Questions about Puppets with Exposed foam

[TopperFraggle]

I really like the look of exposed foam on puppets. i know however that foam degrades quicker than fabric, simply from being exposed to light, air and paint. Can anyone give me some guidelines for care of this type of puppet? Is painting or dyeing better for foam? Paint would seem to better protect the foam, but would also make the foam hard and no longer flexible. How long (approx) would an exposed foam puppet last?

 

[Ryan]

I've only had one, and they don't last really long, but you can get some good use out of them. Keeping them out of light and in a box helps the aging of it.

 

[FISH'N'WOLFE]

Almost all of my characters are of foam, it's going on 2 years now and they have held up quite well. Ryan is correct. A cool dark place is where they should be stored. As for dying/painting, both work equally well. However, if you choose to paint, use an airbrush. Otherwise your foam will be ruined. I personally airbrush all of my characters and the foam has been very well preserved and remains flexible.