summer

Citrus in Color!

Citrus summer is a printable paper doll with tan skin and pig tails. She has a 7 piece mix and match summer wardrobe with three tops, a sun dress, capri pants and shorts. Her theme is citrus fruit and there's a lemon and an orange motif. Also on the image are instructions for printing and cutting out the paper doll and the Paper Thin Personas logo in bottom left corner above the artist's name- Rachel Cohen and June 2023.

Download A Color PDF

So, you might remember this Citrus Summer paper doll.

I decided to try flatting the paper doll in Photoshop and then moving it back into Procreate for details and shading.

(Side note: For those of you who didn’t develop your art-practice based on advice of web cartoonists in the early 2000s, flatting is how comics were traditionally printed. The color was printed so that it completely filled the page and then the black lines were printed on top of the color. I use a plugin in Photoshop called BPelt that allows me to “flat” solid black line-work and THEN go in an color it.

That process is explained in way more detail on this blog post from 2013. My version of Photoshop has changed, by the basic system hadn’t until… well, now.)

Anyway, after I flatted it and then added shadow and some other details, I imported it back into Photoshop.

My thoughts-

  1. I still don’t totally love the eyes. I think they’re too tall and I’m going to work on the face of the doll.
  2. Compared to the Newsletter Doll which she’s based off of, this doll has a less short waist which really does make drawing specific sorts of things much easier. (Proportions… am I right? I really should try to get better at figure drawing one of these days… )
  3. I don’t know if I love shadows… I don’t dislike them, but they feel a little… I dunno. It feels very very digital… that’s not a bad thing, but I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I am thinking I need to break apart two different things I’m working on. One is learning to use Procreate and that is a matter of exposure.

And then there’s trying to tackle my intense fear of figure drawing and moving out of my comfort zone. That’s a matter of maybe taking a class and getting away from sharing things. So, that’s a totally different challenge. Fortunately my mom got me a sketchbook for my birthday this year and maybe that’ll be how I put that one to use.

Thoughts… thoughts…

Anyway, let me know what you think of this new paper doll. The flower in the background is just a stock one from Photoshop-it felt a little like a cut citrus fruit to me.

Citrus Summer Paper Doll

Download the Black and White PDF

So, like what does it say when you share a piece with another artist and they immediately send you a tutorial and are like… you might want to watch this?

Personally, I think it says you have great friends who want you to improve and know you want to improve.

This is what happened when I emailed Julie Matthews all excited by my second finished digitally drawn paper doll where I proudly said I’d “varied my line-weight”. Julie nicely called my line weight variations “subtle” which I think is polite for “you can’t tell you did that, friend” and sent me this lesson from Proko on Line Weight which was really helpful.

Moral of this story, which I sort of told in this week’s email newsletter: If you want to get better at something, you need to have honest people who can give you informed feedback. So, become friends with people who are better than you at something and are kind enough to be willing to be honest with their observations. Be open to those things and improving your craft (whatever that is), becomes so much easier.

I am incredibly lucky to have Julie to help and her feedback consistently makes my work better.

I often think of this Neil Gaiman quote, “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” He was talking about writing, but the same thing applies to any creative piece of work. In art, there are “correct” things- like ‘hey, that foot is backwards,’ but once you get into choices that are purely aesthetic, then you need to listen to your own voice and your own taste. Make the art you want to see in the world. Not the art someone else wants to see in the world.

But as long as I am quoting Gaiman, I also think of this one a lot- “Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.” He’s talking about writing, clearly, but it is true of anything creative. You can endless edit. You can endlessly tweak.

I look at this paper doll and I see a dozen things I might “fix.”

That’s okay. Because there’s going to be a next time. So, the best thing I do can is share it here. Declare it done and make the next one.

There’s always a next one. Especially when you are, like me right now, learning new tools. You have to leave space for letting go and moving forward.

So, onto the next digitally drawn paper doll!

DDJ: Sweet Summer Scallops with Dusk

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Dolls Du Jour Paper Dolls

While all of my paper dolls have themes, I think my contemporary fashion paper dolls have themes that are sometimes more subtle or more defined by color than anything else. After all, there’s only so many ways a person can draw a pair of blue jeans. This set was inspired by summer florals and a pair of polka-dot jeans my sister used to own. In my head, I was thinking feminine silhouettes (hence the flutter, tulip and puffed sleeves) and scallops. I included the long denim skirt, because I feel like 1990s fashions are having a revival and long denim skirts feel so 1990s to me.

I wanted to keep the colors soft and pastel without feeling too… childish. I think pastels can go nursery room really fast. For those keeping count at home, this is my 7th Dolls Du Jour paper doll and my second one with Dusk. The last one was this very fancy evening gown set.

There’s also a new paper doll set up on Etsy if you’d like to go check that one out. It’s a three doll set with five pages of fantasy clothing. I imagine it would be super fun to color.

Want a free paper doll coloring page in every issue? Subscribe to my Very Occasional Newsletter!

Want to support the blog and access to more paper dolls every month? Join us on Patreon!

Summer Crop Tops with Jade

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones 2.0

I am fascinated by the return of crop tops in fashion these days. Unlike in my teenage years, they are now paired with high rise pants which I think is a much more flattering look than the low hip-huggers of the early 2000s. 

All the colors in this set are based on the Pantone 2021 Spring color scheme. 

You will need to cut along the dolls shoulders to fit these items on. I have put a dotted line there, but with the long dark hair it can be hard to see.  

Retro-Beach Summer Paper Doll with Ruby

One of the interesting things about switching over to Jewels and Gemstones 2.0 has been getting to gather up related pieces from other sets and make them into new sets. I had fun collecting some of the summery clothing I’d drawn over the last year and transforming it into a new set for Ruby, though any of the dolls can wear the clothing. To my patrons, I’m sure these pieces look familiar, but I don’t think most of them have shown up on the blog before.

So, that’s kinda fun.

Paper doll coloring sheet with mix and match wardrobe from paperthinpersonas.com

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones 2.0

I went through several color schemes with this set. Before I finally settled on one that I reminded me of a retro 1960s surf movie poster color scheme. Of course, I didn’t actually look at any retro surf movies for inspiration, but that was my concept. Ruby basically has my hair color here, because I don’t see that color in paper dolls much.

Brunette printable fashion paper doll dress up page with 8 mix and match clothing options.

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones 2.0

In other fun news, I’ve got a published magazine paper doll. If you go grab the current issue of Doll Castle News, you’ll find my paper doll dedicated to “Doll-O-Ween” (shout out to my partner Adam for the title) in there. She was inspired by both BJDs and vintage Ginny dolls. Drawing dolls and not having them come out creepy is super hard. My respect for Diana Vining’s art grew immensely in that project. You can also see some pics on my Instagram.

Anyway, I keep meaning to do a longer post with photos of my sketches and such. However, in case that doesn’t happen (and who knows if it will) I wanted to share.

As always, if you love the blog, want to support it, and want more paper dolls every week- join us on Patreon. This is a one woman show, so any level of support is super helpful to keeping things rolling around here.

Vertical Curves: Contemporary Clothing!

Fashionable paper dolls with jeans and a striped top! Super Cute. Easy to color paper doll clothing page!

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

Every year in March during Spring Fashion Week the big fashion magazines bring out their issues on the trends for the next year. It’s one of the few times I buy fashion magazines, because I love getting to see what’s on the runways.

I know there’s lot of websites that do the same thing, but maybe it’s because I stare at a computer screen most of the day (and even more now that I’m working from home!) that I really find myself craving something that isn’t digital to look at. So, I still pick up my fashion magazines and crack them open.

Inspiration

So, I was pouring through the fashion magazines for March and I noticed a lot of these sort of soft tie-dyed stripes. Well, I can’t draw soft tie dye very well in pen and ink, so I decided to do this instead. It’s sort of an soft semi-monochrome stripe.

Also, just fyi, the new Jewels and Gemstones 2.0 I mentioned last week will debut next week. I am super excited about this.

Ask me if you have any questions!

And if you want more Jewels and Gemstones clothing, check out the Patreon page.

Summer Fairy Costume for the Paper Dolls

A summery fairy costume for the paper dolls with four mix and match pieces. A great unplugged toy for children of all ages. A great unplugged toy for children of all ages. A wonderful faory coloring page.

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

There’s something fun about designing flower fairies. I think it might be, because the dolls leafy undies always make me think of fairies.

It’s very cold up here in the sub-arctic where I live. There’s still snow and it’s been over 20 below more days than I like to admit. Did you know that when it is -40 is the temperature where Celsius and Fahrenheit meet?

I sort of wish I didn’t know that.

However, nothing for a cold, snow covered March like imagining spring and flowers are a sign of spring.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper

There wasn’t a specific source image for these fairy paper doll clothes. I sort of was inspired by a bunch of images from my Fairies and Fauns Pinterest board.

Learn & See More

On the Blog: More Jewels & Gemstones paper dolls & More Fairy paper dolls
Around the Internet: My Fairies & Fauns Pinterest Board

Last Thoughts on Today’s Fairy Paper Doll

So, I do enjoy Cicely Mary Barker’s flower fairies, I also confess an affection for older, darker fairy folklore. The book Fairies in Tradition and Literature by Katharine Briggs is a great study of the darker views of fairies and their stories, if you want to read some more grim thoughts on the fairy world.

Also, please everyone stay safe right now. Things are stressful, but we can still be kind to each other. Also, wash your hands.

As always, if you like my paper dolls and want more of them, I do share a paper doll piece every Friday for my patrons along with other fun things. Head over to Patreon to learn more.

Ruffle Sleeves and Crop Pants

Summer time paper doll clothing with a coral blouse with ruffled sleeves, crop pants and a wrap skirt. Free to print from paperthingpersonas.com.

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
You spend anytime watching fashion, as I do, and you pretty quickly see that sleeves are the THING at the moment. Sleeve details are everywhere. Personally, I think a lot of them are pretty fun- also a lot of them are pretty absurd.

Anyway, today’s post is, like the ruffled tunic, the preppy summer polka-dots (patron exclusive) and the tropical mini-dresses one I designed after looking at a lot of summer fashion magazines and wanting to make sure the Jewels and Gemstones got some fun summer fashions.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
As with the other paper doll outfits I’ve made in this summery collection. I based the colors off the Pantone 2019 Spring Color trend report. It predicted the coral would be the color of the season, so I wanted to make sure I used that color.

Specific Source Images: I used Instyle March 2019 issue– their big Spring Fashion report.  Sometimes it is super nice to get away from screens, you know?

Learn/See More
On the Blog: More Jewels & Gemstones paper dolls
Around the Internet: Pantone’s Spring 2019 Color Report (I know I’ve linked to it before, but it’s kinda the reason I did these, after all.)

Last Thoughts
It’s been a super hot summer here in Alabama. I am not a heat person. I hate the heat. I grew up in Alaska. I am a cold weather soul. You can dress for the cold weather. At some point, you can’t take off more clothing (and not get arrested.)

By the way, while I am not prioritizing keeping blog posts regular (too much in my life), I am making sure I get my weekly Patreon Paper doll up, so head over there to join and see those.

A Long Ruffled Tunic, Peddle-Pushers & Shorts

A ruffled tunic inspired by the Spring 2019 fashion trends for the Jewels and Gemstones curvy paper dolls series. Also, shorts and cropped pants.

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
I really love how clothing changes with the seasons. Maybe, because I grew up in Alaska where there were really only two seasons- rain and icy rain. But then I moved to the midwest and there were four seasons and I was quite happy to discover fall and spring.

Now I live in the South where, I confess, there really are once again two seasons- chilly and so hot you want to die. There’s a short period between these that is relatively pleasant, but this spring has been brutally hot.

So, I try to pick up the big fashion magazine issues in March and September, which tend to be thick with forecasts on what is coming down the pike in the fashion world. Not coincidentally, this lines up with Fashion Week in New York.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
The color comes from the Pantone 2019 Spring Color trend report which predicts the popular colors each year in home goods and fashion. One of the trends that is very popular at the moment is ruffles, so that was part of my inspiration here. I added in some shorts and white peddle pushers, because I was also thinking about paper doll wardrobe building and those are such great basic pieces.

Specific Source Images: I used Instyle March 2019 issue– their big Spring Fashion report.  Often when I draw, I like to get away from screens.

Learn/See More
On the Blog: More Jewels & Gemstones paper dolls
Around the Internet: Pantone’s Spring 2019 Color Report & An Article about the Importance of Ruffles

Last Thoughts
I have fun drawing all sorts of things, but I try to mix it up. I know my favorite paper dolls as a child were historical or fantasy, but I like drawing contemporary fashion. It feels real and meaningful for paper dolls to be reflective of their time-period. Plus, not all my readers are me.

Love the blog? Want to help support it? Become a Patron.

What’s your favorite style of paper doll? Let me know in a comment. I’m super curious.

Tropical Mini-Dresses

A pair of mini-sundresses with ruffles inspired by the Trends of 2019 for volume and ruffles. One is printed with a tropical print and the other is high necked and two layers. Both can be printed for the Jewels and Gemstones paper doll series. There is a matching purse as well.

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
It seemed long past time that I created some summer time casual clothing for the Jewels & Gemstones, since summer is fast approaching. It’s already May after all.

Every March and September the fashion magazines usually report on the Spring and Fall New York Fashion weeks which means those magazines are the big fashion issues for the year. This is getting less and less true with the internet, but I still like to pick up magazines in those months.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
My fashion magazines tell me that Tropical prints are still in style this next year and volume seems to be a real trend as well, so I designed these two dresses. The color scheme comes from the Pantone 2019 Spring Color trend report.

Specific Source Images: Nothing I can link to this time, because I used Instyle March 2019 issue, which is their big Spring Fashion report.  Sometimes I like doing paper research.

Learn/See More
On the Blog: More Jewels & Gemstones paper dolls
Around the Internet: Pantone’s Spring 2019 Color Report & Harper’s Bazaar on the Spring 2019 Trends

Last Thoughts
While I love drawing fantasy things and that tends to be my usual style, I also really enjoy taking breaks for forays into contemporary style. My favorite paper dolls as a child were historical ones and that’s also a favorite style, but it usually requires research and sometimes I just want to draw.

This is actually the first of several pieces I have drawn that are summer contemporary fashions. Some of those sets are going to be for Patrons and some will show up here.

So, are you happy for summer fashion? I personally am more of a fall person, but that’s just me. Let me know in a comment.