Carving a foam head

Mistersuperstar

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I'm just starting to get into puppet building, for my own enjoyment primarily but maybe to sell later on if I get any better at making them.
The basic sock puppet, like Kermit, is pretty easy to construct (or at least seems to be from my first attempt) but I would definitely like to try something a little more complex.
Does anyone have any tips on carving a head shape (or nose shape like Gonzo) out of block foam? More specifically, what do you use to shape the foam to get quite a smooth looking finish? So far I have come to the conclusion that a pair of scissors is definitely not the way to go! lol.
Any tips guys?
 

BorkBork

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Here's a guide with pictures on how to carve a foam head.

And here's a small one from project puppet.

Good luck on carving. Don't forget to show us what you've created later on :wink:
 

Mistersuperstar

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Here's a guide with pictures on how to carve a foam head.

And here's a small one from project puppet.

Good luck on carving. Don't forget to show us what you've created later on :wink:
Ah, cool. Thanks for that! Foam head puppets are gonna be quite a while away for me yet as I'm only just learning. I need to master the "sock" puppet first I think. :smile:
 

BorkBork

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You can do a 2 piece foam-head for the glorified sock puppet pattern.
Just use half inch sheet foam, and use the same pattern as for the fleece. Just slightly smaller.

PS. i've been learning for 7-8 years and i am still learning. I haven't done a carved head yet. Just take it step by step, doing the easiest parts first, and move on to more advanced stuff. I am just now learning blinking eyes, but that is after years of learning the basics.
 

Mistersuperstar

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You can do a 2 piece foam-head for the glorified sock puppet pattern.
Just use half inch sheet foam, and use the same pattern as for the fleece. Just slightly smaller.
Good point. I used that pattern for my first puppet (still not quite finished) and the head is quite soft so foam would pad it out nicely. I do kinda like the unpadded look tho, kinda like Kermit looks on The Muppet Show.
 
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