Tuesday, December 31, 2019

DAY 100!!!!

....and that's a wrap!

I managed to complete the 100 Days of Paper Dolls! It wasn't 100 consecutive days but I'm ok with that.   The point is this: I started it, I finished it, and I'm proud of that.  It's TOUGH and I very nearly did not complete it.  Honestly, I'm amazed by anyone who completes a 100 day challenge, etc. Even finishing half of it is a job well done in my opinion.

A special thanks to everyone who had words of encouragement. It really does make a difference!! At some point I'll color these and arrange them into something.  Just not sure what yet.

So Happy New Year from me to all of you out there! I'll have more posts & projects in January.  Not sure what or when, but it's coming.  See you in 2020!

Saturday, December 28, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 95

One more page...one more page... I'm really hoping to get that last page finished.  You'd think that vacation would be the ideal time to wrap this up. Nope! Honestly, though, my husband is home for the same days as the kids and we've been doing stuff together. Paper dolls can wait!

Days 91-95 are on this sheet. 

Maybe I'll get up before everyone tomorrow and get that last sheet done. Maybe. And I do plan on finishing the collaboration pages.  That will probably be early January.  I just ran out of hours!

One more page...just one more...!!!!

Friday, December 20, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 90

Wow day 90! Didn't think it would EVER happen but I'm glad I went back to it. Sometimes taking a break is a good thing!

The reason these last two sets were posted so close together is because I drew them back-to-back. I posted one, decided to keep drawing, and managed to pull together today's sheet in about two hours.  That was very speedy for sure!

Today's sheet coordinates with this sheet. Somewhere along the way my numbering and posting got a bit tangled up.  That's fine. It all worked out!

Because my previous sheet had kind of a '40s vibe, I did that with this one, too. Two more sheets to go and then it's on to coloring these!

Thursday, December 19, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 85

THREE TO GO!! Ok, I'm pretty excited at the prospect of finishing this up.  Unfinished projects annoy me....!

This set is very weather appropriate - we've had a few snowstorms this year.  It's a nice change over last year where we had almost nothing.  Although there's some debate in my house about that...my husband (who usually clears the driveway!) is not exactly a fan of the snow!

Fur is so fun to draw! And I love all things embroidered.  This set is meant to coordinate with this one from May. It'll be fun to see them all together at the end of this. 

Ok, back to the drawing board.  Three sheets to go!!

Friday, December 13, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 80

Any one else looking at their calendars and asking where December went?! I met up with a friend this week who said she hadn't seen me in ages. And I laughed because it's true!! From Thanksgiving until New Year's, my calendar is so jam-packed with doctor's appointments, school activities, parent-teacher conferences, and two birthdays ON TOP OF Christmas that I feel like I hardly have time to sleep! I know I'm not the only one, either.  It's a nutty time of year but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Ok, maybe more coffee....

Today I have Day 80 of the 100 Days of Paper Dolls.

There isn't a whole lot to say about this one. I love ruffles, of course.  And I'm starting to get excited about coloring all of these pages. The end is in sight!

Speaking of color.... The ol' blog has been black & white all of this year! I didn't really mean to do that and I DO plan on having some color posts for next year! Gotta figure out what to do for next year.....!

Friday, December 6, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Days 66-75

As promised. I have two sheets for the second doll in the 100 Days project. My wrist is fine - it felt terrible most of Tuesday but I rested & here we are.


I've been trying to match the previous doll.  These two sheets are based on this one and this one. When I create a "matching" set like the back half of this 100 Days project, I try not to make an exact match.  Rather, I try to take details and broad ideas from one set and apply it to the second. In the 66-70 sheet, I wanted to repeat the angular yoke, stirrup leggings, ruffles, and vest of the previous set.  With the 71-75 sheet, I wanted to repeat the lace, ruffles, hairpiece, and jacket.  Some of these are more successful than others and that's ok. I'm not crazy about the ruffled skirt on the left...but then again, I wasn't crazy about the one it's based on so that makes sense.  I don't think of this as final, either.  I like to tinker!

By my estimation, there are 4 more sheets to come.  So watch for those!

Monday, December 2, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - sketches

I hope everyone in the US had a happy Thanksgiving! And that you're all safe from the snow... We spent it with my family - always a good time! I got a bit busy with family stuff and winter stuff, so I'm a bit behind. I have two 100 Days sheets to work on and the collaboration sheet. I may push the November one out to December and post them together.

Today's post is going to be a little different. I didn't get the the 100 Days sheets. My plan was to work on them today but we got hit with a foot of snow with more on the way! Our snowblower broke (it's fixable!!) so the boys & I went out to shovel what we could while my husband went to work.

And I sprained my right wrist.

It isn't terrible. I have a brace on it & I'm going to rest it. Should be fine in a day of two.  In the meantime, I can't do much. Drawing is pretty much out of the question and typing is not great.  So instead of pushing it, I'm going to post some sketches!

After I finished the first 50 days of the 100 Day project, I decided to take a break and draw a new doll. I started drawing it in ArtRage and this is a screenshot of that. I was not happy with it at all! So I abandoned it. Not every drawing is good. That's ok.

I took another break to work on other projects. At this point I discovered Sketchbook Pro. And I thought I'd experiment with that.  I found a pose I mostly liked and went from there.


An arm replacement....

Here's the sketch. I make it a point of pride NOT to trace. I add the reference image(s) to my file, draw, and then compare just the same way I do on paper.  I used a rough pencil tool to sketch and a pen tool to line.  This becomes my final image.


And here are the two dolls together. I wanted to make sure the poses were complimentary and the size of the two doll was similar.  I see mistakes in both but what artist doesn't?!

So that's a brief walk through. I'm hoping to get my sheets drawn and posted by the end of the week! Meanwhile, stay safe & warm. That's my plan!

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 65

It's almost Thanksgiving here in the US! The kiddos have a short week (2 and a half days) and then it's off to see family.  We're planning on seeing the new Frozen movie so that'll be fun. I'm also hoping to work on the next installment of this project. We'll see how that goes!

I'm really enjoying this return to the 100 day project. Revisiting the previous doll has been fun (and nerve wracking - sometimes I want to redraw all the things!!) Today's set coordinates with this set here.  Truthfully, I couldn't draw the truly complicated folds that I wanted to this time because I messed up my back. Apparently I'm at the age where sitting can cause injury. Who knew?! As a result, my desk chair & I have not been getting along well....

If you didn't know this already, I love drawing ringlets.  There was a method I hit upon a while back and, as a result,  I draw them all the time! And ruffles. Same thing happened with ruffles. Just goes to show how important it is to always be open to learning. 

That's it for today! I'm going to stay out of my chair, rest my back, and try to get the next post up Saturday.  Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 60

Anyone else having a super busy November?! Trick question - everyone is!

Last weekend was a busy one for me.  A few people from my local paper doll group (if you're in New England and interested, PLEASE reach out to me - we have so much fun!) went into Boston for a visit with the delightful artist Ralph Hodgdon.  It's always a thrill seeing another artist' studio.  I was too enthralled to take any pictures.  We all had a lovely time! After that, two of us popped over to the Hynes Convention Center for the Boston Book Fair.  We listed to the curator of the Kay Nielsen exhibition at the MFA and then wandered around the fair.  Again, I didn't take any pictures. Sometimes you just need to be in the moment!! Anyway, it was terrific! I was lucky enough to tour with an incredibly knowledgeable collector and saw some unbelievable paper dolls. I'll definitely go again!

Today I have another sheet in the 100 Days of Paper Dolls series.

This page is meant to coordinate with the second sheet for the first doll. Lots of ruffles, tabs, and buttons on this one! And it looks like the next page should be ready on Tuesday, so look for that!


AND since it's that time of year already, if you're looking to buy paper dolls (mine or anyone else's of course) for the holidays, hop over to Paperdoll Review. There's some really great stuff there....!

Saturday, November 16, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 55

As promised, I have the first full wardrobe sheet for the second paper doll in the 100 Days of Paper Dolls project.

I want these two dolls to "speak" to each other.  The wardrobe for the second doll is based on the wardrobe for the first doll.  Here's the first page of the first doll for comparison.

Because I simply can't leave well enough alone, I'll probably go back and tinker with BOTH of these paper dolls once the project wraps up.  The next page should be up on Thursday (give or take a day or two!!) so watch for that!    

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Day 51



The year is quickly wrapping up! I decided to go back and finish up the 100 Days of Paper Dolls project.  I'll post the last 50 days from now until the end of the year. My plan is to post a full sheet every 5 days. This will be instead of a big December project but I think it's a nice way to finish out the year.

Also, everything I posted this year was black & white! I absolutely did not plan that! I do want to start thinking about next year and the next phase of this little ol' blog.  What would YOU like to see? Any thoughts are always appreciated!

There's a lot of real-world stuff going on.  First, I have THREE books coming out from Paper Studio Press.  Two are perfected versions of earlier projects so they may look familiar.  One is a collaboration with the extraordinary David Wolfe.

First up is Josephine's Wardrobe.  This set has always been a favorite of mine! She got a little jazzed up and there are some completely new items in here. I got my copies recently - they are beautiful!
Second is Victorian Mix & Match. This set was one that I meticulously researched! Every outfit is based on a real one.  I went through and cleaned up every single item in this edition.  It's the definitive version and, again, beautifully printed.

Third, is Stripes! It's the most unique project I've ever done. I've mentioned it previously but in short, it's a collaboration project.  David Wolfe came up with the concept and drawings while I digitally colored them.  It's gorgeous!
 I've been keeping busy and loving every minute of it!

Today I have Day 51 of the 100 Days of Paper Dolls. I'll post Day 55 (the first full sheet) on Saturday and a full sheet every five days after that.

You can find the first doll in the set here.  The main difference between the first and the second dolls is medium.  For the first, I used ArtRage.  For the second, I'm using Sketchbook Pro.  Both are great for drawing with a stylus on screen. Can you tell the difference? IS there a difference?!

Check back in for more on Saturday!

Friday, October 25, 2019

Paper Doll Collaboration - Witches

I'm pretty sure it's no secret that I live in Massachusetts. I've lived in New England for just about my whole life (there were a couple of fantastic years in Pittsburgh and I would gladly go back).  As such, I've been to Salem numerous times. If you go, the Peabody Essex is an amazing museum and I highly recommend it! There's a rule in my house though - no Salem in October.  If you can stand the chaos & the crowds, Salem is a wonderful place in October. There are events and costumes and all kinds of fun to be had.  If, like me, you can't stand chaos and crowds, then stay away.  Salem becomes the Halloween capitol of the world in October. Though it's like that most of the year anyway...

So this month's Witches theme hit pretty close to home for me! Instead of going with cute witches or neo-Victorian witches, I went with a sort of lighthearted Goth theme.

It was tough fitting everything on one page but I managed it! I'm pretty sure the hat will fit over both hairstyles but I'm not totally certain.

For more outfits in the series, check out Paper Thin Personas and Miss Missy's Paper Dolls!!

Friday, September 27, 2019

Paper Doll Collaboration 2019 - Patterns

Here's another installment of the collaboration paper doll series! I'm not sure where everyone else is in the process - I know my schedule has been full lately - but I wrapped mine so I figured I'd post it.

This month the theme is patterns.  If you've spent any time on this little ol' blog at all, you'll see just how much I LOVE patterns! So this was a blast to put together! The challenge was black & white.  Most of the patterns I use are color but I had some cool monochrome ones and that's what I used here.

I went with a fall feel to this set even though fall hasn't completely set in here in New England. There's a chunky sweater, patterned skirt, jean leggings, plaid jacket, blouse, and patterned pants to mix and match.

Check out Paper Thin Personas and Miss Missy for more of this project!

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

New Project in the Works

It's been ages since I posted! Not for lack of projects, rather, it's been a lack of time! I never knew how much time school aged kids & senior care could eat up!! My boys are absolutely in love with soccer - we have practices Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and games on Saturday & Sunday.  Regardless, I've been up to all kinds of paper doll fun!

For anyone who hasn't already heard, I've been helping out with both the Paperdoll Review and Paper Doll Studio magazine! Sometimes it's minor art editing in Photoshop, sometimes it's creating a graphic header for an article... No matter what it is, I love the variety of projects!

My biggest project at the moment is a collaboration with David Wolfe!! You can read David's take on the project here and see some in-process samples from the forthcoming book.  It was such an honor to be asked and it's been a thrill to work on it! The basic outline is this: David created two paper dolls, drew all of the outfits for the dolls, and I colored them in Autodesk Sketchbook Pro.

Because it can be hard to explain exactly how I work, I've put together a little video of my technique.
That video condenses down 45 minutes or so into a brisk speedpaint.  There's editing to be done after all of that, but it's a good run-through of what I did on most pages.



So why Sketchbook Pro?

I've known about Sketchbook Pro for a while but as of May 2018, it became a free program so I thought I'd check it out again. For the Stripes book, I really wanted a hand-made feeling but with all of the advantages of digital art.  Sketchbook Pro is easily the best natural media simulator I've ever used: it's lightweight so it starts up quickly and there's no lag time drawing, it's intuitive and easy to just jump right into, there's a built-in Copic color palette, and so many more features that I just haven't had the chance to try yet! I really love it.  And it only took me a couple of hours to pick up. I like ArtRage and will continue to use it, but for this project Sketchbook Pro was just the better choice.

I chose to work vertically in Sketchbook.  I usually work horizontally and zoom & pan as needed, but Sketchbook feels so natural that it just made sense to turn my computer.  Here's the basic work station - it can all be customized! At the top, there's a menu bar. On the left side, a tools palette and the Copic colors as well as one of the two brush pucks for adjusting brushes on the fly.  To the right, my layers palette. Sketchbook is designed for touch based surfaces and runs on pretty much everything.  I highly suggest checking it out!

That's about it for the moment. I have some Stripes edits to work on and I'll post this month's collaboration paper doll outfit next week. And soccer. Ugh. At least they love it!

Friday, August 30, 2019

Paper Doll Collaboration 2019 - Royalty

Another summer has come & gone! This summer felt both excessively long and exceedingly short, somehow.  There were days that I thought my boys would NEVER get along....and there were days that were far too much fun to be so short. My grandmother was sick at both the start and finish of the summer so that also presented some challenges....

Now that everyone is back in school (and, surprisingly happy about it!!), I should be able to get back into creating more. Today is the next installment of the 2019 Paper Doll Collaboration. You can see Miss Missy and Paper Thin Personas for more.

The theme this month is royalty. I'm not much of a royal watcher. Just never appealed to me. Princess Di was a big deal when I was a kid and I'm about the same age as her sons.  Aside from that, I don't have any real feelings on the matter. I do, however, love historical dramas.  Somehow I convinced my husband to watch The Crown, Poldark, and Victoria. And he loves all of those as much as I do! So for the royalty page, I chose a couple of costumes from Victoria.  One is a military outfit and the other a gown from an episode where she's holding court.  Both feature a sash and royal insignia.  I don't remember which episode either of these were from.... Definitely watch it, though. It's great! 

I'm off to see what Miss Missy and Paper Thin Personas drew for this month! You should too!

Friday, July 26, 2019

Paper Doll Collaboration 2019 - Beachwear and Dance

I missed the June collaboration post.... I felt awful about it and thought about rushing to post something, but then decided to wait.  Summer is tough for me.  The boys are home and I want to spend time with them AND work on my projects but sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day for everything.

So today I'm posting the June and July pages! Rachel & Melissa got there June posts up so you should absolutely check those out.

First up is beachwear for June.  I LOVE patterns but I found the black & white format of this dolls a bit tough for patterns.  Instead of going super elaborate, I went simple with a little strip accent on all the sets.  I'm a big fan of rash guard/shorts as a bathing suit. I spend my summers chasing two boys so practicality is high on my list of needs for a bathing suit!
The theme for July is "dance/ballet".  I love belly dancer costumes (I might make an entire book of them!!) so I wanted to have that.  I figured I'd add ballet in, too. I don't feel strongly about ballet.  In fact, I'm not much of a theater person in general. And most classical music is just not for me. But I took a crack at it anyway.  The tutus are meant to be worn over the bodysuit and the little top layers over it, too.

I will endeavor to (1) write here more and (2) post August on time! As I said, summer is just not a good time for me to work.  The boys are only little once and I want to enjoy it.  Anyway....Check out the other paper dolls in the series!!

Friday, June 21, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Sets 9 and 10

I have two more sheets in the 100 day day project.  They're my last (for now....) I had to stop at 50. There's been A LOT going on lately! I do plan on going back to it and when I do, I'll start from day 51 & continue. 

One of the things I've been up to is working with the team at Paperdoll Review magazine.  I've been helping with miscellaneous bits & pieces and I'm hoping to continue.  If you aren't getting this magazine already, take a look at my brief (and rough! ugh!) flip-through.  It's available at Paperdoll Review. I'm not really into vintage paper dolls all that much but I love this magazine anyway! Well worth it!! And I always learn something.

The other thing I want to mention is that the old blog here is SEVEN!! I think of the blog as one of my babies because it came about at around the same time.

Look at those faces! My oldest (who is now 9 and a half) is nearly as tall as I am.  My youngest (who is 7) is the main reason why I started the blog in the first place.  Motherhood was fine with one kiddo, but a tough pregnancy, a medication with depression as the first side effect, AND a round of post-partum depression left me in a bad place in 2012 with kiddo number two.  Sometimes I wish I had shared that then, but I wasn't ready.  This little blog and my internet friends helped keep me sane and active creatively when that was exactly what I needed even if I couldn't say it then. So thank you to all of you from the early days and all of you who put up with my more sporadic posting these days! 

And a lot has changed in 7 years! Sure, I post a bit less but that's because I'm doing more out in the real world.  I've had a book published, help out with a magazine, attended a terrific paper doll regional gathering, and joined a local paper doll group. And in my "real" life, I'm still raising two kiddos with my awesome husband and my grandmother moved in with us a couple of years ago.  At almost 89 with vision and hearing loss, she needs more help than she used to, so I handle that, too.  My hours get pretty full pretty quickly!

Anyway...

Here's a couple of paper doll sheets!


I'll definitely get back to this with a companion doll as soon as I can. And I plan on continuing with the blog even if it's a bit random at the moment. Thanks, as always, for sticking with me!

Friday, May 31, 2019

Paper Doll Collaboration - MerMAY

The end of May sure did sneak up on me!! I've had the worst cold - it came with a fever and 12 hours of sleep a night for the past few days. Pretty sure I've been pushing myself to hard.  It's the end of the school year and I'm in the thick of field trips, fun days, soccer, and end-of-the-year shows. Honestly, I love it but it does get a bit chaotic. And I love having the boys home for the summer....at least in June. Ask me again in August!!

Today's doll came together quickly.  Like, an hour and a half! I'm fairly quick but not generally THAT quick...

The swimsuit can be worn alone or under the tail.  The dress is meant to be seaweed and can be worn alone or with a tail.  It's not the finest sheet I've ever made.  There's a phrase I see occasionally that I sort of love/hate: finished not perfect.  I love the idea of taking something to completion and then letting it go - it's easy to fuss over something forever.  But I don't like the implication that you can complete something without giving it your best effort and calling it done just to be done. If I didn't feel this wasn't good enough, I wouldn't post it. I try to push myself to do more and try more. I encourage everyone to do the same!!

For more in the series, see Paper Thin Personas, Miss Missy's Paper Dolls, and Pop Culture and Paper Dolls!

Friday, May 17, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Set 8

If this sheet has a slightly 1940s vibe and not a more Neo-Victorian vibe, I blame it on Morgantown! I drew this sheet in my hotel room one morning and I think I absorbed a bit of the theme.

In non-paper doll news, today is the day I met my husband 13 years ago.  It's been a pretty happy run so far! He's far and away my biggest fan and strongest advocate.  And tomorrow is my birthday. Another trip around the sun and it's been a good one :)

I've decided to break this project up at the 50 day mark.  Days 51-100 will feature a new, complimentary doll.  That's on my agenda!!

To follow along, check out my Instagram....or join in the fun with #100daysofpaperdolls!

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Set 7

Although it's May, New England has not exactly felt very spring-like.  We've had a ton of rain! I know we aren't the only ones across the country dealing with crazy weather.  It's been dark and dreary and depressing for a couple of months.

So I channeled that into a winter-ish set for the 100 Days paper doll!

I have an embroidered jacket with a fur-ish trim (it's like a faux sheepskin kind of texture) and I LOVE it! This set is inspired a bit by that.  There are things I'd like to re-work about this sheet when I get to the coloring stage. But that's another project for another day!

Follow along daily with my Instagram....or join in the fun with #100daysofpaperdolls!


Monday, May 13, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Set 6

Last weekend, I went to the Morgantown PA paper doll party. It was AMAZING!!!! I got to meet Jenny Taliadoros, the publisher of Paper Doll Studio Magazine and Paperdoll Review (and my book, of course).  She's just the best.  In fact, everyone I met was great.  It felt more like a family reunion than a first-time meeting!


I didn't take many pictures while I was there - I was too busy having a great time! There were lots of fantastic artists and collectors. I was also the big winner during the raffle! This is all of the raffle prizes I won along with souvenirs from the convention and the Barbie paper dolls books from my childhood that I just had to have!

I highly recommend attending a local or regional paper doll party. It's really a lot of fun with a lot of really cool people.

Ok, ok, I have a paper doll sheet to share!

I'm a bit behind on posting these. I have three more sheets ready to post after this one. To follow along, check out my Instagram....or join in the fun with #100daysofpaperdolls!
 

And if you subscribe to Paper Studio Press magazine, check out my submission for the Green theme.  I'm really happy with it!! (You can order issues or subscribe here.  Totally worth it!!)


Wednesday, May 1, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Set 5

Apparently, I messed up my last 100 Days posting - it's the wrong set! So I'm going to post the CORRECT page today...

THIS is the page that should have gone up last time.  Still really trying to keep the Neo-Victorian vibe going here.  I've got a working title for the set, maybe something like Ruffles & Frills: A Neo-Victorian Paper Doll.  I love it today, I may hate it tomorrow!

To follow along, check out my Instagram....or join in the fun with #100daysofpaperdolls!

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Paper Doll Collaboration - Cosplay/Fandom

Here we are, another month over! I can't even handle how quickly this year is going.  It's nuts!! For April, I have another installment of the 2019 Collaboration paper doll.  The theme is cosplay or fandom.  I'm not a cosplay kind of person.  In fact, I'm trying to dress like it's the 1940s at the Morgantown paper doll party this coming weekend and I fell...overwhelmed. So I bought pants and a blouse.  I'm really a jeans & t-shirt kind of person. We'll see how it goes....

Anyway, cosplay is outside my comfort zone. 

I decided to create a set of costumes based on Adventure Time.  It's such a fabulous cartoon an my kids LOVE it.  I still don't think I've seen every episode.  The kids probably have, though.  What I love about Adventure Time is it's very complex for a "simple" kid's cartoon.  There are lots of strong women and most (if not all) characters manage to shatter or subvert stereotypes.  It's pretty great.

For my fandom paper doll, I went with Princess Bubblegum.  She rules over her own kingdom, is a genius scientist, and also manages to be a good friend/mentor to the main characters Finn and Jake.  LOVE her!!! Also, she has a huge variety of outfits over the course of the series, which I also love!

The outfit on the left is her "typical" everyday outfit - a dress and crown.  The middle outfit is one of her many lab coat outfits.  And the last one is a dress/hoodie/leggings/boots combo that shows up in "What Was Missing", one of my favorite episodes.

For more fandom inspired outfits, check out Paper Thin Personas, Miss Missy, and Pop Culture and Paper Dolls!

Friday, April 26, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Set 4

Day 25 of the #100daysofpaperdolls project! I'm a quarter of the way through!! There are some great artists drawing some fun stuff so I suggest you check it out in Instagram if you can.

I'm trying to keep the neo-Victorian vibe going.  No pants this time but that's alright.  I want that jacket - the whole outfit on the right is based on this pin I found on Pinterest.  The more I draw of this, the more I want to color it! It's such a huge project.....

Also, I'll be in Morgantown (you can find the details here) the first weekend of May! This will be the largest gathering of paper doll enthusiasts that I've attended so far & it sounds like a great time! Hopefully I can snap some pics and share them on the ol' blog.

I'll post more 100 Day pages as I complete them or you can follow along on Instagram

Monday, April 22, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Set 3

I'm continuing to work on the #100daysofpaperdolls project and today I have another full sheet to share.  This one is full of ruffles!!!!

This set covers days 11 through 15.  Lots of ruffles and some ringlets, too.  I like having a neo-Victorian and yet modern vibe to these sets.  I'll keep it up as long as I can! Feel free to follow along on Instagram (@julieamatthews) or wait for the full sheets here.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Set 2

If you follow me on Instagram (@julieamatthews), you'll be up to date with the whole project.  I'm posting complete sheets here on the blog when I complete them (and remember!!!!).

This sheet covers days 6 through 10.  I'm trying to keep with the neo-Victorian vibe.  And I'm already thinking about how to color these! I don't think I put out any books last year aside from Kitchen Kitsch (which you can get here and here. It's really beautiful!! Highly recommend. Shameless self-promotion!)  I've been kicking around the idea of putting together a sketchbook type of book, too, but haven't quite gotten around to it.  There simply are not enough hours in the day!

Anyway, watch for sporadically posted pages from the project here. Or follow along on Instgram.  There's a few of us there doing this and it's all great!

Friday, April 12, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls - Set 1

We're cranking along at the #100daysofpaperdolls over on Instagram! So far, all is going well.  The black & white set has been fairly easy to keep up with and that's been great. 

I sort of accidentally developed a neo-Victorian aesthetic with this set.  If you follow me on Instagram (@julieamatthews), you can see these every day but I'm only going to post full sheets on the ol' blog.  I'm trying to keep it in the Victorian vibe but this is going to end up being about 20 pages at the end.  That's a lot of Victorian influence!!! We'll see how it goes.

Anyway.... check it out on Instagram.  Our tag is #100daysofpaperdolls and its all really great work!

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

100 Days of Paper Dolls

I've had a hard time settling into a project this year.  Don't get me wrong - I'm incredibly lucky! I've been working on paper doll projects every day but they aren't anything I can really share here at the moment.

That changes today!

Starting today, I'm doing The 100 Day Project! We're posting on Instagram every day.  It's me, Rachel of Paper Thin Personas (@paperthinpersonas), and Elizabeth Joy McDonald (@elizabethjoymcdonald).  I'm probably not going to post every day on the blog. My plan is to post each completed sheet here.  With the exception of today!

For this project, I took out a random sketch I had started with no real goal in mind. I had seen a model in an elaborate corset on Pinterest and I loved the pose. So I sketched it one day and waited for inspiration to strike.

Here's the final drawing.  I'm estimating 5 to 8 pieces per page so there will be about 20 pages total (give or take).  Feel free to follow along (or jump in!!) on Instagram every day with #100daysofpaperdolls


Sunday, March 31, 2019

Paper Doll Collaboration - Sweet Treats Costumes

I swear - I haven't dropped off the planet!! Honestly, if you want to see the most current projects, follow me on Instagram (@julieamatthews).  Even that has been sporadic lately.  I just wrapped up two submissions to the souvenir packs for the 2019 Paper Doll Convention so that's been fun! A lot of the stuff I'm working on right now simply isn't ready to share.

I'm also heading to Morgantown! There's still time to register and join in on the fun.  This will be my first time to Morgantown and I'm really excited.  I haven't been anywhere alone in TEN YEARS so that'll be an experience....!

Ok, ok....here's a fun wardrobe sheet to print....

The theme for this month was sweet style.  I decided to go crazy with candy stripes and a bit of Rococo flair.  The dress on the left is supposed to be a bit of an ice cream sundae.  It may not entirely work but it's still pretty cool.

For more in the series, check out Paper Thin Personas, Miss Missy's Paper Doll, and Pop Culture and Paper Dolls.

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Convention 2019 Drawings

Although I haven't settled on a proper project for the blog yet, I AM actively working on stuff! One of my projects at the moment is a convention souvenir.

That's a screen shot of the sketch I've been working on.  I asked my boys to pose for me - one kiddo loved it and the other....well, he wasn't thrilled. I promised him I wouldn't share the photo.  He's 9 and a bit self-conscious. I decided with this project to try colored lines instead of black and it worked out rather well.  Made inking it MUCH easier!


I recently got a tripod and remote so I'm experimenting with video.  That's an 11 minute video of me drawing on my Surface.  Admittedly, I have a lot to learn about video creation! I'm planning on creating a video that show my drawing process at some point but I'm not there yet. 


Friday, February 22, 2019

Paper Doll Collaboration 2019 - Awards Season

Let me start by saying I did not expect this to be the ONLY thing I posted in February!! I draw every day, but not all of it makes it on here.  And I haven't settled on a project for the ol' blog yet.  I'm still percolating...

So today is the next installment of the collaboration project. I'll admit, I have very little interest in awards season. Some people love it. I don't.  The dresses are always interesting, naturally.  If I have any interest in ANY awards show, it's probably the Grammys.  This year one of my absolute favorite musicians WON for the first time - Brandi Carlile.  I swear, she's been a big part of the soundtrack of my life since I saw her in Boston in 2007.  Love her SO much!

I feel like the older I get, the fewer people I know at these award things! For this sheet, I have Brandi Carlile in a fantastic suit.  Next, is Jennifer Lopez partly because I knew who she was and partly because I loved her dress.  Last is Meghan Trainor for much the same reason! I also have a love of women's suits!

You can check out the remainder of the collaboration project at Paper Thin Personas, Miss Missy, and Pop Culture and Paper Dolls.

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Paper Doll Collaboration 2019

It's been a while since I posted. I had a list of administrative stuff I wanted to get done in January, so I've been focusing on that instead of drawing.  Most of that is done (including a little update to the appearance of the ol' blog here....!) and I plan on getting back to drawing & posting.

Today is the first installment of the 2019 paper doll collaboration project! The base doll was designed by Rachel Cohen of Paper Thin Personas.  I'm really excited about working from her base!!


My doll is a very slightly modified version of Rachel's.  The idea behind the collaboration paper doll is flexibility - in theory, every outfit will fit every doll across the project.  There may be exceptions, of course (like hairstyles), but we really aim for consistency.

The theme for this first installment is "trendy".  I will tell you that as a late 30-something mother of two sons "trendy" isn't really in my vocabulary! It's jeans & t-shirts most days. I'm also not much of a haute couture fan.  There was a time when I really enjoyed runway shows but it's become so much artifice and so little actual clothing that I just can't be bothered anymore.

All that said, many people who know better than I do defined a few trendy things for 2019. Statement sleeves, pleats, and jumpsuits are all considered trendy right now.  The blouse in this set is designed to wear with either the skirt or over the jumpsuit.

There are a few people participating this year and I'll update the links as they go live: Paper Thin Personas, Miss Missy's Paper Dolls, boots over at Pop Culture and Paper Dolls, and Cory Jensen over on Facebook!

Friday, January 11, 2019

Commission: Mary and Selina

Over the summer I had the privilege of getting to know a fantastic collector - Denise Bond.  She is terrific! She collects dolls, creates dolls, and commissions dolls not just for her own personal collection but to use as education tools. Her mission is to use dolls - 3D and paper dolls - to educated people about black and African-American women's history.  If you want a taste for just how awesome she is, check out this video tour of one of her recent projects.

The project scope was a bit outside of my comfort zone.  She wanted two portrait paper dolls featuring Mary Custis Lee (wife of General Robert E. Lee) and her slave Selina Gray.  It's tough subject matter, to be sure.  Denise had a very clear vision of the story she wanted to tell and I was happy to help her tell it.

First step was research and sketching.  I'll admit, my first sketches were not my favorite.  But that's the great thing about sketches - keep it up and something good will come of it!

My next set of sketches were MUCH better!  I studied (and sketched, and studied, etc...) the few images of Selina Gray and Mary Lee to get closer to a true resemblance. It is nothing short of a miracle that there are images of Selina Gray and I really tried to get an accurate representation. Portraits are not my specialty - although I really should try more!

One of the advantages of working digitally is the ability to keep what I like without starting over.  I know some artists will draw heads and bodies separately when creating paper dolls.  It's a great method but it's never worked well for me. I like to see the whole thing, all at once.  With digital art, I can draw heads on different layers.  That's what I did here. I liked the bodies but re-worked the faces after consulting with Denise.

At this point, we worked out what outfits would tell the story of these two women.  Denise wanted to express the friendship between the two. Mary taught Selina to read, Selina cared for her own children as well as Mary's, and Mary entrusted the family estate to Selina as she fled during the Civil War.  Working from these themes, I created a three page paper doll set.

The image above shows the final inking of the outfits. I created almost 90 percent of this in ArtRage.  I wanted it to have a very painterly feel to it and ArtRage really gave me that flexibility. I've found that the felt pen tool is my favorite. I "paint" with it in one color and then go in with another to blend & mix on the surface.  It's awesome!

Here's a close-up of the paper doll faces, my file structure, and the palette I used for coloring. I like to keep my files very organized. I name my layers and then group them into folders.  It's just a good habit and SO helpful - especially if someone else needs access to the files.

This is a screenshot of the folder where I keep all of my files. Sketches, reference images, etc. After working on the images in ArtRage I exported the images to Photoshop files for further manipulation. At this point, I added patterns in Photoshop as well as text and special effects.  Much of that could have been done in ArtRage but I felt more confident working with Photoshop.

Here's the final images.  I added watermarks to this - it isn't something I typically do, but this is a very special project.  Denise commissioned this as a unique, one-of-a-kind project and I respect that. There are only two sets of this paper doll - mine and hers! I printed them at 11 inch by 14 inch so they are LARGE! I used CatPrint to print them and they are beautiful. (As always, I'm sharing my tools & resources because I love them. I am not compensated in any way!)

And finally, me and my paper dolls. Denise likes to include a photo of the artist whenever possible.  I had my oldest son take this picture and I gotta say, it's not too bad!

It was really a terrific project.  I've worked on a couple more projects with Denise and probably will work on more. Process posts are something I love and I hope all of you do, too!