My latest puppet

[CraftyDen]

Hi Guys, thought you all would like to see my latest puppet project...it has moving eyebrows and eyelids...I've done a short movie file and put it on youtube...here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS_9uttYW_s
let me know what you all think. Thanks, Den.

www.thecraftyden.com

www.fuzzberrys.co.uk

 

[Kevin the Frog]

Great idea with the eyebrows and eyelids moving at the same time, that could be cool for certain characters. I'm not sure if it's the smooth movement of they eye parts, or the big blues eyes, but he looks almost real! Nice job.

 

[Blink]

Hey CraftyDen,

I love the design of this puppet. The expressions are fantastic! It looks as if he is annoyed (eyes open) and then disinterested (eyes shut). It is a real pleasure watching you delevop as a puppet builder. Keep up the great work.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

That looks great. What type of mechanism did you use for the eyes/brows? Can they be moved independently, or are they linked together?

 

[CraftyDen]

Thanks guys, the character is a henpecked husband...the scene is that he's in bed with his wife and he's a sleep and his nagging wife keeps waking him up to nag him lol...so he's quite grumpy when he wakes.

In answer to your question buck, the eyebrows could act independently but I've attached them both together, they both have their own springs...then I've linked the eyes and the brow mechanisms together so when you pull the lever the brows and lids move at the same time...here's some links to pics of the mechanism:

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/1058/mvc016sun6.jpg

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/5337/mvc017sky8.jpg

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Yeah, I really like that idea too. Do you mind if I add those photos to one of the articles on puppet mechs on the Puppet Building Wiki?

 

[spcglider]

Good work, eh!

-G

 

[CraftyDen]

Of course you can Buck, it'll be a pleasure.
I would have put an external control on it for another puppeteer, but I only had a short time limit, so I thought I'd combine them...by the way I love the puppets on your blog Zack, you've got some great ideas.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I have seen puppet designed so that the cable control is incorporated in to the handle on the puppet's arm rod(s) so there's no need for an extra puppeteer. That's a design that seems to work extremely well.

 

[Blink]

I have seen puppet designed so that the cable control is incorporated in to the handle on the puppet's arm rod(s) so there's no need for an extra puppeteer. That's a design that seems to work extremely well.

That could work. But it may limit your uses. I've always just held the cable control inside my palm (closest to my thumb) along with the handle of the arm rod. That way I am not limited to the person controlling the arm rod being the only one who can control the mech.

Also, for detachable rods, having them connected may cause some problems. I think the use of another puppeteer may often be used to add an extra dimension to the performance and not necessarily out of a need. But like I said, it could work either way.