Carving a foam head

[Mistersuperstar]

I'm just starting to get into puppet building, for my own enjoyment primarily but maybe to sell later on if I get any better at making them.
The basic sock puppet, like Kermit, is pretty easy to construct (or at least seems to be from my first attempt) but I would definitely like to try something a little more complex.
Does anyone have any tips on carving a head shape (or nose shape like Gonzo) out of block foam? More specifically, what do you use to shape the foam to get quite a smooth looking finish? So far I have come to the conclusion that a pair of scissors is definitely not the way to go! lol.
Any tips guys?

 

[BorkBork]

Here's a guide with pictures on how to carve a foam head.

And here's a small one from project puppet.

Good luck on carving. Don't forget to show us what you've created later on

 

[Mistersuperstar]

Here's a guide with pictures on how to carve a foam head.

And here's a small one from project puppet.

Good luck on carving. Don't forget to show us what you've created later on

Ah, cool. Thanks for that! Foam head puppets are gonna be quite a while away for me yet as I'm only just learning. I need to master the "sock" puppet first I think.

 

[BorkBork]

You can do a 2 piece foam-head for the glorified sock puppet pattern.
Just use half inch sheet foam, and use the same pattern as for the fleece. Just slightly smaller.

PS. i've been learning for 7-8 years and i am still learning. I haven't done a carved head yet. Just take it step by step, doing the easiest parts first, and move on to more advanced stuff. I am just now learning blinking eyes, but that is after years of learning the basics.

 

[Mistersuperstar]

You can do a 2 piece foam-head for the glorified sock puppet pattern.
Just use half inch sheet foam, and use the same pattern as for the fleece. Just slightly smaller.

Good point. I used that pattern for my first puppet (still not quite finished) and the head is quite soft so foam would pad it out nicely. I do kinda like the unpadded look tho, kinda like Kermit looks on The Muppet Show.

 

[CBPuppets]

how useful