Number 35 of 150

January 30, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

Representation of queer, or at least non-traditional, gender expressions was an important part of this project.

So far, we’ve had some characters that were deliberately ambiguous on gender, presenting as more-or-less androgenous. Today’s character is a little different. They’re wearing traditionally female clothing, but their hair and facial features are drawn using visual cues that typically read as masculine. However, I tried to make it ambiguous enough that it still wasn’t entirely clearcut. Personally, I’d hesitate to guess how this child identifies. I’d have to ask for their pronouns.

I’m not certain I got the age to read quite right. They may look a little older than they should.

A child, aged 7-9, stands with one hand up as if gesturing. They are wearing a yellow button-up dress, with a long-sleeved t-shirt and leggings underneath. They're wearing red high-top sneakers and glasses. The child is Middle Eastern and has a larger body type. Their gender is ambiguous, but it possibly reads a little more male than female.

Number 34 of 150

January 28, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

I don’t really have much to say about this one. Just a boy in jeans and a hoodie.

Middle Eastern boy, aged 7-9, standing with one hand raised in a wave. He's got medium-dark brown hair, an orange hoodie, jeans, and sneakers.

Number 33 of 150

January 26, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

Now we start the 7-9 age range. From here on out you’ll note that we have put all the characters in modest dress, though in this age range, the girls still have their heads uncovered. Since people with Middle Eastern heritage are often (though not exclusively) Muslim, we wanted to honor that by at least not showing lots of skin in this batch. But since our market is primarily US-based, we wanted to reflect what Americans wear. Therefore, we chose not to put girls in the 7-9 age range in hijabs, but you will see hijabs in the older age ranges.

A Middle Eastern girl, aged 7-9, stands with both arms as if gesturing while talking. She's wearing a wrap-style shirt over a t-shirt, jeans, and flats. Her medium-dark brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail.

Number 32 of 150

January 24, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

This little guy is happy, isn’t he?

A Middle Eastern boy, aged 4-6, stands with a big smile on his face and his arms up and open wide. He's wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt, plaid shorts, and sneakers. He also has glasses. His hair is black.

Number 31 of 150

January 22, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

New batch. This time we’re doing Middle Eastern people. I don’t really like how this girl turned out. I’ve got her head too far forward and it looks awkward, I think.

A girl, aged 4-6, stands with one hand up, pointing into the distance. She has a long-sleeved t-shirt with a cat printed on the front. She's also wearing jeans and sneakers. Her hair is medium-dark brown. She is Middle Eastern.

Number 30 of 150

January 20, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

Last one for this batch. I think he’s heading out to the golf course.

An old man stands with one hand on his hip, smiling. He's Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. He is dressed as if to play golf. He has a green polo shirt, green and black plaid golf shorts, and white sneakers with green trim. His hair is light grey, nearly white.

Number 29 of 150

January 18, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

Here’s our second muumuu of the batch. Also with a floral pattern, but a bit of a different style this time. I had-drew these blossoms instead of making a stamp. I did copy-and-paste some of them, though. I also painted her toenails.

An old lady wearing a long, red, floral print muumuu dress. She's standing with one hand raised as if waving. She is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. She has her grey hair pulled back into a loose bun at her neck. She is wearing flip-flop sandals and has her toenails painted red.

Number 28 of 150

January 16, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

The pattern on this shirt was based on a vintage Duke Kahanamoku design provided by the client.

A Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander man walks towards the viewer. He is smiling and gesturing as if speaking. He has shoulder-length black hair. He is wearing a Hawaiian shirt with a geometric design open over a salmon-colored t-shirt. He's also wearing black jeans and multi-colored sandals.

Number 27 of 150

January 14, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

Moving on to the adults for this batch. She has a nice outfit, doesn’t she?

A woman stands with one hand on her hip. She is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. She has a larger body type. She's wearing a white t-shirt, short jean jacket, leggings, and pink sneakers. Her straight, black hair falls just past her shoulders.

Number 26 of 150

January 12, 2023December 30, 2022Leave a comment

Cool purple hair on this one. I started this one with ALOHA in a varsity font on the hoodie, but the client wanted the sea turtle design instead. I think the heathered texture makes it look soft and comfy.