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!

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...!!!!

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!

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!!

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.....!

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!

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!