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NewsletterPaper Dolls and Playing with Multiple Copies
Happy hump day lovelies! Today I decided to revisit my paper doll template because I wanted to change up the proportions and create variations. I recently read a post on Violette’s blog about leveraging a drawing, reusing it multiple times or perhaps creating variations by making multiple copies to work with. I don’t know why, but previously I always thought I had to create everything from scratch. Somehow it seemed like the more original and artistic way to go. After noting the variety of ways each person creates their Art, I realized that it’s just crazy to limit myself like that. Why I am creating rules to box myself in…I mean…it makes me sad when I draw something and can’t work with it multiple times to experiment. I suppose the idea of copying – even if it’s yourself – seemed wrong. My thoughts suddenly drifted to discussions and debates about how nothing is original and we all build our work on top of those before us. That’s a whole other discussion of course.
Suffice to say, I sort of had an epiphany and have freed myself to do whatever I want. I can reuse my own drawings…I don’t have to work from scratch each and every time…why not?! It’s funny how sometimes we get so deep into our work that we lose sight of the big picture. I totally lost perspective regarding the freedom of creation and the fact that there are no rules. Whew…glad to get that out! So, all this led me to revisit my doll template, creating two different body proportions to play with. Feel free to download the PDF and use to your heart’s content – have fun with it! The first page is meant to but cut out and put together to make a moveable paper doll…the second page is just the outline to draw directly onto.
I printed out my PDF and cut out the bigger doll to play with first. I realized that instead of using brads or sewing I could just piece together the parts with a bit of poster glue stuff. This way I can play with different body positions and trace over or just use it as a guide for drawing the body form…pretty cool! On the second page I drew a granny and a scary girl doll then made a photocopy. Now I can always have the original and experiment with just the copy…maybe I’ll make a few more copies too. Hope you are inspired to go make some paper dolls and copy your own Art – sounds funny, but sort of daring, right? Until tomorrow my blog friends, ciao ciao!
Posted on April 28, 2010 at 11:47 am | free goodies
Hello fellow explorers and creative minds! My name is Linda, aka tortagialla - a nickname my adorable husband dubbed me meaning "yellow cake" in Italian. I'm your not-so-typical Californian girl who took the plunge and moved to the Tuscan hills of Italy. Now I'm living my dream designing, illustrating and crafting full-time. You can contact me via email linda [!at] tortagialla [!dot] com
Dearest Linda, this is awesome! I love it so much! I love paper dolls and used to have so many of them when i was young. Thank you so much for sharing this! Downloaded this paper dolls..im gonna have fun with it.
Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!
Hi Jacqueline, thanks for checking out my paper dolls. Hope you have fun and have a great week!
Hi Linda…..what a great idea……and it’s so kind of you to offer up a PDF file of your doll template! I’m happy you were inspired by my post. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel……especially if it’s your wheel! Ha ha!!!
Love, violette
Hi Violette! Thanks so much and hope the template gives folks a bit of fun…hehe…thanks for the encouragement too
Paper dolls are so nostalgic and I used to love dressing up mine! Thanks for sharing your pdf files!
Hope you can have a bit of fun with them!
As usual, just how generous you are. Love the different body size / shape of the paper doll. You’re also right about recycle our own art to make different version too. I also have the same idea that any artwork should start from scratch, but reading your post, I sure feel differently now.
Actually, I’ve been saving up all my original line drawings for some unknown reasons. I think deep down, I must have the gut feeling to “recycle” them one day.
Thank you for such great idea!
You are very welcome! Definitely get into it and do whatever you want to do deep down inside