Yep. I like old school man.  I like working with clay. Papier mache' on the other hand is very time consuming. I like the feel of it though. And the price. I may need to switch to a faster way of making heads for rod puppets in the future. Maybe make molds and use rubber?

These are really wonderful. I look forward to seeing them progress. May I inquire, what book were you referring to in your first post?

The book I'm reading says to coat the plastecine with vaseline. But, it doesnt tell you how to get it off the plastecine when you pull the paper mache off. Does it just mix in with the plastecine? Do you wipe it off or what?

what book are you referring to in this post.................... Others may be interested in purchasing it.

Billy D.

I think the book I was refering to was Puppets and puppetry  by Peter Fraser.
Some other really good ones I've got for reference

Hand puppets and string puppets Lanchester, Waldo S. (old as crap but good)

The complete book of puppet theatre Currell, David.

An introduction to puppets and puppet--making Currell, David.

Puppet circus Fraser, Peter

Making and manipulating marionettes  Currell, David.

Several books by Luman Coad Coad Canada Puppets

The Foam Book Drew Allison

also I picked up a copy of Hansjürgen Fettig's Hand and rod puppets : a handbook of technique from my local library. It's really got alot of good stuff in it.
.

...also I picked up a copy of Hansjürgen Fettig's Hand and rod puppets : a handbook of technique from my local library. It's really got alot of good stuff in it.

Boy, I'm envious. I've been looking around on the web to see if that's available anywhere. So far, no luck, but you never know.

Thanks for the list.

I've been picking them up over the last 5 or six years.  Peter Fraser's books are on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Puppet-Circus-Peter-Fraser/dp/0823801195/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270598566&sr=1-1

Link no longer available.

Russell,  I love the way your puppets are turning out.  Can't wait to see how they all turn out.

I have this book by Peter Frasier. I just ordered the " Puppet Circus " now I will have both books.

Link no longer available.


Billy D.

Yep. I like old school man.  I like working with clay. Papier mache' on the other hand is very time consuming. I like the feel of it though. And the price. I may need to switch to a faster way of making heads for rod puppets in the future. Maybe make molds and use rubber?

You can dry the papier mache faster by putting the head (the puppet head I mean ) in the oven, or even in the microwave; I have done it with good results. Nevertheless, I do not know what can happen with the plasticine: I allways work with negative plaster casts, which can go to the oven

You can speed up the drying of paper mache' in the oven or microwave if it is over plasticine but you have to be really careful.  It must be a very low temperature in the oven or just a short burst in the microwave. When I cover over clay I prefer not to speed dry because of the risk.

Now when I use Creative Paper Clay over a base like a paper mache' shell or stryo egg.  The only problem yo run into with that is it tends to create cracks in the Creative Paper Clay that have to be filled in.  Using "thinner" layers of the Creative Paper Clay does help reduce the cracking in this case but that is also true of when you let it dry normally also.