My Paper Dolls for the 2014 San Diego Comic Con Art Show - Part 2

Yay! I am happy to say that I finished my final six paper dolls for the 2014 San Diego Comic Con Art Show. To check out my first 6 paper dolls for the art show, please see my previous blog post. I decided to make three more mermaid paper dolls (for a total of nine) as well as three of my Bebe Paper Dolls. 

For those not familiar with my Bebe Paper Doll, the Bebe Doll is my artistic culmination of my love for japanese anime and couture fashion. And I have to tell you I am especially in love with these latest Bebe dolls because they ring true to my fangirl heart!

Below are my final six paper dolls and the inspirations behind their creations for the 2014 San Diego Comic Con Art Show. Enjoy!

BEBE PAPER DOLLS

Bebe Paper Doll #26 - Hello Kitty Couture

My Bebe Paper Doll "Hello Kitty Couture" is most obviously inspired by Sanrio's iconic  red bowed white cat Hello Kitty (above). I was a huge Hello Kitty fan growing up in the 1980s. I had Hello Kitty everything (stuffed dolls, pencils/pens, stickers, coffee mug, etc) and I remember visiting the local Hello Kitty store (which was called "Rainbow's End") quite often!

After finding some cool Hello Kitty craft paper at a store, I thought it would be fun to make a "Hello Kitty" Bebe Paper Doll for the Comic Con Art Show. I treated this creation like I was making a couture dress for an unconventional project challenge on the television reality show "Project Runway" and decided to make a dress entirely out of Hello Kitty bows. And the result, one of my favorite Bebe Dolls thus far!

Bebe Paper Doll #27 - Howl's Sophie

Bebe Paper Doll #27 is based on the heroine Sophie Hatter from Hayao Miyazaki's animated film "Howl's Moving Castle". "Howl's Moving Castle" is still my all-time favorite of Miyazaki's animated films. It's a gorgeous movie with an eccentric love story between the wizard Howl and seamstress Sophie (above).

I decided to portray my Bebe Paper Doll as the silver-haired Sophie rather than her earlier brunette self. Her hair changes to silver after she is cursed into an old woman's body (see above) by the Witch of the Waste. I really enjoyed making "Sophie" and putting a lot of subtle details and layers into her whole look, from her wide-brimmed hat to her leather boots with 'H Heart S' branded on to it.

Bebe Paper Doll #28 - Felicity Smoak

Bebe Paper Doll #28 is an ode to Felicity Smoak, one of the main characters from the CW television series "Arrow". Not only am I a huge fan of "Arrow" but I am also a huge 'Olicity' shipper fan for the characters Oliver Queen (a.k.a. Green Arrow) and Felicity (above).

Felicity is quirky, intelligent, and tends to wear bright, fun clothing on the show. And I created my "Felicity" Bebe Paper Doll based on one of her outfits worn during Season 2, Episode 9 called "Three Ghosts" (above).

MERMAID PAPER DOLLS

Mermaid Paper Doll #108 - Tribal Love

I am truly and deeply inspired by the beauty of African fabrics. Mermaid Paper Doll #108 is a tribute to the vibrantly bold colors and daring patterns of African wax block print fabrics and fashion.

Mermaid Paper Doll #109 - Kimono Love

My "Kimono Love" Mermaid Paper Doll is highly inspired by both Japanese kimono fabric and the beautiful woodblock prints of Japanese ladies by artist Hashiguchi Goyo. Like African print fabric, I really love all the rich colors and wonderful patterns found in Japanese kimonos. 

Moreover, I was and still am deeply in love by Hashiguchi Goyo's gorgeous woodblock prints which I first saw at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. back in 1995. The beautiful ladies in their colorful kimonos looked amazing and since then I have never forgotten about the artist Goyo. My favorites of Goyo (above) include: "Woman Applying Make-Up (Hand Mirror), 1918; "Woman Applying Color to Her Lips", 1918; and "Kamisuki" (Woman Combing Her Hair), 1920.

"Kimono Love" mermaid doll and all its color, patterns, and elaborate details (such as Kanzashi hair stick) is a special tribute to Japanese kimonos everywhere and especially to Hashiguchi Goyo.

Mermaid Paper Doll #110 - Steampunk Victoria

Mermaid Paper Doll #110 is the second Steampunk-based mermaid for the art show. I always loved the contrasting blend of nature and machine that is Steampunk. And the whole Steampunk design movement which features a neo-vintage twist on the 19th century industrialized looks and Victorian decorative motifs is quite cool and begs to be reinterpreted via a mermaid paper doll!

I hope you enjoyed my final six! Art show set-up will be on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014 and if you were lucky enough to get Con badges this year, come stop by the Art Show located upstairs in the Sails Pavilion and check out my paper dolls! I look forward to sharing pictures of my art exhibit as well as my time at the 2014 International Comic Con in San Diego in a later post.

Thanks for being here!