Three Sprites of Caroling (A Paper Doll Trio)

I've managed to squeeze one last project into these last few days of 2024, and it's both a new experiment and a deeply familiar one.

Here's the backstory: all my life I've felt a strong pull towards artwork that can exist in wider spaces than just framed on walls. And the urge to create lovingly-crafted "little people" has never left me. As a child, I adored paper dolls, and I often taped three or four sheets of copy paper together to draw, color, and cut out characters I gave names to, gossiped about, hosted in my bedroom for tea parties, and stored neatly folded up in a box under my bed. There is, I think, something essentially childlike about maintaining these kinds of imaginary friends. But isn't it the best traits in children that bring their characters to life?—That sense of wonder, for example. That openness to the possibilities of the world. That tug to love and trust every living thing. That pull to find friends around every corner.

I've been wanting to try my hand at revisiting those old paper doll days with my current skillset. and what I ended up with this time around was these three caroling sprites, created to honor the way Song runs with vigor through our celebration seasons—especially Christmas. Let me introduce you to them.


Mr. Clarinet has improbable sleeves and boots inspired by the instrument of the same name. He's giving Victorian shabby genteel with a strong dose of Dickens. The hair he has left is thriving, and his world is still candlelit. He has a nervous manner, but not when he goes a-wassailing. He's around 4.75 inches tall if you're measuring all the way to the crown of his shiny bald pate.


Miss Bell's tiered coat collar, scalloped boot tops, and dramatic red ribbon bow are inspired by Christmas bells. She's a very young songstress, but putting her whole soul into God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen or what have you. If you measure from boot sole to highest bow curl, she's around 4.75 inches tall. 

Madame Cello is sort of like your scary aunt: perfectly turned out, very imposing, and just generally extra. Sometimes you wish she'd take it down a notch, but her powerhouse vocals come in handy when it comes to hitting the high notes in O Holy Night. She's just over 5 inches tall because of course she is.

The Process
As with almost all my work, the Three Sprites of Caroling were drawn three times: first on cheap copy paper with lots of erasing as their designs took shape, second with faint pencil on thick watercolor paper over a lightbox, and third using a tiny detail brush with heavily-pigmented red watercolor paint. Here's a glimpse at those stages:

And here's a look at the painting part coming together. I spent two days applying vibrant Sennelier watercolors layer by transparent layer to slowly round out these passionate little people.

After the characters were painted and dried, it was time to cut them out. This was certainly the most challenging part of the entire project, requiring a steady hand, a few fresh blades (I kept chipping the tips off), and a lot of patience.

After each character was extracted from the original sheet, the newly-exposed white edges of the thick cotton paper had to be painted over with black paint for a crisp, clean finish.

And finally, once all the edges were smoothed and painted, I signed and labelled the characters on the back before sealing them front and back with a cold wax medium to protect them from moisture and smudges.

All told, this project was a joyful experience, and definitely hope to fashion more such characters in the future! Thanks for following along, my friends. 

All the best, 
Bryana