puppetmaker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
puppetmaker) wrote2019-10-15 09:45 am
puppetmaker) wrote2019-10-15 09:45 am
Crafty Tuesday RTBTCKI
Crafty Tuesday RTBTCKI I craft because I care
I thought I would start with some book recommendations for people who are interested in building puppets and costumes and crafty stuff.
New one I have gotten and read through is Foam Patterning and Construction Techniques: Turning 2D Designs into 3D Shapes by Mary McClung. It covers just about every topic you might need on foam and how to use it. It is useful for puppets, costuming, and prop making. Well illustrated and well put together it is very useful to get your idea from 2-d (a drawing say) to a 3-d realized object in this realm.
Of course my go to for years, to the point of having to buy a second copy because I destroyed my first one from you, is The Foam Book by Drew Allison and Donald Devet of Grey Seal Puppets. That book was my hand guide to foam construction for years. Lots of solid information with great illustrations.
Another books that I like is Dressing the Naked Hand which is a nifty book about building puppets that has a little something for every skill level.
For mechanics in rod puppets I recommend Hobey Ford’s Rod Puppetry. Not quite a how to book but lots of information on creating amazing rod puppets. He breaks down the mechanism in lovely drawings.
John Kennedy has two books for the beginner or a teacher who wants to incorporate puppetry into their classroom along with tips that are great for the experienced puppet builder. They are Puppet Mania and Puppet Planet: The Most Amazing Puppet-Making Book in the Universe. Good books if you want to take a stab at making puppets.
Another good one for working with children is 10 minute puppets by Noel MacNeal. And most of these projects can be done in 10 minutes after the prep work is done.
Now that you have the puppet, how do you dress them? This question is answered in Cheralyn Lambeth’s The Well-Dressed Puppet: A Guide to Creating Puppet Costumes. A good guide in how to create costumes for your puppets. She also has a great costuming book entitled Creating the Character Costume: Tools, Tips, and Talks with Top Costumers and Cosplayers. A lot of that book can be translated for puppet use.
Puppets and Puppet Theater by David Currell is still in print and a solid book on puppetry both the history and how to build puppets. I can highly recommend all the books by David Currell. The older ones can be found in libraries and occasionally for sale by used booksellers. He also has books on shadow puppets and marionettes. His books I have consulted for various ways of making puppets over the years. I also like reading the history about puppets that he puts into his books.
Of course there is the Muppets make Puppets which is a fun books indeed.
Now I have to get my glues from Amazon because none of my local hobby stores or hardware shops stock 3M 77 which I use or barge cement. Both have to be used in a well ventilated area with a respirator with the proper cartridges for glue. Be very careful because you do not want health problems down the line.
Most of my fabric and foam comes from our local fabric shops with an occasional trip to the city to find that elusive fabric that I need for the look I am creating. If all else fails there is dye and markers I can use to create my fabric.
I am grateful for books on puppetry.
I thought I would start with some book recommendations for people who are interested in building puppets and costumes and crafty stuff.
New one I have gotten and read through is Foam Patterning and Construction Techniques: Turning 2D Designs into 3D Shapes by Mary McClung. It covers just about every topic you might need on foam and how to use it. It is useful for puppets, costuming, and prop making. Well illustrated and well put together it is very useful to get your idea from 2-d (a drawing say) to a 3-d realized object in this realm.
Of course my go to for years, to the point of having to buy a second copy because I destroyed my first one from you, is The Foam Book by Drew Allison and Donald Devet of Grey Seal Puppets. That book was my hand guide to foam construction for years. Lots of solid information with great illustrations.
Another books that I like is Dressing the Naked Hand which is a nifty book about building puppets that has a little something for every skill level.
For mechanics in rod puppets I recommend Hobey Ford’s Rod Puppetry. Not quite a how to book but lots of information on creating amazing rod puppets. He breaks down the mechanism in lovely drawings.
John Kennedy has two books for the beginner or a teacher who wants to incorporate puppetry into their classroom along with tips that are great for the experienced puppet builder. They are Puppet Mania and Puppet Planet: The Most Amazing Puppet-Making Book in the Universe. Good books if you want to take a stab at making puppets.
Another good one for working with children is 10 minute puppets by Noel MacNeal. And most of these projects can be done in 10 minutes after the prep work is done.
Now that you have the puppet, how do you dress them? This question is answered in Cheralyn Lambeth’s The Well-Dressed Puppet: A Guide to Creating Puppet Costumes. A good guide in how to create costumes for your puppets. She also has a great costuming book entitled Creating the Character Costume: Tools, Tips, and Talks with Top Costumers and Cosplayers. A lot of that book can be translated for puppet use.
Puppets and Puppet Theater by David Currell is still in print and a solid book on puppetry both the history and how to build puppets. I can highly recommend all the books by David Currell. The older ones can be found in libraries and occasionally for sale by used booksellers. He also has books on shadow puppets and marionettes. His books I have consulted for various ways of making puppets over the years. I also like reading the history about puppets that he puts into his books.
Of course there is the Muppets make Puppets which is a fun books indeed.
Now I have to get my glues from Amazon because none of my local hobby stores or hardware shops stock 3M 77 which I use or barge cement. Both have to be used in a well ventilated area with a respirator with the proper cartridges for glue. Be very careful because you do not want health problems down the line.
Most of my fabric and foam comes from our local fabric shops with an occasional trip to the city to find that elusive fabric that I need for the look I am creating. If all else fails there is dye and markers I can use to create my fabric.
I am grateful for books on puppetry.