princess

Medieval Maiden: Paper Doll to Print

Normally, I try to be historical accurate as much as I can be. I think it’s important to research and think about things and try to cite my sources. (I am in library school, after all…) For this post though, I just wanted to draw some vaguely Medieval looking grab for Marisole after watching one to many episodes of the BBC show Cadfeal, which I confess I certain love of. So, these are research free costumes which I think is okay.

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{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}

 Liana apparently dedicates the whole of October to research free costumes. I kinda like the idea, but I don’t think I could stick too it. I like my research,

So, speaking of research, I am doing my own little survey on what I should to for my Fashion Doll Fridays for the next year or so. More information about the poll to create a new Fashion Doll for Fridays can be found on the last Florence post I did. The poll will be open until November 1st. I’ll have the polls on the posts for the rest of the week and then it’ll live in the sidebar for anyone who hasn’t voted.

Marisole Monday: An Elven Princess

So, a paper doll set! Yay!

I must confess that I didn’t think I would ever get these paper dolls done. The coloring of the clothing was hugely time consuming and I kept disliking how the schemes turned out. I’m still not totally pleased with the gold and red ballgown, but it’s much better then the blue and green version. (Trust me on this one.)

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{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}

The original goal was to draw things with trains (because I need practice) and this evolved into a set of clothing a fantasy princess (in this case Elven cause of the ears) would wear over the course of the day. Working left to right, the purple gown with the corset and white blouse is her day dress. The red and gold dress with the cream under dress is her formal dinner gown or ball gown which she wears in the evening. Her short bed jacket is next held closed with a golden pin and that she wears over her long nightgown which is on the far right along with two pairs of shoes. The purple shoe to match her purple day dress and the red shoes to go with her formal ball-gown. She also has two necklaces, one to go with each gown though the gold one can be worn with either dress.

Considering the time it took to get all these paper doll clothes to fit on one image, I am glad I don’t draw dresses with trains so often. I do think I need to start thinking about color schemes when I’m designing rather then at ten pm on Sunday night when I realize “Huh… this paper doll dress has like five layers. Maybe I should’ve thought this out better…”

Planning never was my strong suit, but I like to think that I make up for it with a can-do attitude and a certain amount of gumption.

Edit 8/10/2013: There is now a a black and white version of this paper doll for coloring.

Lady of the Manor Part 4

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{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a 150 dpi PNG to Print} {Click Here for The Rest of this Set}

I almost didn’t post this paper doll dress for the Lady of the Manor. I felt like I had left her alone for so long that I wasn’t sure it was worth finishing her, but then I felt like I had this last dress and it was scanned, so I might as well post it anyway.

I might have more to write about it in the morning, but I am very tired tonight, so I think I’ll crawl into bed. Enjoy the ballgown.

Lady of the Manor: Fantasy Paper Doll Part 3

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{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a 150 dpi PNG to Print} {Click Here for The Rest of this Set}

So, since someone is threatening to color this paper doll series, I figured I better finish posting it. There’s another paper doll outfit, maybe two, after this. It depends if the paper doll dress I don’t like becomes one I do like. I think I’ll keep not liking it, but I might surprise myself.

It’s Mother’s Day here in the states. I called my mom, of course, but spent the day doing homework at the library. I miss being at home with family for the holiday. Last year, I had a ball taking my mom around Juneau, picking up dirt for the garden and helping her cook dinner. It was a blast. So, being far from home, I miss family more and more.

Fantasy Printable Paper Doll: Lady of the Manor Part 2

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{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a 150 dpi PNG to Print} {Click Here for The Rest of this Set}

I don’t usually think about what sort of stories surround my paper dolls. I rarely draw a paper doll and then think… Hmm… she’s a nice girl with a love of beets who has a long lost sister whose actually a hired gun for the mafia. These just aren’t really the way I work. I know people who do think this way about their work, but I am not one of them.

Except some paper dolls seem like they should have back stories, and the lady is one of them. She is not a princess. She is the lady of the manor. What are her days full of? Is she happy? Is she sad? Is she scheming to poison her husband and run off with a knight? I kinda want a soap opera complex back-story where people have multiple personalities and long lost time traveling children.

Hmmm… I think if there was a paper doll with time traveling children and amnesia and evil twin sisters, I would read it religiously.

Of course, I read most paper doll blogs religiously even if I am bad about commenting, so I guess I’m easy to please.

The Lady of the Manor: Part One

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{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a 150 dpi PNG to Print} {Click Here for The Rest of this Set}

So, usually I carefully plan out my short run paper dolls. I know how many posts they are going to be. I calculate how much work I’m going to have to do. I do all of these things.

But I scanned this doll at nearly 10pm and it was a rush to get her up tonight, so really I have no idea how many posts she’s going to take up, but I like her and hope you’ll like her too.

Now, it is past my bedtime and tomorrow the library calls with the siren song of homework to do and readings to finish. Man… Graduate school is hard work sometimes.

Fantasy Style: Fantasy Paper Doll in Black and White

So, confession time: I actually had this done on time, but I put the wrong date into as the date to post. So, my template posted rather then my post and then I just noticed it like two minutes ago and now I am fixing it.

Yeah, I feel like a bit of a space cadet.

Still, here’s the paper doll which should have gone up at midnight and since it’s still the right day, I am not technically late.

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{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here For the Rest of the Series}

I have mixed feelings about this paper doll. I like the lacing, the corset and the hair. I’m less sold on her eyes and face. I try not to be to down on my own work when it doesn’t turn out like I want it too. I draw all the time and it’s not like every paper doll is going to be perfect. The trick is to get back to the pad and do it again. I really do like some things about this set for Curves and I don’t like other things. This is okay.

I don’t think you should ever apologize for your art. Not that this stops me from doing it anyway.

Princess In Pink: Printable Paper Doll

Today’s Marisole has her being a fantasy maiden, possibly a Princess, once more. I do love my princess fantasy gowns.

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{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}

I know people have expressed some interest in seeing the process I go through to draw a paper doll. I never know how to show people what I do, but I scanned the dress on the far left with the blue in it during some of it’s stages of creation.

First of all, the dress was a simple pencil outline. And then I drew a detailed pencil version which had some pattern and folds and other things added. The version you see above is after it’s been inked and colored. As you might notice, the inked version is a little different then the final penciled version. Sometimes, I mess up while inking and just sort of go with it.

So, there’s a little look into some of the stages the paper dolls I draw go through.

Edit 3/28/2016: There is now a black and white version of this paper doll. Find it here.

Green Princess: African-American Printable Paper Doll

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{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here for the rest of this series}

So, funny story about this paper doll. I actually drew three dresses for her originally. I inked them, scanned them, colored them and even added my tabs. Then I noticed at one of the dresses seemed to be missing a sleeve. I thought- Nah, I can’t have forgotten to draw a sleeve for Marisole’s left arm, because not even I am that much of a space cadet.

Then I tried the dress on the doll and… well, apparently I am that much of a space cadet.

Needless to say, it was not easily fixable through the power of Photoshop, though I did try, so the princess paper doll version of Marisole only gets two dresses.

Moral of the story: Check for sleeves before inking paper doll costumes.

On an unrelated note, I’m pleased how Marisole’s hair turned out.

Princess Fantasies: Curvy Printable Paper Doll Dresses

It’s very chilly and windy out today. It has been for the last few days. The snow is that dusty hard ice crystal kind that almost stings when it touches faces or skin. I don’t mind such weather, but I think it was meant to be spent huddled inside where the heat is up and the body is wrapped in thick warm blanket.

A set of fantasy gowns for my curvy paper doll series. Black and white for coloring.

{Click Here for a PDF to Print} {Click Here for a PNG to Print} {Click Here For the Doll to Dress}

On that note, I am going to make some hot chocolate and go to bed.

In case, people are wondering why I talk about sleep so much in these posts, it’s because I get them up before midnight the day before usually and by that time I’m pretty exhausted.

Also, I really like sleep.