Monday 27 December 2010

Judy armatures


Judy armatures
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

Thick solder. It's so bendy!

Saturday 25 December 2010

December out


Large cardboards tree!
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

I have been doing scenery making for a pantomime instead of puppet making, so all a bit quiet here...


This tree is more than 9 foot high!

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Prop building


Prop building
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

I have been making props. Here is a frying pan (about 9cm diamter) and a suitcase (not yet completed!

Monday 25 October 2010

Wednesday 20 October 2010

plotting

Am working on the script for performance. Working title is:
"Judy gets carried away with a sausage"

Nothing like dubious double entendres to get in the spirit of things!

Monday 18 October 2010

Crocodile puppet


Crocodile puppet
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

He is done, after a fair few months of reworking, here he is...with some suitably sinister lighting

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Judy puppet testing


Judy puppet testing
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle
Live testing round the kitchen with Judy, who's costume is now finished.

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Mr Punch animation test

Some stop motion testing using a camera and put together on Movie maker by importing the images and adjusting the transition time between static shots

Saturday 2 October 2010

Judy's boots


Judy's boots
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

Looking good, and dark and, well, lovely!

Friday 24 September 2010

Judy's Costume


Judy's Costume
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

The pieces of costume come together..

Saturday 18 September 2010

Judy gets a dress


Judy gets a dress
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

Yet another pair of trousers gets repurposed as clothing. Smock dress looking good, but needs some trim.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Step by step Judy's boots


Finishing papier mache boots 4
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

In the Flickr Puppet making group, I have set up a thread on using papier mache. It uses Judy's boots as an example. It's here
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1430656@N25/discuss/72157624895267282/

Monday 6 September 2010

New puppet making group on Flickr

I have set up a group on Flickr for puppet making tips.
As a discussion topic, there is a step by step on making papier mache parts:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1430656@N25/discuss/72157624895267282/

Thursday 2 September 2010

Wednesday 25 August 2010

Making boots for Judy


Puppet Boots in Plasticine
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

These are meant to look like old 17th/18th century boots, the sort that crop up in old woodcuts. Using the tried old method of laminating over a positive modelled core. For anything large scale, this is simple and effective. At this scale it requires a lot of care when applying the laminates.

For corners in particular, the strips of paper need to be very narrow or you get creasing which causes ridges. The fibres at the edges of overlapping laminates need to be pulled out with either a fingernail or a pointed tool, to soften the "step" between each laminate. It is good to use a very contrasting colour for the model too (e.g. red, as used here) because it is easy to see if there is a patch missed.

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Judy gets some hair


Judy gets some hair
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

Glued on with hot glue gun

Friday 6 August 2010

Crocodile back legs


Crocodile back legs
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

From the spray base coat, marker pen scumbling now done. Needs
lacquer, but otherwise done

Crocodile claws about to be painted


Crocodile claws about to be painted
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

In the shed about to apply a yellow base coat.

Thursday 29 July 2010

Crocodile puppet legs


Crocodile puppet legs
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

Have been fitting up the new back legs (brwon unpainted) and new tail to the crocodile puppet. Getting there...

Tuesday 13 July 2010

Constructing the crocodile puppet body

The basic sleeve for a glove puppet can be made easily by cutting the sleeve of a black jacket. You can pick up tatty old jackets with good silk linings quite cheap. Each jacket makes 2 sleeves!





The head is fitted into the sleeve hole, which needs making smaller




The cloth arms with hands fitted are sewn into holes cut in the sleeve. The silver duct tape here is holding stiffening rings into the cloth arms, to prevent them collapsing, which makes it easier to get the fingers into them


Crocodile puppet body under construction
The body is pre-stuffed, then sewn onto the sleeve to hang down in front of it.

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Crocodile costume design

Having realised I have only designed the head of the crocodile, I thought I had better look at costume design. This is interesting, but too staid i think. It needs probably to be more flamboyant, as the character is a spoiled/pampered endangered species. Suit or bling...?
Crocodile puppet costume

Wednesday 30 June 2010

Crocodile body parts

Here are the first pieces of the cloth body for the crocodile.
I think it will have to have a tail, and possibly even 2 more feet, although maybe some claw shaped couture boots...

Wednesday 23 June 2010

Crocodile claws

Papier mache crocodile claws processes

This shows basic hand from papier mache over a plasticine positive model.





Unpainted hands being used to test the effectiveness of the internal puppet skeleton






Final painted finish. Felt tip pen (Promarkers) over emulsion.




Thursday 17 June 2010

Testing crocodile puppet

Testing the mechanism with one- handed operation

Tuesday 18 May 2010

More cobbling

Some fine footwear for an otherwise austere scientist

Thursday 13 May 2010

trousers


After some efforts in tailoring, trousers are nearly completed

Monday 10 May 2010

Puppet boots


The beginnings of some rather dandy boots for Mr Punch.

Stages 1 and 2 are modelling the positive core in plasticine, followed by laminating with brown paper and PVA papier mache

Sunday 9 May 2010

Swish shirt


Why, hello. Who's got a dandy new tailored shirt then?

Friday 2 April 2010

Scientist's lab coat

I am not sure if this is a tiny tad too long, but has the right feel for the character. Stereotypical science geek attire, but with a slightly military/ secret police feel to the collar.

Monday 22 March 2010

Policeman is nearly complete


'ello, 'ello, 'ello. What's all this then? 'bout bleedin' time I 'ad some clothes, matey...

Friday 19 March 2010

shoes...

Plasticene and papier mache. I love it!
pink thing is the mould - brown thing, the shoe... policeman's shoes...

Tuesday 9 March 2010

Policeman gets clothes


Jumble sale jeans are perfect for making a good navy uniform.
This is not yet fitted with trims or buttons, but starting to show the final look.

Tuesday 2 March 2010

Puppet bodies getting better

This shows the Policeman puppet. The head sits freely in a central hole and is held and, in use, is manipulated by the last three fingers of the hand curled round it.
The hands are detached from the body to allow maximum freedom od movement.

The body is connected to the sleeve with a short stitched hinge joint.

Thursday 4 February 2010

Crocodile head

Crocodile with elastic jaw opening. This opposes the cable controlled jaw snap shut.
I wonder if elastic to close jaw would be better. Possibly more relaxing to use in practise, as most of the time not tension would be required in the hand to keep the jaw shut.
hmm...

Saturday 30 January 2010

Mr Punch gets new clothes

My, doesn't he look dashing. I liked the last costume, but this one is more theatrical. The shadows work rather tastily here!

I can't decide if he should have a hat. Does anyone out there reading this have any opinion on if it would improve the look?

Saturday 23 January 2010

Another puppet body pattern

Policeman.

This design is a 2-finger control, with the head on a stick in the remaining curled three fingers. This is better than the fixed head version. It can shake its head in despair etc.!

Sunday 17 January 2010

Hands getting attached

Here is Judy's right hand being glued into place into her arm sleeve.

The hand is modelled and baked Fimo, painted and varnished, with a thin bamboo rod inserted as a mount to keep the arm rigid. This is hot-glued into the fabric arm. The fabric of the arm is reinforced by surrounding with thin plastic from a soft drink bottle to form a rigid, hollow tapering tube which will allow thumb operation.

Saturday 16 January 2010

First body made from latest pattern...

This will most likely be Judy. The body is full of flocked (i.e. quite fluffy) cotton cloth, cut up and stuffed inside. There are a few coins in each foot to give them some swing. Four pence in each to be exact!

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Body parts

Two-part body made from templates. Part one is the white body with no arms. Part two is the puppeteer sleeve in black with arms in white attached as sleeves to allow thumb and forefinger through. These are combined to create a puppet operated from behind.

Saturday 9 January 2010

New pattern


A new version of the cutting pattern for the puppet body for 2-fingered operation...

Thursday 7 January 2010

Costume blanks

Costume blanks, and what they look like without heads...

Tuesday 5 January 2010

...at last can get back to making

New year, and finally I have finished installing kitchen, despite many set backs, including non-delivery of the units, and two severe weather episodes closing down most things.
Feels like I can get back onto making the little people fresh in the new year/decade. They are all cold and half-made in the shed, poor lambs.

Next task is to start mass producing bodies. Have template, can sew...