The humble paper doll

As a little girl I spent a lot of time parting with my precious pocket money at Car Boot Sales - and for the most part, I bought old books, annuals and comics. I loved the drawing styles, the way they smelt, the way the ink sat on the porous pages and I loved the old fashioned games and puzzles. At that age I hadn’t quite worked out that these books were ‘vintage’ - I just liked them. Growing up my points of reference have broadened greatly but I’ve never forgotten the joy of my first forays into vintage ephemera.

One of the things I came across a great deal, and was fascinated by, was paper dolls and I’d like to take the idea of the paper doll and explore ways to bring it up to date. My intention is to experiment largely with style but I’m interested to see where it all takes me, from paper/card choices and printing techniques to presentation.

There’s a lot I feel I still have to learn about illustration, there are techniques I’d like to become a great deal more confident in, namely printmaking, laser cutting and Photoshop. There’s also dealing with commercial printing, at some point I’m going to have to source certain materials and perhaps have things professionally printed. So as well as satisfying an almost life-long love of paper dolls, this project gives me scope to really explore these practices.

To start with I want to look at the old style Paper Doll, the ones I grew up playing with. I’d like to have a go at producing my own in the old fashioned style, partly to get it out of my system but also to get an understanding of what works. This will involve research into the clothes and the style of drawing - I’ll need to choose which era I want to ‘borrow from’ - be it the 40‘s/50‘s/60‘s/ 70‘s. From there I want to really have a look at the varied illustrative styles of some of the artists who have influenced me up to this point, such as Kareena Zerefos, Tina Berning, Peter Blake, Egon Schiele, Bec Winnel, Elsa Mora, Gabriella Barouch, Rene Gruau, Sven Brasch (to name a few). I’d like to see if perhaps I can utilise styles of illustration that might not normally be considered suitable, such as collage, graphic poster styles, psychedelia and paper cutting.

I like the idea that once I’m caught up in the flow of this project and my paper doll has taken on its final shape, I can explore the possibilities of creating a family or set of dolls. Perhaps they become something that can transfer to mugs, greetings cards, t-shirts, tea towels, large scale prints. This is something I see growing and growing the more I learn, I’m genuinely excited to start this project and will be posting as regularly as I can anything and everything that influences me as well as my own work in its progression.

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What...

In one sentence, what is your research question?

I want to research and create the traditional Paper Doll and then I’m hoping to reinvent it, making it modern, exploring untypical styles, (sizes) and techniques.

What are your goals?

To saturate my nostalgic interest so much so that I’ll come out the other side with ideas and inspiration for a different type of Paper Doll.

What are the outcomes?

A beautiful collection of experiments, failed and successful and a more open-minded approach to illustration in general.

List 4 things that you want to have achieved by the time you graduate...

Satisfactorily recreated a more traditional paper doll set

Successfully created a new style/new take on the paper doll

Learnt new and useful printing techniques

To have pushed my creativity past my comfort zone and learnt the benefits.

What is research according to you?

Research is investigation - digging and digging until you find facts/images/information that will produce a well rounded, beefy end result.

Why...

Is this useful for the development of your practice?

I’m hoping to try a number of different techniques/materials/printing methods which will help inform me, I hope, to explore the subject matter in a far richer way than I could do now.

What does this mean to you personally?

Growth, confirmation that I’m on the right path and doing something that I’m hopefully really going to enjoy.

What are you hoping to gain from it?

Lots of new creative experience and knowledge.

What are others going to think about this?

Hopefully they’ll show an interest, even if Paper Dolls are not their thing - hopefully my research and end results will be interesting enough in themselves.

How...

Are you going to start?

I’m going to start by looking at vintage PD’s and find as many varied examples as I can. I’m then going to try and recreate a version/set myself exploring different techniques until I get the nearest to the vintage style.

How will you use your Blog?

My plan is to write on it as my project progresses, including the questions I need to ask, the answers I find and the mistakes I make along the way.

what experiments will you do? (name 4 examples)

Recreate a vintage style set of PD’s

Create ‘portrait’ PD’s, large heads.

Play around with size, possibly make a 3d doll? (even if its a thick wooden version of normal PD)

Create a modern/edgier version using untypical styles/techniques.

How do you feel about accidental learning?

I WELCOME it!! I rely on accidental learning to show me other possibilities that my stuck mind may not be seeing.

How are you going to initiate these ‘accidents’?

I’m going to try and relax my approach to the experiments - instead of trying to get things perfect first time, allow myself a few goes, try not to rush, try to be relaxed enough to see what’s happening with the materials I’m using instead of trying to reach the finish line and not seeing anything!

What are you going to do when you are stuck? Name 3 measures that will help you getting unstuck.

Very tricky one. Get up, walk away and get some fresh air/run an errand.

If I’m really stuck, visit a friend for the night, start again the next morning.

Get the hoover out and reeeeeally clean the flat, get an early night and the next morning start fresh.

How are you going to document the process?

Partially in my sketchbooks and partially on the Blog

How are you going to keep track of new things that you will discover?

I imagine I’ll write them up on the Blog

What are you going to do if you make a new and exiting discovery?

Emote wildly on the Blog, then get stuck into it straight away

What are your limitations?

My expectations of my own skills and abilities. Self-doubt. Laziness.

Name 3 things that you are NOT going to do with this project.

I’m not going to freak out or feel overwhelmed - at any point.

I’m not going to need everything to be perfect

I’m not going to forget to update the Blog regularly

How much time do you anticipate working on this per day/week/month?

2-3 times a week for, I imagine 4-6 hour stretches.

Who are you references (name at least 5):

Pinterest vintage doll boards

Etsy modern paper doll sellers (partic the Tattoo ones)

Egon Schiele (for the final doll)

Tina Berning (for the final doll)

Julie Verhoeven (for the final doll)

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...in my recent pokings around the internet I found this rather brilliant Website: http://paperdollreview.com/

I haven't had a good chance to have a rummage yet, but it looks like it's going to be an excellent source of inspiration. In the meantime, here are a few more beautiful paper dolls I'd have loved to play with as a child... oh Marilyn, the glamour!

Pictorial Review, March 1926.

Marilyn Monroe paper doll,

American Beauties Paper Dolls

Marilyn's glamorous gowns,

American Beauties Paper Dolls

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.I've been collecting paper doll images on a dedicated board in my Pinterest account (see link below) for a few months now, this is a small selection of the older examples - sadly I can't find any indication of who drew them or their original placement...