Monday, April 21, 2014

A New Project Walkthrough

I belong to OPDAG and contribute to the Paper Doll Studio magazine.  Recently, one of the themes was queens.  I did a fantastic sketch and thought maybe I should expand it.  I loved this sketch SO much that I figured this might be the one I would submit to Dover for publication (and I sent something else to the magazine).  Like so many paper doll artists, my dream is to be published by Dover.  I'm finally at a point where I feel like my art is of sufficient quality to share with the world.  I've had some good feedback about my self-published dolls and thought, this is it.

It wasn't.

I finished my sketches this week on a paper doll I've been calling Wicked Women.  It features one doll and 12 outfits covering witches, evil queens, and the like from fairy tales and children's stories.  As I occasionally do, I started browsing Amazon and came across this:


It looks beautiful.  It's coming out from Dover in May.  Ugh.

I'll be honest, I was pretty upset.  My husband (who has been taking management training courses & expressing his "wisdom" lately) tried to calm my down.  "It's a great idea, it's an original idea, someone just beat you to market."  Ugh again.  I have a hard time coming up with original, creative paper doll themes that haven't been done yet.  I mean really, look at Dover's catalog and you can find just about everything.  And that's wonderful!  I love that they have such a broad variety of themes represented.  It just makes my task a little more daunting.

So here's the thing.  I have a doll I love.  I have the outlines done.  What do I do?  Finish it? Abandon it? Focus on a new project? 

I'm going to finish it.  And I'm going to share the whole process here.  I can't share the sketching process because that's done.  But everything else is going here.  I have one thing I need to decide -- watercolor or digitally coloring in Photoshop.  I'm going to take reader opinions into account for this one.  Feel free to leave a comment (or email me, I check that all the time, too).

Here's an overview of the sketches:

Characters featured will be: The Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen (Lewis Carroll), the Sea Witch from the Little Mermaid, the Dark Fairy from Sleeping Beauty, the Sorceress from Rapunzel, the Wicked Witches of the West and East (Frank L. Baum), the Wicked Stepmother from Cinderella, the Snow Queen, the Evil Queen from Snow White, the witch from Hansel & Gretel, and Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend.  This image above is a composite I created from images I took with my phone so they aren't great.  I'll be scanning & starting this (and a new, top-secret doll that *fingers crossed* HAS NOT been done yet!) in the next few days and weeks.

So my excitement for this project has been a little tempered.  My loss, though, is your gain!  

Again, let me know if any of you have an opinion about the media choice for this project: watercolor or Photoshop.  And thanks for reading that rant!

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12 comments:

  1. RLCApril 21, 2014 at 12:49 PM

    I wouldn't let the fact that the book is coming out stop you from working on your own version/project. For a long time, I didn't draw mermaids, because I felt like mermaids were Liana's territory. After a while, I concluded that I wasn't going to let that stop me from drawing a mermaid if I wanted too.

    I am quite impressed that you actually submit to OPDAG. I am a member, but I never seem to finish anything in time to submit it. One of these days, I will get my act together. :)

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    1. Julie Allen MatthewsApril 22, 2014 at 8:23 AM

      I think I will finish it. I hate to start something and NOT finish it, especially something I've already put a ton of work into.

      I find submitting to OPDAG keeps me on task. It's easy to put my own interests & projects aside while raising my little family and having that quarterly project keeps me focused. You should totally submit! You probably already have fans there :)

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  2. flamingrose72April 21, 2014 at 3:50 PM

    I would say photoshop :)

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    1. Julie Allen MatthewsApril 22, 2014 at 8:25 AM

      I haven't made a decision yet, but no matter which I go with for the Wicked Women project, I will be talking about Photoshop soon. My latest submission to OPDAG was colored in Photoshop and I'll share that when my copy of the magazine arrives. Thanks for the vote & I'll keep it in mind!

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  3. bootsApril 22, 2014 at 6:44 AM

    there are dozens of books covering the same territory over and over again. how many marilyn monroe pink "diamonds are a girl's best friend" dresses do we need? the answer: dozens!

    i think part of the wonder of paper dolls is artistic style. there's nothing new under the sun except in the way you personally execute something. so just do it!

    and i'm voting for watercolor!

    : D

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    1. Julie Allen MatthewsApril 22, 2014 at 8:31 AM

      Someday I'd like to cross the line from "hobbyist" to "professional" and that's what I find so frustrating. I agree -- there are dozens of the same themes by a variety of artists, and I love seeing those, too. I'm just not someone who comes up with a lot of original ideas. I don't have original characters or backstories or anything. It's just not the way I think. So coming up with themes can be tough!

      Watercolors could be fun. I haven't worked with watercolors in a while. I have a basement studio and it gets too cold to work there over the winter. I tend to go digital in the colder months and more traditional media in the warmer ones. We'll see which way this one goes!

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  4. bfmamaApril 22, 2014 at 10:23 PM

    Hi. I'm thinking of buying a lightbox, and was wondering what brand you recommend. It's not something I've ever bought before. They're a little pricy for my budget ,and I want to make sure I get a good one. Thanks so much!

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    1. Julie Allen MatthewsApril 28, 2014 at 6:59 AM

      Hi! A lightbox is a very handy tool and totally worth the investment! This is the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/Gagne-10X12-Porta-Trace-Light-Stainless/dp/B000QF8YSY/ref=sr_1_8?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1398682198&sr=1-8&keywords=lightbox This one is about $45. I've had mine for about 20 years - my parents actually bought it for me when I was a teen and I've had it every since! I've never had a problem with it. I've never even changed the bulb! I would, however, think about the outlets you'll be using before you buy a lightbox. My lightbox has a grounded (three-prong) plug so sometimes there are outlets or extension cords that aren't compatible. Aside from that, I love this box.

      I always recommend getting the best quality item that fits your budget. My lightbox is 20 years old, so if you spend $45 it'll "cost" you about $3 a year!. My drafting table is 100+ years old. Some of my paintbrushes are 15 years old. Get this lightbox & you'll be very happy with it!

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  5. Poppy FieldsApril 27, 2014 at 12:52 PM

    This happens to me ALL. THE. TIME. so I feel your disappointment and frustration intensely!! It is also what keeps me from ever getting off the ground in my own projects (7 000 unfinished paper dolls...) :( But you have something really wonderful here so, if you can, definitely finish it.

    The overall attitude of your doll is different to the Menten doll, and I'm sure the execution of her costumes is distinct as well. It is the individual style and spirit of the artist that distinguishes one doll from another. Sometimes a doll can be *too* polished, *too* professional and lands up being pretty, but lifeless (regardless of medium). Even your vector dolls or practically buoyant with energy; no doubt your wicked girl will be the same :)

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    1. Julie Allen MatthewsApril 28, 2014 at 7:09 AM

      Thanks so much for the words of encouragement! I've never been one to give up, and I will definitely take this doll to completion. and resolve, and that's how I'm trying to think about this. Ted Menten's doll is beautiful and I may even pick up a copy for myself. I'm thinking of it as a call to action. Disappointment and frustration can easily be turned into determination and resolve. It also means that I need to work faster and get it done! A watercolor doll can take me 6 months to complete, depending on the complexity of it and my crazy life. Try as I might, I can't paint every day.

      I try to make dolls that I would have loved as a child. Collectible dolls are lovely and have a place, of course, but I've said time & time again that paper dolls are toys and I try to make dolls that kids will love. Maybe that's why my dolls seem so lively -- at the end of the day, I'm still a kid creating paper dolls. I just happen to be a kid with 20+ years of art behind me now!

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  6. paperdollmomMay 29, 2014 at 1:55 AM

    I think that is great that you are still working on these dolls even though someone else has done them. Art is different through different eyes, and one person's attempt at creating something specific could be very different than another's. Just because the same "idea" has been produced in one mind does not mean what you produce wont have something to offer in the world of paper dolls! By the way, it has been a while since I have visited paper doll blogs (use to be a time for paper dolls blogger), and I love you Fairytale Friday dolls...super cute!

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    1. Julie Allen MatthewsMay 29, 2014 at 8:10 AM

      Thanks! I'm really glad I continued with it myself. It's come together rather quickly, mainly because I can't seem to stop working on it! I'm eager to get this one completed, share it with the world, and move on to the next one. If nothing else, this project has helped renew my confidence in my work.

      I miss your paper dolls! Is there an archive somewhere? I know these were paper dolls for your family & I hope they are doing well :)

      Any fairy tale requests? I'm always looking for ideas!

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