More coloring fun...

... and not just in my own book... (link at the top right of this page)

 A Design Your Own Prints page- I distinctly remember wildly printed matching tights and knit tops, worn with plain skirts or jumpers. BTW- these full-page images are photos, not scans. They won't print out to size.

The embellished page from the book.

I really really wanted to use penguins in the book, but penguins weren't a design motif in the 60's. But in my own book, on the design your own page? It's penguins all the way!

I want these jammies!

I pre-ordered the Doctor Who Coloring Book, which arrived in the same box as my first copy of Jan and Karen. The pages are fantastic!

Coloring Fun!!!!!!

My proof copies of Jan and Karen, A Paper Doll Coloring Book arrived, which means I can finally color in one (the first copy went on my shelf, as per my own tradition).

This is going to be such fun!

The colored pages in the book were done by printing the embellished pages on Vellum, and then coloring with Prismacolor markers, and then scanning the colored page (with a white sheet on top of the vellum, because it's translucent). So in the book, I am going to color everything with pencils (also Prismacolor). Or maybe crayons. Or pens. Whatever looks like fun (which is all of them)

I'm going to work my way from front to back, in an orderly fashion, which is something I have never done with a coloring book.

If you would care to share your colored pages with me, I'll post them here happily (kathleentaylor1952atgmaildotcom). If you are on Instagram, you can tag the pics #ktpaperdoll and #ktcoloringbook

Multiple copies!!!!

This was a *design your own prints* page- where I drew patterns on the tights and then colored them. The design pages are a lot of fun!

BTW- the full page images are photos, not scans. They won't print out to size.

A Freebie for the Jan and Karen paper doll book!

Due to space limitations, I had to cut one page of outfits (which in this book's format, means 3 printed pages), and since the page is already drawn and colored and finished, I decided to post it here for purchasers of  Jan and Karen, A Paper Doll Coloring Book.

Important: These are just outfit pages. If you want the dolls, you need the book.

Here's the drill (and it is important to do it this way, or you'll be downloading thumbnails and I will be answering many questions as to why the image is so very small):

1. Click on the image to enlarge it
2. Right click on the image to save it to your computer
3. Open the image file in a graphics program (I usually use Paint)
4. Check Page Setup- make sure that the file is set to 100% of size (not expand to fill the page)
5. Make sure the image is set to Portrait
6. Print
7. Color, cut, enjoy!

Revised Cover... AKA Damn Apostrophes anyway....

all better now... heh...

Annnndddddd- it's up and available at Amazon!  Jan and Karen, A Paper Doll Coloring Book

The Side Project that took over my life

I might have mentioned that I am waiting for word on the two book pitches that my agent is circulating among the editors and publishers right now. I can't talk about either one until I know what's happening with them. I also can't work on either one until I know what's happening with them, so, I started a little side project to fill my time.

And it sort of took over my life.

And it's done now, or at least as done as it can be until I get my proofing copy back.

Are you ready?

That's right- I drew a paper doll coloring book!

The target market for a book like this is mostly me, and I am certain no traditional publisher would want it, so I am publishing it myself through Amazon's CreateSpace service. It will be a 50 page (the way book pages are counted- only one side is printed, the other is blank, so really... 25 actual pages) , 8.5" x 11" book, with 2 dolls, 7 pages of late '60s outfits to design, 7 pages of the same fashions already embellished and ready to color, and 7 pages of those outfits printed in full color to cut out. For free-standing dolls, you can either use a copier to print the uncolored dolls on card stock, or you can color the doll pages and then glue them to card stock and then cut them out. I wanted to put them on the cover (like old style paper doll books) but that just wouldn't work. The cover price will be $11.99, and when it's ready to order, I'll post a link to the side of the blog main page.

I have had a lot of fun with this project- it has been many years since I drew a paper dolls (many of my designs were published by magazines in the '80s and early '90s). My table has been strewn with prototype pages and dolls and pieces for ages.

The book has been put together, and I am waiting for my proof copy to arrive now. There was a learning curve in figuring out how to make sure that the images all print out true to size, because, you know, clothes that don't fit the dolls are a real pain. I am pretty sure I got them all sized correctly, but I'll know for sure in a week or so.

Here are a couple of sneak peeks at the styles and outfits.

Each outfit page will have a version where you can design your own prints and embellishments, and one already finished to color (as well as a full-color version). Lots of options for fun!

I'm really excited about this book, and I'll keep you posted on availability.

Folk Art Santas Fat Quarter 2 Done!

Woot!

All of my Spoonflower fabric designs are available here!

(btw- the fabric is white, the cream color is just a camera trick)

Folk Art Santa Fat Quarter #2!

I've been busy with other stuff during the day, but in the evenings, I'm still embroidering. My Folk Art Santa Fat Quarter #2 arrived from Spoonflower (it's available for ordering now, also as wrapping paper). Again, I suggest the Basic Cotton for embroidery, and Kona Cotton or Canvas for painting or coloring.

I am really happy with how this one came out, and as always, I'm delighted with Spoonflower's service and quality.

I decided to go mostly monochrome reds with this entire fat quarter. It would have been ALL red, but the thread showed through from snowflake to snowflake, and as much as I love embroidery, I'm not tying the thread off for every snowflake...

I also decided to leave the faces white, with just a crayon circle for the pink cheeks.

I still have the two Santa motifs to embroider. I might do some table runners with this one.

What I have learned so far, about colored pencils

#1- Prismacolor rocks!
#2. Blending pencils rock!
#3. There is a very fine line between blending and smudging!
#4. Erasers rock!
#5. I have so much more to learn!

I thought you might like to see the progression of a colored pencil dragon. This fine fellow was one of the Color Our Collections pages from last week, from the Wangensteen Library.

The uncolored page. I laid down a very light coat of purple over the whole image using a Prismacolor art stick (just a quick scribble).

Basic colors quickly sketched in.

Basic colors blended with the blending pencil. No additional color added (see? I said they rock!)

Deep shadows added,.

Highlights and some green for iridescence added. White gel pen for the white highlights.

Background blended and arty shadows added. Voila!

(all in all, about an hour of work)

The end of Color Our Collections Week

I have had such fun with the coloring pages distributed by those participating in the Color Our Collections worldwide event- over 50 libraries, museums, and universities released coloring pages from their collections: book illuminations, illustrations paintings. I played all week, and in playing, my coloring skills improved. Exponentially. I tried all of the media I had on hand: crayons, markers, and colored pencils (sometimes combining all of them). The books and pages are still online and available for downloading. You can find them here, and here, and if you follow those links, you'll probably find more. The event was so popular that many libraries, including my local branch, have instituted Coloring Nights.

Here are the rest of the pictures I colored this week:

I posted all of the pages to Instagram, and the museum who released this page said they were the most gorgeous intestines they'd ever seen. I will treasure that compliment forever...

I do not know who this giant cow-stealing child is.

This one is my favorite of the whole week. I call him Roygbivoceros

I made a GIF of the progression of this one. I've seen this painting in person, at The Getty. I started with markers, and then used colored pencils to deepen and shade the page.

Here's a still of the end product. Note that hands are not my forte... heh...

I did one more official page, but I'll save that for tomorrow, with an explanation of how I got from printed page to finished dragon.