I did my first version of Batari back in August, so I am happy to get to post a second version. This version of Batari has lots of shoes (a super important paper doll garment, because they are the least versatile) and a short hair style. Both of the first two Bartari versions had longer hair, so I wanted to do one with short hair.
As I mentioned before, Batari is an Indonesian name that means Goddess. It was voted on by my Patrons. I like to give them the opportunity to choose paper doll names whenever I can.
(Sometimes, I have a name in mind.)
So, some may remember that I was drawing a paper doll for Inktober. My goal was to draw ten paper doll outfits over the course of the month and post them on Instagram. It was a rough month, but I managed to get all ten done. You can see them over at the #ptpinktober2018
If you want to help keep the blog up on the internet and see more behind the scenes stuff, think of becoming a Patron. Also, you get to vote on things there.
So, when I was rounding up all the paper dolls for my C Pose paper doll post with all the sets I’d done in the last few months, I realized how few versions of the guys I had created. The girls all have several versions and the poor guys were just hanging out in their modern hair without much to turn too. I felt bad for them.
So, I set to work designing some new versions of the guys. I still need to design a second Cyrus, but have done elf Cameron, fantasy Carlos and now we have steampunk Changrui. I might have just really wanted an excuse to draw a Victorian mustache. Maybe.
I need a theme for Cyrus, any suggestions? I’m leaning towards cyberpunk or post-apocalyptic.
Also, if you like the blog and want to get behind the scenes, help pay for the server space and support my sketchbook buying habits, consider becoming a patron. Any amount helps.
Today, there are two new versions of Akiko, my Asian A pose lady paper doll, to be dressed up. A pair of dress up dolls, if you will.
For me, a paper doll you can’t dress up has no interest. Don’t get me wrong, there are some beautiful jointed dolls made from paper out there. I’m in awe of the engineering that goes into these creations, but for me the whole point of paper dolls is that you can dress them up. It’s the ease at which a doll goes from being a princess to a ninja to a post-apocalyptic warrior that engages me.
I mention this, because I regularly sacrifice variety for versatility. I chose, when I began the Dames and Dandies, that I would focus on four skin tones for each pose and three poses to begin with. That’s not the end, of course, but I made that choice knowing I was limiting the whole glorious spectrum of human beings to 12 skintones, two genders and three bodies.
Sounds pretty limited when I put it that way, doesn’t it?
But within those limitations (chosen in part for my own sanity as much as anything else) I wanted to create as much versatility as I could. By choosing just three bodies, I thought I would be able to create a variety of roles for those bodies to take on from steampunk to goth to flapper.
And within the limitations of those three bodies, I wanted variety as well. So Akiko has gotten to visit the 1920s and wear Lolita street fashion. And here are two more versions of her to be dressed up. There’s a blond version and a glasses wearing brunette. My second paper doll recently with glasses.
If I have one major regret about my three bodies, it is that none of them are plus-sized. As a curvy woman, I regret that I didn’t start with a curvy figure as well. However, I’ve been on a curvy figure drawing kick lately and I have three curvy paper dolls in the works. One will be my model for Inktober. The other two… I’m not sure yet. None of them are to scale with the Dames and Dandies, so they won’t be part of that series. What will happen to them, I don’t yet know.
My patrons are usually the first to know about my activities, but I have been posting some to Instagram Stories when I’m sketching and inking. So, join Patreon or follow me on Instagram if you want the latest.
Meanwhile, let me know what you think of today’s Akiko paper dolls in a comment if you have a moment. Love to hear from you.
Happy Friday! Today, I am super pleased to share Batari, a new B pose doll. Batari is an Indonesian name that means Goddess. Batari went through a few different versions and face lifts before I was settled on her. I don’t want to share things I don’t like, so I sometimes that means revisions are needed. I am very happy with how she came out in the end, even if the process got a little messy.
There might have been some cursing. I’m just saying.
As you might have noticed, there’s not just one Batari paper doll today, there’s two!
I realized I could fit two of any of the dames dolls on a single page and I decided that I would create double doll sets for all the Dames. That’s Abigail, Aisha, Akiko, Alice (in the A Pose) and Beatrix, Benedita, Bridget (in the B Pose). Since I was working on Batari at the time of this realization, her first sets is not one Batari, but two.
Maybe they’re identical twins.
I wanted to do two very different feeling paper dolls. So, the doll on the left has a casual hair style and the doll the right as a fancy up-do and painted nails.
Just like any of the other B Pose paper dolls, Batari can wear any of the B pose clothing, of course. I personally think the casual doll on the left might like some boho clothing while the doll on the left seems more like a gothic fahion girl perhaps. Of course, either could wear this super fantasy kaftan or this armored fantasy gown.
My paper dolls lead interesting lives based on their clothing options, I like to think.
If you love the blog and want to keep it ad free, than consider supporting it through Patreon. Meanwhile, did you know I have been working on drawing 100 dresses and posting the designs on Instagram? It’s been a super fun project and you can check it out on my Instagram feed.
I love 1920s fashion. I love the shapes of the dresses, the hats and the shoes. Seriously, I would wear most late 1920s shoes today if I thought I could get away with it. I love the the hair, the art and the literature. I also realize that I would look awful in 1920s dresses. I have curves and this was the era of no curves.
But that’s what paper dolls are for though, isn’t it?
So, for every Monday for the rest of July there will be a 1920s era paper doll or dress (okay, so one paper doll- this one and then dresses).
Akiko is the model for the 1920s underwear. Her hair is based on the hair cut often sported by Anna May Wong, a Chinese American film actress in the 1920s. She was also considered a major style icon, so borrowing her hair style seemed only fitting.
Her undergarments are not entirely accurate. I based her slip on this brassier from The Met without realizing that the cut of the top was not very accurate for a slip. Slips of the era were mostly straight across like this one from the V&A. Anyway, her girdle is based on designs from the early 1920s from my various reference books on the subject.
That’s a lot of shoes, but we all know how much I love shoes. If you want to see more 1920s shoes, underwear and dresses than I would recommend hopping over to my 1920s Pinterest board where those things live. If you think you’d like some more 1920s paper dolls than I’ve got quite a few in my 1920s category.
So, tune in next Monday for the first dress for the A Pose Dames from the 1920s. And if you would like to support the blog, then donate through Patreon. It’s always appreciated.
Today, I am pleased to share version 2 of Akiko whose rocking a Sweet Lolita dress and ringlet curls. For those of you not aware of the Japanese alternative street style known as Lolita, here’s a brief run down- It’s a alternative fashion style from Japan- think Gothic fashion or Punk fashion in the United States and the UK. According to Lolita the influences are Victorian children’s clothing. As someone whose seen a lot of Victorian children’s clothing, I don’t quite agree, but you can decide for yourself if you want by looking through my Lolita Fashion pinterest board.
One thing I adore about Lolita is that it is not just about the dresses. Rather, the idea is to put together a “coordinate” which is a perfectly coordinating outfit from the tights to the dress to the bonnet. This is not surprising given that this style came from the country that developed a system of colors and motifs for kimonos based on the seasons when they were to be worn. Talk about matchy-matchy.
Anyway, within Lolita, as within almost every alternative fashion scene on the planet, there’s an endless collection of sub-genres and variants. The three major genres are Sweet Lolita, Gothic Lolita and Classic Lolita. I love this post from F Yeah Lolita with example wardrobes in each genre.
For my first Dames and Dandies foray into Lolita (and not my last, never fear) I went with Sweet Lolita, though there is a Gothic Lolita variant on my Patreon page that I hope you will download and play with as well. I tried to capture the bell shaped skirt and I designed what is known as a JSK (Jumperskirt) which is a sleeveless dress designed to go over a blouse. I made 2 matching pairs of shoes and one purse.
So, I did my usually research hunt for reference photos when I started my latest Lolita fashion paper doll. My previous favorite fashion blog devoted to Lolita, F Yeah Lolita has not updated in a long time. So, I dusted off my librarian searching skills and found a few new ones that I really liked. Magical Girl Me, Lolita Fashion on Tumblr and Miss Carol Belle’s Lolita Fashion Sewing and Pattern Advice all appear to be currently active, if you’re looking for more information on Lolita styles. I also had fun reading through Lolita Tips. Reading through that led me to the amazing Loli Library where I think I could easily get lost for hours staring at pretty dresses.
So, let me know if you like this Sweet version or the Gothic version better in a comment. I’d love to know! And if there’s a great Lolita fashion blog I don’t know about, I’d like to know that too!
Like all Japanese names, the meaning of Akiko changes depending on the kanji characters selected to combine to make the name. The “Aki” part of the name can come from kanji meaning “clear, crystal”, “bright” or “autumn” while the “ko” comes from the kanji meaning “child” according to Behind the Name. Someone with more knowledge of Japanese will have to update me if I misunderstand how this works. It’s also the name of one of the princesses of the Imperial House of Japan.
Akiko has three pairs of shoes and can wear, of course, any of the clothing for the A Pose paper dolls. I think my favorite of her shoes are her pink sandals.
I hope everyone is having a good week. I’m still in recovering from illness mode, so I’ll keep today’s post short. Enjoy the paper doll!
Years ago, I was told that you should never apologize for your art. However, I confess that I sort of feel like I should apologize, because I’m not great a drawing paper doll men. I’ve never felt as comfortable drawing men as I do drawing women.
And my mother’s remark that my Post C paper doll men had “awfully narrow shoulders” did not help any.
Still, the only way to get better at something is to practice. I have come around, mostly, to the the idea that men’s clothing can be interesting. I would like to learn more about historical men’s clothing, for example, and that’ll require a lot of research on my part. It’s something I am not as comfortable as I am with women’s clothing.
The first of the Pose C paper doll men is Changrui. Changrui is a name with Chinese origins. Like a lot of Asian names, the meaning of Changrui depends on which characters are used to create it.
I suppose you might say the Pose C dolls are designed to be the “Dandies” to go with my Pose A and Pose B “Dames.” Anyway, right now poor Changrui can’t be feeling very dandy as he doesn’t have anything clothing yet, but don’t worry- later this week he’ll get his share of outfits to wear.
Meanwhile, let me know what you think of Changrui in a comment and, if you like the blog, consider becoming a Patron.
Quick shout out- Toria of A Paper Closet has started posting again after a bit of a hiatus. She’ll be updating weekly and if you haven’t than I would encourage you to hop over and check out her beautiful black and white paper dolls.
Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Um… Sundresses, I guess?
You know, I haven’t posted a new Yumiko paper doll since last year when she was a fairy. So, I figured it was long past time that she got to get a new look.
To tell you the truth, I would love to have some long involved explanation as too why I chose to create this sundress. It’s just not that complicated. I knew I wanted to draw a sundress and this style has been floating around the fashion magazines lately.
By lately, I mean like seven months ago, because sometimes I’m a little slow on the turn around for my paper doll creations.
I also wanted to draw Yumiko with a different modern hair style. I settled on this choppy bob.
As you may remember, there’s usually a gentleman Sprite to go with the lady Sprites. Fear not!
Tomorrow (I know, not ever a Wednesday!), I’ll be posting a new Víctor paper doll. He’s very dashing!
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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Sorceresses and Flowers
Back in April I asked my Patrons what I could do for an ongoing series and they voted on sorceress gowns. So, my goal with the with the Sorceress Gowns Project was to create a series of gowns for a sorceress. That’s probably obvious.
I also thought I should make a few dolls to wear the gowns. So, I designed this one to go with my last one from April. There are plenty of B&B dolls that fit with the theme from before April of this year. I think this doll, this doll, and this doll both have a sorceress feel to them.
I thought about doing another over the top hair style as I did with last doll to go with the gowns. But I decided that the simple long hair was a nice counter-balance to the complex gown.
I had a lot of fun coloring the gown in these muted spring time colors. There’s something very spring feeling to me to this gown. I think it’s the light colors combined with the floral motif that gets me feeling that way.
Of course, she needs gowns to be a sorceress. There are four gowns so far, one for each elements. You can see them all here under the Sorceress Gowns Project tag. I do try to organize these things somewhat. It’s my natural librarian tendencies.
As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed the paper dolls this week and I always love to hear what you think, so leave a comment if you like.
