I don’t really do balance that well. I tend to work in the grip of obsession and then realize I’ve just spent five hours looking through images of medieval manuscripts in the hope that one of them might show a 10th century women’s neckline which, of course, none of them did. (By the way, you can read all about my adventures in the 10th century here and see the paper doll result.)
So, when I want to draw and I don’t want to get wrapped up in fretting about whether or not my choice of red is the right shade for Turkey red of the 1800s, I often turn to contemporary fashion magazines, as I know I have mentioned before. I find these paper dolls are fun, because in many ways they are easier than fantasy or historical dolls. I can just draw what I see, which is simpler for me than trying to draw from my minds-eye or from actual historical garments.
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Amaryllis’ evening gowns are based on actual evening gowns of the “real world”. I wanted to use a spring color scheme that wouldn’t be to heavy and dark. I feel like Clarissa, my last Pixie, had an awfully dark color scheme for a summer paper doll post. I wanted to make Amaryllis’ shoes neutral enough that she could wear them with other outfits in case she wanted to borrow some evening gowns from another paper doll or felt like rocking some jeans. 🙂
One last thing, the latest drawing is still open. Consider entering if you like. 🙂
There is a reason I leave my paper dolls black and white. I colored a few in my spare time, and spent 3 hours looking for the right colors that poor people would have worn in the 1870s.
I actually own the pink dress, except knee length. I wish I owned those pink shoes too. Actually, can I just buy this entire wardrobe?
Color is a hard thing to deal with historically. I went to a lecture by a set designer once and he remarked that there are two forms of history. “Actual history” and “Perceived history”. We all imagine that the Victorian era was in sepia, because that’s what the photos look like, but actually the colors were almost garish to the modern eye. Perception in film and theater is often more important than reality.
However, if you’re looking for colors, I recommend trying paintings of street scenes, actual fabric samples and other sources like that.
The dresses are gorgeous as always:)
she is absolutely gorgeous! I love the color pallet and the gowns are wonderful! thank you for such a great paper doll!
xox
Rebekah