i' m a french pupeteer but i live in Italy. This site is wonderfull. I want to learn to make my puppets. Can i find all materials in Italy?
  Grazie mille.

I would bet that you could find materials.  We would need to know what type of puppets you want to make.  It looks like by your avatar image that you are using Glove puppets.  There are many different materials that can be used to make those.  The most basic would be Paper Mache' which is just old paper and wheat past over a form.  The form is normally soft platicine clay that can be dug out.  See if you can find an art supply or hobby store in your area.

I was looking closer at the pictures you uploaded to the Gallery and it looks like they are made out of wood.  You could use a soft wood like Balsa and learn to carve wood but it would be easier to start with the Plasticine clay and Paper Mache' process.

Welcome to Puppets and Stuff...................... I see you have met our Head Puppet in Charge, Shawn. The others will be along shortly.

Billy D.

Hi

Welcome to P&S...start with some easy to make puppets like the glove ones...you can also make
with paper, cloth, carved wood head or papermache as suggested by Shawn...better still try some
puppets using socks...of course muppet style puppets using foam are equally interesting..later you can
try marionettes.  Puppet making is a kind of addiction for many ...once you get the hang of it you can keep
on trying different characters. Travel with us in your journey of puppetry through P&S.
 


Bhanu


 

Hi, welcome to the madhouse! 

May I ask, where in France do you come from? I lived there for a couple of years in the early Eighties, and after returning studied Italian briefly at university in hopes of traveling there as well. Alas, it was not to be.



Ron G.

   to P&S

Ah, y Mil Gracia!

Miguel!

Carving foam blocks (you just need some scissors) works very well for hand puppets. You can see good results here

http://www.latiendita.info/paginas/duendes.htm and here http://www.latiendita.info/paginas/caritas.htm

Carving foam you can create a hole in the block of foam (i.e. up and down the mouth) to insert your fingers, and the face will change when moving the fingers.

You can create interesting characters by this method...thanks Jorge for the links.
I made three such puppets 2 yrs ago using cleaning sponge. Will post the pics...

Bhanu

Man! Eso si que esta bueno! Una de las mejores paginas online que he visto por aqui. Nunca he tratado esculpir foam, pero me encantaria tratar esa tecnica.
Gracias, Jorge por ese hayasgo, que me da ispiracion tratar cosas nuevas en este campo!

Miguel!