Part 2
I start with the black and white version of a paper doll that
I've drawn. She's a Dancehall Girl named Belle, circa Wild West/Victorian Era,
around the latter part of the 1800's. I used my scanner to make the paper
drawing into a digital image.
Using layers in Adobe Photoshop allows me to add many bits and
pieces of images together to create a new image without actually changing the
original picture of Belle. This is ideal for making clothes for a paper doll.
The first thing I do is take the "fabric" image I've colored
previously and choose the Free Transform command to warp the image. Toggles on
the image allow me to drag it into a curved shape. Free Transform allows you
to shift perspective and much more.
This curved bit of the image is then pasted onto the doll on
Layer 1, keeping the doll herself as the Background layer.
This bit is then copied and pasted onto the next layer, and
Free Transformed to make it look as though the material is swagged into a
skirt.
The image is pasted again, and Free Transform>Warp commands
are used to create a bodice.
Another pasted section covers one shoulder.
The Erase tool is used to remove excess parts of the image
from the shoulder area. Because I am using layers, I erase only the part of
the image I want, and the background image of the doll is not touched.
This layer is then duplicated to create the shoulder piece for
the other side, and flipped horizontally into place.
The original black and white image of the floral design is
used to create "lace" by choosing a small portion of it and
manipulating that piece on subsequent layers.
I start with using a small section of the lace design, and
again using the Free Transform>Warp commands. First it becomes a ruffled
lace ornament in her hair.
I duplicate this layer, and use the controls to move and
slightly change this layer, adding it to the hair decoration.
In the same way, I paste in and transform another piece to
become part of the ruffle of lace under her skirt. These pasted pieces can
easily be manipulated and changed in size and orientation
Duplicating that layer allows me to add more
"ruffles". Several layers done in this way creates a very full
underskirt. Smaller bits are added as lace on the bodice top.
The roses in the dolls hair are chosen using the lariat tool,
and pasted on top of the doll's layer so that they can be colored using the
paint bucket tool and duplicated. By choosing just this portion of the colored
image and using copy and paste, more roses are added to her hair and onto the
dress at hip and ruffled hem swags.
Tags can be added to the dress and
hat using the pen or pencil tools, or the line segment tool. There are always
several different ways to do the same thing in Adobe Photoshop.
When the background layer of the doll is removed, only the outfit remains, and it can
be saved as a separate file.
The entire image can also be saved all together. This one has
al the layers flattened together, and the doll has been colored in using Paint
Bucket and Brush tools.
Here's Belle, in her completed outfit!
