Fun with Grandma Paper Dolls
Unquestionably, Tom Tierney deserves to be known as the King of Paper Dolls. For decades his prolific output of books has made him the most successful paper doll artist of all time. Fashion, history and glamorous celebrities are favored subjects of the octogenarian artist.While Tom is the best known paper doll artist in the world, he didn't begin this chapter of his career until 1974 whenThirty from the Thirties, a book of Hollywood stars was published. His career began in Texas, his home state. He had drawn extra clothes for his cousin's paper dolls and that launched his interest in fashion illustration.When he moved to New York City in 1954, Tom rose to the top of the ranks in commercial fashion illustration. Because of his serious fine art training he was equally comfortable drawing women, men and children. Not only that, but he was so adept that he could imitate the style of other artists, a valuable skill in the heyday of commercial art. Purposefully, Tom did not sign his art so that he could work in different styles for different clients without any conflict. At one time, he even managed to juggle Macy s and Gimbels, famously antagonistic competitors.As the popularity of fashion illustration began to wane, Tom almost single handedly revitalized the lagging paper doll publishing business. He published two books of paper dolls,Thirty from the ThirtiesandAttitudes. Then in 1978 he connected with Dover Publishing where he produced scores of popular paper dolls. His subjects included movie stars, fashion designers, presidential families and a series that chronicled fashion history as worn by an American family, all rendered in his instantly recognizable style with a strong, supremely sure line. His own website lists almost 350 previously published works!The latest chapter in Tom's incredible career is his collaboration with Paper Studio Press, creating a line of paper dolls focusing on fashions through history includingRosie the Riveter Paper Dolls, Stopover Paper DollsandPretty Pink Paper Dolls.