Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:12:44 -0800 (PST)
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Sculpting wood (tips?)


I saw the show in Toronto in 2003 and wasn't crazy about it, but the puppets and the scenery=A0were really pretty. It's true, the sock which covers the worm's body seemed to be permanently attached, but you could have=A0guessed the way=A0was built=A0by watching the movements of the body. After explaining how you want your puppet to move, I got it will be constructed differently.
Very nice figurines :O)
Carolina


--- On Sun, 12/28/08, Mathieu René <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca> wrote:

From: Mathieu René <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Sculpting wood (tips?)
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Date: Sunday, December 28, 2008, 7:53 PM

Hi Caro.
Thanks for the details!
Your examples about wood grain are making it very easy to understand.

The tip of cutting both faces of wood so that they are perfectly flat makes 
a lot of sense.
I don't have a planing machine, nor access to one, but for the small pieces

I need to make, I'll make a stationary sandingblock on my worknbench, and 
sand each piece's face until they lie perfectly flat.

During the short holliday break, I spent hours drawing variations of the 
puppet head I want to make, and some body parts as well. As a result, aftre 
these sessions, my drawing skills are back, full strenght! It feels great, 
and I shan't let them fade away ever again.

I'm not yet sure how the tentacle-like body will work yet, I need to study 
one more form of such movements before making a first phsycial attempt in 
wood. The form I need to study is the toy snake we sometimes ee in dolalr 
stores, made of pieces of wood split in half and re-assembled over a single 
strap running through each, making a very snake-like movement. Depending on 
the type of strap, I'm guessing some alteral movement would be possible as 
well.

Mary, you mention a puppet from the show The Star Keeper, from Theatre de 
l'Oeil.
Have you seen the show, or just the website?

I have not seen the show yet, although it has been high on my list of shows 
to see, for a few years.
It just never was doable, with my schedule, somehow.
Still, I have had the occasion to try two of the marionettes a few years 
ago, and wow, what beauties, and what smooth precise movements! I don't 
remember how the body of the star keeper was made, though. He was an 
anthropomorphised worm (upper body is human-like, lower body is worm-like), 
but I didn't think of examining his inner workings. Which would have been 
diffucult at any case, his fabric skin or costume seemed quite permanently 
attached, if I remember correctly.
I can ask the puppeteers, I know two of them.
Thanks for that lead!



      
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