Black and White PDF | More of the Paper Doll Collaboration 2019
Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
Every month, myself and some fantastic paper doll artists around the internet- Julie of Paper Doll School, Melissa of Miss. Missy’s Paper Dolls and Boots of Popculture and Paper Dolls all create an outfit for the same paper doll pose. That way, in theory anyway, the all the dolls can share all the clothing.
It’s a super fun way to share how different artists view the same subject matter. Plus it really makes me (I can’t speak for the others) stretch, because the themes are often things I wouldn’t normally create.
For example, I really don’t do cosplay and I rarely draw fanart. I have complex mixed feelings about the ethics of fanart in general (which I won’t get into here), but I also realize that in a lot of geek culture there’s a long history of fanart being accepted. So, I tend to come down on the side of it being okay, as long as I am not profiting from it directly. But I don’t imagine it will become a big part of what I tend to illustrate.
Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
If there are two shows that deeply defined my teenage life, they would be Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. My high school let out at 2:15 and I was home by 3 and that was when Buffy aired. I painstakingly recorded every episode and I remember carefully reading the TV listings to make sure I could catch on re-run ones I had missed. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was on from 9pm to 10pm. My bedtime was 9:30, so every night I set the VCR to record the episode, so I could watch it when I got home from school the next day.
Specific Source Images: The Star Trek Uniform was based on the uniforms from seasons 1 through 6. The Buffy outfit is based on what Buffy wears in the second season episode School Hard. I like Buffy’s girly looks, because I loved the contrast of a character in pastels kicking butt.
Learn/See More
On the Blog: There’s the 2017 Collaborative Paper Doll Project and the 2018 Collaborative Paper Doll Project
Around the Internet: My partners in crime- the lovely Julie of Paper Doll School, the remarkable Melissa of Miss. Missy’s Paper Dolls, and the delightful Boots of Popculture and Paper Dolls
Last Thoughts
I spent a truly insane amount of time trying to find a decent shot of Buffy’s shoes to try to draw them. After a lot of re-watching scenes in slow motion, the best I can tell they are chunky heeled slingback loafers in white which might (or might not) have some sort of toe detail. I think, based on how much reflection they have, that they maybe patent leather or at least fake patent? Anyway, I did by best guessing based on the few images of them I could find.
Remember that Paper Doll School, Miss. Missy’s Paper Dolls and Popculture and Paper Dolls all have their own versions of today’s theme. Go check them out!