Thread: paper dolls

I couldn't quite decide where this post fit in, but I figured...it's sorta beauty and costuming :)

My dance partner and I are a little silly and decided to work on a paper doll book as a little promo/fundraising item to bring to a convention we're going to later this month. I've always wanted to make a set of paper dolls, and I'm always looking for ways to combine my life as an illustrator with my love of dance.

The inside pages are going to be black and white line drawings ("color your own"), photocopied on card stock (to keep printing costs down). I haven't finished them yet but there will be various mix and match skirts, pants, bedlah, etc.

The illustrations were done by me (www.joannabarnum.com is my art website).

Just thought I'd share! I'll report back with some images from the inside in a few days.

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, I this!

What a great idea, and BTW a great website (love you work)

I can't wait to see the other costume creations to dress up those lovely ladies!

So far, the only belly dance paper doll I was aware was the one from gilded serpent:



But I think she looks too much "Barbie doll", I prefer yours, they look real! Va, va, voom!

cool idea! love it. (and I agree with Qamar about the non-Barbie look)

Thanks!

I may eventually do more dolls based on other dancers I know. The fun part of basing them on real people is the realism of different body types that can be conveyed, although my dance partner and I are a similar size, so I'd love to do some of ladies (and gentlemen?) that are other sizes/shapes.

What a great idea! You do beautiful work.

Meanwhile, that Gilded Serpent one looks awfully challenging to cut out. Imagine going at that with safety scissors!

oh, how delightful!
My grandmother used to draw paper dolls for me, and I used to spend half my allowance every week at the corner bookstore buying more!
Thanks for the memories, these will definitely be finding their way to my collection!

Lara- We'll have the finished sets for sale at Art of the Belly in Ocean City, MD later this month, and I'm going to try to put them up somewhere online as well, like Etsy, so I can report back with the link once they're available.

cute!

it was so many many many years ago that i played with paper dolls. forgot about them completely! do children still play with them nowadays?

OMG, what fun!

The only thing about having different body/shapes poses, is that outfits are not then interchangeable...that was one thing I didn't like when I was a kid. I'd want to dress X doll in Y doll's outfit, but it didn't work because they were different sizes or had different poses or whatever. :( But I think I'm just weird.

How cool would it be to have a paper doll book of all the famous dancers with costumes similar to what they actually wear? Dina, Morocco, Suhaila, etc.??? That would rock.

OMG, want, want, want!

I think you could conceivably use interchangeable outfits, though it would require everyone being in the same poses and similar sizes (might have to take some artistic license to accomplish this).

Ooooh.....tribal and fusion would be fun too....not to mention props....

Those are great!

I'm in the UK and I'd definitely be interested in buying two sets! I have twin girls aged 5 who would just love those!

I love them! (But then, I am already a fan of your art!)

These are great - love your artwork!

I've finally finished the interior illustrations for the sets, so I thought I'd post a little preview.



We'll have these at the Aubergine (Baba Ghanoush's parent troupe) vending booth at Art of the Belly this weekend.

I plan to get together some nice photos of the actual packaged set to sell them online when we get back from the event (we're all in a mad rush right now to get ready!), but if anyone already knows they NEED a set feel free to drop me a PM or an e-mail (joanna at joannabarnum dot com) and we can work out payment details/shipping. The sets are going to be $10 each. The sheets are all 8.5" x 11," the cover is professionally printed on heavy weight card stock with a slightly glossy finish, and the four outfit sheets are black and white linework "color your own" photocopies on a slightly lighter weight cardstock. The outfits include bedlahs, skirts, pants, accessories, props, fairy wings...

Thanks for all the feedback, guys!

I now have info about how to purchase the dolls either through my Etsy shop or directly through me (whichever you prefer) in an entry on my art Blog: joannabarnum: Paper Dolls