Glove Puppet Patterns?

[D'Snowth]

Awesome, thanks.

While we're on the subject of patterns and such, I've been noticing that in some cases, puppets will have a bit of a curvature where the foam head meets the mouthplates, like so:

See how the head kind of curves inward slightly at the mouth? How do you achieve this? Darts on the foam where the mouth would be attached?

 

[D'Snowth]

Meh, disregard my previous post, I figured it out.

But regarding that glove hand pattern, I'm curious about a little detail: which way do you attach the thumb?

 

[Bear Man]

Sorry mate - I didn't notice your earlier question...let me know if you still want my thoughts on it (I'm not an expert by any stretch, just an amateur who has puzzled some stuff out!)

I attach the thumb so the fold side is pointing up...anything that I can do to minimise the amount of seams that are easily visible!

 

[D'Snowth]

Ah, okay. I've noticed fitted gloves have a similar pattern, but I just wanted to be sure before I start attaching thumbs.

 

[Bear Man]

As far as I'm concerned, just go with whatever works for you.

That said, to give you a better idea of what I have used, in the pattern I showed above, the finger length goes to about my middle knuckle. Puppet fingers seem to work better when they have less of them than we do (3 vs 4) and they're shorter than our own!

 

[D'Snowth]

I actually picked up on that as I was sizing, tracing, cutting, and sewing the pattern, lol. I did, however, have to lengthen the "sleeve" to extend almost to my elbow, but other than that, so far so good: I tried one of the gloves on after I sewed it (without the thumb) and was amazed at how much it looked like an actual glove hand. And you're right, the glove hands do seem work better when the fingers are shorter than actual fingers . . . however, it does kind of make the rest of the puppet anatomy look strange, like in this insert where Ernie bending his wrists look like they bend in his forearm.

 

[Bear Man]

Re: the length - that's a good point I probably should have mentioned...those hands are literally that - hands that I have used for Beaker, who I am primarily building as a poser (even if I wasn't, the arm sleeves would be the fabric and colour of his lab coat, not his actual hands).

You're right...Ernie looks like he has some serious bone issues there!

 

[D'Snowth]

They're riding up at the wrist because I have the inner side of the gloves cut so I can attach the upper arms later.

 

[Iscah]

I feel like it's worth mentioning that some live-hand characters have the arm sleeve join on more around the elbow. Fozzie, for instance: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/File:OMAM17.jpg

Also that they're often wearing clothes that conceal the puppeteer's arm coming in - eg. Mokey's drapey cloak, or the Count's cape.

 

[D'Snowth]

Well, like I said, they're riding up because they've got large holes in them where the upper arms of the puppet will be attached; otherwise, they do come to about the elbow (the bend of the arm moreso).