I posted the same topic back at MC but i'll try here too, so i'll just post the same message:

I've never been good at making torsos, and i could really need some help. I know i could easily do a wedge thing, or a tube body, but that is a bit boring. I was thinking of torsos like these:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1388/1336124949_c12d9c0354.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1229/1336155591_484b8e2502_o.jpg

I had an idea about doing a wireframe with small gauge wire, and tracing out foam between the wires. I don't know if it will work though....

I am really lousy at coming up with new patterns, so if anyone here feels they might be able to help it would be great!

Thanks

If you noticed the bodies in the picture below............. It all starts with the drawing. Each puppet had a body shape already determined by the drawing.



Try drawing some cartoon like characters and then try and scetch some body shapes. You will be surprised at the ideas that will pop in your head.

You can always use a pattern but try to be creative


Billy D.

Take a piece of foam and glue it into a tube.  Then start playing with it. Pinch it here and there to see how it changes the shape.  Cut a slice into the foam and insert a triangle. Cut a triangle and glue it together.  I think doing this well start to give you an idea of how you could modify the shape of a body.

Something I notice in the bodies in the picture is the use of boning (plastic or metal strips covered in fabric, can be found at sewing stores) to reinforce both the neck opening and the spine of the puppet.  I have used other methods but I like this one. I can see how it may come in handy even in the head of a puppet to reinforce or hold a shape. Hmmmm.....

I remembered that i have the David Pannabecker video on how to build puppets so i took a look at it and tried to duplicate that pattern. It turned out quite good and i have also reinforced with wireing in the neck and sleeve openings. It's pretty sturdy. I'll see if i can post some pics later on.

Hi:

Visualize a football (or actually buy a cheap one and disassemble it).  It's made up of 4 symmetrical lozengoids.  This results in the familiar football shape.  If you were to cut the points off the pieces so that the ends of the finished shape were gone you would end up with something approaching a puppet body.  If those points were cut off so that the resulting circular openings were a larger diameter at the bottom than at the top then you would achieve a neck and waist.  The curves of the body would also be symmetrical at the top and bottom. 

Taking this one step further you can arrive at an asymmetrical shape, say a pot belly.  Redrawing the curves wider where the belly would be does this.  Keep in mind that the mating curves should be the same so that everything lines up.  You can then modify the mating curves so that the body sticks out or "sticks in" where you want it to.

Also, what Shawn said works too.  A wedge inserted into a pattern, called a dart just like in clothing, will make the shape wider.  The edges of the dart can be straight, convex or concave to create different shapes.

Work prototypes up in thin cardboard or in scrap foam before cutting new material that way you don't waste materials.  The cardboard won't give you a the exact final shape you would render in foam, but it's a good material to test ideas on.  You can also work out ideas in a smaller scale then scale up by various methods (photocopier enlargement, squaring up or the grid method, etc).

You can use reverse engineering, i.e. disassembling stuffed animals and other things to see what another design does, kind of like taking the football apart. 

Finally, consider carving or sculpting instead of panel construction.  Like Michaelangelo said, "Remove everything that doesn't look like your puppet body." (an obvious paraphrase)

I hope this has been of help.

Marty

Here's the torso i made:



It has a little belly at the front, but it didn't turn out as round as i had hoped. I'm still happy about the first try.

You can modify it to make the belly larger.  Cut a dart (or several if you think that is what it will take)  in the middle area that you want to change.  Then glue in an arrowhead shaped piece (the dart).  The sides of the dart should be equal length.  You may have to trim off the waist area to make it even.

Hope that helps.

Marty

Looks great to me.    Hopefully it was a great experience and next time you will go into it with more confidence.

Daryl H

Hey:

What's up with puppetbuilding.com?  The site seems to be down all day today?

Marty

Andrew might be by sometime to explain this.  It does seem to go into that mode every once in a while.

It is a hard site not to have access to 24 hours a day....it is full of unique idea's.

Daryl H