Sprites

Sprites Get to be a Space Prince & Space Princess

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Space Prince & Space Princess, Also This Coat
Space Prince and Space Princess printable paper doll outfits in color or black and white from paperthinpersonas.com.

Space Prince and Space Princess printable paper doll outfits in color or black and white from paperthinpersonas.com.

I go through periods of super productivity and then I go through periods when I really struggle to come up with ideas. During one of these periods, I asked my Patrons for ideas.

Boots, of the blog Popculture and Paper Dolls, suggested searching “Outrageous Dresses” and seeing what came up.

So, bereft of ideas, I did.

And then in my second “Rachel Fails to Keep Her Sources” event of the week, I failed to Pinterest save the dress I found. But I found this super cool dress that had like gold armor on it and I thought, “OMG, Space Princess!”

And so, this set of Sprite Clothing was born.

This coat from my Sci-fi/Cyberpunk Fashion Pinterest board inspired the Gent’s outfit. I added the closures and made them gold to match the Lady’s outfit.

When I’m designing fantasy stuff based on history, I often think in terms of eras. I want to combine the 1820s and them maybe something renaissance and then… Well, you get tomorrow’s post.

But with sci-fi stuff, I think a bit about the world the clothing would belong in. Clothing is, after all, always a reflection of the society that birthed it. So for these outfits, I imagine a very technologically advanced society, maybe a utopia (or perhaps distopia?) sort of place.

What sort of world do you imagine these outfits belong in? I’d love to know.

Meanwhile, if you love the blog, and want to see more about how my process works, then become a patron. As little as 1 dollar a month gets you behind the scenes of PTP and is super appreciated.

Plus, my Reader2017 is only good until the end of the month which is approaching, so pop over to the the Etsy store  if you haven’t yet.  Also, the blog has a facebook page now, though I suspect most folks probably already know that.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

The Sprites Paper Dolls & Their Gothic Fashions

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Gothic Fashions
A paper doll page of gothic fashions from the Sprites printable paper dolls in color or black and white. Free to print from paperthinpersonas.com.

A set of gothic fashions for the Sprites printable paper dolls in color or black and white.

Sometimes, I create paper doll clothing set and then I forget about them. This happens to me with disturbing regularity. So, I could have sworn that I posted these gothic paper doll Sprites outfits back in November of 2016. As it turns out, I had them totally done, but didn’t get them formatted or saved as PDFs.

So, clearly my memory was deeply flawed. Here they are in today all their gothic paper doll fashion glory. Better late than never.

When I dabble in gothic fashion, I try to create things that are interesting and not all black. Black is a challenging color for printable paper dolls, because printers have varying sensitivities to it. So, sometimes the tones are too dark and other times they are too light. I try to find a compromise by using several different shades of black in the same outfit which keeps the outfit from feeling flat.

This is a trick I use with pretty much all my paper doll clothing, but in black pieces it is particularly important

The other big challenge of the Sprites printable paper dolls is the fact that they exist in pairs. Every lady printable paper doll outfit is accompanied by a gentlemen’s printable paper doll outfit. This symmetry is both part of the fun and part of the frustration.

In today’s gothic fashions, I gave the Lady Sprites a black and purple scheme. The Gentlemen Sprites have a black and red color scheme.

This is the last Sprites printable paper doll set from my stash. So, I have to get working on finishing some things in progress for March. The problem with a strong backlog is that it lulls me into a false sense of confidence.

Meanwhile, if you love the blog, then consider donating through Patreon.

There’s still my Reader2017 coupon running in the Etsy store and the blog has a facebook page now.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

A Fancy Valentine’s Day Affair with the Sprites Paper Dolls

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  Valentine’s Day & James Bond

I seriously thought I had done a set of suits for the Sprites before this, but I think I was thinking of the Sprite’s predecessor the Pixie and Puck series. So, here is the first suit for the Sprites gents and, I think, the first ballgown for the Sprites ladies. A bunch of first today.

Also, it’s Valentine’s Day! So, Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a paper doll!

On the left, there’s a tuxedo with a white jacket, very James Bond, for the Sprites Guys. On the right, there’s an evening gown for the Sprite’s Ladies.

The pink heart was supposed to be one of those padded boxes of chocolate, but I’m not sure that’s very obvious.

Looking for other Valentine’s Day paper dolls? There’s a few more options here.

Also, there’s an different color scheme for these Sprites outfits over on my Patreon page. It’s open to the public as a Valentine’s Day treat. Of course, if while you are there, you want to become a patron, well, I wouldn’t mind at all. 🙂

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

Ursula’s Modern Clothes: A Printable Paper Doll

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  What I see College Girl’s wearing
A black paper doll with her dreads in an updo and cute contemporary clothing. Free to print in color or black and white from paperthinpersonas.com.

First off, my favorite thing about this Ursula paper doll is her hair. I love dreads and I particularly think they look cool when they are styled up into an updo.

Because the lady Sprites have much smaller stands then the guy sprites, I could fit two pairs of shoes onto this page with with Ursula. So, I did a pair of white shoes and a pair of black shoes. I figured that covered all the basic shoes a person might need.

All the Ursula dolls have the same skintone, so she had borrow some sandals from her mermaid version if she wants too. If there are more Ursula paper dolls (and there probably will be eventually), then you can pick out shoes from those dolls as well. Any of the shoes that don’t show skin tone, of course, will fit any of the Sprites ladies.

And if you enjoy the blog, but want to see my process and get early previews, then join us on Patreon. It’s a lot of fun.

Looking for something for today’s Sprite paper doll to wear? Pick out some clothing here.

Zachary: A Modern African-American Guy Paper Doll

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  What I see College Guys Wearing, But With More Color
A casually dressed African-American guy paper doll with shorts, sandals and short hair. Part of the Sprites series, he can share clothing with of the other Sprites guys. Free to print in color or black and white.

Back when the Sprites started, I had planned to start with a lady paper doll as the first Sprite. However, I’d decided to name them in reverse alphabetical order. I find if I have a naming scheme it makes coming up with paper doll names easier.

So, I was stuck with starting with Z. There just aren’t that many names that start with Z, so I started with Zachary here instead of starting with Yumiko.

I’m sure you all really cared about this random piece of paper doll blog history.

Anyway, I do think there are advantages to contemporary dolls. I think they sort of act as basic options. There’s no colorful hair here, so this version of Zachary could be a mermaid or he could be going to the park or borrowing this nifty elf armor, The point is that he’s a bit more neutral than the two pervious Zachary versions I have created.

Tomorrow, there will be a contemporary fashion Ursula to join Zachary.

Meanwhile, if you want to support the blog on Patreon I would be mighty appreciative. If you are interested in the process of how I work, there’s a behind the scenes blog there.

Alternatively, you can follow the blog on facebook for blog updates, some random sketchbook photos (which my Patrons see first, I confess), fun historical fashion things I find, and picks from the Archives.

Looking for something for today’s Sprite paper doll to wear? Pick out some clothing here.

Sprites as Superheroes

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  The Golden Age of Superheros
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Every year, I ask my Patrons to for ideas in December. I try to get to all their suggestions over the course of the year. And some of their suggestions were already in the works! That works out well for me and for them, because no one wants to wait eight months for a paper doll request to happen.

(Of course, sometimes people do, because that’s just how the cookie crumbles, but I do my best to be responsive to my Patrons.)

The Steger Family, some of my Patrons, asked for Superheroes. Well, today there are some. I don’t really know why Superheroes are required to wear absurd jumpsuits, but that seems to be the thing they do.

I try to draw what my Patron’s request. They, after all, giving me money. Join if you want to here.

When I was designing this set, I wanted to do a call back to classic comics. Back in the old days, comics could only be printed in a limited collection of colors- red, blue, yellow and black. Back in those days, the colors were printed as tiny dots and the dots overlapped each other creating the other colors.

The limitations of this printing style often meant that the color schemes for heroes and villains were very boldly defined by their colors. The Joker, for example, wears green and purple. Superman wears red and blue for the same reason. As a nod to that practice, I wanted to do this set of Sprites paper dolls in a limited color collection.

I was inspired to draw this set when I read that Superheroes out sold Princesses for Halloween in 2016. I have no idea where I read it, but there you go.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

Sprites In Some 18th Century Clothing Options

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: 18th Century Merchant Class Clothing
18th century clothing for paper dolls including a round-gown and a tricorn hat. Free to print in color or black and white from paperthinpersonas.com.

18th Century paper doll clothing in black and white

This 18th century clothing for the Sprites paper dolls are meant to represent the Merchant Class. On the left, for the men, we have a jacket and vest worn over a shirt. His breeches, stockings and shoes are all mid-18th century. On the right, for the lady, we have a round-gown, defined by the lack of a stomacher. A handkerchief fills her low neckline and she has a matching cap, stockings and shoes.

In the United States in the 18th century, there were four social classes. You could be wealthy, merchant class, lower class or in some for of bondage, such as enslaved or indentured. In England, these classes were defined by birth. So, it was entirely possible to be a Merchant and make more money than a Lord, but you were still in the middle class. Unless you could marry off your son or daughter into a higher social status and then… Well, we have the plot of one of a million 18th century romances.

I should add that the merchant class didn’t just include merchants. Anyone involved in a trade like lawyers, doctors and clergy were considered middle-class. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that Barbers were separate from Doctors.

If you’re interested in learning more about 18th century clothing, you can check out my 18th Century Pixies series. I talk a lot in there about the ladies clothing of the era.

Alternatively, one of my favorite 18th century costume history books is What Clothes Reveal. I used it a lot for these, because it shows what “middle-class” people wore, rather than just what those with lots of cash wore. Colonial Williamsburg also has a decent overview of 18th century clothing. If you’re not sure where to start, start there.

Love the blog? Then donate through Patreon. Every little bit helps.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

The Sprites Go Contemporary in Navy, Olive, Stripes and Florals

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  Flower Fairies, Cicely Mary Barker and the Book, Fairie-ality
The Sprites printable paper dolls get a pair of contemporary paper doll outfits. One is a skirt and a t-shirt with flutter sleeves, plus a scarf. For the gents, there is a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of cargo pants. Print in color or black and white.

The Sprites printable paper dolls get a pair of contemporary paper doll outfits. One is a skirt and a t-shirt with flutter sleeves, plus a scarf. For the gents, there is a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of cargo pants. Print and color.

Today, the Sprites printable paper dolls get a pair of contemporary paper doll outfits. One is a skirt and a t-shirt with flutter sleeves, plus a scarf. For the gents, there is a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of cargo pants. Do guys even still wear cargo pants? I have no idea.

Drawing contemporary paper doll outfits comes with challenges that are unique. First of all, after a while, things start to look the same. Secondly, how many t-shirts can any rational person draw before going just a little mad? Probably not that many. I swear guy paper doll outfits exist just to vex me.

Still, I try to come up with ideas to spice things up whenever possible. With the Sprites part of the fun is coming up with a “guy” and a “girl” outfit that would go together. In this case, I settled on two casual outfits with Autumnal color schemes. The colors are really what ties these two paper doll looks together.

Color schemes are their own challenge, because most guys aren’t really keen on magenta. Though I must confess, I do think sometimes my idea of masculine colors is pretty old fashioned. I’ve seen a lot of male college students where I work in colors that I wouldn’t have thought they would wear. So, perhaps I need to open my mind to guy paper dolls and pink.

Meanwhile, I love that skirt and I would totally wear it, if it existed in my size and made of fabric. I think it is super cute.

Wanna see behind the scenes? Get a new paper doll series? Help the blog stay on the internet? Then donate through Patreon.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

Sprites Get Dickens Caroling Costumes for the Holidays

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  Dicken’s Christmas Carol, Vaguely Victorian Fashion and Google Image Search
A pair of Dickens caroling costumes for the Sprites printable paper doll series in color or black and white. Free to print from paperthinperosnas.com.

I have never done a Christmas paper doll before. The way I’ve always figured it, there are plenty of Christmas paper dolls and I didn’t see much I could add to the genre. But since I have switched to a daily outfit posting schedule, I figured I might try it this year. So, today we have some Dickens caroling costumes for the Sprites printable paper dolls.

Dickens wrote the Christmas Carol on 1842, but there’s nothing historically correct about these outfits. In fact, I refused to do any historical research, though I did Google “Dickens Caroling Costumes” to get some ideas.

Some of the college students I work with would call that research, but I try not to think about that too much.

In fact, I would call these costumes and not clothing, because they aren’t historically correct in anyway. I knew I wanted the lady to have a bonnet and cape and for the guy to have a top hat. Beyond that, I just had fun.

I chose a holly pattern for the skirt, because I thought it was holiday and old fashioned without being too obvious.

Anyway, tomorrow is the first night of Hanukah and Christmas is on Sunday, so I would like to wish everyone who is celebrating either a really wonderful holiday. And for those who aren’t celebrating, I hope you have a great weekend with, or without, family.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

Sprites: Some Springtime Paper Doll Clothing in December

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  Springtime Colors, Striped Pockets, and Bucket Bags
Spring colored modern paper doll fashions for the Sprites paper doll series. Available in color or black and white from paperthinpersonas.com

Okay, so this does seem a little bit of a Spring-Like outfit choice considering that it is December 8th, but I created these outfits months and months ago and I really like the color scheme, so we are getting some Spring in December for the Sprites printable paper doll series.

One of the challenges of these modern sets has been to find color schemes that could go masculine or feminine. Pastels can be dangerous, but I think aqua is a color that can go either way.

I also had way more fun designing the purse to go with this set than I should probably admit to people.

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Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

Sprites: Flower Fairies Xavier

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  Flower Fairies, Cicely Mary Barker and the Book, Fairie-ality
A flower fairy boy paper doll with an outfit in color or black and white. Free to print from paperthinpersonas.com.

Week before last, I showed off some flower fairy outfits for the Sprites paper doll series. I didn’t have the flower fairy paper doll Sprites done quite yet, but here they are now making their debut. Yesterday, I showed off Yumiko as a fairy and today, I am debuting Xavier, blue skin and all.

Xavier and Yumiko are modeling these flower fairy paper doll looks and you can find more paper dolls with those same faces as Xavier and Yumiko, if you want them.

Just like with Yumiko’s fairy version, I tried a few different skin colors, before I settled on the blue color. It reminded me of the color of the summer sky.

I do worry that he looks a little girly, both because my male paper dolls always feel a little effeminate to me and because the whole flower fairy theme tends to lend itself to a more girly look anyway. Still, I tired to keep him a bit buff with his boots and jacket and kilt made from petals.

In my head, flower fairies are just the size of a deck of cards and could fit in the palm of the hand. How do you imagine flower fairies? Tell me in a comment.

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Looking for something for today’s Sprite paper doll to wear? Pick out some clothing here.

Flower Fairies: Yumiko as a Flower Fairy

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  Flower Fairies, Cicely Mary Barker, and the Book, Fairie-ality

A cute little flower fairy paper doll free to print in color or black and white.

A few weeks ago, I posted my flower fairy outfits for the Sprite paper dolls inspired by nasturtiums. At the time, my two Sprite fairy paper dolls weren’t done yet, but now they are. So, today Yumiko of the Sprites paper doll family today is showing off her fairy side. Tomorrow, her male partner in crime Xavier will make his fairy debut.

Even with this new format, I do plan to post Sprites as sets. I like having a lady and a gent of the same theme posting two days in a row. I think it is fun.

And it is my blog, so I get to decide what is fun here.

All of my flower fairy designs owe something to Cicely Mary Barker who illustrated what are now “classic” flower fairy illustrations starting in the 1920s. Here are some of her fairy illustrations.

There is something so innocent about Cicely Mary Barker’s art. I still really love her books and I loved them when I was a child. My favorite was the Willow Fairy. Of course, the book Fairie-ality was also a big influence. Highly recommended.

I went back and forth and back and forth about the color scheme for this one. I tried out blue skin and green skin, but I really like how the purple turned out. If you think she needs a different color, then there’s always the black and white version.

So, here’s my question for my readers today, was I the only Cicely Mary Barker flower fairy fan as a child? Let me know in a comment!

And if you like the blog, and want to see what goes on the behind the scenes, then join us on Patreon. A dollar a month gets you access to the Behind the Scenes blog and five dollars gets you the Vivian Paper Doll Project. Right now, my patrons are voting on a name for a new Marisole Monday and Friends paper doll.

Looking for something for today’s Sprite paper doll to wear? Pick out some clothing here.