This is a test of the rod based skeleton, version 1. I am not convinced it allows enough subtlety of manipulation. The joint quality is also important, as slack in the joints, introduces lag and play in the movement between hand motion and motion transmitted to the puppet. Rigid rods also do not allow curling of arms or necks that direct finger control can do so well. Hmm...

Talk to the Hand

Having got cross with rod based skeletons, I am considering just doing hand control. It is so much easier to get character going, even if I feel like I have dobbed out of the challenge of doing it small to some extent...

Here is one piccy, with a blank costume.

Costumes instead

OK, I have had enough brainache trying to get to the bottom of rods versus fingers. It's times like this when you need to go sideways, so I am going to look at costumes instead...

How about this for a suit!

Hands or rods?

I have been struggling with making a rod based skeleton to mount the undersized puppets on, and which will allow their manipulation from below with one hand. The idea being to have a mechanism that transfers the hand movements via rods to the puppet above. This is proving tricky.

The rods and hinges being used are not really of a high enough quality. This introduces play in the transfer of the movements, which in turn causes a loss of subtlety.

Some options are:

• to carry on and perfect the mechanism by prototyping.
• abandon this and revert to using direct hand control

Heads in the vice again

Here is the cast, minus one crocodile.

Mr Plod

Mr Plod

Not varnished, but pretty much finished policeman head.

Link to a step by step guide for this one on Instructables

Link to an animated version of the process on YouTube

Further painting

This head is different from rest, at least for having moving parts.. Half way through painting, showing pink base coat with green and yellow layers over it, partly rubbed back.

Mr Punch gets colour

Here is the more developed version, gaining some colour...