Ive decided to try a new style. I want to create a puppet that can be used as a ventriloquism dummy without venturing outside my preference of foam and fabric (I've tried a traditional vent. dummy and I did not like the lack of manipulability). Onwards with my project. So far, I have designed and built a foam body with legs that looks natural sitting down and standing up. in total, it is 24" without feet or a head.  I want to create a semi-realistic character that would be pretty hip and wear a bow tie and suspenders, However, I am not sure about the shape of the head. I have pictures of what I have made but am unsure how to upload them. I would appreciate any reference pictures, ideas, patterns, or feedback you guys have.

Thank you,  JDD

The images are in my gallery.

The body and legs look great so far, and I love the little extra sections on the legs that sort of make knees when the legs are bent! it looks like you are doing a great job. I make an awful lot of puppets that are intended to be used both as a puppet from behind a screen and also as a ventriloquists puppet beside a performer, so I know where you are coming from with this!!
Have you decided if you are going to give it arms rods like a traditional screen puppet or elbow/wrist rods like a soft ventriloquists puppet? the puppet I have as my avatar has a mechanism that allows him to be both, you can insert rods into the palms of his hands and his wrists are floppy and flexible for manipulation and gesturing, but you can also insert a rod into his elbows and the mechanism makes the wrists stiff like a ventriloquists doll so that you can gesture from the elbow!!

I am not sure what you are asking when you say "I am not sure about the shape of the head.".  Do you use a pattern now for your puppets?  I kind of wonder since you say "semi-realistic character", that you are trying to get away from the traditional hand in mouth puppet look. Grey Seal has "The Foam Book" which might be a good starting point for you.  That being said even the traditional patterns can be give quite a bit of character. Check out the Project Puppet Gallery. Now if it happens to be the wide mouth that you are wanting to avoid then it may be you need to look at sculpting your puppet out of a block of foam.

-jee- I have not decided on the arm rods yet. do you have a picture or sketch of the mechanism you used? Also, how high up the back do you make the hole for your hand?

-Shawn- I have not used a pattern on this puppet but I have in the past. my first one was the roly from project puppet. for the semi-realistic, I just meant something that looks pretty human but still puppety. for this one i was thinking either a round (circular) head or a slight punto. Do you think an enlarged roly would look ok? I'm just having trouble trying to find something that would look natural with the body.
The foam book looks really cool, thanks.

-JDD

Base shape of the head would have no bearing on how human or realistic the puppet ends up looking. It is what you put on top of that base shape that makes the difference.  If up put say a round red ball as the nose and big wiggle eyes on it then it is going to look like a cartoon, but if you shaped a nose of foam to look like a humans and then placed more realistic doll eyes in the puppet you end up with a more realistic look.

If you have ever taken any drawing classes, one of the first things they teach is to see the basic shape beneath what you are drawing.  Every persons face has a different basic shape Some round some oval etc.  These are the basic shapes PP patterns are.

Jeezbo, how do you attach or dis-attach the rods to hands and elbows? I have not found a really effective way of doing it.