Best first book on building Muppet style puppets?

[DrGonzo]

I've read some "reviews" on the foam book being disappointing.

Is there another book you would recommend as a first puppet book?

Thanks in advance!

 

[spcglider]

Strangely enough, you asked the question that most people try to avoid asking. When most people ask "how do you make a puppet?", they're really asking, "How do you build a Muppet?"... meaning they want the kind of visual results one sees when looking at Henson characters. They can identify that there's specifics involved, but they don't know what to ask. But in asking how to make a puppet, they're phrasing the question so generally that they'll invariably get the answer, "Be creative" or "Experiment".

When one asks, "How do you make a puppet?" one might as well be asking "How do you draw a picture?" There are a million ways to draw a picture. Maybe more. Starting with more drawing substrates than I can name, millions of drawing tools (including computers!), choice of subject matter, and artistic style. But if you get specific and ask, "How do I draw a picture that looks like a 1950's animation drawing of Mickey Mouse?" you will probably be able to find the specifics of how that is done. For starters, you won't use a felt-tip pen. You'll use a pencil. Perhaps several colors of pencil. And you'll do it on smooth, white paper... not something like watercolor paper or construction paper or bristol board. Etc. In the end, you'll probably learn a lot about the process of animation drawing that you'll be able to apply to other drawing projects. And that will make you a more proficient artist. The same applies to puppet building.

Most puppet builders know there are no hard and fast rules for making a puppet... only knowledge of materials, good techniques, efficient tools, and personal skills. How you combine these things allows you to build a puppet. And if you combine them in a certain way, you get a puppet that looks "Muppet-y".


The best resource I know for beginners is not a book at all, but the patterns available through Project Puppet. I often come off sounding like a paid spokesman at times, but I cannot say enough good things about their stuff. I own many of their patterns and have found them to be useful in the extreme.

Not only do they provide you with a VERY usable pattern, but they give you practical instruction on materials, techniques and methods for building Muppet-y styled puppets in general. Once you know these things, designing your own Muppet-y type puppet becomes much easier. But its a cumulative knowledge that lets you do that. And you have to start somewhere.

Which is why I always recommend the Project Puppet stuff. Its a tremendously informative launching board and educational tool.

-Gordon

 

[DrGonzo]

Strangely enough, you asked the question that most people try to avoid asking. When most people ask "how do you make a puppet?", they're really asking, "How do you build a Muppet?"... meaning they want the kind of visual results one sees when looking at Henson characters. They can identify that there's specifics involved, but they don't know what to ask. But in asking how to make a puppet, they're phrasing the question so generally that they'll invariably get the answer, "Be creative" or "Experiment".

When one asks, "How do you make a puppet?" one might as well be asking "How do you draw a picture?" There are a million ways to draw a picture. Maybe more. Starting with more drawing substrates than I can name, millions of drawing tools (including computers!), choice of subject matter, and artistic style. But if you get specific and ask, "How do I draw a picture that looks like a 1950's animation drawing of Mickey Mouse?" you will probably be able to find the specifics of how that is done. For starters, you won't use a felt-tip pen. You'll use a pencil. Perhaps several colors of pencil. And you'll do it on smooth, white paper... not something like watercolor paper or construction paper or bristol board. Etc. In the end, you'll probably learn a lot about the process of animation drawing that you'll be able to apply to other drawing projects. And that will make you a more proficient artist. The same applies to puppet building.

Most puppet builders know there are no hard and fast rules for making a puppet... only knowledge of materials, good techniques, efficient tools, and personal skills. How you combine these things allows you to build a puppet. And if you combine them in a certain way, you get a puppet that looks "Muppet-y".


The best resource I know for beginners is not a book at all, but the patterns available through Project Puppet. I often come off sounding like a paid spokesman at times, but I cannot say enough good things about their stuff. I own many of their patterns and have found them to be useful in the extreme.

Not only do they provide you with a VERY usable pattern, but they give you practical instruction on materials, techniques and methods for building Muppet-y styled puppets in general. Once you know these things, designing your own Muppet-y type puppet becomes much easier. But its a cumulative knowledge that lets you do that. And you have to start somewhere.

Which is why I always recommend the Project Puppet stuff. Its a tremendously informative launching board and educational tool.

-Gordon

Hello, Gordon!
I think I'll make a run at 1 puppet before getting the Project Puppet stuff. I will absolutely try it though and post results!

Thanks!

 

[kdking]

Hi everyone! I just joined up after lurking around the ol' forum for a while and thought I would jump in here with my 2 cents(Cdn.) If you are looking for a book with ideas for some simple to build (and rather cool looking IMHO) puppets, have you considered John Kennedy's books Puppet Mania and Puppet Planet? Puppet Planet has the patterns and instructions for a basic muppet-type human character called the Puppet President.This puppet features a 2-piece, fleece covered foam head, and glove hand arms (kind of similar to Bunsen Honeydew)
The book also features a character called Professor Foaman who has a carved foam head and rod controlled arms.
Both patterns are easily modified to build other characters

 

[spcglider]

Good suggestion, KDKing!

-G

 

[kdking]

Good suggestion, KDKing!

-G

Thanks G. I'm glad you agree(OMG I'M SPEAKING IN RHYME!)
As a level 0 puppet maker myself, I found Mr. Kennedy's books very helpful. I am in the process of building my first puppet. Using a pattern from Puppet Mania called Sock Puppy I am modifying it to make....Sock Kermit

 

[Gelfling Girl]

Well, I haven't built any puppets yet, but the Foam Book DVDs are quite helpful.

 

[spcglider]

Once again, there aren't any really hard an fast rules of building a puppet... and different people learn in different ways.

One person will find The Foam Book incredibly helpful. Others will like the Project Puppet patterns. While yet others will reinvent the whole thing themselves and never look back.

Its all good.

-Gordon

 

[alfers1985]

Agreed , there are many resources for making puppets. I prefer the play soup videos. www.playsoup.com

 

[Buck-Beaver]

The Project Puppet patterns are fantastic if you're looking to learn how to build a puppet in a simple, straight forward way. If you want to learn how to make your own patterns and build characters from your own designs the Playsoup videos are the way to go.