tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65632768739497245532024-03-13T10:38:34.525-04:00Paper Doll SchoolPaper doll tutorials! Tutorials include: pencil, watercolor, photoshop, illustrator, and more. Paper doll downloads by Julie Allen Matthews including free paper dolls to print and free black and white paper dolls to print and color.Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.comBlogger789125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-81121042170724395052024-02-29T08:48:00.001-05:002024-02-29T08:48:15.409-05:00Happy Leap Day! <p>Every (rare) post seems to start with "Things have been really hectic here...." and they have been! My kids are keeping me busy, of course, there are some (scheduled) medical things for my parents, along with the natural rhythm of holidays and birthdays, etc, etc. </p><p>Yesterday, though, I carved out some time to make a silly little thing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4I2s2ESGuokAulsf-10nJ0EyMszH2hWzNp4T-G2NSvrgwUfMIJ_vH-G3_GVxtMZsQVdxzi6crZhUkw7bMA0nHY0k9WVtFhqopkNA-XGKExZKhU6L-2km1oysU6EY5YGfC1GI_x1CpdavwjCWT844Yc08PGcbSAg80bWxgERkRp1bdrpjiUl0YHKLvug/s3300/JulieMatthew-leap-day-pd-2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4I2s2ESGuokAulsf-10nJ0EyMszH2hWzNp4T-G2NSvrgwUfMIJ_vH-G3_GVxtMZsQVdxzi6crZhUkw7bMA0nHY0k9WVtFhqopkNA-XGKExZKhU6L-2km1oysU6EY5YGfC1GI_x1CpdavwjCWT844Yc08PGcbSAg80bWxgERkRp1bdrpjiUl0YHKLvug/s320/JulieMatthew-leap-day-pd-2024.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p>The pose and doll were inspired by a late 1970s Skipper paper doll I found. I try to keep a collection of inspiration. I work best from reference and looking at dolls from the past helps. The clothing is all frog inspired. My youngest son LOVE the frog bucket hat. Speaking of... today was supposed to be his birthday. I went into labor on February 29th 12 years ago - and had my second son on the morning of March 1st! In a way, it's for the best. He's a very logical and ordered person, and I think a Leap Day birthday would be too much chaos for him to handle! </p><p>Anyway, enjoy my silly little thing. I'm hoping to carve out time to post more. You can check out what I'm up to on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/julieamatthews/">https://www.instagram.com/julieamatthews/</a> It's been a lot of kid stuff and REAL LIFE drawing. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-26404420166172509622024-01-19T05:00:00.004-05:002024-01-19T05:00:00.146-05:00Wrap-up 2023: Editing Books for Paperdoll Review<p>I am so incredibly lucky to do what I do. It is a labor of love every single day. Not just the drawing and painting part. I mean, that's excellent. But my favorite part, really, is bringing other artist's work out into the world. Sometimes that's some light editing with cover designs. Sometimes it's a bit more involved, like completing work for an artist who has passed. It's always something I do with reverence and respect. Today I want to highlight a few of the books I worked on with Jenny at Paperdoll Review. </p><p><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=85&products_id=2428">The Nutcracker Ballet by Deanna Williams</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvGGowQf8H2PtdtmngFZp-_nrg-2butC5wlhrvp_-h4UlVJ60bi6ybwXliXvImA849GBp7W08rhHjdL9NfZBollHSL5-AdQDUMUEkGKRPEdsvjviQTZscWGCEMgEr52tMkIzBtPObJ8VO5hseHVVCMzjTHVzwG7mb8OW6ZxdyQWzV9eqLRD3oTkUMWf4/s550/nutcrackerballetdeannajpg.image.412x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="412" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvGGowQf8H2PtdtmngFZp-_nrg-2butC5wlhrvp_-h4UlVJ60bi6ybwXliXvImA849GBp7W08rhHjdL9NfZBollHSL5-AdQDUMUEkGKRPEdsvjviQTZscWGCEMgEr52tMkIzBtPObJ8VO5hseHVVCMzjTHVzwG7mb8OW6ZxdyQWzV9eqLRD3oTkUMWf4/s320/nutcrackerballetdeannajpg.image.412x550.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCI_VUJLgzebrU85Tam-cItjwr9eaozk7rBb6wWD8oYQPPJCUqhZhmV_JwczQj6FoQTNGVSuQ74EWdQow0dtnkI6XyiKMSJ9Epgu7YNx-abMTVWY9udRjvAlPyA7XVb2kmjG3GDQ_d28KVN9F91gqemDh2lQyqJW_exyzYf4k6-y1hwubo8qkuDV1J6E/s575/nutcrackerballetdeanna_1jpg.image.575x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="575" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCI_VUJLgzebrU85Tam-cItjwr9eaozk7rBb6wWD8oYQPPJCUqhZhmV_JwczQj6FoQTNGVSuQ74EWdQow0dtnkI6XyiKMSJ9Epgu7YNx-abMTVWY9udRjvAlPyA7XVb2kmjG3GDQ_d28KVN9F91gqemDh2lQyqJW_exyzYf4k6-y1hwubo8qkuDV1J6E/s320/nutcrackerballetdeanna_1jpg.image.575x550.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>This is a lovely book, beautifully illustrated by Deanna Williams. The thing I loved most about this book was the cover design. Sometimes a cover just comes together. With this one, I wanted it to feel like a stage production. There's a lake image that acts like a stage with trees acting as scenery. I really wanted to lean into the winter theme but I didn't want a blue color scheme. Instead, I picked up on the pinks and purples that show up throughout the book while also thinking about the pretty pinks and purples of winter sunrises and sunsets. A snowflake border adds a bit of whimsy to the whole thing. <br /></p><p><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=2311">Girl of Mine by Sandra Vanderpool</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpwDAMJr4KNMfjil1TM-xzXvpQVbHzDSndJGBQwpXCQlgIOFVP1LdN-yg8ZBK66QOUw8mJq7EEHrE3Eek-pU2l3xeuVsIYBkTu-XwbgjnGCceHRfDs7TS0Xe8Bqnx_iarmni08w7ovAifIOBQSL_1NDqbq4oHijgfSC3x7EOGcLbSk1PniDhx22WrAog/s550/girlofminejpg.image.424x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpwDAMJr4KNMfjil1TM-xzXvpQVbHzDSndJGBQwpXCQlgIOFVP1LdN-yg8ZBK66QOUw8mJq7EEHrE3Eek-pU2l3xeuVsIYBkTu-XwbgjnGCceHRfDs7TS0Xe8Bqnx_iarmni08w7ovAifIOBQSL_1NDqbq4oHijgfSC3x7EOGcLbSk1PniDhx22WrAog/s320/girlofminejpg.image.424x550.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRVFTL6H6cu8-mvkJLtrXVLuzejjm1-QUFrHiQY1FdKgrt8_Dziu581VeoZl-n45tGLgY6kb07bjfxvvFEGQ4ceMqMC86uG0lB6NX3YeLmSdX_PFYb0cSxgRke059guS7jfn5NY5D1sK2eR0_uNIox-YNO2xS13fNOHWQnr4ytMyBaumeNyuNZpNoShw/s587/girlofmine_1jpg.image.587x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="587" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRVFTL6H6cu8-mvkJLtrXVLuzejjm1-QUFrHiQY1FdKgrt8_Dziu581VeoZl-n45tGLgY6kb07bjfxvvFEGQ4ceMqMC86uG0lB6NX3YeLmSdX_PFYb0cSxgRke059guS7jfn5NY5D1sK2eR0_uNIox-YNO2xS13fNOHWQnr4ytMyBaumeNyuNZpNoShw/s320/girlofmine_1jpg.image.587x550.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>For this book, I had the art to work with and not much else. I knew that it was based on a song so I started researching that. I thought it might be fun to add the lyrics to the pages along with floral clip art that was reminiscent of turn-of-the-century scrapbooks. Maybe this was someone's scrapbook of a time they saw this song performed. I also thought the song was rather charming so I included the sheet music on the back page. There's a short period of time after the first World War and the Roaring 20s/Great Depression that has a really lovely aesthetic and I tried to express that here through the colors, fonts, and florals.</p><p><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66&products_id=2306">Fun Frocks for Flo, Fanny & Fionna by Larry Bassin</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJi4TvqfzPXoUJFCMvoDEzRbRM0voPS5aSzuzS_LpUSQ5hpVXB5ZBLw42J18PFGpKfPhAdo9oGFSi1EdOUyxfv3f-f_EbTxlGcAEjnYvwCZ0YlA5wbiI2lH9Dx6xyEd335Uk5KO_YT_-4wgSP5YFwVgNA93YpzpneM4xIukAmRRmZkZRBmgYOPWSLib0/s550/funfrocks-larrybassinjpg.image.424x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJi4TvqfzPXoUJFCMvoDEzRbRM0voPS5aSzuzS_LpUSQ5hpVXB5ZBLw42J18PFGpKfPhAdo9oGFSi1EdOUyxfv3f-f_EbTxlGcAEjnYvwCZ0YlA5wbiI2lH9Dx6xyEd335Uk5KO_YT_-4wgSP5YFwVgNA93YpzpneM4xIukAmRRmZkZRBmgYOPWSLib0/s320/funfrocks-larrybassinjpg.image.424x550.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpa1oUFKEmBvqPTzVrQHTRra6zar1nYZI-iQ7UrSqEmo93L9Pvs51AyPcRy0dlxXSmDx-XmPZMETayBqI1VRFcrN5k2pRcLtQSoZEMby3wAhvrJa5BYoL6ika7Vs8UcaQPzz_mCnh_K0nYW17LE17jLqeVCXuKn1VTCPcc7IWNvHEaDgLXk8QEXV3KpyI/s607/funfrocks-larrybassin_1jpg.image.607x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="607" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpa1oUFKEmBvqPTzVrQHTRra6zar1nYZI-iQ7UrSqEmo93L9Pvs51AyPcRy0dlxXSmDx-XmPZMETayBqI1VRFcrN5k2pRcLtQSoZEMby3wAhvrJa5BYoL6ika7Vs8UcaQPzz_mCnh_K0nYW17LE17jLqeVCXuKn1VTCPcc7IWNvHEaDgLXk8QEXV3KpyI/s320/funfrocks-larrybassin_1jpg.image.607x550.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I try not to have favorites. Truly. And I love all of the books I work on. But this one was just so special and so unique. When Larry Bassin creates a paper doll, the doll, clothing, and background are often all part of the composition. It's gorgeous but it can make formatting for a book a bit challenging. So what I did is I carefully extracted the dolls and art in Photoshop and rearranged them on pages. Using the comic book aesthetic as inspiration, I added blocks of color to the backgrounds and used a font with an early comic book vibe. Larry was thrilled with how it turned out. Jenny was very pleased. And I'm super happy to get this fantastic art out into the world. It's so colorful and fun and fabulous. There aren't enough words for how much I love this book. </p><p><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=84&products_id=2365">Deco Dollies by Alina Kolluri</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6i9e7uEjhSfm2h0P3Vspgpj46_oDbI1ayUlmd2VgDKPiH1S5yQ9IMB1yoNAnr3w_g2onk-a8hIPorXPVun3TD96_9oq7g_mIKqgz6BSV2bYu7QPYvdt-cvNB9v1NJLVJnDckhzz5mGN4lJuP3JpzFdFvM5ZbOZrIdqwjy56lGbOfft6cGRnNjgZBdxE/s550/deco-dollies-alinajpg.image.424x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6i9e7uEjhSfm2h0P3Vspgpj46_oDbI1ayUlmd2VgDKPiH1S5yQ9IMB1yoNAnr3w_g2onk-a8hIPorXPVun3TD96_9oq7g_mIKqgz6BSV2bYu7QPYvdt-cvNB9v1NJLVJnDckhzz5mGN4lJuP3JpzFdFvM5ZbOZrIdqwjy56lGbOfft6cGRnNjgZBdxE/s320/deco-dollies-alinajpg.image.424x550.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oq1DRUxTBO2rkwHf5u6iGda7grHaMR9ZHk14ea3w-L7D5BAggQfH5Cgu7yiKkSVY8_k2GihqYEzvIk9ZXlzw3_KmwFOSoOlgcX1G-Ao8DOw-95Eq50Ru1pxLO6Gt4GjZF6x2PNbg32AeZVJa53Nda0-AqbVvPZ8_fbSEw2Z_LuyQT7DbQV-NCdjDeAw/s596/deco-dollies-alina_1jpg.image.596x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="596" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oq1DRUxTBO2rkwHf5u6iGda7grHaMR9ZHk14ea3w-L7D5BAggQfH5Cgu7yiKkSVY8_k2GihqYEzvIk9ZXlzw3_KmwFOSoOlgcX1G-Ao8DOw-95Eq50Ru1pxLO6Gt4GjZF6x2PNbg32AeZVJa53Nda0-AqbVvPZ8_fbSEw2Z_LuyQT7DbQV-NCdjDeAw/s320/deco-dollies-alina_1jpg.image.596x550.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>This was another extra special project. I absolutely adore Alina's art and there's something about it that always just clicks with me. <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=84&products_id=2366">Her Monster Party book</a> has one of my favorite cover designs ever and that came out in 2023, too. Deco Dollies was a book design that David Wolfe had worked on. He came up with the composition and concept of the covers and interiors but it was never completed. I took his ideas and worked on them in Adobe Illustrator in order the get the clean, bold lines and colors just right. I often bounce between Photoshop and Illustrator. There are some things that are just easier in a vector format. It was really nice to bring David and Alina's vision for the book all the way to publication. </p><p>There are so many terrific books that came out in 2023 that it would be hard to mention all of them here. <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=84&products_id=2366">Norma Lu Meehan's Victorian Christmas</a> is lovely. <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25&products_id=2410">Tom Tierney's Women in History Volumes 1 & 2</a> were a typography challenge and I'm rather pleased with those covers, too. You can keep up with the most <a href="https://www.facebook.com/paperdollreview">current news about Paperdoll Review on Facebook</a> (including a 2024 convention!! YAY!!) and shop for all of these beautiful books at <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=index">Paperdoll Review</a>. <br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-85761053382185134892024-01-12T05:00:00.140-05:002024-01-12T05:00:00.130-05:00Wrap-Up 2023: My Books and a Bonus Book<p>Sometimes I struggle with art block. It's easy to make other people's art look amazing. I get really excited about that! But sometimes I find myself blocked. Maybe I can't come up with an idea. Or I have an idea that I don't think I can pull off. Or I have part of an idea. Or, what happened a lot this year - I have an idea and can't find the time to pull it off! I lost part of January 2023 in the construction of my studio and I lost a good chunk of October through December. Realistically, I was most active between February and September. I had a hand in three books this year: Everything Eighties, Sisters at Heart, and Styles of the 1920s. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOZ6ssYrSQVSekbyXAdLpHGrdLGm14HHzjxnYVAPsqoD192lis3jWMQZQfKyfvz5dbxGZnFrkEIWEOXUG1MVIG_KPb3tRDhyphenhyphenPmGEFy144WkWxuRwekZw8phQNEj8EsZjFBpWuRsgLhGeWLIrGKyFZ4lRS8YFbz4iUBrNMLeAlr07yp1oXsY5Ps8zqGtw/s550/styles-of-the-1920sjpg.image.424x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOZ6ssYrSQVSekbyXAdLpHGrdLGm14HHzjxnYVAPsqoD192lis3jWMQZQfKyfvz5dbxGZnFrkEIWEOXUG1MVIG_KPb3tRDhyphenhyphenPmGEFy144WkWxuRwekZw8phQNEj8EsZjFBpWuRsgLhGeWLIrGKyFZ4lRS8YFbz4iUBrNMLeAlr07yp1oXsY5Ps8zqGtw/s16000/styles-of-the-1920sjpg.image.424x550.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2291">Styles of the 1920s by Rachel Cohen, colors by Julie Allen Matthews</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I want to start with Rachel's book, what I think of as my "bonus" book! I am so unbelievably happy to see this in print! Rachel is a dear friend and I've been an admirer of her blog & paper dolls for years. I love her detailed research and strong linework and she has an endless stream of creative topics. Rachel, Jenny, and I all agreed that I could take a crack at coloring Rachel's delightful drawings. <a href="https://paperthinpersonas.com/2021/08/12/the-newsletter-paper-dolls-in-color/">It's not the first time I've colored Rachel's art</a>. It's also not the first (or last) time that I've colored another artist's drawings. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGM_k47TnxRfz-HXH63is1acWzc_6JI4BZ20FCjMoxsfnrzn_dkHWYLrLUdgjT7ryiUfRkHPVgjwIIk2lshsle4Dzwrs8H7aj3mEatZNntEbeAFHcp7fCAHwjMFn4GBcGmhslhW9eHDTlrIoxmofKaDcy2RGROlptSp__E2yIcHDXFtNWfuWMwIFmctDk/s611/styles-of-the-1920s_1jpg.image.611x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="611" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGM_k47TnxRfz-HXH63is1acWzc_6JI4BZ20FCjMoxsfnrzn_dkHWYLrLUdgjT7ryiUfRkHPVgjwIIk2lshsle4Dzwrs8H7aj3mEatZNntEbeAFHcp7fCAHwjMFn4GBcGmhslhW9eHDTlrIoxmofKaDcy2RGROlptSp__E2yIcHDXFtNWfuWMwIFmctDk/s16000/styles-of-the-1920s_1jpg.image.611x550.jpg" /></a></div><p>We were all really pleased with how it came together. I had an absolute blast coloring it. The covers were inspired by magazines of the 1920s and executed in Illustrator with simple shapes and lines. Rachel did a wonderful job of researching and drawing and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! </p><p>Before I move on to the two books I illustrated, I want to take a minute and talk about coloring line art. I've collaborated with several artists and artist estates where I have been asked to color or complete a project. It's humbling and I approach these projects with respect and reverence. I came across a social media post this year totally bashing one of these special projects. It was really hurtful and crushed my confidence. My style isn't for everyone. I get that. And no one has to like it. I believe strongly in constructive criticism and helping each other grow as artists. I could not imagine being that cruel to an artist myself. I continue to remind myself that social media is not real life and I will put more emphasis on those IRL interactions and less on the likes, clicks, and comments. We all should.<br /></p><p>Anyway, on to happier projects! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWp_cGTTQ8uoUxoLuVJlBHBqnA9v35o-Cim248bN9zX3R8G08ns2P5laacNgsNpYDMAVOnh9p7svOWbWSwCMbwA_fvmk3HMmIDDKsK7M5NaFaihOEz3i4u9GBsrcPxElMksSA-oAAFJLC318odZAuZs-JFD58rrXOTPqaKvZTymXcDkyp8ma3IlMmq2nI/s550/everything-eightiesjpg.image.424x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWp_cGTTQ8uoUxoLuVJlBHBqnA9v35o-Cim248bN9zX3R8G08ns2P5laacNgsNpYDMAVOnh9p7svOWbWSwCMbwA_fvmk3HMmIDDKsK7M5NaFaihOEz3i4u9GBsrcPxElMksSA-oAAFJLC318odZAuZs-JFD58rrXOTPqaKvZTymXcDkyp8ma3IlMmq2nI/s16000/everything-eightiesjpg.image.424x550.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=2407">Everything Eighties, a totally rad paper doll book! </a></p><p>This book started life as my <a href="https://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2022/12/">2022 holiday paper doll</a>. I loved working on that and just could not stop thinking about it. I picked eight fashion fads from the 1980s and reinterpreted them in my own way. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaD3QIys2mS_e08sNr_yXHajPet1ptGWCPsNujgARZkrd6b_UJa2soVrAbD1U4EbsnEZHSZcwwoaw3kOHnZ-KKLspCFYOnHFquvM0cJrFZpVdKYhsl-i9ztfuTSYEuH8KmWAJbIMDnUu0fIfJjX6sFlsfdK5AQ_X0EuxWQZvoK5r3it8gGzV22Tky8tk/s592/everything-eighties_1jpg.image.592x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaD3QIys2mS_e08sNr_yXHajPet1ptGWCPsNujgARZkrd6b_UJa2soVrAbD1U4EbsnEZHSZcwwoaw3kOHnZ-KKLspCFYOnHFquvM0cJrFZpVdKYhsl-i9ztfuTSYEuH8KmWAJbIMDnUu0fIfJjX6sFlsfdK5AQ_X0EuxWQZvoK5r3it8gGzV22Tky8tk/s16000/everything-eighties_1jpg.image.592x550.jpg" /></a></div><p>Some themes came together really easily. Some were a bit tougher. The cover design came together easily, and the interior borders did, too. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uiAxiFBZbVO1fK_dLdwcaxKkrFZ_HK9C4mNrDxoRx8RSsmPAehihm7iXJyTr6PJ0x_SshRD8keZO44E4GrA2GJBXeqDGY5IR1Xz6q6PH1iDHcZE6p4ZyIZIPz-XCnA71IOt9dVZEu1EC8j6RQ6TcYNKl_Wf2QUjaxR-BB52cA1QmtZONjPnK9BUpQxI/s550/sisters-at-heart-paperdollsjpg.image.430x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uiAxiFBZbVO1fK_dLdwcaxKkrFZ_HK9C4mNrDxoRx8RSsmPAehihm7iXJyTr6PJ0x_SshRD8keZO44E4GrA2GJBXeqDGY5IR1Xz6q6PH1iDHcZE6p4ZyIZIPz-XCnA71IOt9dVZEu1EC8j6RQ6TcYNKl_Wf2QUjaxR-BB52cA1QmtZONjPnK9BUpQxI/s16000/sisters-at-heart-paperdollsjpg.image.430x550.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=2367">Sisters at Heart, a paper doll book celebrating friendship</a></p><p>This book is so incredibly special! I started attending conventions and paper doll parties a few years ago. If you haven't been to any, I HIGHLY recommend it. It is SO much fun!! I have met so many delightful folks at these events. One of those is Sharry O'Hare. She is a walking ray of sunshine. She had seen a previous commission of mine and asked if I could put together a book of her and her dear friend Laura (who, incidentally, roped me into the real-life paper doll world and I will be forever grateful for it!!!). I don't take a lot of commissions for a variety of reasons. But this one felt like a really natural fit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL39B78sD0GmQ_KLUvAWhaq_DRazSC3aGCHoeIIbHQF5fU2QZnQbGTaimVCDoE69jct26pHEsP0F0rttc3uManHI2Mm_EvfkQKVNVSWjVB_yBHBUT-Z8XzJ9tn-mScrAha0xDABXdh6Eqv_e_2C8LxX-aDfxAbcDyRvLA0SVJCenFgM7cEsxwiYdtUubE/s631/sisters-at-heart-paperdolls_1jpg.image.631x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="631" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL39B78sD0GmQ_KLUvAWhaq_DRazSC3aGCHoeIIbHQF5fU2QZnQbGTaimVCDoE69jct26pHEsP0F0rttc3uManHI2Mm_EvfkQKVNVSWjVB_yBHBUT-Z8XzJ9tn-mScrAha0xDABXdh6Eqv_e_2C8LxX-aDfxAbcDyRvLA0SVJCenFgM7cEsxwiYdtUubE/s16000/sisters-at-heart-paperdolls_1jpg.image.631x550.jpg" /></a></div><p>Sharry loved it. Laura loved it. Jenny loved it, too, and with everyone in agreement, we went to press with it at Paperdoll Review. It's the story of a real-life friendship, but it could also be the story of any dear friendship. Working on this was one of the highlights of my year. Sharry is one of the co-hosts of the next paper doll convention and, again, I totally recommend going! <a href="https://www.opdag.com/convention.html">You can find out more here</a>. </p><p>I have a couple of book ideas in the works for 2024 already. And in my next post, I'll share some of my design highlights from Paperdoll Review.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-4888230529027693732024-01-05T05:00:00.130-05:002024-01-05T05:00:00.124-05:00Wrap-up 2023: Personal Projects<p>It's hard to believe it's 2024! Holidays with teens & tweens are a bit different than when the boys were little. Fun, but different. I had a very busy 2023 both personally and artistically. My new studio was completed in January and that was HUGE! I have a dedicated space just for me. I also fully transitioned from my Surface Pro 7 to an iPad Pro/Procreate and a shiny new desktop computer. It's exactly what I needed to improve my art. <br /></p><p>One of my goals for 2023 was to draw more, especially on paper and from life. There's a local art group that gets together twice a month for clothed model & still-life open sessions. I started going in June and by August, my youngest son started going with me, too. It's been great practice! You can see some of my drawings on Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/julieamatthews/">https://www.instagram.com/julieamatthews/</a>). Social media still confounds me, so I don't post all that often.</p><p>I'm not great at goal setting. I'm much more task-oriented: what needs to get done and can I do it RIGHT NOW? This post and the next are the things I managed to get done, starting with personal projects. </p><p>First up, I did a study of Fanny Gray (<a href="https://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2023/02/studying-paper-doll-masters-fanny-gray.html">here</a> and <a href="https://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2023/02/studying-paper-doll-masters-fanny-gray_0790239182.html">here</a>).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tGvpwanBfmIP5pCsyGReudhNphZgoSNkdre2tjM5wYJlkWK0DK_KvynybI25USJffBs0WEjQgQU4B1z-7XL8fQrNng0bYwGL_m00IRLlhroESAtN1zx3MAm6Pez9mCgfNlP7Sxow1xQp0J2HIOWmRechrUkbCiJWnDr5KrmH9qh1WytfKNFo9u2dJf4/s3300/fanny-gray-study-horizontal-JAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tGvpwanBfmIP5pCsyGReudhNphZgoSNkdre2tjM5wYJlkWK0DK_KvynybI25USJffBs0WEjQgQU4B1z-7XL8fQrNng0bYwGL_m00IRLlhroESAtN1zx3MAm6Pez9mCgfNlP7Sxow1xQp0J2HIOWmRechrUkbCiJWnDr5KrmH9qh1WytfKNFo9u2dJf4/w400-h309/fanny-gray-study-horizontal-JAM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While not my favorite project, it was a good way to practice "painting" in Procreate. It was also clear to me after this project that I needed to make observation & drawing more of a priority.<p></p><p>Sparkling Sixties was one of two full-page paper dolls of mine in Paperdoll Review. <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=2310">You can find it on the inside cover of issue 87</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhhao7-LoTeHYb0jKS_ppE5nmXqUUqLWum539dnhFfTRqSEpHO1YwcPgZYJoVXswbiMRiivos4vfji2IE5VzR7Nlp68W07M_nkUNbcPoiPahzggHXO4mZHja3alewbI3gUiAKLxD216QHU8GhbN8qnsb2Yus2IRxNKsB6t9r_n_NLxNymlN8dl02dBw8/s3300/Sixties-JAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhhao7-LoTeHYb0jKS_ppE5nmXqUUqLWum539dnhFfTRqSEpHO1YwcPgZYJoVXswbiMRiivos4vfji2IE5VzR7Nlp68W07M_nkUNbcPoiPahzggHXO4mZHja3alewbI3gUiAKLxD216QHU8GhbN8qnsb2Yus2IRxNKsB6t9r_n_NLxNymlN8dl02dBw8/w309-h400/Sixties-JAM.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><p>My other full-page paper doll for Paperdoll Review is my Morticia Addams in <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=2358">issue 88</a>. This was an absolute passion project for me and you can <a href="https://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2023/10/creating-morticia-addams-paper-doll.html">read more about it here</a>. SO much fun! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6IuRyTlBWh9DBci4X8CcditEam3qLDZ1fPeKPfeMfOQwfaqawwTw403ioms4i9r3nMn9zoRK-ZsNUXvn0eCSSqc4ak9rfB0vKagf1d989mQkWmgj0gyMJy2DOyd48f_4WMvxep8edI1ON0lLPRKdxyBUSGXpbRy3qYLtwrIKxyeideXzJdgd8bIF0kI/s3300/Morticia-JAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6IuRyTlBWh9DBci4X8CcditEam3qLDZ1fPeKPfeMfOQwfaqawwTw403ioms4i9r3nMn9zoRK-ZsNUXvn0eCSSqc4ak9rfB0vKagf1d989mQkWmgj0gyMJy2DOyd48f_4WMvxep8edI1ON0lLPRKdxyBUSGXpbRy3qYLtwrIKxyeideXzJdgd8bIF0kI/w309-h400/Morticia-JAM.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><p>At about the same time, I decided to draw a Halloween paper doll just for fun. I thought it would be one page. It isn't. It will likely become a book in 2024. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmb5pqZ76sn7Q2_g9YXYhmIZyO6VTyDZ6BC4gGgtJHN2icgy_JetYEjTaFFC35_-zf78BSuGBTMSFGM_IfM-Wz87cKW8yIaVIc80KCU7BVMg21sgp4sSjJjPwGsCaiSX2ggKNYNA9jjjaWp9Im_oxisjsOZE3srNAxI5jBGPeSMJ21fShdheLAXmBs3M/s3300/octavia-loves-october2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmb5pqZ76sn7Q2_g9YXYhmIZyO6VTyDZ6BC4gGgtJHN2icgy_JetYEjTaFFC35_-zf78BSuGBTMSFGM_IfM-Wz87cKW8yIaVIc80KCU7BVMg21sgp4sSjJjPwGsCaiSX2ggKNYNA9jjjaWp9Im_oxisjsOZE3srNAxI5jBGPeSMJ21fShdheLAXmBs3M/w309-h400/octavia-loves-october2023.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><p>I got a bit carried away with Octavia! I'm not sure if I'll keep the title/name, etc, when I turn this into a book. We shall see!!</p><p>I had one more submission to Paperdoll Review this year in <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=2475">issue 89</a>, Timeless Sailor Suits. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqrVJn0L1m6hvNlUBgQYI3VkIdPq0gtyxowGnlTuQrSRIHoB3u14G3xgb7TcOvqL2dwlRPmsY7ntWg0G3yzA3tcb795Yzmxx7vUgA_z4IgfDoUSNQ8NBgy61Kb4M_rosMnZ3um1uVpRKnVX-vWdBQzmd0xVi-wm6hyphenhypheniUh31-Zg2Ry7wvLsx64MNh65XM/s3300/sailor-suit-JAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqrVJn0L1m6hvNlUBgQYI3VkIdPq0gtyxowGnlTuQrSRIHoB3u14G3xgb7TcOvqL2dwlRPmsY7ntWg0G3yzA3tcb795Yzmxx7vUgA_z4IgfDoUSNQ8NBgy61Kb4M_rosMnZ3um1uVpRKnVX-vWdBQzmd0xVi-wm6hyphenhypheniUh31-Zg2Ry7wvLsx64MNh65XM/w309-h400/sailor-suit-JAM.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><p>It's a total dud and I am not happy with it at all! It was bad timing - my mother had her second total knee replacement surgery in October and most of the last quarter of the year consisted of me helping her out with appointments, etc. I also got the WORST cold and drew this while sick. Definitely do not recommend drawing while sick.</p><p>As much as I disliked this little sailor, I had two more projects that were pretty great: my annual holiday card paper doll and a very special project.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNO8TBPcfhyphenhyphendyZcFzkvJ2ENAjYeXfd9ri_RNOE3hR3Txaa6mH2ZhQW76eYOCzr0_X9vPyXHgwzf86ghplS-O2onBlz1NnSukmydlU2iNEQfI-RYkhXkJri8jXun1IQZ_Sacs70ti2Wj8psZMUeMa6B0PXIpn9SZCYWKlntb_5Yj8rtKNbVeuqa2DYGF58/s3300/skating-paperdoll-JAM-2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNO8TBPcfhyphenhyphendyZcFzkvJ2ENAjYeXfd9ri_RNOE3hR3Txaa6mH2ZhQW76eYOCzr0_X9vPyXHgwzf86ghplS-O2onBlz1NnSukmydlU2iNEQfI-RYkhXkJri8jXun1IQZ_Sacs70ti2Wj8psZMUeMa6B0PXIpn9SZCYWKlntb_5Yj8rtKNbVeuqa2DYGF58/w309-h400/skating-paperdoll-JAM-2023.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>My skater has some flaws. I found the face really challenging. There are some perspective issues, too, especially with the back foot. And one of the skirts looks a little too much like tentacles and too little like fabric... Not bad and I'm mostly happy with it. Room to grow! <p></p><p>And finally, one of the most exciting things I did this year was enter the <a href="https://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org/blog/2023-envelope-winners">Edward Gorey House Annual Envelope Art Contest</a>. Every year, the museum has a contest. This year, I found out about it just days before the deadline and put together an Edward Gorey paper doll for the Dressed to Kill theme. It's pen and white gel pen on a kraft paper 6x9 envelope and it was TOUGH! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphJrMD1m4Hbgh7KryDrDjwISToDj2zESF4dkgHbswrEV_Rnm_pONvseTEU6VG6dxtNxIIBzJKRybTBmgyjvOPUo_4HsokK5Vf9kTIKaai61kTIpBDWfbW30dGH973yJTLbGGWr3xt57E8hP-Lob50KBr0VyIPe11zKEik2EvAJLcQymcatfasPoZhE34/s2670/img098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1764" data-original-width="2670" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphJrMD1m4Hbgh7KryDrDjwISToDj2zESF4dkgHbswrEV_Rnm_pONvseTEU6VG6dxtNxIIBzJKRybTBmgyjvOPUo_4HsokK5Vf9kTIKaai61kTIpBDWfbW30dGH973yJTLbGGWr3xt57E8hP-Lob50KBr0VyIPe11zKEik2EvAJLcQymcatfasPoZhE34/w400-h264/img098.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I was a finalist in the contest! It's really rare for me to enter contests but I was really into this one! I was sent an official certificate & tickets to visit the museum with my family in the spring. It was a really nice way to cap off my year. </p><p>The next post will focus on the books I illustrated this year and after that, I'll share a little bit about the books I've worked on for Paperdoll Review.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-14201322350426765062023-12-31T09:47:00.001-05:002023-12-31T09:47:16.120-05:00Happy Holidays! <p> I had every intention of posting this on Christmas but clearly that didn't happy. December is always a really busy month for me, but it was REALLY hectic this year! Regardless, I wanted to share this with all of you. (Click on the image and right-click to save it full sized)<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaO8mJh3cNB9N2kmOOnMvSNfvEGLns7WvF7DTIfLsFDjrOV8dKwRARk76bQ_jNGfJ5B4ouqoCqYwpBAcNRc1TRgKmcDVnxIFUoRDAMyB1QtvLm_FyfEM_CEIeAv4_P_g6ER8RcS16G3LP2xHDKFAAs1IufBEqzyssuDVwI4hyquNybrGXbD9rpydhtV0/s3300/skating-paperdoll-JAM-2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaO8mJh3cNB9N2kmOOnMvSNfvEGLns7WvF7DTIfLsFDjrOV8dKwRARk76bQ_jNGfJ5B4ouqoCqYwpBAcNRc1TRgKmcDVnxIFUoRDAMyB1QtvLm_FyfEM_CEIeAv4_P_g6ER8RcS16G3LP2xHDKFAAs1IufBEqzyssuDVwI4hyquNybrGXbD9rpydhtV0/w494-h640/skating-paperdoll-JAM-2023.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>Whatever you celebrate, I hope it's been terrific! Happy holidays, happy New Year, and most of all Happy Paperdolling!! See you all next year :) <br /><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-84275635834796763902023-10-31T05:00:00.054-04:002023-10-31T05:00:00.143-04:00Happy Halloween! <p>Happy Halloween! This year my teen is staying home to pass out candy. He's never been a big fan of Halloween. He likes to get candy, of course, but that's about it. My youngest, however, is a HUGE Halloween fan. He & I both are!! So we'll take him out for all of the trick-or-treating he can handle. </p><p>Today I have Octavia! I wanted to create a cute kiddo paper doll for Halloween. I've been looking at a lot of 70s & 80s greeting cards so that was an inspiration. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwF2vt7F4cpKfZcRWK-HOC2u7S2sTcKPNcpuzFUfM6SvD1I9LwemMB6U6QtfeG01bzQeT_XMdOfJ1vnyB02XkLPvuVrP_OZ5bBTEOejIiMDnBqN3yLRO-Kdg7ByccO0ACcb3CipEqPsXIMhjbM8_-hFyvibA7jAPh8hOCMDmkOiL4THsnE3ksN2IK3Ms/s1702/cards-example.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1702" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwF2vt7F4cpKfZcRWK-HOC2u7S2sTcKPNcpuzFUfM6SvD1I9LwemMB6U6QtfeG01bzQeT_XMdOfJ1vnyB02XkLPvuVrP_OZ5bBTEOejIiMDnBqN3yLRO-Kdg7ByccO0ACcb3CipEqPsXIMhjbM8_-hFyvibA7jAPh8hOCMDmkOiL4THsnE3ksN2IK3Ms/s320/cards-example.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>I grabbed this image off of Etsy and there are LOADS of examples online. I wanted the feel of that kind of card. Aside from these, I also saw a balloon at my local supermarket that I loved! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwByylTPvtDgwbE_4WxS2i6-JUqOUwMez6vPRwopkE-PyBFiXNbz03h5oi2wr-2reipHIePlLhwWNXj9HyXbuqnsXd9gt0ilHWPN9r7w4wVmxOr6_iGRqkTCj18TtaVWxLwpHPbzFa7NVi83dUK7U5hWlwGyVUBszblbXGs7GL1_Ky3uANFKRrF8FmaZ0/s4000/IMG_20230925_102959869_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwByylTPvtDgwbE_4WxS2i6-JUqOUwMez6vPRwopkE-PyBFiXNbz03h5oi2wr-2reipHIePlLhwWNXj9HyXbuqnsXd9gt0ilHWPN9r7w4wVmxOr6_iGRqkTCj18TtaVWxLwpHPbzFa7NVi83dUK7U5hWlwGyVUBszblbXGs7GL1_Ky3uANFKRrF8FmaZ0/s320/IMG_20230925_102959869_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>And finally, I love the art style of <a href="https://carliannecreates.com/">Carlianne Tipsey</a>. Her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/carliannecreates/">Instagram is GREAT</a>! I have an ebook copy of her "How to Draw Adorable" and thought I'd take a crack at some of the lessons. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhz4R07xO-hTx1pLSo9_Fb1G3pHkJGwjSu0yFG5613_i6qmYc90agEDvulxEI1Loa4EMB5-nsXORPXbYtfYOONPiRQoZhOyLdD-FCmF9fYmhCi6wGGNfHExwJB_r7bD-km6k8Ww7LWUJsdAUxgtjrSH33xGsS0GnQ7RGaC4-LfBjVGY0kRGV8qSQNTyYk/s4000/IMG_20230925_095306546.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhz4R07xO-hTx1pLSo9_Fb1G3pHkJGwjSu0yFG5613_i6qmYc90agEDvulxEI1Loa4EMB5-nsXORPXbYtfYOONPiRQoZhOyLdD-FCmF9fYmhCi6wGGNfHExwJB_r7bD-km6k8Ww7LWUJsdAUxgtjrSH33xGsS0GnQ7RGaC4-LfBjVGY0kRGV8qSQNTyYk/s320/IMG_20230925_095306546.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyX86SeDrUOHfxo1-zDFBsyHB8hLeUJyOUcM92FAXETwGetJz-k-AdR4-PFiWhKLl3NWmtLrWeNAyBetiNM0RKR78lyxiasE6YUMDxWdWsKTyIaetMz1VidyfY4oIcMYOE1Hv7ZAtK6EVseNndHTiN1J5wqIk7QgsEhGsmyM5MFA9Q8SiVK7Nvg87RFCw/s4000/IMG_20230925_095313348.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyX86SeDrUOHfxo1-zDFBsyHB8hLeUJyOUcM92FAXETwGetJz-k-AdR4-PFiWhKLl3NWmtLrWeNAyBetiNM0RKR78lyxiasE6YUMDxWdWsKTyIaetMz1VidyfY4oIcMYOE1Hv7ZAtK6EVseNndHTiN1J5wqIk7QgsEhGsmyM5MFA9Q8SiVK7Nvg87RFCw/s320/IMG_20230925_095313348.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>I started on paper. The sketches are actually pretty small. I was shooting for simple shapes and lines. It doesn't take much to work up an idea. Initially, I wanted stripey leggings and a cat shirt. Then, I tried putting a little Wednesday Addams style dress on and I didn't like that either. Finally, I settled on a little leotard with a spider web. I like how cute the whole thing looks! The pose is fun & active. At first, the eyes were all black but the pop of blue really works for me. The background is from Adobe Stock's free category & I tweaked it some in Illustrator. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtBx7aMQtjfCgGKAudB5X2taIlv2v4H2VQ6GtxdKsj6QLGoaOIxK_KRDT1wUlXutRD-kiNbLVuO_8JcK4GY7MpgUq-MmUdYS97Xm76xpq8u1qs2NTVXBnPMbMp97nBaUMdqbNPev8AplHup2DzuF5ef_oD4YdnZLMNo4U8x7G4F4_U5lDYTrYgZRPa1I/s3300/octavia-loves-october2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtBx7aMQtjfCgGKAudB5X2taIlv2v4H2VQ6GtxdKsj6QLGoaOIxK_KRDT1wUlXutRD-kiNbLVuO_8JcK4GY7MpgUq-MmUdYS97Xm76xpq8u1qs2NTVXBnPMbMp97nBaUMdqbNPev8AplHup2DzuF5ef_oD4YdnZLMNo4U8x7G4F4_U5lDYTrYgZRPa1I/s320/octavia-loves-october2023.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p>Feel free to click on the image for the full size, right-click and save it to print. I love this doll SO MUCH! I think I might keep working on it until NEXT Halloween! </p><p>Have a fun, safe, and sugar-filled Halloween! <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-59980759973092895322023-10-20T05:00:00.171-04:002023-10-20T05:00:00.143-04:00Creating a Morticia Addams Paper Doll<p>Recently, Paperdoll Review published its Spooky issue (<a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=2358">you can order a copy here</a>) and I knew exactly what I wanted to tackle - Morticia Addams! Is there any ghoul more glamorous than Tish?! I think not!!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmlxi3xDMAoupv9T7eMtf81oNO-osXNnh7qR7qlitC8iDJTTk7GO9iBWBSMr4sOwe2v0KlsF_GXQH3T7PMtk50qANz6l4yY6yU5f81nK5ilmKF-HElzbnoehggKDkERiZ_68VTREwxSmFxFu-e7BZSgu3tjY9oNxNx67irJEdFYRR0lGwTqYDw2Ouiko/s4000/IMG_20231017_102504906_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmlxi3xDMAoupv9T7eMtf81oNO-osXNnh7qR7qlitC8iDJTTk7GO9iBWBSMr4sOwe2v0KlsF_GXQH3T7PMtk50qANz6l4yY6yU5f81nK5ilmKF-HElzbnoehggKDkERiZ_68VTREwxSmFxFu-e7BZSgu3tjY9oNxNx67irJEdFYRR0lGwTqYDw2Ouiko/s320/IMG_20231017_102504906_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>I've always been mildly obsessed with the Addams Family. As a kid, I watched reruns of the old TV show after school. Then in 1991, there was The Addams Family movie. To say I love this movie is an understatement. I have seen it over a hundred times. At one point, I had ALL of the dialog memorized. I had magazines devoted to the making of the film, complete with costume close-ups. I lived for this movie. I still watch it at least once a year. And I lovingly sketched the characters as an utterly devoted 12 year old...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTi21tf-32sDZh5rZoUZFPrhw-5FC5Lj18nj2iWsErlO_L01g0TLXqJoFLcjj16_rZGYYvk9IFeIyoiR9xpDUR2kMY5WmAeffrt7ln1FDAJNgui3JQA9ZaUifkyY7tCVE6YKnBEVT0rc4zFq6djhVphEL3Xhd-8KolCGS5B5s1Jgyd6WDDSVP2jJiPAw/s4000/IMG_20230928_133727746(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTi21tf-32sDZh5rZoUZFPrhw-5FC5Lj18nj2iWsErlO_L01g0TLXqJoFLcjj16_rZGYYvk9IFeIyoiR9xpDUR2kMY5WmAeffrt7ln1FDAJNgui3JQA9ZaUifkyY7tCVE6YKnBEVT0rc4zFq6djhVphEL3Xhd-8KolCGS5B5s1Jgyd6WDDSVP2jJiPAw/w300-h400/IMG_20230928_133727746(1).jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>Just look at that ambitious hand lettering! Some of the detail is lost - the pencil is very shiny and some of it has rubbed off. But still, I was very proud of that drawing for a long time. So I took another crack at it, 30 years later! </p><p>For Paperdoll Review, I knew there were a few problems I needed to solve. It was difficult to find reference images so these are my own interpretations of the movie costumes. </p><p>First, I wanted it to be a vertical format so I knew my canvas would be at least letter sized (8.5 x 11 inches) at 300dpi. I never work at less than 300dpi. Second, I needed to make this work as a paper doll. The bottom of the dress takes up a bit of space so I didn't want to redraw that & take up a ton of area on the page. So I settled on three interchangeable tops. I especially liked that idea because then I could do expressive things with her hands. Third, I need to tackle the color problem - black. SO MUCH BLACK. I decided on throwing in purples to break it up. And finally, composition. How can I arrange this on the page and make it interesting? Initially I thought about creating a conservatory/glass background but that felt really busy. I also thought about a grey background but that felt too monochrome. I found a spiderweb frame in <a href="https://stock.adobe.com/">Adobe Stock</a>'s free collection and played around with black or white in Illustrator. I settled on white with a gradient of purple (from the costumes) and a bit of pink (from the lipstick color).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnl4tLlRWeuRiC3V_bBBgENymNP-B7IHM8BNTp0Xuuf9nDMJA_by-gPUXU1G6nYHyHgF2uuVUQwNf7pRmuHboNaAUJx7y3w9dTXMr2q87Hk6y3PvqdzJtllrViAHLiVn2bZIxlRObNU0W_QNaJKQGuQxMUSuNxkYa1dByOOFbYSNb-0V9Ii78NjK5MTg/s4000/IMG_20230724_140355707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnl4tLlRWeuRiC3V_bBBgENymNP-B7IHM8BNTp0Xuuf9nDMJA_by-gPUXU1G6nYHyHgF2uuVUQwNf7pRmuHboNaAUJx7y3w9dTXMr2q87Hk6y3PvqdzJtllrViAHLiVn2bZIxlRObNU0W_QNaJKQGuQxMUSuNxkYa1dByOOFbYSNb-0V9Ii78NjK5MTg/s320/IMG_20230724_140355707.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzazoE2O9RpRL0lWgZljYGe5EHoPqVY4ebT-yUZEepQOMwY6wcDlo-UONgszOx3aF8UY-AwVXBgD7wkcPloFFENuMam10hnUhpfoU5Wj315dbIFwgI5zZ6M8G9NHfSTl74fdw8BBgIymHXg_PtFhGLWSmSZTB67k47cEQW27cNaNraPlLzvIH88P_33Tc/s4000/IMG_20230724_140402674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzazoE2O9RpRL0lWgZljYGe5EHoPqVY4ebT-yUZEepQOMwY6wcDlo-UONgszOx3aF8UY-AwVXBgD7wkcPloFFENuMam10hnUhpfoU5Wj315dbIFwgI5zZ6M8G9NHfSTl74fdw8BBgIymHXg_PtFhGLWSmSZTB67k47cEQW27cNaNraPlLzvIH88P_33Tc/s320/IMG_20230724_140402674.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Once I figured out my parameters, I started sketching. I like sketching on paper instead of a device. I can work out solutions faster and looser on paper. Then, I take a quick picture of it and tinker in Photoshop. I like to create my document size, margins, and edit my sketch before taking it into Procreate. You could just as easily take a picture with the iPad and skip all of that just make sure that you import your photo into a 300dpi file! It's no fun finding out that you rendered everything at 72dpi. Trust me!!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqiH7YWYIqteBwq3KFzApVyC8brYz2pyw_NqTRcYUQf3aKdO8cx7nvGsgzQ9-OHOG9daEVXeY_jb4lflbbNEGloU_pYVq5n8hlNep7YVYWLLA99TpOzTnNT1f0euhZiYH7ftmv0VUjHGZijbg_RPFwoAatmQ2qAOOx7GzScchf9V2nUoI1_zPKVm8CJA/s952/sketch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="718" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqiH7YWYIqteBwq3KFzApVyC8brYz2pyw_NqTRcYUQf3aKdO8cx7nvGsgzQ9-OHOG9daEVXeY_jb4lflbbNEGloU_pYVq5n8hlNep7YVYWLLA99TpOzTnNT1f0euhZiYH7ftmv0VUjHGZijbg_RPFwoAatmQ2qAOOx7GzScchf9V2nUoI1_zPKVm8CJA/s320/sketch.png" width="241" /></a></div><p>In Photoshop, I combined the arm and hand sketches from the first sketch with the dress from the second sketch. This could just as easily be done traditionally with tracing paper or a light table. I'm a big fan of using what you have - I have Photoshop, so that's what I use. Once I'm happy with the sketch, I take it into Procreate. The purple lines on the image above are my sketch lines in Procreate. I draw on paper, arrange, and then draw a second sketch digitally.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HLtG7Tl5ZOTJYIDASGuqA7_ut4s0J85583udLgGc-7NMwI7_HAsY5p3q9BYcwonghCvBBZ_qKdmTl8Tme-hsZ2A2JWvmOrwQzLK-yWnFFDZheOaWdVnQyhpXF8fQ8vjdP-v7PTaGjzCDIyum7KvPEexChFLCqHi_BKXPI_Y9Zhyphenhyphen2U7tMwVRII_asK50/s2534/IMG_0586.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2534" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HLtG7Tl5ZOTJYIDASGuqA7_ut4s0J85583udLgGc-7NMwI7_HAsY5p3q9BYcwonghCvBBZ_qKdmTl8Tme-hsZ2A2JWvmOrwQzLK-yWnFFDZheOaWdVnQyhpXF8fQ8vjdP-v7PTaGjzCDIyum7KvPEexChFLCqHi_BKXPI_Y9Zhyphenhyphen2U7tMwVRII_asK50/s320/IMG_0586.PNG" width="259" /></a></div>The other thing about this paper doll is that I wanted it to look a bit like Anjelica Huston. It's not a perfect portrait - I struggle with portraits - but it has that vibe. Here's a screenshot from Procreate where I worked on the face at a larger size. This doesn't show all of the reference images I used! Once I was happy with it, I duplicated it and popped it in place on the doll. <p></p><p>After the secondary sketch is good, I line it in pure black. I really like the technical pen in Procreate (it's a default brush) for outlining. I don't always use it but I do most of the time. I make sure my lines are fully closed. Gaps can cause headaches later.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7M-hkolTTXOB2Q2Uq1p87XfwHld0XVc_hljHMGRiuyrQpEvt9OniAJGa67BxerxwNhqWZ0dKQqWWiOX14WiNadityzPWZzwHaYAnG8cDOa6-mmS0kgkKxrbdgEWT-ZAu_IcaZXGNvnRC25000NH8kdsKH8CdDivfA7jAoe43FnnVzL5EsPv6tNpyHVI/s1196/morticia-lines.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="898" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7M-hkolTTXOB2Q2Uq1p87XfwHld0XVc_hljHMGRiuyrQpEvt9OniAJGa67BxerxwNhqWZ0dKQqWWiOX14WiNadityzPWZzwHaYAnG8cDOa6-mmS0kgkKxrbdgEWT-ZAu_IcaZXGNvnRC25000NH8kdsKH8CdDivfA7jAoe43FnnVzL5EsPv6tNpyHVI/s320/morticia-lines.png" width="240" /></a></div><p>Here are the lines, with the blending mode set to Soft Light, on a grey background. Why do it this way? Well, I like the look of color lines (like Tom Tierney or Marilyn Henry or Brenda Sneathen Mattox). I have found that clean, black lines set to Soft Light will give me the colors that I want. The line layer has to be the top layer and everything is colored underneath it. And I'm not a fan of working on white so most of the time, I work on a grey tone.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDp9rwE2gCXU9VtFvgPtIpNpoQbP9Vy4osHis1JVkd8adT_U6cg48j0ica5ZVUgyxe3zfAEHPUQ7brdhkVM5RTBaxs8LN8CWxpd042dBcA7LlpKeAtuy9sojph9RLzEmIGrmjyAz65wbNoyR7kYntsYe0QQcTuy-njhU27ZfsAldih1K9w2Ex3C6oYBI/s1203/morticia-dress.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDp9rwE2gCXU9VtFvgPtIpNpoQbP9Vy4osHis1JVkd8adT_U6cg48j0ica5ZVUgyxe3zfAEHPUQ7brdhkVM5RTBaxs8LN8CWxpd042dBcA7LlpKeAtuy9sojph9RLzEmIGrmjyAz65wbNoyR7kYntsYe0QQcTuy-njhU27ZfsAldih1K9w2Ex3C6oYBI/s320/morticia-dress.png" width="239" /></a></div><p>Next, I color in stages, on layers. I blocked in the black of the dress - which is NOT pure black! It's a medium-dark grey because I needed value range for the shadows and highlights. Once I blocked in the color, I set the layer to alpha lock and shaded. Using this setting allows me to color JUST the black and not worry about stray marks or coloring outside of my lines. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tQ9Nt2wpZbioZZpzVdV4IF7rIaWuZKOScpyPSU4HTF3f0FZF_0UGAo_kEABhmMP5UjouBGPmyd4Opo6GxAmQ1XMPFRG0LKh7C29X2oTvlq__2hs1A-l-12YBJQFC0a58tzDK9zwXtFtkcwhF_lwCocS1ocaHTZiqCRvBaMuQoe98cDIp0op4_GEZxtc/s1197/morticia-skin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="892" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tQ9Nt2wpZbioZZpzVdV4IF7rIaWuZKOScpyPSU4HTF3f0FZF_0UGAo_kEABhmMP5UjouBGPmyd4Opo6GxAmQ1XMPFRG0LKh7C29X2oTvlq__2hs1A-l-12YBJQFC0a58tzDK9zwXtFtkcwhF_lwCocS1ocaHTZiqCRvBaMuQoe98cDIp0op4_GEZxtc/s320/morticia-skin.png" width="238" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKBkNN-QnwqqC1gyMk3HeGxomxFAQGM457CBNWA0c34I6TtJGfMyi86Lqu5IR3x1DfjDEfHhgtbro1hoUQ3Z1fI09kp9YXSLlevdBo6MqFWZ4hEzihGI_EUaDDUZc1fhEq-13uqMArLPeTBXYbxRdVcyUEmG2IFNpB3HXGME8NITghNNooibFpmYNM6A/s1206/morticia-details.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1206" data-original-width="902" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKBkNN-QnwqqC1gyMk3HeGxomxFAQGM457CBNWA0c34I6TtJGfMyi86Lqu5IR3x1DfjDEfHhgtbro1hoUQ3Z1fI09kp9YXSLlevdBo6MqFWZ4hEzihGI_EUaDDUZc1fhEq-13uqMArLPeTBXYbxRdVcyUEmG2IFNpB3HXGME8NITghNNooibFpmYNM6A/s320/morticia-details.png" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zwwS_WfQRwA6tkbJie9q7vMWn9_YQFI-iiNenSKQ02gWahLQQreC6gDePx4yfOwgNa24xSnItNj1MhqQCOPVww6MoBJjkOnAVtmF1Y2gz33K51T6eeV1oIknXDmY1rLvqVb1VuA7cPe-D8tovu0bvnVdQ_NVR3XonndAUHv_oaglSTp09pzzkDklTQU/s1205/morticia-hair.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1205" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zwwS_WfQRwA6tkbJie9q7vMWn9_YQFI-iiNenSKQ02gWahLQQreC6gDePx4yfOwgNa24xSnItNj1MhqQCOPVww6MoBJjkOnAVtmF1Y2gz33K51T6eeV1oIknXDmY1rLvqVb1VuA7cPe-D8tovu0bvnVdQ_NVR3XonndAUHv_oaglSTp09pzzkDklTQU/s320/morticia-hair.png" width="239" /></a></div><p>I repeat those steps for the skin, details, and hair. It's how I render everything, actually. I used to put EVERY SINGLE COLOR on a separate layer but Procreate limits the amount of layers available according to file size (so a 600dpi file has fewer layers, etc). I've had to get a lot better about layer management! </p><p>I'm also a big fan of groups. The layers of the base doll go in a group folder. Each outfit goes in a group folder. The one thing I miss in Procreate as compared to Photoshop or other programs is that I can't change the opacity of a group. I'll often make a copy of my base doll lineart and use that to draw all of the clothing. </p><p>After rendering everything in Procreate, I add tabs, border, and finish the layout in Photoshop.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0PImeS2uKjF03tYH28QK5buRBqP55uMfkRt7mDd7IhmNfBTqS-JSi1QJ58bWKZjv4H5z82YDVY4ImFD6vRhoXEDJRNldLclTMew2Yoqs0cA7_uTXUzGKvWiYFP8SWnbw2w-hDPtMsJf-opIYpCAbZT-fudk3VofhVOheIkKEna9OSdFhv8hQJZpMq9s/s3300/Morticia-JAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0PImeS2uKjF03tYH28QK5buRBqP55uMfkRt7mDd7IhmNfBTqS-JSi1QJ58bWKZjv4H5z82YDVY4ImFD6vRhoXEDJRNldLclTMew2Yoqs0cA7_uTXUzGKvWiYFP8SWnbw2w-hDPtMsJf-opIYpCAbZT-fudk3VofhVOheIkKEna9OSdFhv8hQJZpMq9s/w495-h640/Morticia-JAM.jpg" width="495" /></a></div><p>Once I settled on the purple & pink gradient, all I could think of was Addams Family Values:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JCsCFDcvBmmFzm09a5SvCBD8b6XIU0aWC_R8wgyjaOfSrbNx3i97TVuBBeVlrDkG_JfftHODBiZQfUAydk9NuJS7XSUAsClbTRNWbH6KKvrjMkAOBBosYqVQejFCDqi9x_AOl5OExGw5_w_BJrSx_q06WMogsGRLVts_nubvcKWsvbFoR5yy4D-CCXk/s750/pastels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JCsCFDcvBmmFzm09a5SvCBD8b6XIU0aWC_R8wgyjaOfSrbNx3i97TVuBBeVlrDkG_JfftHODBiZQfUAydk9NuJS7XSUAsClbTRNWbH6KKvrjMkAOBBosYqVQejFCDqi9x_AOl5OExGw5_w_BJrSx_q06WMogsGRLVts_nubvcKWsvbFoR5yy4D-CCXk/s16000/pastels.jpg" /></a></div>The whole thing took me close to 11 hours. Procreate records a time-lapse video as I draw and that's helped me get better about estimating the time I put into a project. There's the drawing on paper, Photoshop, Procreate, and then Photoshop again. <p></p><p>I've added the time-lapse video here. It's about 10 minutes covering my 9+ hours of drawing. You can see where I use reference images and how I'm solving problems on the fly! Let me know what you think of Morticia! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzs3g7rd-SEw-UVcAKaC0Y1XECWb4h94FUr5mHkC1FaySO6u0j54P-wA-34lRskeY_eFz7YstOPmMN6wr5Y1Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-19510640477881528622023-10-16T08:56:00.000-04:002023-10-16T08:56:00.612-04:00Everything Eighties Paper Doll<p>Things have been nuts around here!! The kids are having a great time at school so that's good. My mother just had her second total knee replacement and I've been helping her through that. It went really well, thankfully. <br /></p><p>Aside from that, I have another new book out at Paperdoll Review - <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=2407">Everything Eighties</a>! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpiFMT7V44lyNypnIxKuNXbbe-JQt3OJzPZO5norrs2_ukygzQGmfzBixXwmiTRHlA46iOI2moz_sntJBmvRJFvarSrZ2MSem9Z75A12OiuE8urN5F23TaKmhNffZE4jQloLo_fPxiL9TV9qlm33CfnOc8xEkZJv__Q7Wl4i0t2cDEs95L_0HrTa6INA/s702/80spreview-cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="547" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpiFMT7V44lyNypnIxKuNXbbe-JQt3OJzPZO5norrs2_ukygzQGmfzBixXwmiTRHlA46iOI2moz_sntJBmvRJFvarSrZ2MSem9Z75A12OiuE8urN5F23TaKmhNffZE4jQloLo_fPxiL9TV9qlm33CfnOc8xEkZJv__Q7Wl4i0t2cDEs95L_0HrTa6INA/s320/80spreview-cover.png" width="249" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWJU7ic14krY6A75ya9SfnIsR_r_BuWzfJnJ65tByUbDWen8qfffkR1pocoGe08nMQ_ZyBi5rGJHcK4v-V9VGpJuWR9eUza1UvplRXR3-BYfFX7pdjMoq5VXOz2IVe0nXagZTj0OcKDzGH46iX7eVON2URUJ5KcUD12LNqL2dm7T8UUXXq_NPop3X_1A/s615/80spreview.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="615" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWJU7ic14krY6A75ya9SfnIsR_r_BuWzfJnJ65tByUbDWen8qfffkR1pocoGe08nMQ_ZyBi5rGJHcK4v-V9VGpJuWR9eUza1UvplRXR3-BYfFX7pdjMoq5VXOz2IVe0nXagZTj0OcKDzGH46iX7eVON2URUJ5KcUD12LNqL2dm7T8UUXXq_NPop3X_1A/s320/80spreview.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>If this looks familiar it's because I used my <a href="https://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2022/12/">holiday paper doll</a> from last year. I loved that doll so much that I just HAD to expand her into a whole book. This one had some of my favorite things - denim, glitter, and over-the-top patterns. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyopGZMOx6XYwaVVCltG5r_VoW5fJp7xAeJPcxpEtELiJTSlDlmPRPGholDv8gH_UYJD-iZh54Hc8Ot99fyZA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>Most of my work has been in Procreate which defaults to recording each file so now I have these neat videos of my projects! I took the video of one page (Prairie Style) and sped it up about 7 times so that I could get it under a minute. It's kinda fun to go back and see what I did! </p><p>I'm also going to share a couple of Halloween themed things later in the month, so watch for that! <br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-85629348614799137882023-09-24T10:44:00.002-04:002023-09-24T10:44:58.282-04:00Pinstripe Procreate Brush <p>I'm working on a commission right now in Procreate and I needed a pinstriped pattern. I looked through the oodles of brushes I have (seriously, it's a problem) but nothing was really working. There was one that was close but not quite.</p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_k0QCAiSBBy2Dun5esyMfmc70XjDYZsh?usp=sharing">So I made my own and you can download it!</a> </p><p>Custom brushes are new to me so it isn't perfect! But it did what I wanted it to do, so I'm sharing it with anyone who wants to give it a shot. It create a nice, pinstriped pattern that followed the path of my brush instead of being a pattern that covers the whole area. I wanted it to flow along the fabric. And I wanted it to be subtle. Does it work for you? Let me know if there are any issues with the link. I'll try to share more resources as I create them! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDQNJVBn220PbswXaxK9JlhMzRIlvk5dwTwKrlpWXYLXxZ2Fl-wKx2XcVqFvlfXQe2m1um41dvYqks_OziQBxb5LBBdROxbwqtG1j-mVj2YRGn9rb5NwznrFdBXGxER4LFq1QNlzkW5U4VTXK5xYFbyyoqwQfFi3lR3oBsQexdcuFxVJqD9L2TeAIcMg/s2732/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2732" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDQNJVBn220PbswXaxK9JlhMzRIlvk5dwTwKrlpWXYLXxZ2Fl-wKx2XcVqFvlfXQe2m1um41dvYqks_OziQBxb5LBBdROxbwqtG1j-mVj2YRGn9rb5NwznrFdBXGxER4LFq1QNlzkW5U4VTXK5xYFbyyoqwQfFi3lR3oBsQexdcuFxVJqD9L2TeAIcMg/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-2714456960977217892023-09-13T10:16:00.000-04:002023-09-13T10:16:09.578-04:00Current Projects and Updates<p> I don't really mean to go months in between posts! There are a few reasons. First, posting here requires time & effort that I just haven't had lately. Summer is always a challenge for me. The kids are home (which I love) but that takes a lot of time. It's amazing how many meals a tween boy and a teen boy can eat in a summer day!! I have always been very aware of the fact that my time with my kids is short, so I prioritize it. We go to museums, swimming at the lake, visiting friends & family, and we almost always take a vacation at the end of August. This year, we went to Paris. It was amazing! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgGDGmaWN76RUeM2sxP0ZjYstSZ1tM2krERuJA77RCRoCJTfHgaXSE2-hDHgPAj_SWli_W5mSdfbj9hjgqE-UPx7__KdpAOtdW7CeJ60XEv4xCVpbgemrHP-z3nHp9EG-nXUS2RVA2Vro1udxkgGuwttFirO1tP2f0j-XvDuSZ9Z2SbPHlawkQxZNa9I/s2304/IMG_20230825_103004268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="2304" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgGDGmaWN76RUeM2sxP0ZjYstSZ1tM2krERuJA77RCRoCJTfHgaXSE2-hDHgPAj_SWli_W5mSdfbj9hjgqE-UPx7__KdpAOtdW7CeJ60XEv4xCVpbgemrHP-z3nHp9EG-nXUS2RVA2Vro1udxkgGuwttFirO1tP2f0j-XvDuSZ9Z2SbPHlawkQxZNa9I/s320/IMG_20230825_103004268.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Look at my adorable little family at the Louvre! </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The second thing that has happened is that my paper doll world has gone from mostly virtual to mostly IRL. I have so many virtual paper doll friends that I've met in real life (Rachel and Melissa among them!!) and that's been great. I started attending paper doll parties in 2018, starting with my local group, and then Morgantown in 2019. That first Morgantown was a blast and I met Jenny Taliadoros - the amazing, wonderful, terrific person behind Paperdoll Review. We've been working closely together ever since. And I COULD NOT be happier! So I have my hands in a lot of projects and sometimes I forget to share them here. I try to share them on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/julieamatthews/">Instagram</a> but I'll admit, social media is not something I really focus on. I have a couple of books coming out soon and I try to have art in every issue of Paperdoll Review Magazine. I'll try to get better about sharing things like that.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWsvN3S8zVZ4cqfgImwUQ2q8hYMMwiwAE_EYO0MBrtZeDt33OjMDbnVnkRRHNiEB1vEt2NcsBC7T0gat5zmgu_KNR8qaMLy-5TGZResKrdmF2AJIhsftIuAK3iTsS7FBvhUJSvRPn2-IVksTMctayUByF1v3ZiEjnXs4THGxDwu5gcDqfj78Pggo6_l8/s1313/sisters-at-heart-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1313" data-original-width="1010" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWsvN3S8zVZ4cqfgImwUQ2q8hYMMwiwAE_EYO0MBrtZeDt33OjMDbnVnkRRHNiEB1vEt2NcsBC7T0gat5zmgu_KNR8qaMLy-5TGZResKrdmF2AJIhsftIuAK3iTsS7FBvhUJSvRPn2-IVksTMctayUByF1v3ZiEjnXs4THGxDwu5gcDqfj78Pggo6_l8/s320/sisters-at-heart-cover.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><p>This is one of the books I have coming out. "Sisters at Heart" is a tribute to real-life friends Sharry & Laura. It's a lovely book that I'm very proud of - every time I see it, I forget that I made it!! It looks too good to be mine! <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=2367">You can order a copy here</a>. </p><p>I also have a submission in the <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=2358">Spooky issue of Paperdoll Review</a>. Here's a preview - see if you can figure out what I sent in!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI4ByxwArKZOZbnvarS2J48twWJqJ3xR2SJh7klqWsGXOWto7QmBxN1yTU0YyGCydM5YoWZH597zNbOlmfbWOI_4b9Qp59bLuIfcGpPlDl0xzKsY5QsPgFzBFriA_eOONlnORE8oJAPjADSIAuiWvZ0mhBsB-9NgZvECo1KGeeqbYCIg2nUZt3pf3x2Q/s986/pdr-tease.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="967" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI4ByxwArKZOZbnvarS2J48twWJqJ3xR2SJh7klqWsGXOWto7QmBxN1yTU0YyGCydM5YoWZH597zNbOlmfbWOI_4b9Qp59bLuIfcGpPlDl0xzKsY5QsPgFzBFriA_eOONlnORE8oJAPjADSIAuiWvZ0mhBsB-9NgZvECo1KGeeqbYCIg2nUZt3pf3x2Q/s320/pdr-tease.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><p></p><p>Another reason I'm posting less is because I'm trying to find time to improve my art. I've been watching tutorials, drawing more, and just plain practicing! Also, my youngest son and I have been attending a local drawing workshop a couple of times a month. We have the option of drawing a clothed figure or a still-life. I've been encouraging him to draw more, so we usually draw the still-life together. We're both LOVING it! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-LFS75qhjrx9LWGJ1UyBsiM-Gr5T6Ujnb_g2mBUbRnwS3aPfraGc51XdbovGtEK9cLOHG4xlfdTAOslJ1FOIVu4KREfbRhuitrxrs9fk-KXtbxUZ_oe0EdUyX3YynwwA4MTPCiKPt9FRqA8ANUyceJ2oAWXBmtpYESGxB4L-qK4rhEBYkgNsMsi-oBA/s2685/IMG_20230624_115839920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2685" data-original-width="2684" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-LFS75qhjrx9LWGJ1UyBsiM-Gr5T6Ujnb_g2mBUbRnwS3aPfraGc51XdbovGtEK9cLOHG4xlfdTAOslJ1FOIVu4KREfbRhuitrxrs9fk-KXtbxUZ_oe0EdUyX3YynwwA4MTPCiKPt9FRqA8ANUyceJ2oAWXBmtpYESGxB4L-qK4rhEBYkgNsMsi-oBA/s320/IMG_20230624_115839920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mile's still-life. He knows I shared this and he's fine with it :)<br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hqGCmrA-tcVDjztkBVBzM03Fwka6eLlejR6fKMeusc9RYpgjRuGnM0P1cSjX2gdI7VNzkiGuHtdFGxAZ_8KDAFSTsJEVRj0AKUvam1eoyov5ptbKyytARtyADYYawHaqoGj2iWHBstrNQzbBnDJzR1JuOURL4DCceLd90IYvZIQpk7M0398LpvdGXYI/s2860/IMG_20230624_115856861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="2858" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hqGCmrA-tcVDjztkBVBzM03Fwka6eLlejR6fKMeusc9RYpgjRuGnM0P1cSjX2gdI7VNzkiGuHtdFGxAZ_8KDAFSTsJEVRj0AKUvam1eoyov5ptbKyytARtyADYYawHaqoGj2iWHBstrNQzbBnDJzR1JuOURL4DCceLd90IYvZIQpk7M0398LpvdGXYI/s320/IMG_20230624_115856861.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My still-life. It's been great putting pencil to paper again! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, I've become more wary of posting my art online. Some of it is that I don't want to feed the AI my art. That's not all of it, but I do think about it. I've also had my art stolen over the years (who hasn't at this point?!) and it's frustrating. Stealing art & scraping art for the algorithms devalues the work that I do AND the work of all creatives. I'd rather focus my time and effort on books for Jenny or other physical products. I don't think I'll ever completely stop posting online despite the frustrations. <br /></div></div><div><p>The blog isn't going away. I just can't promise that I'll post four times a month anytime soon! <br /></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-7429067621532963402023-04-25T05:00:00.005-04:002023-04-25T10:27:09.706-04:00Coloring the Styles of the 1920s by Rachel Cohen I am lucky enough to work on some really fun paper doll projects! One of these recent projects was Rachel’s “Styles of the 1920s”. When she pitched her idea for a book, Jenny, Rachel, and I decided I’d add color to her strong, lovely line work. I’ve colored some of Rachel's drawings for fun before and it was a thrill to do this! <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=71&products_id=2291">If you'd like a copy of your own, you can grab it here, at Paperdoll Review</a>. <a href="https://paperthinpersonas.com/2023/04/24/behind-the-scenes-the-story-of-my-styles-of-the-1920s-paper-doll-book/">Check out Rachel's post, too!</a><br /><br /> The very first thing I did was open the files in Photoshop. This is almost always my first step in any project! First, I determine the DPI or how high the resolution is on the image. If it’s a flat image, I separate it into layers. With Rachel’s, I knew it was a black and white drawing which made things easier. With black and white drawings, I go to the Image menu (step 1), make sure the document mode is set to CMYK, select the Black channel from the Channels palette (step 2), select it, inverse the selection, and copy it to a new layer (step 3). That all sounds way more complicated than it actually is! It really only takes a minute or two, and at the end of it, I have perfectly black linework on its own layer. At this point, I go back and change the document mode to RGB (DO NOT MERGE!!) and it’s time for colors! <br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-1a253c20-7fff-ce31-17c0-2c5a09267058" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEP0xejWsk6aiYaENSiUuIPiTDhHILCSPwqw5Dvo8-cOlhIU4KxTTxg1Rz6lZpLKHCH_foaqJiGMvOVwloZMY4s7mZba6HDgz4kjM8J3k4-7y6oG9EMqKGrXfA7qyr0BIMpNW4RA1WZ6J5IaEuIvEt7jVHJuANU-Ao50An_uN1BJGjuteQZyUT84uH/s2730/rachel-process1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1764" data-original-width="2730" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEP0xejWsk6aiYaENSiUuIPiTDhHILCSPwqw5Dvo8-cOlhIU4KxTTxg1Rz6lZpLKHCH_foaqJiGMvOVwloZMY4s7mZba6HDgz4kjM8J3k4-7y6oG9EMqKGrXfA7qyr0BIMpNW4RA1WZ6J5IaEuIvEt7jVHJuANU-Ao50An_uN1BJGjuteQZyUT84uH/w400-h259/rachel-process1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> The other big thing I like to do in Photoshop is add a white layer. I select the line work, inverse the select, and then fill with white on a layer below the line art. This serves a couple of purposes. First, it becomes the “paper” for my coloring. Many of the brushes I use are transparent and this just helps me prevent colors showing gaps as I go along. Secondly, I can use the white layer as a clipping mask or a select for erasing bits & pieces. It helps me color inside the lines! <p></p>From here, I port the document from Photoshop over to my iPad for coloring. Most of my drawing and coloring is done in Procreate on iPad now. I grabbed an iPad about a year ago. It’s been the single best piece of tech I’ve ever used for digital art!<br /><br />Once in Procreate, the fun begins! I chose a 1920s inspired palette. I like to create a limited palette of colors so that the colors stay uniform through the whole project. Each color gets its own layer under the line art. I knew that Rachel’s lines were going to remain a pure black and that allowed me to try a technique in Procreate using a reference layer & color drop. <br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrT2cnE5QGCsZPuRy_OzatLnozJLaQUK8Pj0QyXhad7w13T8hOdGWkRgVpH-txWirVFFBLBcHxgAOiKpVa8RyzCQvyFD7mB37lApT11tuGeXTywibaVOl1VnpOgKuaFws9IsQqXYEGPrO-ET5tBUObcEk2MpLCkNbFnF3O59DxpqFbr57nDyB7dQg/s2732/Screenshot%202023-04-04%20at%209.51.47%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2732" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrT2cnE5QGCsZPuRy_OzatLnozJLaQUK8Pj0QyXhad7w13T8hOdGWkRgVpH-txWirVFFBLBcHxgAOiKpVa8RyzCQvyFD7mB37lApT11tuGeXTywibaVOl1VnpOgKuaFws9IsQqXYEGPrO-ET5tBUObcEk2MpLCkNbFnF3O59DxpqFbr57nDyB7dQg/w300-h400/Screenshot%202023-04-04%20at%209.51.47%20AM.png" width="300" /></a></div>In the image above, I have one of the dolls with just the black lines. Tap on the layer, select Reference, and then create a new layer under that. The Reference setting acts like a selection tool and now I can only place color inside of those lines. I could fill in the lines on the black layer, but I always place my colors under the line art. That way I can change the colors as needed. Procreate has a feature where you can take the active color and drag & drop it to fill areas on the canvas. That’s what I did here. <p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-b26f5464-7fff-973e-d2ce-5236ec389163" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-b26f5464-7fff-973e-d2ce-5236ec389163" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0H6l-_SREl8uzPb_tSNsWUOxnX7Xf46Z5aSFyVPbYBtkuZBoN22ymOFPg84FzfW3_KVN6hvsO1u78Kb1EcalOPEVJaJplHkhOxlyOkbKCOPW4k9ypzY7NBUcVJ8SxHcNF9YWHeC1zDFQBYZU_2tkk2CXfHmI4De0jMQW8zYNMVqrj4Wn9Ftp2j9H4/s2732/IMG_0343.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2732" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0H6l-_SREl8uzPb_tSNsWUOxnX7Xf46Z5aSFyVPbYBtkuZBoN22ymOFPg84FzfW3_KVN6hvsO1u78Kb1EcalOPEVJaJplHkhOxlyOkbKCOPW4k9ypzY7NBUcVJ8SxHcNF9YWHeC1zDFQBYZU_2tkk2CXfHmI4De0jMQW8zYNMVqrj4Wn9Ftp2j9H4/w300-h400/IMG_0343.PNG" width="300" /></a></div>Once the base colors are blocked in, I tap on the layer and set it to Alpha Lock. Again, this acts like a selection. I can now only color on top of the base color. I use a bunch of different brushes to render the lights & darks. I really like Jason Heeley’s soft basic tinter brush from this set: https://folio.procreate.com/discussions/10/28/31055 It’s a free set and it’s great! I have two versions of this brush: I set one to Multiply for shadows and I set one to Screen for lights. I use those two to get my basic shading using the local color. So what that means is if I use a pink base color, I use the same color set to Multiply for shadows and set to Screen for lights. I have other brushes that I use to deepen the shadows and brighten up the lights, too, but it starts soft and builds up. I also tend to add a purple shadow that adds yet another layer of depth. <br /><br />It all sounds way more complicated written out than it is in action! It’s methodical and requires some organization, but it gives me the exact level of control I like. I don’t have to worry about making stray marks when I use the Alpha lock. I have a nice subtle transition between light, dark, and midtone but using my brushes on different settings. <br /><br />Overall, it took about 5 hours to color the dolls, plus a little time in Photoshop. I used the same method on every single page of the book. Once everything was colored, I brought it back into Photoshop for tabs, layout, and cover designs. <br /><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwew8rso134fuiJbmxGcJ7RrNS9LkzZ7-BjjvWKDbUtaeMB3DyZ7zlKx-zLsb_7tBQ7tAAcbWAPc2tHFuJYJg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-38066206909321430202023-02-24T05:00:00.002-05:002023-02-24T05:00:00.297-05:00Studying the (Paper Doll) Masters - Fanny Gray in Color<p> Last week I started <a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2023/02/studying-paper-doll-masters-fanny-gray.html">a study of Fanny Gray</a>, one of the earliest American paper dolls. I started with a pencil sketch, scanned it, and continued in Procreate from there.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyTKeWRuXwfQa0E4qlk5giT58TdOl66025e9x8qG2IMk619Svd5-lXKuU4trfpyIlKLPuFlOQ6d0TrOD1fXyw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>The video above shows the 5 or so hours it took to line and color Fanny Gray in Procreate sped up to a 30 second video! One of the things I love about Procreate is that it automatically does this. I know how long I spend on a project and that's pretty great.</p><p>Here's the breakdown in photos.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrslv-6KGRLaERrP052pMsVZJEhPfhVyxSiPfb212VBV5Pm2ROz2-1Qiomn3idQ4V4EHIwgZfMRVTgAS_Rrg_Bc-KCRs5nvQVKdpv9RhIpw69z79Td0RUiU_GZtzb3xBfwKwuQJ3eGDRwV5rP7NGhqBmHqrrBmhMEWRtu2K9VGkQaevwrYlXz8WM2/s1098/fg-lines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="848" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrslv-6KGRLaERrP052pMsVZJEhPfhVyxSiPfb212VBV5Pm2ROz2-1Qiomn3idQ4V4EHIwgZfMRVTgAS_Rrg_Bc-KCRs5nvQVKdpv9RhIpw69z79Td0RUiU_GZtzb3xBfwKwuQJ3eGDRwV5rP7NGhqBmHqrrBmhMEWRtu2K9VGkQaevwrYlXz8WM2/s320/fg-lines.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p>The very first thing I did was distortion and proportion correction in Photoshop. There were a few stylistic changes that I made at this stage, like giving her a prettier face. I also find file setup up is easier in Photoshop. And then it was on to lines. Strong lines make it easier to cut out a paper doll. I also like to do any correcting at the line stage rather than tinkering with the final project. It's just easier. Here, I used a pencil brush to simulate the soft lines of the lithograph. I'll tell you right now, I didn't keep track of the brushes I used as well as I should have! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1js2UHiLglY_bkcO160YEDTnT7I3_MjIRfby7FJU1uOzUaGapFhgPQImiaG1ZHEJriAxLtr9ROiP6IHQH0dyffa0A7451BZTf3lOQBAr2E78f1kIDarDfhoGlKytbV1OPsUDaLADFNYmpBww05_sEunim8Ua3Z1dY4RMBbiN1EPzx7a7OOEeKAq4M/s1100/fg-hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="848" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1js2UHiLglY_bkcO160YEDTnT7I3_MjIRfby7FJU1uOzUaGapFhgPQImiaG1ZHEJriAxLtr9ROiP6IHQH0dyffa0A7451BZTf3lOQBAr2E78f1kIDarDfhoGlKytbV1OPsUDaLADFNYmpBww05_sEunim8Ua3Z1dY4RMBbiN1EPzx7a7OOEeKAq4M/s320/fg-hair.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDKxK6yui58dxlHPUYWUVc1WKtiSnk003w-UuGpL2OYOi3Hl9hYfT0T74h9uRRBvTjh8L5E7x_0jERwndb1myyrW07_Y37yzpae9ulQj1pN-nP4uWIYHmZ2VsqE_ghs2uRA1K0IdpQaKf_w-Rs1KTMGseb1SGcPkGieZHDrwLzHt5l0zQGSkcG3Z7/s1098/fg-skin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="848" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDKxK6yui58dxlHPUYWUVc1WKtiSnk003w-UuGpL2OYOi3Hl9hYfT0T74h9uRRBvTjh8L5E7x_0jERwndb1myyrW07_Y37yzpae9ulQj1pN-nP4uWIYHmZ2VsqE_ghs2uRA1K0IdpQaKf_w-Rs1KTMGseb1SGcPkGieZHDrwLzHt5l0zQGSkcG3Z7/s320/fg-skin.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>I worked my way down the drawing at this point. I started with the hair, then the skin. Each section is on its own layer. For the face, I worked "back" to "front": first, the skin tone, then all of the features on top of that. As for brushes, I tried to keep to dry media types - pencils, grainy brushes, etc. I really like the <a href="https://www.designcuts.com/product/the-ultimate-brush-toolbox/">pencil and pastel brushes in this set from Design Cuts</a>. (**That isn't an affiliate link or anything - I just really like this set**)<br /> <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDRNutGpIM28mxgbRGh59Rv_tR5JOTqUmB54euKXXM60piceBv3vXpESapU6L_jU4cnk-NTTzmalaAeVQ7tmsHRjFq7Mqr578f7zODLXOyBfFN-wcQzVNYr9EO7Xy2lYVsjQ7z7DJHECTrAFQ1iBCXhYkd1hZSEZTRhXOFDZMfMNXytZ33lElddiq/s1094/fg-shawl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1094" data-original-width="848" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDRNutGpIM28mxgbRGh59Rv_tR5JOTqUmB54euKXXM60piceBv3vXpESapU6L_jU4cnk-NTTzmalaAeVQ7tmsHRjFq7Mqr578f7zODLXOyBfFN-wcQzVNYr9EO7Xy2lYVsjQ7z7DJHECTrAFQ1iBCXhYkd1hZSEZTRhXOFDZMfMNXytZ33lElddiq/s320/fg-shawl.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisyaalj_xvpGXOXA6xs8i_JZXch9BqBBtjSGVQ7J8iAoazpud0LIiVvM2cQwdd-AO-P9RTSR36zu1tBP44ULQZHJeM1yJLTfmX5XwQLbOVFZSi55XYkuaI1jINi2XbOt5FVRiCbH9I9hcEbm05fpGqddbOa5q9_rIMDf0N_mF6rsj03xBEVnsIlbS/s1100/fg-dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="846" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisyaalj_xvpGXOXA6xs8i_JZXch9BqBBtjSGVQ7J8iAoazpud0LIiVvM2cQwdd-AO-P9RTSR36zu1tBP44ULQZHJeM1yJLTfmX5XwQLbOVFZSi55XYkuaI1jINi2XbOt5FVRiCbH9I9hcEbm05fpGqddbOa5q9_rIMDf0N_mF6rsj03xBEVnsIlbS/s320/fg-dress.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>I continued down the drawing, working on the shawl and dress. I tried to pay attention to the colors and folds of the fabric. It's not obvious in the video, but I often look at my colors and adjust the saturation if the colors look too dull or flat. I did this quite a bit with the browns. Browns are the most difficult colors for me to work with digitally. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDu3V90CWcb_saq61XggqRhQ4c_n3cWuKRDzL5PafXr7gHWgQLSNZ0xK0uSfykP7T4YhLTNx0elVR8V09DhzPnCtrnbyRpHK439ZnZ7if3KTk_Qn3uA4sRaPYShpQhmnN4smnJSELYRWgLYfQW_tZMIU2bOUtGvCvVp5hyJu7RTIxEzQJoEEL2CPS/s1096/fg-apron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDu3V90CWcb_saq61XggqRhQ4c_n3cWuKRDzL5PafXr7gHWgQLSNZ0xK0uSfykP7T4YhLTNx0elVR8V09DhzPnCtrnbyRpHK439ZnZ7if3KTk_Qn3uA4sRaPYShpQhmnN4smnJSELYRWgLYfQW_tZMIU2bOUtGvCvVp5hyJu7RTIxEzQJoEEL2CPS/s320/fg-apron.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiM3g3ZPTQZ3JaaLYlg_QlYZKoDtE2if0u3ovO_y0yz_IB0kdIVCxiOVFtrPaKDkaSzpYzndYkWSGkJx0-i1p1OxOS5ZYeO7wglNgeYk3n7meuo7nuosng233YGK05fjx6Zjd1ZBCbDnbo3znefMYqCYCEl9Y21WSPuDv5ajYiDLGIV3HbYpI2UCk/s1098/fg-eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="844" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiM3g3ZPTQZ3JaaLYlg_QlYZKoDtE2if0u3ovO_y0yz_IB0kdIVCxiOVFtrPaKDkaSzpYzndYkWSGkJx0-i1p1OxOS5ZYeO7wglNgeYk3n7meuo7nuosng233YGK05fjx6Zjd1ZBCbDnbo3znefMYqCYCEl9Y21WSPuDv5ajYiDLGIV3HbYpI2UCk/s320/fg-eggs.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwBI0ICPDn7VX4d0C6H_IIX2iBi7BQMq5ZLAf-K6RykJ5VoWh8zimM1HoyaymkLhWzEI1DJKTTIDa5HBEyup8uTa3MC2o2IjEWcKWI_qvQThWR9Eddu45yFrdJ4FPfUVgue8oNWYIMzNCWicdPz4d7f6cziH2g08WD8a0Fb_DsykyF51U4cjKR08R/s1102/fg-base.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwBI0ICPDn7VX4d0C6H_IIX2iBi7BQMq5ZLAf-K6RykJ5VoWh8zimM1HoyaymkLhWzEI1DJKTTIDa5HBEyup8uTa3MC2o2IjEWcKWI_qvQThWR9Eddu45yFrdJ4FPfUVgue8oNWYIMzNCWicdPz4d7f6cziH2g08WD8a0Fb_DsykyF51U4cjKR08R/s320/fg-base.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p>The apron was tough. I'm not totally happy with the lines but it's ok. The basket was tough, too. I roughed in grass for the base instead of the very elaborate farm scene on the original. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTxElc-ikYFig3osvMF7lR6eX2tMHaPGjYxUYmYB5BdsVP6lCeQBkuK_Nv43C9wH10OLmad-eq9CiZLO7Je-sDfhiclFNWV2VFTNJJFTB0bEYLQgGv25pQ8263uKdSXSenM3j1r3F3v_EPU2zL9Rgdd55EtfU__9eCrMspnM2SlPaHMlCpTJmp7Vk/s1098/fg-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="846" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTxElc-ikYFig3osvMF7lR6eX2tMHaPGjYxUYmYB5BdsVP6lCeQBkuK_Nv43C9wH10OLmad-eq9CiZLO7Je-sDfhiclFNWV2VFTNJJFTB0bEYLQgGv25pQ8263uKdSXSenM3j1r3F3v_EPU2zL9Rgdd55EtfU__9eCrMspnM2SlPaHMlCpTJmp7Vk/s320/fg-cat.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOd-wfRVykeDK-vQmVdVywHXRpLQflUM25Aujs8xY_bGnp9bhsLtsi-cGqlU30Gnan2QEqQSH1jKZYM6q9pCFE5hkYagjHX84WWGj7lffFUFT2hmwvH7bCMcSL5Dm8S-19RdDq4GdF0AIgIo9ke1VRZ9H1hsWJQL-N3LX6N6o-h2GkvSTu094dA7Ae/s1098/fg-cloak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="848" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOd-wfRVykeDK-vQmVdVywHXRpLQflUM25Aujs8xY_bGnp9bhsLtsi-cGqlU30Gnan2QEqQSH1jKZYM6q9pCFE5hkYagjHX84WWGj7lffFUFT2hmwvH7bCMcSL5Dm8S-19RdDq4GdF0AIgIo9ke1VRZ9H1hsWJQL-N3LX6N6o-h2GkvSTu094dA7Ae/s320/fg-cloak.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p>There are five outfits in the Fanny Gray set from 1854. It's a morality story and the clothing reflects this. The outfit with the cloak has Fanny barefoot, down on her luck, and selling matches. I didn't like that very much so in mine, she just gets a nice red cloak. It's all painted on one layer and I played with color and saturation a lot with this. The other outfit I drew has her holding a weird looking cat. Somehow, my cat is even weirder! I still may go back and work on that. As for the other two costumes, I haven't drawn them. Maybe I should! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UOJrajtDU776EYpAGdirbnT1e9170qKN0t7OjgIW-zPpZPu8VPZChxWGq3LctozMCPtnHywVi4KPwyf14hQj5DRWNSQUQJnGH0BwutP4OBaUfpxkvZqe_UULiclAaRKkDs3qB1wGxh4ksKexEHUSBfo3_SUsrpPeQDw_UJpoXMf6wNLckT4DaroF/s3300/fanny-gray-study-horizontal-JAM%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UOJrajtDU776EYpAGdirbnT1e9170qKN0t7OjgIW-zPpZPu8VPZChxWGq3LctozMCPtnHywVi4KPwyf14hQj5DRWNSQUQJnGH0BwutP4OBaUfpxkvZqe_UULiclAaRKkDs3qB1wGxh4ksKexEHUSBfo3_SUsrpPeQDw_UJpoXMf6wNLckT4DaroF/s320/fanny-gray-study-horizontal-JAM%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Because I needed to feel like this was "complete", I added tabs and laid it all out in Photoshop. This was a fun little exercise and I might try another one! <br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-75767210726021171422023-02-17T05:00:00.102-05:002023-02-17T05:00:00.247-05:00Studying the (Paper Doll) Masters - Fanny Gray<p> I've been in a creative funk for a while. Getting the new office set up has helped a bit, but I'm still just not quite feeling it. It could be the time of year, it could be the chaos of parenting, or any of a zillion other things. </p><p>And that's ok. Sometimes it comes easily, and sometimes it doesn't. </p><p>One thing I've been doing lately is immersing myself in other people's art. I love learning about technique, both traditional and digital. I love watching an artist create something radically different than what I make. And I'm trying to get my spark back a bit, too.</p><p>This week, I watched a video by Scott Christian Sava (https://www.youtube.com/@ssavaart). He has such a terrific presentation style. I just love listening to him and watching what he makes! He gave himself a project - create 60 studies of the masters in 60 days. As I was watching it, I thought, I can do THAT! </p><p>I'm going to riff on his idea and "Study the (Paper Doll) Masters)". I won't get to 60 but that's not the point! The point is to create a bunch and see what happens. In my head, I'm thinking 10 or 12 but I'm not sure yet. I'm open to suggestions!! </p><p>Today, I'm sharing my study of Fanny Gray from 1854.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7h_EvJENGid72ixxPg-pXcx80Y-Lssl93gtg_q8ACC7IHeemgfJ1NzIZdBx_nkVe3vNhb-cMDYz038kWKA2N5zpkpB1XP2-YEearjbft0E_dXFVU6SxXI1jci_eMU9mMZ_TnQgMy0DA6zGM5ekGZQ4H6Im5MM8VtrllwCuYTWUlj_Vy9FdFR37Wf7/s1731/fanny-gray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1731" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7h_EvJENGid72ixxPg-pXcx80Y-Lssl93gtg_q8ACC7IHeemgfJ1NzIZdBx_nkVe3vNhb-cMDYz038kWKA2N5zpkpB1XP2-YEearjbft0E_dXFVU6SxXI1jci_eMU9mMZ_TnQgMy0DA6zGM5ekGZQ4H6Im5MM8VtrllwCuYTWUlj_Vy9FdFR37Wf7/w400-h200/fanny-gray.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I wanted to start with Fanny Gray because it's an early American paper doll set. Some say it's the first American paper doll set, some disagree. I'm not wearing my Art Historian hat today so I'm not weighing in on that argument. If you want to read a terrific article about Fanny Gray, check out the <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=1795">"Regency Romance" issue of Paperdoll Review Magazine</a>. </p><p>Fanny Gray is a paper doll where you swap the head into each outfit. It's a boxed paper doll set that tells a morality story about a little girl who goes astray and finds her way back to righteousness. Very 19th century! It was created in Boston in 1854, published by Crosby, Nichols & Company. The doll itself is color lithography by <span class="ng-scope">Chandler, S. W. & Brother. You can really dig into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromolithography">color lithography here</a>. It's essentially offset printing created by applying color to stone or metal plates and printing each color individually. </span></p><p><span class="ng-scope">So that's just a tiny bit about Fanny Gray. There's more, of course, but that'll be ok for now.</span></p><p><span class="ng-scope">As for what a "study" is - it's just a fancy art word for "practice". Sometimes artists will create a study for a larger work. Or they'll create a study of another artist's work. It's not the same as copying or forgery or anything like that. A study is a tool for learning about art and applying it. That's my plan here.</span></p><p><span class="ng-scope"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuwoCydZt7-ldLN-vSS4Zi9Qen66_koG4PSA0wGIVvza8Rw1wQWB5Ipl_8onhEF23ncDkRLI6yId33i5TYVJYqWZyaElwckZplWl9Xh9vWQTm0KjWMcsk6HptqAU8hFwB-B18leBnm9UsX9_KQtNcM5M2Dvj-beyYqICofGD9PPNtrk0LhI18X27i/s4000/IMG_20230216_094326234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuwoCydZt7-ldLN-vSS4Zi9Qen66_koG4PSA0wGIVvza8Rw1wQWB5Ipl_8onhEF23ncDkRLI6yId33i5TYVJYqWZyaElwckZplWl9Xh9vWQTm0KjWMcsk6HptqAU8hFwB-B18leBnm9UsX9_KQtNcM5M2Dvj-beyYqICofGD9PPNtrk0LhI18X27i/s320/IMG_20230216_094326234.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /> For my study, I started on paper. I was struggling with this, so I scrapped my first drawing and started over. I created a 1 inch grid on tracing paper and laid it over the Fanny Gray image in Paperdoll Review. That helped me sort out some of my proportion issues. In about an hour, I got a to a place where I thought the drawing was ok. It isn't perfect. My plan was to tweak it in Photoshop, mostly because I can. Could I keep drawing it over & over until I liked it? Totally. <p></p><p><span class="ng-scope"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3goYgtwqlZNhTOXi_U22PiSCFq6lr7Eu_Y7oFXJLT3I3v8IYPAi033EJzDVhEJW0X-c_zKDeA2VngOg93D7NpYjvmB--ZNXX1xOGCwvBMkUWPjnvKcNqG4sMW19Eorsb3bZjSbW1Nx8m4BYAUkafdpM67eG3CcuxAish7Hp2ALyKMVplx1jDUgqC/s3300/image-vs-study.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3goYgtwqlZNhTOXi_U22PiSCFq6lr7Eu_Y7oFXJLT3I3v8IYPAi033EJzDVhEJW0X-c_zKDeA2VngOg93D7NpYjvmB--ZNXX1xOGCwvBMkUWPjnvKcNqG4sMW19Eorsb3bZjSbW1Nx8m4BYAUkafdpM67eG3CcuxAish7Hp2ALyKMVplx1jDUgqC/s320/image-vs-study.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>Here's my drawing along with a scan of my reference. I sketch rough and dark! I always have... I can see some obvious issues. First, my face is a little too big. Second, both arms are a little weird. To be fair, the arms on the reference are kind of odd anyway. Also, there's one foot I like and one foot that I don't.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2om0roq686_8NeQUJaQB0Hl0yEjtjups3If0xgxCHudUAqUAYrbIE-2AlUkVJWofHqQjMSV4l9EqJAXFXmc2PyL--NVSh_I6dSaIe60OgIqAs8qtweX9hVhC4FhjZN79BSNHQVfBFTGET4EMRj9JUOBBwYr_DBcapwHgXBjwXba0KRFJyVMhO4Zy/s3300/image-vs-study2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2om0roq686_8NeQUJaQB0Hl0yEjtjups3If0xgxCHudUAqUAYrbIE-2AlUkVJWofHqQjMSV4l9EqJAXFXmc2PyL--NVSh_I6dSaIe60OgIqAs8qtweX9hVhC4FhjZN79BSNHQVfBFTGET4EMRj9JUOBBwYr_DBcapwHgXBjwXba0KRFJyVMhO4Zy/s320/image-vs-study2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><span class="ng-scope">And here are the minor adjustments that I made. I lengthened one arm, shifted the other, and made the face slightly smaller. I also duplicated the foot I liked and plopped it in place. The basket became totally skewed but that's ok. My plan is to take it into Procreate and refine it from there. </span><p></p><p><span class="ng-scope">Just as a bit of an aside - sketchbooks are meant to be messy. Not every idea that goes down on paper is perfect of precious. And that is ok. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMVZuYBOBBUUnZ_cnbBHytoNpNJyagzAqjyN7lkzOOs1AFUtzg1PCoGD4tsAa41V5cKvHnE18MtozVyMEuMuc4d5dk1_l7MvrLACGa-Pa0mAmoODHdibaVtqPrwcoFH02YM3kmmhrc7Lyzb5OoHBK3_bTWVDQyj1pbIJNiXeTyV7dbTFLEIpkgHOP/s3300/fanny-gray-study-lines-JAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMVZuYBOBBUUnZ_cnbBHytoNpNJyagzAqjyN7lkzOOs1AFUtzg1PCoGD4tsAa41V5cKvHnE18MtozVyMEuMuc4d5dk1_l7MvrLACGa-Pa0mAmoODHdibaVtqPrwcoFH02YM3kmmhrc7Lyzb5OoHBK3_bTWVDQyj1pbIJNiXeTyV7dbTFLEIpkgHOP/s320/fanny-gray-study-lines-JAM.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><span class="ng-scope">I took my sketch into Procreate and created linework. It's a little wonky so I'll likely work on it a little bit more before I add color. I ran out of time to color it but I'll work on that this weekend and post an update next week! </span><p></p><p><span class="ng-scope">Any paper doll masters I should put on my list? Feel free to share! <br /></span></p><p><span class="ng-scope"> <br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-81692570081873014902023-02-12T13:10:00.002-05:002023-02-12T13:10:20.803-05:00The Big Game<p> Surprise! I had a few minutes today to create a paper doll set for The Big Game...you know, the one with the copyrighted name?! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiV5jOAsXbqluc8se0wkRdYfGa-6wmJxWQSzZkWggoRXwo2Xkeeuz7u4ZHbqG8PO6_0sXuVlOygpxJjcErw3CCbiueV3RG2CUH5BJiSVAjd6qpxnoxhJWMOLIZc6DeVhHTaMQA0nWrPWlvJ5neAwTZX7VxfeLkcBwKTlLfRzbTkh42NZV5XiI3EPO/s3300/The-Big-Game-2023-dolls-JAM-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiV5jOAsXbqluc8se0wkRdYfGa-6wmJxWQSzZkWggoRXwo2Xkeeuz7u4ZHbqG8PO6_0sXuVlOygpxJjcErw3CCbiueV3RG2CUH5BJiSVAjd6qpxnoxhJWMOLIZc6DeVhHTaMQA0nWrPWlvJ5neAwTZX7VxfeLkcBwKTlLfRzbTkh42NZV5XiI3EPO/s320/The-Big-Game-2023-dolls-JAM-01.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTKl4IbOk8cTliiRjFuoPEuh3CBEJjc74i4gXe1pCC_CVqon06W7Rs_WCPmB2hD5qLF8FhV9nhGH3-Nlj71eaub1RKeLrLGqZu039i20m2bI0eGQ92vN_gUpjPgxF2HRCWZa4cex-mj1rEKGZmi8PFmZimu3PiFNYx-kKTI2a_Rs4YmS1xvUbs2E5/s3300/The-Big-Game-2023-JAM-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTKl4IbOk8cTliiRjFuoPEuh3CBEJjc74i4gXe1pCC_CVqon06W7Rs_WCPmB2hD5qLF8FhV9nhGH3-Nlj71eaub1RKeLrLGqZu039i20m2bI0eGQ92vN_gUpjPgxF2HRCWZa4cex-mj1rEKGZmi8PFmZimu3PiFNYx-kKTI2a_Rs4YmS1xvUbs2E5/s320/The-Big-Game-2023-JAM-01.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>I'm not a big football fan but we'll be watching the game. My husband LOVES football so it'll be fun. Maybe I'll take a minute to cut these out, too. If you'd like different dolls, pick any of the <a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/search/label/fashion%20model">fashion model series</a> and it'll fit. Have fun! <br /><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-22201523619200639502023-02-03T05:00:00.048-05:002023-02-03T05:00:00.257-05:00My NEW Studio!! <p> Initially, I wanted to post a new paper doll today. That did not happen.</p><p>Why?</p><p>Because I moved into my new studio!! </p><p>My husband and I bought our house 12 years ago. It was a snowy February when we moved in with our oldest son. The house was built in 1960 and we've been working on it ever since. It had a three season porch off of the family room that got a ton of light but was in rough shape. So I managed with a basement studio that I used in between child care, elder care, etc. And then the pandemic hit. My husband took the basement - he needed it. I facilitated remote school for the kids, working wherever I could. Sometimes the couch, sometimes the kitchen counter. For the last year, I've been at a tiny antique desk. But after about three months, I have my shiny new studio! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqWqQcob82XCewN-3gwdDxELsb4FxORmBo6bmkA1GDSLuQvtajxv8h_L5zREHLgAcpd43KhEe-zwD4RWAq6ItfIam2a_fHx5_ewrD_jMmrOTQJv9Cyu6mQPvl5JfIWS350BZkwOA2w8j2bttRSgVJFPhhXgzz_I0BLUE2bMdV2QwWpovikOaJl40t/s4000/IMG_20221113_170610870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqWqQcob82XCewN-3gwdDxELsb4FxORmBo6bmkA1GDSLuQvtajxv8h_L5zREHLgAcpd43KhEe-zwD4RWAq6ItfIam2a_fHx5_ewrD_jMmrOTQJv9Cyu6mQPvl5JfIWS350BZkwOA2w8j2bttRSgVJFPhhXgzz_I0BLUE2bMdV2QwWpovikOaJl40t/s320/IMG_20221113_170610870.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>This is how it started. Thin windows with a thin carpet over cement with an ugly ceiling fan. It was not good. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16zEklKv3lKXP7yDOkbkkeGZ2iZskNWM-9_LClYdT94uXZLe5t6JiVcjaHnUIdUEeRErjmArkpK3o-VsI6zMex4nvvdtycd5VYr6hLJrig8SckUg_9QPpPqYAksTVN5ELB4kxdLa3wXJxF9wCx6KnpnjZd1nkORNIY6vIONA-nw5O4ecEiLz0l-Lw/s4000/IMG_20230202_134853584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16zEklKv3lKXP7yDOkbkkeGZ2iZskNWM-9_LClYdT94uXZLe5t6JiVcjaHnUIdUEeRErjmArkpK3o-VsI6zMex4nvvdtycd5VYr6hLJrig8SckUg_9QPpPqYAksTVN5ELB4kxdLa3wXJxF9wCx6KnpnjZd1nkORNIY6vIONA-nw5O4ecEiLz0l-Lw/s320/IMG_20230202_134853584.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>And this is what it looks like now!! Beautiful (and practical) laminate floor. A cozy chair that was EXACTLY in my budget and PERFECTLY fit in my car. The easel my father built me and the antique drafting table he restored for me. And bookshelves! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75C2ghJu-mt-wwTkAAdaWJklP0SoA4ewFc3HGk_5KN9hzyalDKxLAUpd08jWMX_fqD0H0JXqsOUVoGe5nSJcps2Ajoz6USO8n8oeWkivueCTFStjyPepZJ4gwVAESlCU4R0keOAZ7ivl11DmWCX94HnJN5BvgcyfTcm4iberQSWd66C_wR4ht2o0c/s4000/IMG_20230202_134902807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75C2ghJu-mt-wwTkAAdaWJklP0SoA4ewFc3HGk_5KN9hzyalDKxLAUpd08jWMX_fqD0H0JXqsOUVoGe5nSJcps2Ajoz6USO8n8oeWkivueCTFStjyPepZJ4gwVAESlCU4R0keOAZ7ivl11DmWCX94HnJN5BvgcyfTcm4iberQSWd66C_wR4ht2o0c/s320/IMG_20230202_134902807.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>My comfy chair, complete with sketchbook and the remote to my own personal heat pump for heat and air conditioning. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk882XW8dkagDE5gA9rxabqi2CJCKaC3n_CHc2PYV9dcIhyw-Zxpetc88kgNrYaXU04nPfvX88WXGg6VhkqcEJOKuColOzaxppvJYll18VYX8DIyCJ9MVi_bBziDjtbRaSlzMlPK2p602DnwIq_XxG_JHVv9SylRDAQQ8joYyEO6IRIEbpSStQuLa/s4000/IMG_20230202_134908307_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk882XW8dkagDE5gA9rxabqi2CJCKaC3n_CHc2PYV9dcIhyw-Zxpetc88kgNrYaXU04nPfvX88WXGg6VhkqcEJOKuColOzaxppvJYll18VYX8DIyCJ9MVi_bBziDjtbRaSlzMlPK2p602DnwIq_XxG_JHVv9SylRDAQQ8joYyEO6IRIEbpSStQuLa/s320/IMG_20230202_134908307_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>My easel with a long-unfinished painting. This bookshelf is mostly paper dolls and books about art technique. And dolls. I love dolls.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYMmuoORIwSxYKeKoihgBp13ExfLM_zx62cv7-kXCFaEUj5AergmTD0_3yvmO4GFbnZTfnmCBoxekAh9ZaOfYGGkrpbNWUMzl67T8uHZ332lFvO9NUF1RHgTujbtZSsv0p73UKtLrf5FwduwrIM_AT4pEtf9gJMEJ2YHcjXUbtpayLhCihM1W2aNO/s4000/IMG_20230202_134912427_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYMmuoORIwSxYKeKoihgBp13ExfLM_zx62cv7-kXCFaEUj5AergmTD0_3yvmO4GFbnZTfnmCBoxekAh9ZaOfYGGkrpbNWUMzl67T8uHZ332lFvO9NUF1RHgTujbtZSsv0p73UKtLrf5FwduwrIM_AT4pEtf9gJMEJ2YHcjXUbtpayLhCihM1W2aNO/s320/IMG_20230202_134912427_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>My chaotic workstation. I'm still trying to figure out how to set this up. I have a Surface computer, iPad Pro, an external hard drive, and extra monitor. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ri0U8RAVfrO3zrlG1UWDzIr3xUVUarcWXGgTJ-ip4Wze5_m_oSdb5m-2yaeVWicIPsNa9_SVRzN_yMDkJ4wnIZIWUscFJ96-9Zs1_fLz4s8e_6ZDWBCK70vJz1k2vG-lPgTmtAWCltmrr15hX_2fEBTxJ0cAlXJY91ki54cwvnNOZRgL--lysVu9/s4000/IMG_20230202_134917775_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ri0U8RAVfrO3zrlG1UWDzIr3xUVUarcWXGgTJ-ip4Wze5_m_oSdb5m-2yaeVWicIPsNa9_SVRzN_yMDkJ4wnIZIWUscFJ96-9Zs1_fLz4s8e_6ZDWBCK70vJz1k2vG-lPgTmtAWCltmrr15hX_2fEBTxJ0cAlXJY91ki54cwvnNOZRgL--lysVu9/s320/IMG_20230202_134917775_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>This bookshelf is mostly art history and art museum guides. And more dolls. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0lEMA6TFI2tl8YhbJeCgl3ILDiajCTMmdtjGuQ_Epf4cqvOTeiX9ySo5uEsLThCP-UdZqsJv_o4PROG6QFcH1z45rEyIjKJxw4y8Fo0JIrWfSHeIJ9pGFMGajefmfm9V4VepVvnzgcyDN8rFgxVU_vASdjp_tiTh3rrE62QEJ0vMCwl9Q7l5dCHE/s4000/IMG_20230202_134924623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0lEMA6TFI2tl8YhbJeCgl3ILDiajCTMmdtjGuQ_Epf4cqvOTeiX9ySo5uEsLThCP-UdZqsJv_o4PROG6QFcH1z45rEyIjKJxw4y8Fo0JIrWfSHeIJ9pGFMGajefmfm9V4VepVvnzgcyDN8rFgxVU_vASdjp_tiTh3rrE62QEJ0vMCwl9Q7l5dCHE/s320/IMG_20230202_134924623.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>These are architectural flat files for storing art and prints. My color printer and scanner are on top.</p><p>It's really great to have my own space, exactly the way I want it. I've spent the last couple of weeks slowly moving things in from the various nooks & crannies around my house. I still need to put up art & pictures, etc. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-74273430290438154622023-01-27T05:00:00.127-05:002023-01-27T05:00:00.269-05:00More 2022 Paper Doll Wrap-Up<p> Today is the last of my 2022 wrap-up posts. I did a lot more in 2022 than I thought! This post is all about Paperdoll Review so there will be lots of links to those projects. I did a lot with Jenny in 2022 and I can't remember ALL of it, but there are a few projects I want to highlight. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNwiez4d3_4A7LH3XwbK-msgNQVG4u0D3Kx2mWfqhFl70zRGKbUXv1GTcnfHXQ83IiW4i_UTsCdL-J-kqNGFfOBcnPPq63eeBt9-TomK6QFct77ksQN4gSEHD5rwJMThMjRskbX7EgT3Ee9ad5wOFeT7xrfEsHTyN_f6KLzi04AN5BcMUUNxAXu-r/s1142/Women-of-Letters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="904" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNwiez4d3_4A7LH3XwbK-msgNQVG4u0D3Kx2mWfqhFl70zRGKbUXv1GTcnfHXQ83IiW4i_UTsCdL-J-kqNGFfOBcnPPq63eeBt9-TomK6QFct77ksQN4gSEHD5rwJMThMjRskbX7EgT3Ee9ad5wOFeT7xrfEsHTyN_f6KLzi04AN5BcMUUNxAXu-r/s320/Women-of-Letters.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=49&products_id=1881">Women of Letters by Tom Tierney with colors by Julie Allen Matthews<br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">At the beginning of the year, I had a really unique opportunity. Jenny asked me if I'd like to color a set of Tom Tierney's drawings. Of course!! And then I was hit with a bit of imposter syndrome. How could I ever do this?! Once I started, it was fine. I colored these in Sketchbook Pro on my Surface. It was this project where David Wolfe gave me the feedback that has stuck with me since: push the values. He was absolutely right! I went back in, punched up the lights & darks, and there we go!! Much better. The cover concept came from David, too, and I executed it. There are loads of pictures in the link above.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyhkDg52ZwkQmVGIqijQQAUmq_HLBJzBVgj1pc8Zd6mCXOtwQjLtCaRFYmFpAwesBHe4yl5pE8arDZv38vpqsT9aMS40Hi9QXFG_zydpAoRwC9tet4wd5sKBerLd4snKVsqKUR8KswUu6cEYC5SdYDQfmpsxYuw1r-7t-wJPPxHl5zgLXzS7LdIpT/s960/Fancy-Dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="960" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyhkDg52ZwkQmVGIqijQQAUmq_HLBJzBVgj1pc8Zd6mCXOtwQjLtCaRFYmFpAwesBHe4yl5pE8arDZv38vpqsT9aMS40Hi9QXFG_zydpAoRwC9tet4wd5sKBerLd4snKVsqKUR8KswUu6cEYC5SdYDQfmpsxYuw1r-7t-wJPPxHl5zgLXzS7LdIpT/s320/Fancy-Dress.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=2144">Victorian Fancy Dress by Brenda Mattox with colors by Julie Allen Matthews<br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">And then, at the other end of 2022, I colored in a set of paper dolls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox! We met at the convention which was a definite highlight for me. This one was so much fun! Again, I felt slightly intimidated. I really love Brenda's soft watercolors and I wanted this to have that feel. I don't think it does, but I'm really happy with it. One of the great advantages of digital art is the variety of colors available. I tried to use this advantage in this book while staying true to the theme and Brenda's art. The cover concept and execution are all mine here. The illustrations were colored in Procreate on my iPad Pro and the covers were "painted" in Sketchbook Pro on my Surface. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> I also worked on a lot of books in 2022. Some were reproduction clean-ups. Some were new books. Marilyn Henry's <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9&products_id=2096">Lady Georgiana</a> and Norma Lu Meehan's <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22&products_id=2054">Fashions of the Regency Era</a> are two of my favorites. David Wolfe's <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=&products_id=2112">Cut-Out Club</a> was a real labor of love, too. I really, truly LOVE every book I work on, even the ones I haven't mentioned here. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I have also been working on books by Deanna Williams, two of which were a lot of fun to work on.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqFH0WZfvIwo8lnOTvGRBvEXtambWknYOfUfnWOn8YVxKDa-_XzjNUBr7N2_02_inNwfLyJzehgu0DdVsZuHZ1qcBilfbPI4sa-QGB61Xay4m5MF-3tpZUmsn457S2CNFu_cModndXlxNInFslubNd1qrRF1TZ1gD2mJN4rGL0n3ypy2cs80TPniL/s948/Eight-in-the-Evening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="948" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqFH0WZfvIwo8lnOTvGRBvEXtambWknYOfUfnWOn8YVxKDa-_XzjNUBr7N2_02_inNwfLyJzehgu0DdVsZuHZ1qcBilfbPI4sa-QGB61Xay4m5MF-3tpZUmsn457S2CNFu_cModndXlxNInFslubNd1qrRF1TZ1gD2mJN4rGL0n3ypy2cs80TPniL/s320/Eight-in-the-Evening.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=85&products_id=2129">Eight in the Evening by Deanna Williams</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I loved putting together Eight in the Evening! I'm absolutely in love with the cover design. Sometimes, things just come together easily and beautifully. This was one of those times! <br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmNkgD3Tq-_I_cnHclzxVV0iwvHenhiC0Gqb2UrMKXjGVQSnFKtP2JSa3x84TWmyVtlaJvKRVcqntkVvIt7cXoTUghQpXk5SDtq6rfzbM7B5kIqf0ofISK54XZw7An5wx-7pkvpv1yX9uErUTyS0zid-rL1NmmEm7BGVX2uO4ilDCO5Uwrr564NfG/s950/Mod-Mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="950" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmNkgD3Tq-_I_cnHclzxVV0iwvHenhiC0Gqb2UrMKXjGVQSnFKtP2JSa3x84TWmyVtlaJvKRVcqntkVvIt7cXoTUghQpXk5SDtq6rfzbM7B5kIqf0ofISK54XZw7An5wx-7pkvpv1yX9uErUTyS0zid-rL1NmmEm7BGVX2uO4ilDCO5Uwrr564NfG/s320/Mod-Mom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=85&products_id=2130">Mod Mom by Deanna Williams</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Mod Mom was a book I had picked away at for a while. I had the art cleaned up & ready to go but I got stuck on the covers and how to make it all flow. What story is this set trying to tell? Motherhood is a really big part of my life so I approached it from that perspective. The set follows a young mother throughout her pregnancy. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it could just be chronological. I wrote up a little story to go with it and that was it! Some 70s/80s inspired color blocked covers and it was good to go. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r5hX7IRBaLnSmcTyXyW0Mbj8x_CqXZ9J7sDkjNrXfYX_zItPcyqSPk8JyuhRClMn2ah3maaVrp_PlRUd76-lGWW_FeG4CIDNgUUbTl9AfIdYNy0hFPwv0erca-zqVrc_iKC6CEt1z3c1fOupKwSqkbcUUXlEsU3JCh2MmvrlvAGTKtmXw_GF0FxS/s948/Hollie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="948" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r5hX7IRBaLnSmcTyXyW0Mbj8x_CqXZ9J7sDkjNrXfYX_zItPcyqSPk8JyuhRClMn2ah3maaVrp_PlRUd76-lGWW_FeG4CIDNgUUbTl9AfIdYNy0hFPwv0erca-zqVrc_iKC6CEt1z3c1fOupKwSqkbcUUXlEsU3JCh2MmvrlvAGTKtmXw_GF0FxS/s320/Hollie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=2051">Miss Hollie Day by Julie Allen Matthews<br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I illustrated one book of my own this year, Miss Hollie Day. This one took a long time! First, I made the initial sketch years ago. I didn't date it so I can only guess at it, somewhere between 2010 and 2015. I should go back and see if I can narrow down that range... Anyway, I turned it into a Halloween doll. It was great! So I pitched the idea of a seasonal paper doll. This was the last full set that I illustrated in Sketchbook Pro. It feels like a transition. During the whole project, I felt like I was hitting a wall, like there was more I wanted to do and couldn't quite get there. It was shortly after this that I took the leap and got an iPad Pro. THAT helped me push those boundaries...which leads me to the next project.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfbhaMyaSSrDKUvvRkcmgHyPp3bld4ACnp12iijE57KaevoLXT_NeWeu8JqF14wskC8vxXk9IIsNi9OJVd2ASQh0KtdV_wRFji-hCF8Ye5tV9bBRDLXbtDi5IIS1bDFjitEs31Uw7_TMTpYTBLDN9v2C6tXNGpdJ5Ad7nyPmIaR_OJUWw_EB8dM0h/s984/All-That-Glitters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="984" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfbhaMyaSSrDKUvvRkcmgHyPp3bld4ACnp12iijE57KaevoLXT_NeWeu8JqF14wskC8vxXk9IIsNi9OJVd2ASQh0KtdV_wRFji-hCF8Ye5tV9bBRDLXbtDi5IIS1bDFjitEs31Uw7_TMTpYTBLDN9v2C6tXNGpdJ5Ad7nyPmIaR_OJUWw_EB8dM0h/s320/All-That-Glitters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=2128">All That Glitters by David Wolfe and Julie Allen Matthews</a><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> One of the best parts of working on David's projects is his extraordinary imagination! I would never have tackled the subject of glitter on my own. I LOVED this! It's also the first book I completed in Procreate on the iPad and I think it shows just how much I pushed through my own boundaries. David sent me the drawings, layout, and color suggestions. I rendered it all in Procreate with layout and cover designs in Photoshop. It's such a cool book, start to finish!! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like I said earlier, that's not a comprehensive list of all of my 2022 projects. Every one was a learning experience and so much fun to work on. Each and every book is my "baby" while I'm working on it, and each one is my "favorite child". I can't express how grateful I am that Jenny and all of the artists who work with her trust me to do this. I look forward to sitting at my desk every single day! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So what's next? More books, more magazine designs, more of everything! <br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><p><br /></p></div></div>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-64162338167170935852023-01-20T05:00:00.079-05:002023-01-20T05:00:00.216-05:00More Personal Projects of 2022<p> Aside from the submissions I sent to Paperdoll Review magazine, I created a few projects that sold on my own or created for other reasons. There weren't a lot of those projects in 2022. Some of them were re-working previous sets and some were created for specific reasons. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuq7UgRyFDv3mPp_2lWTmcKa3sklvMmPaPAIYaq1nkJLmoDa7bSDmyMyGJX8Hzc_e-p47K-6FKdBbqFb81soktauN8TmN-noulQJhpEe0Ue7vc3UmLEDgjvyPzTMixCjSBSmCYrMZ5XSgIuFCg3opyUhGbPXMAjiTYodIcXUGjy-uFkRWBarV5gkgh/s3300/Hometown_Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuq7UgRyFDv3mPp_2lWTmcKa3sklvMmPaPAIYaq1nkJLmoDa7bSDmyMyGJX8Hzc_e-p47K-6FKdBbqFb81soktauN8TmN-noulQJhpEe0Ue7vc3UmLEDgjvyPzTMixCjSBSmCYrMZ5XSgIuFCg3opyUhGbPXMAjiTYodIcXUGjy-uFkRWBarV5gkgh/s320/Hometown_Girl.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>The first project I want to share is my "Hometown Girl". We have a local free newspaper (<a href="http://www.methuenlife.com/category/issues/">MethuenLife</a>) who was looking for women who turned their passions into careers. I was featured, along with a couple of friends, and a few other local women. I made and shared this paper doll for the May issue. After that, the arts editor contacted me about an interview, which ran in the December issue. This paper doll features some of the unique things about the town I live in. It was so much fun! <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygoQoUCpp0dhZgN1C_CRz2N2adGpcUtP7fQbUl6OW9GzHJ9R2Id-a2vo24fntPCbeizatUgSjXGkb7LSML4jOGj4BxXJ0X1BcHwzmCS-tNrbh_11PPXS4GvH_FUL5lht3Bs-e4su5VTpQ0BsxjYIorM8XyJDqBRbt72X3i8HDi3_DThR20FBiiT7w/s6000/PDS-Pearl-Fall2022-preview%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="6000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygoQoUCpp0dhZgN1C_CRz2N2adGpcUtP7fQbUl6OW9GzHJ9R2Id-a2vo24fntPCbeizatUgSjXGkb7LSML4jOGj4BxXJ0X1BcHwzmCS-tNrbh_11PPXS4GvH_FUL5lht3Bs-e4su5VTpQ0BsxjYIorM8XyJDqBRbt72X3i8HDi3_DThR20FBiiT7w/s320/PDS-Pearl-Fall2022-preview%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Another unique opportunity I had was creating paper dolls for a fashion line. Each of the fashions in this set is based on real-life clothing. It was a lot of fun adapting fashions to my existing mix & match paper dolls series. Created on my Surface in Adobe Illustrator. They are available as a file for <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1262057560/pearl-by-lela-rose-fall-2022-fashion?click_key=64d3f4f3912ed6a3bc01e009aab9b11215588267%3A1262057560&click_sum=c3421560&ref=shop_home_active_37&clickFromShopCard=1">download on my Etsy site</a>.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS_HGYwcQDpJJEB5UlHk4evjax4RFWtixKrC7UCANl-ADe1ZPzgVd10k7_m5nc3vZb3izD6pYfSEeFW2EeBEb_qVUyfXpOAeYCfImyHagcOfATt9T_l8xhQAD18ZpeI-7XO9P1SFNM9loyFTtibCjORIroIG0CLOtsb0kbiYJA6MReuiAPEWvF_5U/s3300/egyptian-revival-pd-2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS_HGYwcQDpJJEB5UlHk4evjax4RFWtixKrC7UCANl-ADe1ZPzgVd10k7_m5nc3vZb3izD6pYfSEeFW2EeBEb_qVUyfXpOAeYCfImyHagcOfATt9T_l8xhQAD18ZpeI-7XO9P1SFNM9loyFTtibCjORIroIG0CLOtsb0kbiYJA6MReuiAPEWvF_5U/s320/egyptian-revival-pd-2022.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p>This year also marked my first paper doll convention. It might be my last, too, because no others have been booked yet. There are regional parties which I highly recommend! It was a fantastic experience. I don't have many pictures because I was busy enjoying it!! I did, however, submit a painting for the silent auction and this paper doll was created to go along with the painting. This is another Procreate project where I'm still working out how to use the program (app? I dunno!). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje52gG5goZHyhKNfKBmyXM_WZnNUMGbuJy_ue8Q5ctdm6D79wKpcZ_wrj0BxvJwfKzLe-wQbq2Ou2uZX8MoZ18tnqlDTjEl5rsozTfnyjc75ULVvZ6rcs-w4k2jXYbEe452uXm0J80Xw5e3Oy2RiTVHI6Q4OgHV7_vEr9kJBy6xXl2qjX6YxzluAPq/s3300/witchtober2022-day1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje52gG5goZHyhKNfKBmyXM_WZnNUMGbuJy_ue8Q5ctdm6D79wKpcZ_wrj0BxvJwfKzLe-wQbq2Ou2uZX8MoZ18tnqlDTjEl5rsozTfnyjc75ULVvZ6rcs-w4k2jXYbEe452uXm0J80Xw5e3Oy2RiTVHI6Q4OgHV7_vEr9kJBy6xXl2qjX6YxzluAPq/s320/witchtober2022-day1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p>My long-suffering blog didn't get a lot of attention in 2022. I was busy with a lot of things and didn't devote much attention to it. Same goes for the Etsy site. One of the biggest projects on the ol' blog this year was the <a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2022/10/witchtober-merchant-travel-and-wrap-up.html">Witchtober</a> set with <a href="https://paperthinpersonas.com/2022/10/31/witchtober-the-merchant-and-traveling-witches/">Rachel</a>. Another really fun set that I loved so much I re-used the doll. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwlBZxijnhsUvlWfpTFPRBD5z_7EeqNMKPtztuHj0d02VbDLeqquUw7uRUz0_zyAPkqDeIVzDOjN59d3HW4_nurjwdvLa1WROStZgH4KAHww06LC7LQ-qEXVMopVp7VIalurWRKoRb4Zd32tep7eIgHxWlTeakM_J3rvlGQT-HTi8EEqdGvgZC0Ux/s3600/Lorelei-2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="2755" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwlBZxijnhsUvlWfpTFPRBD5z_7EeqNMKPtztuHj0d02VbDLeqquUw7uRUz0_zyAPkqDeIVzDOjN59d3HW4_nurjwdvLa1WROStZgH4KAHww06LC7LQ-qEXVMopVp7VIalurWRKoRb4Zd32tep7eIgHxWlTeakM_J3rvlGQT-HTi8EEqdGvgZC0Ux/s320/Lorelei-2022.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><p>My biggest personal project of the year was a commission I received from a lovely lady I met at the convention. She asked me to create a custom paper doll as a gift for her granddaughter. It's a portrait based on a photo and the wardrobe is a mix of her real-life clothing & some that I made up to fit her interests. I printed it as a paper doll book for her and she was just thrilled with it! This might be a service I offer as a custom project on Etsy. I haven't decided yet. Regardless, it was such a learning experience as a joy to work on. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouYRSplNkxLsIB23xbv_AVrNm1H4Qu0o9BvTvqUXmAhdUU2ddhoAteh9gnvmn8bSP6G89tvLrjohUigE5OcS8HDLf38y9D-kk45f9lMWiAXZx7Xwc6o_wwrfxcWaN7N2HY37e3xM3rXcMbLhmEGSVAqL8Nqe5HVtN9O48NhUiilQKwaJ6f4wgUHjw/s3375/2023-Calendar-FRONTb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2625" data-original-width="3375" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouYRSplNkxLsIB23xbv_AVrNm1H4Qu0o9BvTvqUXmAhdUU2ddhoAteh9gnvmn8bSP6G89tvLrjohUigE5OcS8HDLf38y9D-kk45f9lMWiAXZx7Xwc6o_wwrfxcWaN7N2HY37e3xM3rXcMbLhmEGSVAqL8Nqe5HVtN9O48NhUiilQKwaJ6f4wgUHjw/s320/2023-Calendar-FRONTb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Finally, my last personal project of the year is one I almost didn't share. I took my <a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2018/01/january-paper-doll-set-1.html">2018 doodle-a-day</a> project and turned it into a calendar. My art has improved significantly since then, but it's a project that still means a lot to me and felt unfinished. I turned it into a calendar (<a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/julie-matthews/2023-a-year-of-paper-dolls-calendar/paperback/product-8p6m6d.html?page=1&pageSize=4">you can get it here</a>) and the feedback was great! Thank you to everyone who bought a copy and shared their feedback online. I very nearly didn't share it. I am SO glad that I did! <br /><p>Next week I'll share the last of my 2022 wrap-up and see what comes next for February! <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-54120227730107931272023-01-13T05:00:00.014-05:002023-01-13T05:00:00.384-05:00Personal Projects of 2022 - Paperdoll Review Submissions<p> I find myself in this incredibly lucky position where I get to do exactly what I've always wanted to do: paper dolls! I draw them for myself, of course, but more than that, I get to edit paper dolls of the past & present while learning & growing myself. Some days, it's graphic design. Some days, it's coloring another artist's drawings. Some days, it's drawing my own. Jenny Taliadoros is a total joy and she made this happen for me! She is one of the best people I've ever met. Working with her has made my art and my life better. She wrote up a lovely intro on the <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=91">Paperdoll Review site if you want to take a look at it</a>. It's been a nice little bit of serendipity for the last few years. I keep busy working on the Paperdoll Review magazine and various books that Jenny publishes. That's going to be a whole different post. Today I want to focus on the personal projects I've done in & around the work I do with Jenny. These are my submissions to Paperdoll Review magazine for 2022. <br /></p><p>One thing I push myself to do is include a paper doll in each issue of Paperdoll Review (or OPDAG, when it was separate). I've only missed a few issues over the last ten years. (Ok, so I just realized as I typed this that it's been TEN YEARS. My first submission was the Circus issue in 2012. Unbelievable...) My 2022 submission had an odd, overarching theme: memorials for dead people.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6K-8Lau1ZjplcVYaepzvTbjxrMJQ-2VVcKQAL2VUTmAw-p0qctMD8ffxm9ENMtjArTeRu3xDty5r0db03c3Cw7Bi1hsmgvaf9fOhfEoxyREVYSj8t-xCLNwyFOgtJwf2An_H8shN7OFM70pXpMhcY1s361V315RYeKVlZy73KiZyBess_6z_s7HMe/s3300/mary-shelley-JAM-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6K-8Lau1ZjplcVYaepzvTbjxrMJQ-2VVcKQAL2VUTmAw-p0qctMD8ffxm9ENMtjArTeRu3xDty5r0db03c3Cw7Bi1hsmgvaf9fOhfEoxyREVYSj8t-xCLNwyFOgtJwf2An_H8shN7OFM70pXpMhcY1s361V315RYeKVlZy73KiZyBess_6z_s7HMe/s320/mary-shelley-JAM-edit.jpg" width="247" /></a></div> First up is Mary Shelley. I actually drew this at the end of 2021 but it was published in 2022 in the Regency issue of Paperdoll Review. I'm not really big into Regency stuff - never watched Bridgerton, not a Jane Austen fan, etc. I am, however, a fan of women's literature, sci-fi and fantasy, and I skew a bit goth though you'd never know it if you met me. Mary Shelley was a much more interesting subject for the Regency time period for me than anything else. This was drawn on my Surface in Sketchbook Pro. I focused so much on trying to get a good portrait that I forgot to draw a good doll! The hands and arms are not great. I love the layout and composition. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0q1yNvR3z-9GGhy1gKEigoIEo2i-IZBVS0ruphFa5ud-fGAMa3FTbacgtFa2IcLQUnnIDd-0bAuxYgSqXvM54jWBX_Dei0IixxwHlREEI-kvw6NGEi7DML4y2PTj96wi1E1KIDy8t_udTFEKv56S1PNhyGdWEWuq3JjBwdviKmYLT6K_Y3mwG7RV/s3300/JAM-andre2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0q1yNvR3z-9GGhy1gKEigoIEo2i-IZBVS0ruphFa5ud-fGAMa3FTbacgtFa2IcLQUnnIDd-0bAuxYgSqXvM54jWBX_Dei0IixxwHlREEI-kvw6NGEi7DML4y2PTj96wi1E1KIDy8t_udTFEKv56S1PNhyGdWEWuq3JjBwdviKmYLT6K_Y3mwG7RV/s320/JAM-andre2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7WOSmleDUkne3lHVc99NJDcHmnSYYpYD8jWXpTmBhydgv-1LXzObhvSyD2Uj0N4b1lbEZ56zh15hgTZcaJwf-T_tai6XN3IGAt5uZVU-YB2XIrHS4kC828X_zQI0KLFjM2sAd7FkDQLOET29eWSYa79P_MX35a_TpFX5hMPC8Te-HHwfkzD7fOIw/s1472/Andre-portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1472" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7WOSmleDUkne3lHVc99NJDcHmnSYYpYD8jWXpTmBhydgv-1LXzObhvSyD2Uj0N4b1lbEZ56zh15hgTZcaJwf-T_tai6XN3IGAt5uZVU-YB2XIrHS4kC828X_zQI0KLFjM2sAd7FkDQLOET29eWSYa79P_MX35a_TpFX5hMPC8Te-HHwfkzD7fOIw/s320/Andre-portrait.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The next issue of the magazine was themed around fashion models. Again, it didn't really hit home for me. I was struggling to come up with an idea and then I heard about the death of Andre Leon Talley. So another memorial paper doll for me! I really loved his work and his style. Although not a model himself, he had gorgeous personal style and was a huge influence on fashion from the 90s onward. I really wanted a "painted" portrait with this one. I took a photo of him and placed it on one side of my canvas and then "painted" in Sketchbook on the other side, just as you see it above. I really tried to approach it the way I paint in oils. Once I reduced it to fit the doll, it looked awesome! Really pleased with this set overall. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYpD2RxdIs50iApqGrvfcG3X7rT8d6aYCJnQeInHXO4g514l4TBPJJ5eCEzAnzY5ALycH6lo0fR8iSSBKseGMJE-uLvQ89XZpbq4z1TVFkyxbTmjNNLK5x5IrnIrLU9GQ3Wz6zF6orAfI9HuE5dH9X2QoTrgA48wlK-c2-DgPmoDZqsemQ2FIkMGF/s3300/FinneasFox-JAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYpD2RxdIs50iApqGrvfcG3X7rT8d6aYCJnQeInHXO4g514l4TBPJJ5eCEzAnzY5ALycH6lo0fR8iSSBKseGMJE-uLvQ89XZpbq4z1TVFkyxbTmjNNLK5x5IrnIrLU9GQ3Wz6zF6orAfI9HuE5dH9X2QoTrgA48wlK-c2-DgPmoDZqsemQ2FIkMGF/s320/FinneasFox-JAM.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>Another theme from 2022 was Awesome Animals. I knew I wanted to draw a fox for my youngest son. He LOVES foxes. I like to create paper dolls that go beyond the typical expectations of paper dolls. I've created a few paper dolls of men and boys over the years, partly because I have sons and partly because dolls are for everyone. It's important to me to push the boundaries of what paper dolls can be and who they are for. Aside from that, this paper doll was my very first in Procreate on the iPad. I learn through doing and I learned A LOT from this project.<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm7W-LolZaWC6445SbKk3pa6PR-cctMojRLPXuL4HjmkUYnfnOGfrmW0hsLlkttu_MOrZsTU2TJJ5n_R5P2Is64oY7OCZlA7X5OFJrt91FTAcDbfCgu43mz12HRvXV2Ht5hodT_W4sva-C3kg9EBkKlLvzNCzRSMJ_CLbIoo0QNWpOyQs-SKnj0kU/s900/Queen-Elizabeth-Julie-Matthews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="695" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm7W-LolZaWC6445SbKk3pa6PR-cctMojRLPXuL4HjmkUYnfnOGfrmW0hsLlkttu_MOrZsTU2TJJ5n_R5P2Is64oY7OCZlA7X5OFJrt91FTAcDbfCgu43mz12HRvXV2Ht5hodT_W4sva-C3kg9EBkKlLvzNCzRSMJ_CLbIoo0QNWpOyQs-SKnj0kU/s320/Queen-Elizabeth-Julie-Matthews.jpg" width="247" /></a></div> <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=2162">Available as a at Paperdoll Review</a> <br /><p></p><p>My final Paperdoll Review submission of the year is another memorial paper doll. Again, I struggled with this theme - plaids. I shouldn't have. I love plaids. I love creating plaids digitally. <a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/search?q=plaid">I even have tutorials</a>! For some reason, nothing clicked until the death of Queen Elizabeth. I'm a low-key royal watcher. I find the royal family fascinating but I'm not obsessive or anything. Just mildly interested (and an Anglophile, too). When Queen Elizabeth's final photo was released, I noticed that she was wearing a tartan. I knew that certain tartans belonged to certain groups and started researching it. She wore the exclusive Balmoral tartan while at home at Balmoral Castle and had other exclusive tartans. That became the theme for me. Again, I focused so much on the portrait that other things are lacking a bit but I'm happy overall with this one. This one was also created in Procreate on the iPad. <br /></p><p>If you want copies of any of the issues I mentioned above, you can grab them at <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=11">Paperdoll Review</a>. They are all back issues at this point so quantities are likely limited. </p><p></p><p>I have a few more personal projects I want to discuss next time, so come back for more! <br /> </p><p> <br /> <br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-70432847879747798682023-01-06T05:00:00.001-05:002023-01-06T05:00:00.245-05:00Happy 2023 and 2022 Growth<p> As I write this, it's still 2022. I find I have a little bit of downtime and really wanted to get this out. I wish I was a bit more organized - maybe that'll be the goal for 2023! I'd like to say I have a comprehensive list of all the things I did in 2022. I don't. And that's ok. I want to share a few highlights over the month of January. </p><p>First, I want to compare two paper dolls that are about a year apart - my "January Blues" from January 2022 and my holiday paper doll, which started as a sketch in October and then I shared it in full color as my holiday card.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7vmnUmuSoV9ngd5kHbaeb9nX9ACxW_to71XdzJZxRgaKVjzmc_jGJdYqeyUHY9HtQgZg6o0ERPo-pPxsW3OAUeuTFtR3PnjaR89iyKt_otqGpaVDJ1Ys6fyi26x4J8ugv2lHU4HVjuNiMGMXaUNw7KqDoYUyhROXEWYANc108NBfurucHSBDBj88/s3300/JAM-blue-january-color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7vmnUmuSoV9ngd5kHbaeb9nX9ACxW_to71XdzJZxRgaKVjzmc_jGJdYqeyUHY9HtQgZg6o0ERPo-pPxsW3OAUeuTFtR3PnjaR89iyKt_otqGpaVDJ1Ys6fyi26x4J8ugv2lHU4HVjuNiMGMXaUNw7KqDoYUyhROXEWYANc108NBfurucHSBDBj88/s320/JAM-blue-january-color.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEm6i8knK0dK7HFj-O4T0KojUSuqVemP1ItQ-oHwv8nyqhTU6VFPDi8IUw8kQ2ju3ap9HgjDlrjpOrBjUtKUm0Nh5sfA6-Jt_nli9YBWGNzyr3Ji26OnzQNnjOip5KEOyBgf9JmakIJKWEr0QTpbnibmvP-48xxbw0ev8aD3CF3a1EgmUBbUIAkiGi/s3300/Christmas-2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEm6i8knK0dK7HFj-O4T0KojUSuqVemP1ItQ-oHwv8nyqhTU6VFPDi8IUw8kQ2ju3ap9HgjDlrjpOrBjUtKUm0Nh5sfA6-Jt_nli9YBWGNzyr3Ji26OnzQNnjOip5KEOyBgf9JmakIJKWEr0QTpbnibmvP-48xxbw0ev8aD3CF3a1EgmUBbUIAkiGi/s320/Christmas-2022.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p>You can grab a PDF of the holiday paper doll here <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpaperdollreview.com%2FJulieChristmas2022.pdf%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR25q--kLCHNnF8cjqAmfva3asjsNr4bvB0wnioqVHpXw8-vZi9bycWGGvA&h=AT1IBSyiaTWNH5kVuiBm_HsM9XBXCkyEbOzXw17f8GSYTnK8pD41nrwUVpBBpbthBNs8yVuuzAYFHg-YTYafWIoQS_4K1onwhMz25Puw8tEGMS1FpHBI5OUXVu-DDgxYqfnW&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1ADozCtaZCYMMNncLSbxAgmoN2qAnCXazQ8jk9KYyZSmqPlOBZBSB7m-9YmKuWaXMF4IH4I8posmr6xTdArUsdY6cNrV9_GNbH8Qk89tV6RUdUZd0x2xAMCCd2XxeBm_ZgtLNKWbHBu2V1-fyDcohZtPowCUb3hLafNFW3PqRcf0zHvEHzgssAZvsNP3NyYF515V4wPblDYpoQcOBigw" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://paperdollreview.com/JulieChristmas2022.pdf</a></span></span> </p><p>To me, these look like they were done by totally different people! I guess they kind of were.... I created the "January Blues" paper doll on my Surface with Sketchbook Pro and Photoshop. It's no secret that I've been frustrated with the Surface line of computers. This is my second one and it will absolutely be my last one. The touch interface is not great. The raw computing power is dismal. The stylus is ok but I'm on my third one. I absolutely destroy the pen tips! Sketchbook Pro is a good program (app? I'm old). I like it. It has a minimal interface and a good selection of brushes. They spun off from Autodesk and lost some of the proprietary color management, but still very solid. And very affordable. </p><p>So that's the technicals. Let's talk about the doll. <a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2022/01/january-blues-whole-mood-new-doll.html">You can look at some of the process in this post</a>. It's not my best doll. The pose is stiff. A lot of the body and face is poorly drawn. Drawing is such a key part of any art - my art teachers/profs always stressed that. Drawing is fundamental. Color can only cover up so much of a bad drawing! As for the colors, they are ok but totally lack value shifts. It's all just flat and boring.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgah4_zBVH9aba3KzEWECXuXrhXFtXPNz7vn678bm0nI_EWz7ZyLGnTCABphuXKeFZ--zdJ_RnJZigUl27durydyavLbKvXWfGaoqWTBpUe1GE3YhILQWI4dVaPVK2OMa8lp0k52EufLmAYyByifHHUSJFSGIqYRRmCic4g8rPnjItsdt39AR_vKqU8/s3300/Witch2022-sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgah4_zBVH9aba3KzEWECXuXrhXFtXPNz7vn678bm0nI_EWz7ZyLGnTCABphuXKeFZ--zdJ_RnJZigUl27durydyavLbKvXWfGaoqWTBpUe1GE3YhILQWI4dVaPVK2OMa8lp0k52EufLmAYyByifHHUSJFSGIqYRRmCic4g8rPnjItsdt39AR_vKqU8/s320/Witch2022-sketch.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p>Next up is the holiday doll. It came out so much better than I could have hoped! I started with a sketch. I find that rough sketching on paper is a really important first step. I can create a whole illustration start-to-finish digitally, but it takes longer. Rough and loose on paper helps. Rachel and I decided to create a Witchtober set (<a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2022/10/witchtober-merchant-travel-and-wrap-up.html">you can find mine here</a> and <a href="https://paperthinpersonas.com/2022/10/31/witchtober-the-merchant-and-traveling-witches/">Rachel's is here</a>). I volunteered to draw the doll because drawing doll bases is hard and I need to work on it. The harder a task is, the more I want to tackle it! This went through several iterations. I was happy with the black & white set, so when the time came to put together a holiday doll, I used this base. But I wasn't crazy about the face. I knew I wanted a sparkly 80s inspired set. I looked up the Rockettes and used several faces as inspiration for mine. I love it! She looks a bit like an 80s Barbie. Not the look I was shooting for but it totally works. Drawing from reference really helped on that one. The other key thing with this set is value. David Wolfe pointed out on a different project that I needed to push my value scale - especially my darks. I really took that to heart and ran with it! Every time I work on coloring now, I think of David. Are my darks dark enough? How can I push the values? It's made a big difference.</p><p>The other really transformative difference between this paper dolls is the technicals. In March, I took the leap and bought myself an iPad Pro with an Apple pencil. I'm not a big fan of Apple products in general (nothing wrong with them, of course, just not for me) so I was a bit hesitant. </p><p>I was wrong. </p><p>The iPad, Apple pencil, and Procreate have become the best combination of digital drawing tools I've ever used. The iPad Pro is a great size with a gorgeous screen. The pencil is lightweight and feels incredibly natural. And Procreate is both robust and simple - two qualities that I really like about Sketchbook Pro, too. When I'm drawing on the iPad, I can totally lose myself in it the way I used to when painting or drawing traditionally. I love drawing again in a way I haven't in a long time. </p><p>For me, 2022 was really about growing and getting out of my comfort zone. I tried new things. I pushed my boundaries artistically (more on that later). This was the year I started to feel like a person again and these two dolls really demonstrate that growth. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-56171236447618610042022-12-21T08:04:00.003-05:002022-12-21T08:04:39.718-05:00Happy Holidays!<p> It's the first day of winter here in the frigid Northern Hemisphere. Seems like the perfect time to share this year's holiday card! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBT6mmuv0JbLTGpcxKyOhBoyYjmmQ3mamBdTewzr7YueRNIIzNdgjDQNa93SNiyYDGqdwbAyPoxefdUUoFXvqAl258Wx_7FjUcDCAgCPkzac8ig4DM-3MiVQWrH983WSvPhm95F6g7jLkSBT6rQDS6Kuvr4zJInWtGW3VxlGF68gw0PGEyUqzK-oq/s3300/Christmas-2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBT6mmuv0JbLTGpcxKyOhBoyYjmmQ3mamBdTewzr7YueRNIIzNdgjDQNa93SNiyYDGqdwbAyPoxefdUUoFXvqAl258Wx_7FjUcDCAgCPkzac8ig4DM-3MiVQWrH983WSvPhm95F6g7jLkSBT6rQDS6Kuvr4zJInWtGW3VxlGF68gw0PGEyUqzK-oq/s320/Christmas-2022.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Right-click to download and print</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This year's card was inspired by the Glitter book I worked on with David Wolfe and the 1980s. If the doll looks familiar, it's because I reworked the Halloween Witchtober doll for this one. I really wanted something bold and bright. This has been a better year for a lot of us and I wanted to celebrate that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I also helped David create his holiday paper doll based on the movie "White Christmas". It's always fun working on David's projects but this one especially. It's one of my favorite Christmas movies, My abilities have grown leaps & bounds in no small part because I the work I do with David. He's been in my thoughts so much recently. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK65EVtqaVPXBVf-Cudvmhz79y6G-nVH4KCBphs1SxrQavVCvcc2wgtirQ5YsUFETSgS8UeTbjDGbpybnSLxZzqrXwgnrAmO_1mQ0FjSzbF8oIEbWvLBTPSPSlrlF3Vhg1lC1txMmgpPpgy8SCVwHVMboYrd-fa58zURY4Sy5ei5L4ueGUIca8UKdO/s1294/WhiteChristmas-2022-preview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1294" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK65EVtqaVPXBVf-Cudvmhz79y6G-nVH4KCBphs1SxrQavVCvcc2wgtirQ5YsUFETSgS8UeTbjDGbpybnSLxZzqrXwgnrAmO_1mQ0FjSzbF8oIEbWvLBTPSPSlrlF3Vhg1lC1txMmgpPpgy8SCVwHVMboYrd-fa58zURY4Sy5ei5L4ueGUIca8UKdO/s320/WhiteChristmas-2022-preview.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">You can grab the two-page set on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/paperdollreview">Paperdoll Review Facebook page</a> as a PDF download. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For more holiday fun, you can grab <a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2022/01/happy-new-year.html">last year's holiday paper doll here</a> (even though it posted in 2022, I made it in 2021). AND the <a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2020/12/happy-holidays.html">2020 holiday paper doll is here</a> (with the <a href="https://paperdollreview.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=1680">Nora and Nellie book I created from it here</a>). <br /></div><div><p>That's a lot of holiday cheer! Whatever you celebrate, I hope it's excellent!<br /></p></div>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-59103125219695358442022-11-29T10:15:00.001-05:002022-11-29T10:15:07.405-05:002023 Calendar<p> I'm currently working on my holiday card, so that will post soon. In the meantime, I finally took the 2018 Doodle-a-Day project and turned it into a calendar! <a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/julie-matthews/2023-a-year-of-paper-dolls-calendar/paperback/product-8p6m6d.html?page=1&pageSize=4">You can grab it here</a>. It took about three weeks to receive my copy, so plan accordingly! <a href="https://pin.it/3O2z64Z">You can also take a look at the whole project (and print them out at home) here. </a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lHhseZ4INPMk3CPjfk60sOl5juptPFfH1beUUBlHSmExhBo9KnDMeCqG7jlFpxyt_Mg5Ha1ize99hxoJnZwzvT8bLiXpAkBz9qA5COJPayFD25tBHdkKz0iJdleHALTBo4bmOuLoYCiqD_ax8Tpo02e2VQiS91HOzQ1fY6RBwXr2MlU0DDFqel1F/s6750/2023-Calendar-JAM-preview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5250" data-original-width="6750" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lHhseZ4INPMk3CPjfk60sOl5juptPFfH1beUUBlHSmExhBo9KnDMeCqG7jlFpxyt_Mg5Ha1ize99hxoJnZwzvT8bLiXpAkBz9qA5COJPayFD25tBHdkKz0iJdleHALTBo4bmOuLoYCiqD_ax8Tpo02e2VQiS91HOzQ1fY6RBwXr2MlU0DDFqel1F/s320/2023-Calendar-JAM-preview.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-67238664732291370842022-10-31T05:00:00.003-04:002022-10-31T10:56:25.152-04:00Witchtober - Merchant, Travel, and Wrap-up<p> First up, happy Halloween! I totally, absolutely LOVE Halloween. My kids do, too. What's more fun than dressing up, going out at night, and getting candy with your friends?! Nothing, that's what! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_HAKUxvBCgjJDE-aUZr7bgpxccO0YeC2xnMuIq5q6BHEIllYBOuszFvrQr5QkzP7-8TnLhPj5cuVrceGk-BcuV_QBNvJYqBCQvY1R0DC5EOKIECYt5i2NM8OUxOMFEbM-AD9qRjtLclqpjSe_71ZFsWcZqNSiCjEX16wtfElKccxrL4Dl4HwR1bZ/s3300/witchtober2022-day5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_HAKUxvBCgjJDE-aUZr7bgpxccO0YeC2xnMuIq5q6BHEIllYBOuszFvrQr5QkzP7-8TnLhPj5cuVrceGk-BcuV_QBNvJYqBCQvY1R0DC5EOKIECYt5i2NM8OUxOMFEbM-AD9qRjtLclqpjSe_71ZFsWcZqNSiCjEX16wtfElKccxrL4Dl4HwR1bZ/s320/witchtober2022-day5.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Right-click to download and save full resolution image</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_mlMq7wcgK6V85OrVP7w7Q_pINO5iygl/view?usp=share_link">Grab the PDF of the whole set here <br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>It was tough fitting both of these on one page! My merchant witch is a sort of Venetian style costume. I wasn't sure how to represent shopping or selling or whatever a merchant does. I settled on bag on a belt and hanging potions. The travel witch, too, was a bit tough. I thought a steampunk inspired/early automobile outfit might work. Anyway.... It's been a fun series to work on! Make sure to check out Rachel's, too, over at <a href="https://paperthinpersonas.com/2022/10/31/witchtober-the-merchant-and-traveling-witches/">Paper Thin Personas</a>. It's always a blast working on paper dolls with her! </p><p><br /></p><div><p><br /></p></div>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-90426041276580842622022-10-24T05:00:00.024-04:002022-10-24T05:00:00.233-04:00Witchtober - Winter and 18th Century Witch<p>Week 4 of our Witchtober project! Next week will be the last week and we'll post on Halloween. This has been loads of fun...and hard to keep up with! Sometimes I look through my old projects and I wonder how I ever had the time! <a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2018/01/january-paper-doll-set-1.html">That 2018 doodle-a-day?</a> WOW! There were 63 sheets in that collection with 4 different dolls. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyutoYe_NNxktGrQuYqcITHE3Xw_Ni2A6bX1yK5fI4X9Zp61h1Wh1pIFTa86xe563829PSsPFhKAlFpB7C2A9mAPKoLZUlfE5FsEctvCpV9b7b58kpXIxnAlMSyYkPfTsry3lCUu1VuzJnfA6MRaPtViGiV_-M0xoddRKWtASP7PjHIA2cEBSz-z7f/s3300/witchtober2022-day4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyutoYe_NNxktGrQuYqcITHE3Xw_Ni2A6bX1yK5fI4X9Zp61h1Wh1pIFTa86xe563829PSsPFhKAlFpB7C2A9mAPKoLZUlfE5FsEctvCpV9b7b58kpXIxnAlMSyYkPfTsry3lCUu1VuzJnfA6MRaPtViGiV_-M0xoddRKWtASP7PjHIA2cEBSz-z7f/s320/witchtober2022-day4.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Right-click to download the full resolution images</p><p>I got a little carried away with the winter set! I'm learning more and more about Procreate every day. One thing I'm working on is custom brushes. The holly is a brush I made. Still tinkering.... The 18th century dress is a little slim but I knew I was running out of space on the page. I made a pumpkin brush for that pattern, too, and I'm not sure how I feel about that one. If I color these, I'll probably approach both of those differently.</p><p> Rachel is on track to post hers a little late this week. <a href="https://paperthinpersonas.com/">Watch her blog for it</a>. I know I'm looking forward to seeing it!<br /></p><p><br /></p>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-51049996157782263232022-10-17T08:43:00.002-04:002022-10-17T08:43:30.037-04:00Witchtober - Sea and Kitchen Witch<p> I know my post went up a little bit late today. I got a bit caught up drawing all of the Rococo inspired goodness on my Sea Witch!! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e1hJ6yvfmE-00FnloKREu9TMbtDxQr9nWhU5tVcszMWM6Q4K3ilCTzhMC4jzTnbjP66U4NIxnJSAl06JNukMrY9wcSOY7A8StQT9OYlE21kxEahu3-h0HdD-AYEcjje4COKcjduuo_ZMT2-pfl_oeP-Pfg7XQVMbIPNlCdHenS-uHiQCV2d9bhFB/s3300/witchtober2022-day3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e1hJ6yvfmE-00FnloKREu9TMbtDxQr9nWhU5tVcszMWM6Q4K3ilCTzhMC4jzTnbjP66U4NIxnJSAl06JNukMrY9wcSOY7A8StQT9OYlE21kxEahu3-h0HdD-AYEcjje4COKcjduuo_ZMT2-pfl_oeP-Pfg7XQVMbIPNlCdHenS-uHiQCV2d9bhFB/s320/witchtober2022-day3.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Right-click to download and save the full resolution image</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't set out to make a Rococo gown. After looking for inspiration, I found a seashell crown that I liked so that inspired the hat. And as I was drawing the hat, I liked the idea of those tube curl things on powdered wigs. That lead to a corset style front...and things just got out of hand from there. (TANGENT: My family and I are Marvel fans. In Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, one of the characters says "Things just got out of hand". It's Benedict Cumberbatch with a glorious evil voice and we say this exact phase around my house all the time!)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So anyway... After the Sea Witch, I tackled the Kitchen Witch. When I hear that phrase, I think of things like Practical Magic (wonderful book - go read the whole series - and an excellent movie) and "ordinary" witchy folks, not your goth leaning folks. I love a good goth aesthetic, but not all witchy folks are goth. So I went with a sort of retro cardigan, foliage patterned skirt, and an apron with a wooden spoon and herbs. <br /></div><div><p>You can add to your growing Witchtober <a href="https://paperthinpersonas.com/2022/10/17/witchtober-the-sea-and-the-kitchen/">collection by grabbing Rachel's set here</a>.</p><p><a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2022/10/spooky-month-and-halloween-paper-doll.html">My Witchtober Day 1 and Doll</a></p><p><a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2022/10/witchtober-bone-and-bird-witch.html">My Witchtober Day 2</a><br /></p></div>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563276873949724553.post-64551346496903191942022-10-10T05:00:00.026-04:002022-10-10T06:48:48.506-04:00Witchtober - Bone and Bird Witch<p> I'll admit, things never seem to settle down in my house! I've been helping my mother with her knee surgery. My boys are both in middle school now (!!!!!!) - one is having a tough transition but we're working on it. I feel like I have a million things going on any given day. </p><p>I wouldn't trade it for anything. Ok, maybe for just a tiny bit of quiet. </p><p>Today's Witchtober set is a Bone Witch and a Bird Witch. I was partially inspired by a pearl ribcage jewelry thing for the Bone Witch. And some rad shoes with spines for heels. The Bird Witch is all me. I had this idea of a one-shoulder swoopy kind of thing. I'm not completely happy with how the skirt turned out but I can live with it. <a href="https://paperthinpersonas.com/2022/10/10/witchtober-bones-birds/">Take a look at Rachel's interpretation here!</a> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaYb6t4kkoas7Tzp2DB3o-SC4dRn8dYh_C4w8g6rV7L0sQAoQECoQaSW7an6PLNd17vT0KBf1UAp5C0cReZhQZXBxgHh2o0NwBh36FMYLZyattCrlJPE3H0EGj58SEcVlDCzA5KKbsx206B_fNY4bkSEt7AmK7X0PY9NrTq11xNd4fFbzYQy41ePP/s3300/witchtober2022-day2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaYb6t4kkoas7Tzp2DB3o-SC4dRn8dYh_C4w8g6rV7L0sQAoQECoQaSW7an6PLNd17vT0KBf1UAp5C0cReZhQZXBxgHh2o0NwBh36FMYLZyattCrlJPE3H0EGj58SEcVlDCzA5KKbsx206B_fNY4bkSEt7AmK7X0PY9NrTq11xNd4fFbzYQy41ePP/s320/witchtober2022-day2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Right-click to download full resolution image</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The boys have today off, like many of us in the States. We're going on a bike riding adventure. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you have the day off, too, have fun coloring the Witchtober witches!<a href="http://paperdollschool.blogspot.com/2022/10/spooky-month-and-halloween-paper-doll.html"> Make sure you grab the first one here :)</a><br /></div><div><p><br /></p></div>Julie Allen Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319742366635330305noreply@blogger.com0