Fraggle Fur Texture

[Don Music]

Hey all,

Anyone know how to get the fur texture that's on the body of a fraggle? There are great pictures of fraggles being made in the workshop, and in this one it looks like standard fake fur that's half-way through a texturing job (unless I'm seeing it wrong)...

http://home.no.net/fraggel/ppl/fraggle rock workshop 4.gif

Anyone know how that's done?
Thanks!
-Eric

 

[Keeermit]

below is a photo of the Boober fraggle i made, I used one of the two-toned furs - it was light blue with white tips , I just dyed it slightly darker and it turned out pretty good


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_P7Quuh3sgRc/SP2Cci6TrdI/AAAAAAAAAFA/tnB24H_ApjQ/s1600-h/PA171276.JPG


hope this helps

 

[Don Music]

Wow, amazing work! Where did you get that fur? I was looking through Mendel's stuff and didn't see any two-tone. It looks awesome.

 

[Melonpool]

I'm not sure how they did the Fraggle fur, but I do know of a technique that they used at the puppet workshop that I interned with a year or two ago that might work.

You take the lighter fur and a darker color Sharpie (in this case, light blue fur and a dark blue Sharpie). Using the Sharpie, you put some ink at the shaft of the fur. You then dip your fingers in rubbing alcohol and run your fingers up from the ink down the fur. The final effect is that the ink color fades along the fur towards the end of the hair, making a two tone effect.

I was using this technique to turn white fur into an almost salt-and-pepper look and it worked really well (though was very tedious).

They may also have trimmed the fur and/or added some watered-down white glue to make it look a little more nappy.

I'd say using pre-made two-tone fur is probably the best move. Altering fabric is a skill-set unto itself.

 

[TheCreatureWork]

Texture of fur

You can also boil the fur. I would try a small piece and time it out. Basically bring a large pot and a kettle to boil and pour them into a tub. Next lay the fur side down into the water for about a minute or so...depending on your tests and what look you want. The heat from the water would add a shaggy look to the fur;by slighty melting the fibers... much like Fozzie the bear fur. Hang the fur then later comb it out some with a dog comb. Just watch however, some furs are testy and will ruin (the fur comes out). Other furs may actually need to be boiled on a stove for long periods of time. When taking the fur out of the water, I would recommend using using a pair of salad tongs. Use the chain to pull the plug and then drap the fabric over the shower curtain rod. Wait until the fabric cools down then ring out the rest of the water. All in all it looks great and really adds an amazing texture. Just make certain you do some testing on small pieces until you get the desired look, then use the method on larger pieces. And always record the times. Good luck! Sorry if this doesn't make sense it is late and I'm writing this whilst trying to keep from falling asleep LOL

 

[Melonpool]

below is a photo of the Boober fraggle i made, I used one of the two-toned furs - it was light blue with white tips , I just dyed it slightly darker and it turned out pretty good


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_P7Quuh3sgRc/SP2Cci6TrdI/AAAAAAAAAFA/tnB24H_ApjQ/s1600-h/PA171276.JPG


hope this helps

This is a great replica (as all of your relipas are)! Did you find a hat for him, or did you make that from scratch as well? I'm thinking about custom-making a Gilligan hat for a small puppet I'm making.

 

[wes]

Just my two cents: For those who have never tried it,

Dying Fur is a pain in the tookcus!

 

[Keeermit]

Thanks I'm glad you like my Boober replica - I made the hat from scratch. And yes I agree dying fur can be a pain - But the end results are always worth it. Just goes to show how much does actually go into making each puppet

 

[CoOKiE]

Maybe someone can make a youtube video on this topic?

 

[davidandora]

how to dye fur?

Everything I've read about dying fur is that the acrylic fibers don't take dye, or very well at least. Do you have to use a different dye than you would use for fleece/foam? And perhaps it is a technique for making adjustments to a fur that is similar in hue to color you want? I'd love to hear from anyone with a personal successful fur dying experience.