Paper Doll Barbie Drawing: How to Make a Paper Doll of Your Favorite Doll
Getting older every year yet there is one thing some people cannot seem to outgrow: dolls. Some people, especially teens, are ashamed to still like dolls as they get older. This article will teach you how to make an inexpensive doll that is easily brought with you and easily hidden.
Last summer, I did many experiments with graphite pencils. Here I also used watercolors, one of my favorite supplies. Now I wanted to add some ink drawing as well. It was a lot of fun drawing my current favorite subjects, animals, to this forgotten piece.
paper doll drawing
First I thought I make this piece a self-portrait by drawing my face on the background. But then I thought about my business name Peony and Parakeet, and how Peony represents beautiful things while Parakeet is for curiosity and play. So the idea of a face changed to a bird. Notice how the elements blend with each other, creating a sense of unity to the piece.
Thank you, Pamela! I believe that we make the world a better place when we get the courage to use imagination. It makes our art more unique and enjoyable, and thus it serves other people as well. Have fun drawing, playing, and expressing yourself!
Our full color quarterly magazine is filled with paper dolls by today's artists. For those interested in drawing paper dolls, this is a great place to show your work. Both amateur and professional art is displayed at no cost to members.
Ester had charged Julia with taking an important letter to the post-office. Julia obediently started out, immaculate in white apron and white stockings, but then she met temptation in the form of a little girl playing with her paper dolls.
Oh my goodness, Jennie, I love these! My sister and I loved paper dolls, we had a set from the Civil war era that had the BEST dresses! And yes, I totally know what you mean, we used to get all of our Barbies out, get them dressed and put into families, and then run out of time to actually play with them!Most of the time my sister and I just played with paper dolls we had been given, but I do remember us spending one afternoon making mermaid paper dolls which we quite enjoyed.Thanks for the inspiration, I may have to do this some afternoon!
When I was a little girl I loved paper dolls! I soon learned how to draw them myself and had so much fun creating all my fun fashion outfits. When I started baby-sitting I would bring my paper doll kit and would make them for the kids I baby-sat. It was a huge hit and they always requested that I would make paper dolls with them! I have a Free Printable Cut and Color Paper Doll set that you can get for free here!! I also created this simple tutorial so you or your little gem can make their own paper dolls!
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You can add glitter or color or even paint your own paper doll outfits. Draw your own patterns or use the accessories just the way they are. Design your own Love paper doll with this free printable set and combine with the other paper doll themes for a big playset to play with friends.
Determine how tall you wish your paper doll to be and draw the form of your choosing. Try to keep the doll in a pose that will be easy to lay outfits over. I also drew a close-fitting slip on my doll, which can be easily concealed.
After you have drawn all the clothing and accessories on your tracing paper overlay, you can now transfer your design to a clean sheet of paper for detailing and finishing before you cut it out. Choose a heavyweight paper to make sure the doll will stand up on its own.
Cut out your doll and clothes when you are finished coloring them. I find that for cutting very detailed pieces, it helps to cut all around it but not too closely on the first pass. Once you release it from the whole sheet it is much easier to maneuver.
Taking a look at your figure, note areas on the high sides where tabs may go. When you remember how you may have walked your paper dolls about while trying to keep clothes on, you will know that tabs need to be on the upper edges, in order that gravity not pull the clothes off. Also remember: don't make a tab longer than the width of the member it embraces. Think of a long tab on a skinny wrist -- it will show on the opposite side of the arm when you bend it under. There are also the kind of tabs that tuck behind the figure rather than folding over. These are helpful when part of the fabric or fur wraps around the body (or arm or leg), and a regular tab is not suitable because the garment sticks out past the edges of the figure.
Whether you use tracing paper or a light box with opaque paper, follow these same guidelines. The illustration shown here is an actual photocopy of the doll with a tracing paper overlay of the pencil costume (before inking). With this I hope to show you not only how to tab and tuck, but to follow the contours of the figure to create garments that appear to be all around the doll instead of just lying on top of it. See how the boots curve around and droop a little at the top. See the fur wrap around to the back sides of shoulders, head and wrists. Note the tabs on the topmost edges of the figure and the tucks in areas where the garment extends beyond the body. I have drawn the costume fairly heavily in #2 pencil, which is soft and rather dark, so that my copier will pick up the color so you can see it. You will want to handle your pencil with a lighter touch than I have, just so long as you can see your sketch lines for inking.
Carefully use a white art eraser to remove all pencil lines. I do a small section at a time, between my thumb and fingers, because the tracing paper is so easily crumpled. Also, wait until the ink is very dry or it will smear, leaving more repair work to be done. Cover smudges, over-drawn lines and other unwanted items with white-out, and add any other details, line work and shading after pencil has been removed. Any remaining pencil can be picked up by the camera or copier and will mess up the final copies.
A copier is a very handy tool to have when doing black and white PDs. I have kept its use to a minimum (or none at all) in these instructions. One thing I almost always do, however, is to do my drawing larger than the finished layout. The figure I worked on for this PD is actually 10 inches high, then reduced by 70% before cutting and pasting onto the layout with borders and all. After reducing the doll and costume onto plain white 20# copy paper, I may do further inking. As tracing paper can sometimes be difficult to draw fine line lines on, it's nice to have the more accepting surface of the 20# bond to work on. I'll add shading, clean up edges, widen some lines and add fine detail with the Micro point Uni-Ball. Another thing I use the copier for, is to copy the doll full size onto plain white paper. I use this for doing the costume over-lays and for inking. Having the doll right there under the costume while doing final inking aids perfect fit. But using a copy is safer in case the ink bleeds through while drawing. It would really be upsetting to mess up the original.
To complete your paper doll page, you can use cut-and-paste methods to arrange the components of your final layout. Components are: Figure, Costumes, Lettering and Titles, Borders and Trims. You can do your own hand lettering if you are very neat, or computer generated lettering. There are various brands of press-on type, which you can buy from art and office suppliers in many type styles that work well for PDs, too. These can be cut and placed where desired. I use Scotch removable tape for placement of components because it's easy to change and move about. If you prefer a more permanent layout, use a glue stick that is acid free, to prevent any future yellowing. (Rubber cement is toxic to you and your paper, so we never recommend it). Remember to keep any design (line work or words) at least 1/4 inch away from edges. If you work larger, and will reduce final art - say 11 x 14 reduced to 8 1/2 x 11 - leave at least 1/2" plain white border all around. This allows for imperfect placement while printing, and gives the press a "grab" edge, if being done at the printers.
Dover books and other clip art books such as Graphic Products Corp. offer endless possibilities for textures, borders, trims and even lettering to enhance your paper dolls. Using them can make even simple art work appear more professional. I urge you to get some that appeal to you and play with them. It's OK to copy what you want from pages of copyright free books, so you can cut and paste them on your work without destroying the clip art books.
Learn how to make a paper doll chain with these step-by-step instructions and handy template. Making doll chains is a great way to pass the time on a rainy day or create a decorative banner for your home or school. It's also a fun and interactive way to introduce young children to Kirigami, a traditional craft that uses folding and paper cutting to make decorative objects.
Accordion fold your paper, making the folds as wide as you want your paper doll to be. Draw your design onto the top fold. The arms of the doll should reach all the way to the edges of the top fold. A basic doll shape is fine for beginners, or you can experiment with creative figures like an alien or a monster. You can even make holiday decorations, such as a chain of snowmen or elves for Christmas.
Carefully cut out the design you drew, taking your time to make sure your cuts are accurate and even. You'll be cutting through all the folds of paper at once. Remember that you shouldn't cut the ends of the arms or the feet because this will make the chain fall apart.
If you prefer your chain to be precise, print this paper doll template. To print, click on 'More Details' and use either the download or print icon. If you have any issues, see the online guide for Adobe printables.
If you enjoyed cutting out the paper dolls and want a holiday project to go with them, make a kirigami Christmas tree. You can arrange the dolls around it in a circle for a beautiful handmade holiday decoration.