Not a PD, but something I drew

As one of those team spirit among employees things, my job had everyone come in, dip their hands in paint and make a hand print on the wall. Now they also mentioned in the announcement email that it was not mandatory. Later on they claimed they never said any such thing, but I had the email still as proof. This matters because I didn't go, my sister was moving into a new apartment that day and needed a hand. Since I don't carry paint around with me, but do carry sharpies I made one another day. I like it and it's unique among all the blue palm-prints. I thought about you while on my lunch break and thought I'd post it. See, I have been drawing things!

Christmas Card

Well here I am finally getting around to last year's PD Christmas Card, in August. I've had the idea in my head since December, but I am only now getting around to drawing it. I also figured this blog needs something new or you'll all up and leave me for more frequently posted blogs. Hope you like it, I haven't decided if it's a he or she yet. I'm pretty satisfied with how it's coming along. There's a lot I am not happy with, but I can live with it because I am 9 months overdue on this project. Having trouble with the right leg.. I think the nose will end up lengthened and more pointed. The mouth moved slightly down, but I'm not 100% on that decision. I am hoping that once I have the doll down, the outfits will be much easier to create. Not sure how it will end up being colored, but once I have it inked it should be a lot easier to figure out. On the right I have a quickly scrapped try at a sideways pose, but I prefer to draw them forward facing because I think I have more options that way. Outfits will end up being for every major (and maybe some minor) holidays that have passed since December (New Years, Valentines, St Patricks, etc.). So that's the plan. I will post full set after I have mailed them out to the people on the card list and they have received them, after all they have been waiting longer.

From Works In Progress">

Apologies for the quality of this pic, I took it with my cell phone. My computer has gone down and I luckily have E's to use still, though he is not thrilled. My scanner hasn't been hooked up.

RR

One post a month and then WHAMMO! Two in one day. I drew the two outfits for the Round Robin I mentioned way back. My daughter also drew a dress.

My dress shape is inspired by a dress in Marilyn Henry's Marilyn Monroe set, I chose the colors for it based on the doll's shoes (Didn't feel like drawing any). The other outfit is pretty much they type of thing I wear while I draw, pretty simple that. Surprisingly I completely forgot all about tabs until it was too late. I drew some on the copies I sent out.

Finished another outfit last night

So the subject continues here: for the PD party next month. Can't show you the whole thing yet but here's a picture of the mask it was inspired by.. Oops, it turns out they no longer have it on the website I got it from. Well it's red, checkered and has (?) flame-y edges. I will however post a picture of the boots.

I spent the most time on the mask, which has long brown hair attached to it (doll has short blond hair). I tried something new though. I usually avoid hats or wigs because they never want to stay put, the tabs never work really great. I noticed a PD artist for Paper Doll Studio (The Folk Costume issue) made these little half moon shapes to glue to the back of the hat forming a pocket the doll head slides into. It works fantastically. I'm half tempted to go and make them for every PD I own. I think I will modify the owl mask this way too now.

I was up and down the whole time. The mask was perfect, the hair looked great, then I put it on her. I hadn't traced her head as well as I though and there were gaps of empty space! Really unhappy. This was fixed the the back of the pocket, I colored it brown and added longer unglued pieces to cover up the gaps. That worked out pretty good. Then I started the dress. I drew the outline and was really pleased with the shape, I picked my coloring and got to it. It was aweful, all I could think was "Ugh, I have completely messed this up. It's ruined & I'll have to start over now." I am stubborn though and tried to change it a little in hopes I could at least make it less hate-able. It worked, I'm satisfied with it now, I don't know that I like more than the owl. That will be hard to beat, but the more I look at the red dress, the more I like it. I can't wait to post it for you.

My paper doll for last year's party

So last year the theme was "The Way We Were." I wanted to draw a doll, but couldn't find the time. We arrived at the hotel Friday, just in time for the meet & greet. When I said I wasn't able to make something, the ladies there encouraged me to try to make something anyway. So I ran to Walmart (practically across the street, talk about convenient) and bought all kinds of supplies. It took me maybe 3 hours or so. The doll took three drawings; initial, modified & perfected. Now I didn't have the picture with me and was forced to draw from memory.

The photo is the little me that I was trying to create. I think there may be another very similar photo, posed slightly different somewhere. I thought I was 5 in the photo I was remembering, but looking at it now I may have been even younger. That's my Aunt Mary Ellen in the photo.

I didn't win any prizes, but that's ok. Participating was cool on it's own. Plus when we were all walking around looking at the dolls submitted, one woman pointed to my doll and said "She drew herself at 5, how cute." I had to tell her that it was my doll, but that was probably the highlight of the day for me. There was good stuff, but I was really proud that someone liked my doll. Especially when I hadn't thought I would be able to submit anything at all.