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.