Pages of Paper Dolls:
352
Search
Categories
- Announcements
- Antique Paper Dolls
- Black & White
- Blogging Advice and Thoughts
- Filler Doodles
- Full Color
- Magnetic Paper Doll
- On the Bookshelf…
- Printable Paper Dolls
- Ramblings
- Research Resources
- Sets of Links
- Tutorials
- Work-In-Progress
Tags
1870s asian paper doll ballgown black paper doll blond blue boots contemporary corset dress edgy fantasy full-figured gloves green hat high heels historical jeans jewelry kid friendly latino paper doll medieval inspired mix and match orange paper dolls of dolls and toys pattern pink pleats princess purple red regency sandals shadowed short hair stockings straps stripes teal victorian victorian inspired vintage wig yellowArchives
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
Category Archives: Marisole
Marisole Monday & Friends: Noble Knight in Color…
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
So, last week I posted today’s knight paper doll in black and white. Today, we have her in color. I’m going to be frank and say that I’m really not all that pleased with how she came out.
When I was in elementary school there was a girl, who shall remain nameless, with whom I did not get along. This paper doll has very similar coloring and I find myself disliking her for that reason. Is that strange? Perhaps… I have no idea what happened to the girl in question, but I hope she is happy where ever life leads her.
It is funny how things from childhood stick around so many years later.
Anyway… I recently updated to the latest version of WordPress and did it without break the blog, so go me! There’s still a few things that might be a little different as I get the theme updated, but all the links and things seem to be working fine. Please be patient with me as I work out the kinks in the code. I’m not great at CSS, but I can do it with enough time and trial and error. Still, stuff might look a bit strange around here while I get it done and I apologize for that in advance.
Marisole Monday & Friends: A Noble Knight
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
I was about six seconds from titling this “Knoble Knight”, but I fought off the urge. Be proud of me.
It is both late and past my bedtime, so I am going to keep this post short and fairly sweet. I’ve done a lot of princess paper dolls, but I also like doing warrior paper dolls, so here is one. I’ve never tried to draw full armor before. I don’t know anything about full-plate armor, except that it seems awfully bulky and I wouldn’t want to wear it into battle.
Actually, I wouldn’t want to wear anything into battle. I don’t really want to be in battle at all, so I guess that is a factor in all that. As I was working on this paper doll, my mind kept going back to this current internet kerfuffle over a redo of Merida the main character in Pixar’s Brave as she enters the merchandizing world of Disney Princesses.
The Daily Mail has a nice article on the subject. The criticism I agree with is that I think its important that girls with different body types be celebrated, so the slimming down of Merida bothers me a little. There’s even a Change.Org petition (because this is really important…) which reads, partly, “Merida was the princess that countless girls and their parents were waiting for — a strong, confident, self-rescuing princess ready to set off on her next adventure with her bow at the ready. ”
Why does she need a bow and arrows? Okay, object to the body changing stuff as much as you like, I won’t argue, but what is up with the obsession with her bow and arrows? Does taking away her bow and arrows make her suddenly a weak character? I really don’t think so…
So, today’s paper doll has armor. I don’t think she’s anymore of a feminist paper doll than say last weeks princess who didn’t have a bow and arrows or sword. What is up with the current tendency to arm fairy tale princesses (like that really bad movie with Snow White and the Huntsmen…)?
Women don’t need weapons to be strong and I don’t think taking away Merida’s makes her weak. And wow… this is like the most political post I have ever written. I am seriously going to bed, before I start ranting about something more pointless.
Marisole Monday & Friends: Marisole as an Elven Maiden
{Click Here for a PDF of Elven Maiden in Color} {Click Here for a 150 dpi PNG of Elven Maiden in Color}{Click Here for a PDF of Elven Maiden in Black and White} {Click Here for a 150 dpi PNG of Elven Maiden in Black and White}
So, a while ago I had a contest to name the Mini Maidens. Natalie won my contest and therefore won her very own custom paper doll. Natalie selected a Marisole Monday & Friends paper doll as the basis for her paper doll, specifically Marisole.
Natalie Wrote:
I would love to have an Elf themed sort of thing like in the Lord of the Rings (with marisole)… Also can you make sure she has a bow and arrows?(that would be awesome!)…. I’m sort of imagining her with a little medievial themed clothing.
So I openly confess that the last time I read Lord of the Rings I was thirteen, stuck in Italy and only got through it due to the lack of other English language reading material. I’m not much of a Tolkien fan, truth be told. Never the less, I liked the movies (not enough to own them, just enough to not mind watching them with others) and I do think Tolkien was the father of modern epic fantasy. Not being a huge epic fantasy reader, the jury is out as to whether or not this was good thing.
Needless to say, I wanted to try to capture the spirit of the LOtR elves from the movie to the best of my ability without actually copying anything from the films. The Costumer’s Guide to Movie Costumes was a godsend in this regard, proving me with a wealth of photos of elven costumes to pull from. The kimono sleeves are my addition, because I love kimono sleeves and the modified mandarin collars give everything a tiny bit of Asian flair.
Normally, I don’t post both the black and white and the color versions at the same time and I won’t be doing this again, but I didn’t want to make Natalie wait for the color version of her paper doll set. Both are here for printing, so people can select their choice. I did a sort of autumn theme for the colors. Natalie didn’t give me any guidance on the color scheme, since she said she wanted to be surprised.
Natalie, if this color scheme is a little too surprising, let me know. I can re-color them for you. 
So, did I capture the spirit of Lord of the Rings or totally fall flat? Let me know in a comment, since I’m not going to be picking up those books again if I can help it.
Posted in Black & White, Full Color, Marisole, Marisole Monday & Friends
Tagged black, boots, elf, fantasy, green, Lord of the Rings, medieval inspired, weapon, yellow
8 Comments
Marisole Monday: Autumn Color in… Colors
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
I have a similiar relationship with blond hair and brown skin as I do with red hair and brown skin. This is to say that I try it and than I don’t like it and swear I won’t do it again and than I do it again. Unlike the red-hair brown skin combination which I never feel like I’ve achieved, this blond hair brown-skinned Marisole is look pretty cute to me.
I think it’s her braids. Have I mentioned that I am totally in love with her braids?
So, February has come and gone. Last year I noted African American History Month (which is February) by compiling a list of paper dolls around the web. And um… I kinda forgot this year.So, though I don’t have another list of paper dolls, I would like to draw attention to Paper Doll’s by Gail where there are lots of lovely African American paper dolls including Condoleeza Rice, Michelle Obama, Halle Berry and Fantasia Barrino. Also, though unrelated to African American paper dolls, the entire cast of Twlight.
Posted in Full Color, Marisole, Marisole Monday & Friends, Printable Paper Dolls
Tagged black paper doll, blond, braids, contemporary, hat, mix and match, pattern, skirt
1 Comment
Marisole Monday: Autumn Colors
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
So, this was supposed to go up last Monday, but clearly that didn’t happen. Never the less, here she is on this Monday looking as dashing as ever.
Sunday was Purim, as some people probably know. Purim is one of my favorite holidays, mostly because of fond memories from when I was a child an the joy of making and eating hamentashen. As usual, I made far more of them than I could eat and so I’ll be giving them to various people today.
Anyway, in other news, I know I’ve neglected the blog over the last few weeks. I’ve been really busy, but I’m hoping to get back onto the ball with it. A few things are going to be changing, so keep your eyes open for a new about section and a few other new things- nothing radical, mostly housekeeping chores that I put off for a long time and finally am getting around to.
Today’s paper doll was inspired by a lot of different things, but mostly by my realization that I haven’t drawn very many coats for my paper dolls (with the exception of my Snow Day set, years ago) and my new found favorite research tool- hair style magazines, particularly black hair style magazines which I can draw hairstyles out of.
I do feel a little self-conscious buying the magazines at the local drug store, since the woman behind the counter usually gives me an odd look, but they’ve proven invaluable for getting hairstyles right. This braided bun is something I’ve wanted to draw for a while, but since asking random passer-bys to stand still for art practice isn’t really reasonable, my hairstyle magazines saved the day.
What sorts of hairstyles would you like to see for Marisole in the future?
Posted in Black & White, Marisole, Marisole Monday & Friends
Tagged black paper doll, boots, braids, coat, contemporary, fur trimmed, gloves, hat, jeans, mix and match, skirt
5 Comments
Marisole Monday: Vintage Roses in Pinks and Browns and Purples…
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
So, a version of this paper doll set got to become magnetic and is on it’s way to my grandmother, hopefully to get there before Valentine’s Day. Her set has a different doll with it, but I liked this doll a lot. The truth is that I have owed her a magnetic paper doll set for a while and I would be nervous about saying this online, but since she doesn’t seem to believe in the internet, I think I’m safe. I tend to be of the view that when you get to a certain age than you can decide not to use the internet if it suits you. I plan on becoming a grouchy old woman who may or may not chase children off my porch with a shotgun.
Anyway, this is a busy week for me. There’s a birthday in my family and Valentines Day for which I really should draw a paper doll. I did one for the Chinese New Year after all.
I’m also pleased to announce I now have a Showcase page inspired by Toria’s wonderful one. I am looking for more people’s colored versions of my black and white paper dolls or costumes you might have drawn for the paper dolls or anything else related to the paper dolls on this site that I might feature, so please email me“>email me if you have work that you would like included.
Questions? Thoughts? Theories on the meaning of life? Feel free to comment. I do love comments.
Posted in Full Color, Marisole, Marisole Monday & Friends, Printable Paper Dolls
Tagged black paper doll, dress, mix and match, pattern, short hair, skirt, vintage
3 Comments
Marisole Monday: Vintage Roses
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
After two set of Margot, I thought we’d pop back to Marisole for a while. This paper doll also has no pants. I just realized this.
So, a while ago, I was asked about programs I use to work on my paper dolls. I don’t remember who asked me the question, but as I worked on this paper doll set, I tried to figure out the answer. Not exactly rocket science, but it took some thought.
I use Photoshop CS3 for all my paper dolling (a bit out of date, I know) and I like it, though the learning curve on it is steep. To color my paper dolls, I use a filter called the Bpelt filter, which is designed for flatting comics. Flatting is the process of coloring in shapes with no black line border. Traditionally, newspapers printed all of the color and then over printed the line work. I think comics, in the real world, may still be printed this way though I’m not sure… my printing history gets fuzzy once computers enter onto the scene.
I like Bpelt because it allows me to have my line-work on a separate layer which is useful for me.
Frankly, I don’t have much experience with other programs. I would like to learn Illustrator and Indesign, but I never have. I can’t really provide a helpful review except to say that I am certain I use Photoshop for about a tenth of what it is capable of.
Posted in Marisole, Marisole Monday & Friends, Printable Paper Dolls
Tagged floral, mix and match, pattern, pleats, short hait, skirt, sweater, sweet, vintage
3 Comments
Marisole Monday: In the Mid-1860s… Full Color
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
Here we are today with the colored version of last Monday’s post. Color for historical garments is complicated, because colors are very much a matter of taste and a matter of time. Just as the avocado and burnt orange polyester shirts of the 1970′s seem dated to us today, the colors of the past are rarely how we imagine them to be. I always picture the Victorians in tones of sepia, not because that was what they wore, but because I always see sepia photographs. I once had a professor point out that the way we picture the past has little to do with how the past actually was, but I enjoy my fantasies of the past as much as the next person.
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
For this set of paper dolls, I chose to use colors from reproduction quilting cottons as a basis for the garment. They turned out to be a little muddier than perhaps I would have chosen on my own, but I wanted something different than the oranges, blue, pink, and green combination of colors I find myself most often drawn too. The ballgown in pink and black is based on the fashion plate which I drew it from, though I made a slightly darker version of the original.
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
I’ll confess openly that I’m not entirely pleased with how some of these came out in color. I went muted and I think that was the right call, but I’m not sure that I didn’t lose some of the lusciousness and the vibrancy of the era. They also came out less romantic than I had hoped they would be. I do think Margot is awfully cute with her freckles and red hair (yes, I do have a weird thing for redheads). In truth, I am pleased with both the dolls. I think Marisole is a warm brown this time and I like how Margot came out. All in all, though I had some second thoughts about drawing a new face for Marisole, I am pleased with Margot and I think she’ll show up a bit more around the blog.
On an unrelated note, child paper dolls have pulled into the lead in the polling… a fact which I am very much surprised by.
Posted in Full Color, Margot, Marisole, Marisole Monday & Friends, Printable Paper Dolls
Tagged 1860s, ballgown, black paper doll, blue, corset, cream, freckles, green, historical, pink, red head, swimsuit, underwear
6 Comments
Marisole Monday: In the Mid-1860s…
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
I have no real excuse for the lateness of this post, except that I was traveling yesterday and somehow I didn’t get as much done on for the blog on my vacation as I usually do. Something about traveling always makes me feel a little drained when I finally return to wherever is home. I’ve lived in several states and it always seems to takes me a year before one of them becomes home. As much as I love Alabama with it’s rolling hills (they call them mountains, but being from Alaska, I can’t honestly call them mountains) and it’s clear blue skies, but returning to Alaska still feels like going home. I suspect, eventually, Birmingham will become more homelike.
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
Moving onto paper doll related matters, away from rambles about travel, today’s set is much larger than any set of Marisole Monday paper dolls that I have ever done before. It was not supposed to originally be three pages, but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to remove anything from the sets and therefore decided to keep everything together. The result was that I ended up with an extra page. The swimming shoes repeat because, once the dolls are colored, they will be the only thing that exposes skin and I know I don’t want to do the two paper dolls in the same skin-tone. The corset and drawers repeat, because I feel strongly that both dolls should get a set of underwear. The hoop-skirt doesn’t repeat, because it’s big and, frankly, going to be white.
As some of you might notice, the second paper doll with the freckles is a different face than the original Marisole. I have named her Margot and she’ll be showing up from time to time along with the Asian version of Marisole who I’ve always thought of as Mia, though I don’t know if I have ever mentioned that on the blog.
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
All of these dresses are based on garments from the mid-1860s, hence the title. Something about being in Alabama has made me want to draw huge hoop skirts. Not normally my favorite period in fashion history, but it’s growing on me. I had an Addy doll when I was a child, but I honestly can not recall any exposure to real Southern History outside the standard Civil Rights stuff and a little on the Civil War. Strange how moving here has made me fascinated by all things Southern.
Posted in Black & White, Margot, Marisole, Marisole Monday & Friends, Printable Paper Dolls
Tagged 1860s, ballgown, bonnet, corset, historical, stockings, victorian
4 Comments
Marisole Monday: Fruity Autumn in Color
{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}
I’ve mentioned before my “skintones make shoes a pain” thing, and so I wanted to give this Marisole a skintone that was shared by another doll so that she could share shoes. I chose Candy Coated Couture, but I don’t think the skintones are actually the same. In fact, a quick check with photoshop’s eyedrop tool tells me they aren’t. This has something to do, I think, with how Photoshop saves things for the web.
So, I did a little internet research and found a lovely article
I am going to try a few other methods and see if they help. It’s a strange problem indeed.
Since it’s Christmas Eve, I wanted to wish a everyone a lovely Christmas. Be safe and be merry. I am back in Alaska with my family celebrating.
Posted in Full Color, Marisole, Marisole Monday & Friends, Printable Paper Dolls
Tagged black paper doll, blue, contemporary, curls, dress, jeans, jewelry, mix and match, orange, pink, yellow
3 Comments