Building my first marionnette

[johian]

Hey fellow puppeteers, now the schoolplay is done, I have some time to do something completly different.
Doing some resurch on the net I saw a head and shoulder puppet. This is realy a cool puppet to work with...he has no legs  .
5 days ago I started with the head in clay. Then I made a mold but after making the head I wasn't realy pleased with the result. , not enough expression...  Remake for the second time...  , remake for the third time ... looks more like it. Then the hands, and body... the most difficult part had to come... the controls. I have everything ready, but I still have to paint the hands and the head and put him some clothes. In the meantime I put on some pictures.
Greetings Johian.

[johian]

the rest of the pictures

[Billy D. Fuller]

As always I'm at awe with your work................ Thanks for sharing the pictures and the building process. It is so rewarding to see someone elses work in action. It can be so motivational too.

Thank You

Billy D.

[Sonny]

Thanks for sharing the process. I does a big help for those wondering what it looks like under the costume. I love the head. What did you connect the joints with?

Thanks
Sonny

[johian]

Hallo Sony, the joints of the arms and hands are connected with peaces of leather. The head and arms are connected to the body with some kind of leather band they used in old sewing machines.

[StiqPuppet Productions]

Very good start to a great idea!

I can't wait to see it finished and possibly in action, hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge!  

Daryl H

[puppetsindecaribbean]

Hallo Johian,

Mooi gedaan hoor....groetjes uit Curacao. Sorry for the rest of you folks, will translate...."Very well made....Greetings from Curacao"
I agree, can't wait to see end results and maybe a youtube clip.....

[spam]

Thats a great start to your marionette. I have never made one before, it looks so complicated! i love the last photo of the head, he looks like a great character. i cant wait to see more photos.

going off topic a bit, Hi Puppetsindecarribean. just wanted to say I love Curacao!
I went there several years ago to put on a jetski display for yamaha in the harbour there. its a beautiful place and i dont meet many people that have been there.

Cheers
Spam 

[Jon]

Excellent work, Johian.  I realy like the head.  It has a lot of expression from both the front and the sides.  When I was a kid we made simple marionettes in school thye were a lot of fun.  I can't wait to see how you finish him.  Or is it her?

[puppetsindecaribbean]

Hi Spam,

Great to hear that someone has been here! So when was that? And where did u do the presentation?
Glad to hear that u enjoyed the island  .

[johian]

Some more pictures, mind this is a try out... the strings must be brown. A problem  : the shoulders aren't doing the thing I want them to do. They must come up more... So, the surch will go on.

[spam]

Your marionette is looking great. loving the photos. The controls look really complicated, that might be just down to my lack of knowledge on marionettes i dont know. i do know that building puppets is a very experimental process even when you have a good idea what you want and how it should look. putting that idea into reality can take e few attempts until you are happy with the result. keep up the good work.

to puppetsindecarribean,
It must have been in 2000 i think. we had to put on a jetski display in the harbour by the moving bridge. we actually jetskied under the arches of the bridge. we were made to feel very welcome and had a lovely stay. I'd like to take my wife there someday as she was unable to come at the time.

cheers Spam 

[Shawn Sorrell]

The white strings do not bother me at all.  All you have to do is preform your puppet in front of a white sheet and no one well ever see them. I do use black nylon fishing line (10lb - 20lb test) but that is because I can get it easily where I live and doesn't break easily.  Many people use the clear fishing line but I can never get knots to hold in it and think it is too stiff. It well also reflect light and often show more then black line.

Your shoulders can be built up when you add the cloths for your puppet. They are at  the level mine are before I add padding and cloths so you are on the right track.

[johian]

Hey Shawn, the problem with the shoulders is that they have to go up while I'm pulling the controls. You can see what I mean in the next clip: http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=w-QQJ0E6SWA
At the end of the clip you can realy see the shoulders, or back go up.
Maybee I must put the connection with the back lower? Experimentation is the word...

[Shawn Sorrell]

Do you have a "hinge" at both the neck and the shoulders? I think the control you are trying to replicate is dependent on that. Your string point attachments look a bit off.  It is hard to tell from the current photos.  I don't use the method you have seen at YouTube but understand the basics. From the little I can glean from the video it looks like you are combining methods they use with some I use.