1st puppet progress

[Snark Blarmsten]

Thanks Jinx for the tips. I'm not sure how I would have done some of the sewing though on machine, probably because I don't know the right process. Seems like some of it could only be done on the puppet. Great idea about the dome eyes, I'll search it out. I'll take another look at your site too.

So today most of my time was spent tidying up my workarea so I have a place other than the kitchen table to work But I did get around to gluing the fur on. I decided to go with hot glue this time - being winter and all I'm really tentative about doing this inside with the contact cement. Plus, my workbench is 5 feet from the water heater - not good. It seems to have worked fairly well.

I then sewed up the back and attached the nose. I took a sharp drywall screw and a washer and popped it through the head, then I drilled a pilot hole in the nose (which is one of those foam practice balls) and screwed it on, seems to have worked well.

Speaking of eyes, I made to sample eyes simply for placement and pinned them on - they aren't pinned real well but you get an idea of the area I am shooting for.

Issues - he seems a smidge heavy... probably all the fur. And he is seemingly big, although I have nothing to compare him to. Luckily I reinforced the top finger holes with fabric glued over, because I felt them pop off the top palette. Not sure why but the reinforcement seems to be holding fine.

Here he is:

http://pixelmech.com/rev/eyes1.jpg

Thanks so far for everyone's help, I've learned a lot and could not have gotten this far without you all!

Tom

 

[Jinx]

He's really coming along nicely!

I might suggest that before you secure the eyes permanently you set them so that they are both focused on the same spot. As they are in your photo the right eye is looking a bit to the right and the left eye to the left. Also the focus mught be just a bit high.

When I do the eyes I mount the "eyeballs" in first then add the pupils after the fact. That way I can hold the puppet and point it directly towards me and set the pupils to the eyes so that both eyes are looking directly at me from a distance of about 18 - 24" away. This can be a vital part of your puppet's look and ability to convince an audience that the puppet knows where he's looking.

These of course are just suggestions as I do not know what you intend this puppet's character to be like.

Good work so far!

 

[Snark Blarmsten]

Thanks Jinx - yeah, those eyes are just quickly pinned on there so I could get an idea of placement. I think I want white eyes. At any rate, doing the pupil after is a good idea. I'm going to try and find some dome eyes before I continue with the face. I also need to decide if I'm going to do the horns and/or ears. Good tips on focus too!