Cordelia Vorkosigan Paper Dolls

[melannen]

I collect historical coloring and paperdoll books, and I recently got one for "First Ladies of the United States", and it was one of those books that had such a firm worldview that it kind of sucked you in.

So then I decided there needed to exist the Barrayaran equivalent. Obviously. So here is one of the dolls from the "Barrayaran Imperial Hostesses: the Time of Isolation to the Great Constitution¹: Color-Your-Own Flimsy Dolls" book that I picked up in the Vorhartung Castle gift shop.

The coloring book pages online. (with text descriptions)
Online (javascript) paperdoll play area. (should work on all browsers, but probably not very accessible for non-mouse-users, because making it accessible would require me to learn actual javascript.)

All the pieces as a layered .xcf file for offline play/alteration/remix. (2.2 mb file for GIMP)
All the pieces as a layered .psd file for offline play/alteration/remix. (9.6 mb file for Adobe Photoshop)

The coloring pages as print-resolution .pngs (3.1 mb .zip archive) Note: some of these may not work well as-is as actual paper dolls (they were designed for Barrayaran flimsy pages, obvs); and you will have to come up with your own tabs/fasteners. (I recommend magnets.) However, the coloring-book part should work fine.
The coloring pages in a .cbz file for comic-book readers (3.1 mb .zip archive)

In case I need to say it, the authorial viewpoint for these pages is meant to be a take-off of the one in the First Ladies book and/or in the voice of someone writing the book for a conventional Barrayaran audience, and is not, in most cases, congruent with my own. :p

¹ The other dolls in the book are Empress Magda Vorrutyer Vorbarra (first wife of Emperor Dorca), Imperial Consort Lyuda Vorlightly Vorbarra (second wife of Emperor Dorca), Princess Judy M'calister Vorbarra (Wife of Prince Xav), Empress Xenia Vorbarra Vorbarra (Wife of Emperor Ezar), Princess Kareen Vortala Vorbarra (Wife of Prince Heir Serg), Lady Alys Vorbohn Vorpatril (wife of Imperial Cousin Padma Vorpatril), Cordelia (Cordelia), Countess Ekaterin Vorvayne Vorsoisson Vorkosigan (Wife of Lord Auditor Count Miles Vorkosigan), Empress Laisa Toscane Vorbarra (Wife of Emperor Gregor), and Lord Clement Byerly Vorrutyer (Son of Count Dono Vorrutyer & Companion of the Prince Heir.) I will probably never get around to drawing any of them.

Edited to add, 12/11: A Charity Case by miss_lanyon tells the story of the Vorhartung Castle Gift Shop, should anyone wish to know more.

Comments

[beatrice_otter]

Awesome! Can I post this to the Bujold mailing list? I think a lot of people there, LMB included, would get a kick out of it.

[melannen]

My policy is that anything I post publicly can get linked anywhere, so, um, sure.


*hides the contraband*

[sara]

...it's probably wrong that my reaction to this (aside from glee, because you know how I love the concept) is, "Wow, now I want a Vorhartung Castle Gift Shop story."

For obvious reasons.

[melannen]

You know there must be one. (Even if it's an unofficial unauthorized one for a long time.)

[sophia_sol]

:D :D :D :D This is entirely made of awesome. I love the idea of it, and it's wonderfully executed too! (and the tone of voice in the colouring pages is just right. :P)

[melannen]

I am glad you like! :D

[cofax7]

HAH. This is fabulous.

[melannen]

Thank you!

[azurelunatic]

*giggling, flappyhands* :D

[melannen]

Thank you!

[azurelunatic]

AND BYERLY. BYERLY. :D :D :D

wandered in from the vorkosigan comm

[dendroid.livejournal.com]

oh, this is quite lovely!

Re: wandered in from the vorkosigan comm

[melannen]

Thank you!

[calvinahobbes]

So, so awesome. I am just grinning so hard. I'll definitely have to bookmark so I can come back again and again.

[melannen]

I hope it keeps being fun! :D

[brownbetty]

Oh my gosh her Betan Astronomical Survey uniform! I think they are idealizing the hair one was encouraged to wear while surveying wacky new planets.

This is possibly the best thing ever.

(My favourite is MOST DEFINITELY her shopping bag.)

The way you've drawn Barrayaran women's fashion is how I've always imagined it. It's almost eerie.

“Companion of the Prince Heir!”

[melannen]

I think they are idealizing a lot of things. (Actually canonically in SoH she wore it tied low and messy in a knot at the back of her neck, but I couldn't make a low bun look right with the angle of her head.)

And I am glad my image of Barrayaran fashion doesn't only work in my head!

>>"Companion of the Prince Heir"
...I had to.

[brownbetty]

ALSO:

I like the way the text manages to give the impression that Cordelia's major influence on Barrayar was, like, serving on the board of a few charities, and influencing fashion. (Alys would have kittens.)

[melannen]

Alys has other things to have kittens about. The text of her section in the book somehow manages (while remaining completely proper) to give the impression that her major influence on Barrayar was being the mistress of the Chief of Imperial Security. :P

[philomytha]

This is awesome! And there's a shopping bag! And the text of Cordelia's life as a great influence on fashion! And I love how even with the Survey outfit she has to wear deeply Barrayaran underwear.

And Lord Clement Byerly! Aww :-).

[melannen]

The artist couldn't bring herself to draw Lady Vorkosigan in anything more revealing than that! After all, children might play with it! (As inspired by certain paper dolls I owed in the '80s. I suspect the real Lady Vorkosigan continued wearing Betan-style underthings, assuming Betans even have those, even under her ball gowns.)

[waywren]

*dies* ALWAYS DID HER OWN SHOPPING. XDD

[alessandriana]

hahahahaha, my reaction exactly

[alessandriana]

holy carp this is amazing!!

[melannen]

Thank you!

[existence]

This is amazing on so many levels.

[melannen]

Thank you!

[ajnabieh]

I don't even know canon, but, damn, you nail the tone of First Ladies paper doll books. *high five*

[melannen]

Thanks! ...that tone is disturbingly easy to write in.

[filkferengi]

This is brilliant!

[melannen]

Thank you!

[curuchamion]

Oh lord. I don't even know the canon, but PAPER DOLLS. Excellent paper dolls! (I collect historical and ethnic paper dolls, though not the color-your-own sort generally.)

AWESOME PAPER DOLLS. Also hilarious. XD

[melannen]

I only have one of the color-your-own paperdoll books, but I have a lot of historic costume coloring books, so it evens out.

[holyschist]

This is amazing like a totally amazing thing. I love it to PIECES.

[melannen]

Thank you!

[isis]

I love this! You are brilliant and clever, but we knew that already.

[melannen]

Thank you!

[rhivolution]

This is amazing, bravo!

[melannen]

Thank you!

[pendrecarc]

These are ridiculously charming, not least for the pleasure of imagining Cordelia's reaction if she could see them.

[melannen]

Even more fun: Miles and Aral's reactions to getting to show them to Cordelia!

[verity]

SO WONDERFUL. <3

[melannen]

Thank you!

[madripoor_rose]

Oh, how awesome!

[fallingtowers]

Oh my god, this is all sorts of wonderful and amazing - and exactly what I need to cheer myself up today!

[busaikko]

This is fabulous! The shopping bag made me grin: yup, she's famous for what she picked up while 'shopping' *g* I'm so buying this book the next time I'm in Vorbarr Sultana....