equivalent susceptibilities and polarization vectors both in the frequency and time domains. With suitable choices in the antenna loads one can design the loss and dispersion properties of the resultant materials. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.