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!

My Paper Dolls for the 2014 San Diego Comic Con Art Show - Part 1

I'm back for my 2nd year at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con Art Show! I'm half way done with my goal of 12 paper dolls for the art show. I hope to finish the remaining six paper dolls within the next week or two. Art set-up is on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014 at the San Diego Convention Center Sails Pavilion. 

Below are my first six paper dolls (all mermaids!) that I will be displaying at the art show. Again, I wanted to share my finished dolls and the inspirations behind their creations. Enjoy!

MERMAID PAPER DOLLS

Mermaid Paper Doll #102 - Brienne

Mermaid Paper Doll #102 "Brienne" is based on the character Brienne (Maid of Tarth) from the book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" (or others know it by the HBO television series "Game of Thrones") by George R.R. Martin. Brienne is not only very tall, she is also a skillful warrior. She wears blue armor which is the color of her House Tarth. I love Brienne's character and she is played brilliantly on the television show by actress Gwendoline Christie (see above).

Mermaid Brienne is also very tall. I made her about 2 inches taller than my usual Mermaid Paper Dolls. In addition, she is double-jointed at her arms and her tail. I thought since Brienne is at the level of a knight, she should be honored with a more agile paper doll.

For her suit of armor, I was highly inspired by the amazing costume designer Eiko Ishioka's  work on Francis Ford Coppola's film "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992). I loved how she  incorporated Japanese kabuki theatre-influenced costumes fused with elaborate Victorian period costumes. Her standout pieces for me and for my work on Brienne included the Count's blood-red armor suit and Lucy's brimming high-collared Victorian wedding/funeral dress (see above).

Mermaid Paper Doll #103 - Ellaria

My "Ellaria" mermaid paper doll is based on another "Game of Thrones" character. Ellaria Sand is the beloved mistress of Prince Oberyn Martell of House Dorne. She is described as  brave, strong, and eye-catching with an exotic, sensuous flair. I love both Ellaria and Oberyn! And she is wonderfully played by actress Indira Varma on the television series (see above).

One of my favorite things about Ellaria is the way she is dressed on the show. Plunging necklines, strong jewelry, and rich golden-yellow clothes complement her confident and erotic personality. I totally loved making "Ellaria" and shaping her into how I envisioned mermaid Ellaria would look like.

Mermaid Paper Doll #104 - Lupita in Chanel

This "Lupita" Mermaid Paper Doll is the second made (and far from the last) of gorgeous actress Lupita Nyong'o. My first Lupita Mermaid Paper Doll was based on a Miu Miu dress that she wore at a "12 Years a Slave" red carpet premiere. "Lupita in Chanel" is based on her playful and multi-colored dress that she wore at the MTV Movie Awards. I was immediately enamored by her Chanel high-collared dress with paillette-encrusted cap sleeves and I knew I had to make a mermaid doll inspired by this dynamic look!

Mermaid Paper Doll #105 - Haute Couture Ariel

"Haute Couture Ariel" is my re-envisioned look of Disney's very basic fashioned red-headed mermaid (see above) into a high fashion underwater siren. I really love to believe that with all plentiful sea life surrounding the spunky and adventurous Ariel, she would leave no sea shell unturned, and create the most amazing look of sea shells and other sea life just perfect for herself!

Mermaid Paper Doll #106 - Dark Lady

My Mermaid Paper Doll #106 "Dark Lady" was inspired by a character in Joe Hill's comic book "Locke & Key". The whole "Locke & Key" story is outstanding and the art by Gabriel Rodriguez is absolutely stunning. The Dark Lady (see above) is the echo of gender-switched Lucas Caravaggio after being possessed by the demon known as Dodge - pretty crazy stuff, right?!? "Dark Lady" Mermaid is also shown wearing a crown similar to the Crown of Shadows worn by the Dark Lady who thereby can control an army of living shadows!!!

Mermaid Paper Doll #107 - Steampunk Maggie

"Steampunk Maggie" is named after Maggie Dubois (played by Natalie Wood, above) a character from the 1965 movie "The Great Race". "The Great Race" is perhaps one of the best Steampunk-esque classics of the early Steampunk movie era. Together with the character Maggie and the beauty of steampunk fashion, I created an elaborate Steampunk Mermaid version with details such as the eclectic top hat and under bust corset.


I hope you enjoyed this first set of paper dolls for the upcoming 2014 San Diego Comic Con Art Show. I will post the second set (final six) as soon as I finish making them! 

Thanks for stopping by!