Arms length puppets

[Show and Tell]

Well I bought the red flannel mouth material. I still need to go get the foam and spandex which I will probably get at Jo Ann Fabrics in the morning. I still need to trace the neck material yet and then I should be good to go. I haven't heard from Dave P yet but then I know he's a very busy man.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

hmmm....dunno, but I bet when he orders one it doesnt take 4 months to arrive...ahem...

Ouch.

 

[Show and Tell]

Is the Armslength puppets the best collection of building information out as far as Muppet style puppets goes? Any recommendations to other patterns and construction technics I can buy for my study? I'd like to find information about how Dave designed the shapes for his puppets heads and bodies. The darts are curved and each piece is strangely shaped. How did he design these?

 

[Puppetplanet]

Dart technique and placement is a sewing method that is learned through experience or the study of the hobby with focus placed on that particular subject. If your looking to make your own patterns, I would personally suggest taking a look at a few sewing books that would show you the basics of dart placement. I'm sorry that I can't suggest any to you because I learned the art of sewing as a child from my mother and my knowledge is from experience.

If your looking for immediate results, you could try altering your current ALP pattern by playing with the darts and pieces. I've got basically the same head shapes for several of my patterns on file, but they are altered and require only two pieces for the head with several darts in each. You'd be surprised with the varity of shapes and facial features you could create by just playing around with the placement, size, and shape of those little darts!

-Michele

 

[Show and Tell]

Thanks for the lead PP. Instant results is great for now but I actually would like to learn somehow about how to place darts on my own. So if I had a shape in mind I might be able to visualize the darts and creat that shape in foam. I'll see what I books I can find online then. Still is there any other great puppet building info out I should get other than the foam book and the ALP kit and videos?

 

[DPuppets]

I have posted in this or in one of the forums on how David made those heads. The darts placement comes in the way he designs his heads. They sorta come by themselves.

 

[Traveling Matt]

Is there any news about whether Arms Length will go back into production of their puppet line?

Thanks

 

[Puppetplanet]

Check out the book called Puppet Mania by John Kennedy. Buck suggested it a while back and I went out and grabbed it right away...... what a fantastic book! It has some really cool puppet ideas. The most valuable instruction in there (In my oppinion) was the section on a cheap blinking eye puppet. He only used a paper plate and walnut shells, but a light bulb went on in my head and I've almost got a final draft of my own version for my line of professional puppets.

I bought it from Barnes n Noble for about $15..... well worth every penny.

-Michele

 

[Show and Tell]

Awesome! thanks again PP. Yes I did read in the forum something about that book and I even looked it up before. I think I have a link to it somewhere in my fav's.

 

[DPuppets]

Is there any news about whether Arms Length will go back into production of their puppet line?

Thanks

I heard throught the grape vine that you will see them back up soon.