Tag-Archive for » how to make a puppet «

Stromple Puppet: Part 4 – Piecing Things Together

March 24th, 2009 | Author: admin

I have all the major parts for Stromple. I will need to build him a nose, eyes, facial features hair and feet, but that will wait until he is assembled. He is made of six foam pieces (head, body, two legs, two arms) and 6 fleece covers (head/neck, body, two arms/hands, two legs). The next step will be to combine the two. The fleece pieces will have to be turned and the foam pieces inserted. It should be a snug fit which is what I want. After that, the pieces will be joined. I will use a small brush, such as a toothbrush) to brush over all the seams. This will help hide them or at least make them disappear from a distance.

Below is an image of all hie pieces pre assembly.

Stromple in Pieces

Category: Puppets | Tags: Add new tag, how to make a puppet, Puppet, puppet making, Stromple, Stromple puppet | One Comment

Stromple Puppet: Part 3

March 17th, 2009 | Author: admin

Stromple the puppet is half way finished. The head was, and usually is, the hardest part of the puppet. It involved making a basic pattern, gluing together and then cutting wedges out to achieve the correct shape. I was happy to see that I was able to replicate the original illustration closer than I planned. Stromple will look very similar to his children’s book counterpart. Puppets always go this way using the “cut and tuck” method; you do just as much sketching with the foam as you do on paper. Even for a skilled puppet maker, it can be a lot of trial and error.

I have all of the basic body parts finished. I have Stromple’s head, his body and his arms. The only part I am missing are his feet. I will make those when I do his skin. The following are a few pictures of his head from an angle and from the side. Also you will see a tube that will be his legs. and one that will be his arms.

Stromple's head from side and from front angle.

Stromple's body (top, hold is the neck) and amrs/legs (bottom)

Stromple's body (top, hole is the neck) and amrs/legs (bottom)

Doesn’t look like much, but the foundation is there. The head will get some of it’s shape from the skin. I will smooth out and manipulate the shape where needed using poly fill. I will also smooth out the edges by cutting them off with a knife. The legs and arms will be jointed and then covered. The body still needs the hole in the back for an arm to go in. The next step will be to skin the whole thing with fleece. This is where the puppet will start to take shape and where he will gain structural integrity.

Other parts are coming along as well. I have been searching for a perfect pair of shorts for him but had no luck. Today I found a skort that is the perfect color. I will have to do some alterations to make it into shorts but they match nicely with the original illustration. Just don’t tell Stromple that his shorts use to be a article of girl’s clothing…he might have a tantrum.

Category: Puppets | Tags: Art, how to make a puppet, Puppet, puppet making, Stromple, Stromple puppet | One Comment

Stromple the Puppet: Part 2

March 10th, 2009 | Author: admin

I had my first hope of escape this morning. Sadly they were false. Following is an accurate depiction of what happened…

Jeff's first hope of escape...

Work is continuing on the Stromple puppet. The mouth structure is in place and most materials are purchased. Everything is coming together nicely. Here is the mouth:

Stromple Mouth Front

As you can see, the mouth itself is constructed from illustration board. Illustration board is a nice, strong material that will hold up with time. It also scores easily (for the bend) and glues nicely. The dome of the hand hole is constructed from foam. Their is a matching dome on the bottom. This is all internal and nothing shown here will be seen outside of the puppet. This structure is glued together with hot glue. Have patience with the glue. Let it cool completely. Patience at this step will save time and burnt fingers!

Stromple Mouth Back

Here is another view of the mouth, this one from behind. The black object is a glove. You want to make sure a puppet it comfortable and you want to make sure it will stay on your hand. Using a glove accomplishes both. I use a simple stretch glove that will accommodate most hand-sizes. The foam dome across the top and bottom of the fingers is there to add durability and to give a tightness so that when a puppeteer opens and closes their hand, it won’t fall off. I like to give my puppets a snug feel. The glove is simply hot-glued to the illustration board. A tube will be attached to the glove that leads outside of the puppet.

Here are some of the materials I will be using. I use fleece for most of my puppets because of it’s flexibility. It has stretch, it sews easy, it doesn’t unravel, and it hides seams nicely. The fleece I chose is a light bluish purple. It should match Stromple’s skin tone nicely. The darker bluish purple felt is for the eyelids and the eyebrows. The hair will also, tentatively, be constructed from felt. Felt is another great material to use in puppet construction. It’s cheap and comes in a large variety of colors. The inside of the mouth will also be felt.

Whenever I make a mouth, I create a pattern from brown crafting paper, making sure to mark the score line. This allows me to recreate the shape if I need to or to use the mouth for a future puppet. Make sure you mark the pattern with the name and date of the puppet it was used in. This pattern will also come in handy when cutting out the piece of felt for the mouth.

The foam I’m using is 1 inch thick. It is available at most fabric stores. Another great place to buy it is at carpet stores. They use it for padding under carpets. You can usually get it much cheaper and in bulk this way. The shape of the head and body will be formed by cutting curves onto the foam and gluing them together. The 1 inch foam can be a little difficult to manipulate in small spaces but it’s strength makes it ideal for me to use.

Materials for Stromple Puppet

Category: Illustration, Puppets | Tags: how to make a puppet, internal puppet mechanics, Puppet, puppet construction, puppet making, puppet materials, puppet mouth, puppet mouth mechanics, Stromple, Stromple puppet | Leave a Comment

Stromple the Puppet: Part 1

March 05th, 2009 | Author: admin

Original illustration Stromple will be based upon.

I am very fortunate to be working with the very talented children’s book author Stacey Geist. Stacey is publishing her first children’s book “Stromple and the Super-Huge Temper Tantrum.” She has asked me to create a puppet to help her market her book. The puppet will be a great way for her to introduce children to the main character of her book. As part or our collaboration on this puppet, Stacey has agreed to allow me to document the process of making the puppet, from beginning to end.

To give you some background information, please visit Stacey’s blog: Stromple’s Spot. Stacey has chronicled her journey through the publishing of her book. The blog isn’t just fascinating, it’s informational and a great resource for anyone considering publishing. She shares her experiences and knowledge openly and honestly. Now to the puppet.

Here are the original sketches that I submitted to Stacey:

Sketch of final puppet

These sketches are very preliminary but give me a plan of attack. To build the puppet, I will use foam with a skin of fleece. I will be using the cut and tuck method. That means I will shape the foam up into the basic shape I want and then cut and re-glue it together to get the curves that will define Stromple. This is a great method to use if you are doing a single puppet. It does require some knowledge, but comes easier once you get the hang of it.

It’s important to note that although the puppet’s appearance might change from the original illustration in order for the mechanics to work right, the final product will retain all character and be an accurate representation of Stromple.

The red lines indicate where I will make cuts and folds and in some instances, reveal the underlying structure. The notes are notes to myself, however I felt they were important to share in order to understand the process a little better.

I will collaborate closely with Stacey on all aspects of the puppet as client input is very important to me. I look forward to building this wonderful character and sharing my experiences.

The next step will be mouth construction.