tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65756438201088136032024-03-18T09:40:20.128-07:00The Lone AnimatorAmateur fantasy and monster movies made with love!Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-47978303342152354932024-03-12T10:55:00.000-07:002024-03-12T10:55:25.659-07:00Will-O-The-Wisp<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z856I56lRCY?si=VNCooK7sx7EeiUZn" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kdl3bWyT6JTjESDOY2vMUyvD0foyIXvzxe5UsqG0qKSbUrBP8eQF8XU8VEN3a8aLIxx_y7KT-FZ0DyyqWP6ojBxmAFygZYjjK01-VQN7NH1JQpCoxnu5yU1_egrqvWIa1Gd2G9N0Ihz0E3KWuWbWm7d3qQKpwiY0g9-nHfIyEiSzJc6qLl7QhuR8IO-1/s351/Mason_Cawein_1905.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="244" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kdl3bWyT6JTjESDOY2vMUyvD0foyIXvzxe5UsqG0qKSbUrBP8eQF8XU8VEN3a8aLIxx_y7KT-FZ0DyyqWP6ojBxmAFygZYjjK01-VQN7NH1JQpCoxnu5yU1_egrqvWIa1Gd2G9N0Ihz0E3KWuWbWm7d3qQKpwiY0g9-nHfIyEiSzJc6qLl7QhuR8IO-1/s320/Mason_Cawein_1905.jpeg" width="222" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last year I discovered American author and poet Madison Cawein, nicknamed The Keats of Kentucky since much of his output centered around his native state. I turned 50 this year, and I haven't exactly been a lazy wastrel, but Cawein, who passed away at 49, had at the time of his death 36 books and 1500 poems to his credit. I wilted a bit when I found that out, looking back at my life thus far and finding my output depressingly poor by comparison. His poem "Will-O-The-Wisp" is haunting, creepy, and a bit melancholy, and I thought it would make a good project for my YouTube channel.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-s_oOADqWmHZzG97ojiVBdScaW-fmh4KiDB4Ux3ubCZK7IqzZOxfKf3QuiCRdZkiXqyHvkhAzYL-uhPJKAD3SghogTcieL9-RG6lvkihDDh_sXn1Q2Sug5aYhFicbAZf2VXwTWDWf7cJJfDwiIJ7JmfczX_SRGe2hxl7IQQgJiy3jQfu9J7PhTcMG9PmK/s1890/will%20o1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1725" data-original-width="1890" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-s_oOADqWmHZzG97ojiVBdScaW-fmh4KiDB4Ux3ubCZK7IqzZOxfKf3QuiCRdZkiXqyHvkhAzYL-uhPJKAD3SghogTcieL9-RG6lvkihDDh_sXn1Q2Sug5aYhFicbAZf2VXwTWDWf7cJJfDwiIJ7JmfczX_SRGe2hxl7IQQgJiy3jQfu9J7PhTcMG9PmK/s320/will%20o1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cawein has a very detailed description of his Will-O-The-Wisp character, which I found wonderfully eccentric. It's a goblin-like creature with webbed hands and feet, with additional whippoorwill features (which I might have added through a personal interpretation). This is the clay sculpture I ended up with. The milky plastic balls (or pearls) used for eyes here also ended up as the actual eyes in the final, finished puppet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOe-8E3NM3Cg2Qu9F3ZZO-Z37fwEG0nT99vPOlf4gxRrPP94ilMYDzetIMRLQQtwodsFurHGUsrqZUEbWASa_fUT_9LW_-uxDtcFDD1xxjszo9ar9lHvbxnsH8UdK98YN9LaJXJlCYLVh8bRpdo0YGfYLKnWbTgyB3mhDs7CQ4wC8krkhP0RwOYPSnVQrl/s1890/will%20o2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="1890" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOe-8E3NM3Cg2Qu9F3ZZO-Z37fwEG0nT99vPOlf4gxRrPP94ilMYDzetIMRLQQtwodsFurHGUsrqZUEbWASa_fUT_9LW_-uxDtcFDD1xxjszo9ar9lHvbxnsH8UdK98YN9LaJXJlCYLVh8bRpdo0YGfYLKnWbTgyB3mhDs7CQ4wC8krkhP0RwOYPSnVQrl/s320/will%20o2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I used dense dental plaster to make a mold for my sculpture. Sometimes I use white hobby plaster, which is softer and cheaper, but for sculptures I've spent a bit of time on I use the denser dental plaster, so I know the mold will last for a while.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-jdTn3Ay8bFPkt7pjJYfWWjJjYyCW3tatYrIk8bqnSBbgvrae9mEZnXuWCNcEu2T_fFq9WcaLroo3yjkf45QbZRn8nKPX30cY5CMBFoKRWADj-wg-2nk0gJLQQW9b5KEzz6Kms20ldXoRzII3yJMCeX7v0pl0MLLBGxDC0WNG2yABgVlQCUftMzEAXoZ/s1575/will%20o3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1341" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-jdTn3Ay8bFPkt7pjJYfWWjJjYyCW3tatYrIk8bqnSBbgvrae9mEZnXuWCNcEu2T_fFq9WcaLroo3yjkf45QbZRn8nKPX30cY5CMBFoKRWADj-wg-2nk0gJLQQW9b5KEzz6Kms20ldXoRzII3yJMCeX7v0pl0MLLBGxDC0WNG2yABgVlQCUftMzEAXoZ/s320/will%20o3.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By now, you're already familiar with how I make bat-like wings, pressing down my armature in plaster and "painting" in the web sections with latex over both the armature and the plaster surface. The webbing between the fingers and toes was made this way, only I used clay instead of plaster.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrXJUvCavXnfeoxqNfdKUloRLJaC966Thnezk4q26y3f9EyIFtFL5qvVcQ7QbiQQG-rLAb7uci6iraWwWLySog3M1hSgCmj3EJdHW7f-EquI4JjfeDF0tMbxPo8B_VfZc2aCdh04EAPLPdNQrQbKibHasSHoR7YIjJv5YNW-13_H8t5eVvDGWiA0cuJBc/s1890/will%20o4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrXJUvCavXnfeoxqNfdKUloRLJaC966Thnezk4q26y3f9EyIFtFL5qvVcQ7QbiQQG-rLAb7uci6iraWwWLySog3M1hSgCmj3EJdHW7f-EquI4JjfeDF0tMbxPo8B_VfZc2aCdh04EAPLPdNQrQbKibHasSHoR7YIjJv5YNW-13_H8t5eVvDGWiA0cuJBc/s320/will%20o4.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made a very simple aluminum armature, held together with blobs of thermoplastic. Another blob was stuck to the bum of the puppet, where I inserted a square nail to create an attachment point for a flying rig. I've been recommended for years to turn from using a threaded bolt in the puppet and a flying rig arm with a threaded rod, and instead use a square rod and a square hole. That's all fine and dandy like sugar candy, but it's proven impossible for me to find square rods small enough to work for puppets, OR if I've found them, the materials have been prohibitively expensive. For example, you can buy a professional flying rig with the square rod solution, but the cost for that is currently beyond me. So, I figured I could do my own homemade version. However, the plastic attachment point proved to become slightly ground away by the metal nail inserted into it after a while, making the connection between the two parts quite loose. So, that was one experiment that turned out to not work as hoped.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The light yellow bits on arms and legs are thin polyurethane foam soaked in latex, and the green and darker yellow sections are ordinary foam.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIF3XUljEaGNnaFcDKv9EU4Gi2HC20vQ73chVnmHhaNhcqAmyGVld8blib2F8Lx2u0G1IWFU37X6o1HlfGCfWWD0RU4r1jDzKP59C3z_eJNqq9zzxVYUxm4rWfNLckOsXJgwBksmBnXuJiqn13aV-pR_ZtaHVvjYFmNevRWmKQ8AsUVkbw3ZHIeedEF_C_/s1890/will%20o5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1154" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIF3XUljEaGNnaFcDKv9EU4Gi2HC20vQ73chVnmHhaNhcqAmyGVld8blib2F8Lx2u0G1IWFU37X6o1HlfGCfWWD0RU4r1jDzKP59C3z_eJNqq9zzxVYUxm4rWfNLckOsXJgwBksmBnXuJiqn13aV-pR_ZtaHVvjYFmNevRWmKQ8AsUVkbw3ZHIeedEF_C_/s320/will%20o5.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's the puppet covered with patches of tinted latex cast in skin texture molds.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_k_hszOTVkxomoyLWiV_iJUFO7H6JrXtQJSNoGZH_P15k5fMIp2dNBJFuLe-oWRtNgD6qeUj504QF3NTO6_gaG_CR-scOq6DHz9eKA2QQu-1a354L1jg8gHPIL_HKCn7A5HBrFFFAEJEHQBpdMBeTRwSErQJ7GWFZolfzdNqH4KaXeuK-9ZfrcBobQsa/s1890/will%20o6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1475" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_k_hszOTVkxomoyLWiV_iJUFO7H6JrXtQJSNoGZH_P15k5fMIp2dNBJFuLe-oWRtNgD6qeUj504QF3NTO6_gaG_CR-scOq6DHz9eKA2QQu-1a354L1jg8gHPIL_HKCn7A5HBrFFFAEJEHQBpdMBeTRwSErQJ7GWFZolfzdNqH4KaXeuK-9ZfrcBobQsa/s320/will%20o6.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here I've dabbed the puppet with tinted latex. It got a few more thin coats until it had a pale blue look.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YQj9o0gYx4WrAj3wAYQm_MAelGtuYxB6TNggFDkVb_dM5CK3ua9jMOp0g80o_jSt7PGsE7zfdvGvj_WVelf6K2YJY1tXWfHJeM2E3TeUYk2MeY1syzVxO1BCNYR200Mv-kWEufZ7L5mA3SlSSBLXHWeTv-hGKuoEepN47gyElqdFYXOODJxKe0tklWnm/s1890/will%20o%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1079" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YQj9o0gYx4WrAj3wAYQm_MAelGtuYxB6TNggFDkVb_dM5CK3ua9jMOp0g80o_jSt7PGsE7zfdvGvj_WVelf6K2YJY1tXWfHJeM2E3TeUYk2MeY1syzVxO1BCNYR200Mv-kWEufZ7L5mA3SlSSBLXHWeTv-hGKuoEepN47gyElqdFYXOODJxKe0tklWnm/s320/will%20o%20klar1.jpg" width="183" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLq23WXvueP6YAWDIMgXshd-AVThRTQtyRjJRRcHKdEnLjhssmA4tECYPRMOix1qu0SjXSPbwsdAh54Ej-LBv1u1mUIJ-PNLveN-klCRcBN4wLgtSEK5odObhnuapxKcqsrsAD7yKAOYEzx3EBAmEoBK6Q1Qi-buU_MJlZA8c_I8975tjtu28Txv-1zil/s1890/will%20o%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLq23WXvueP6YAWDIMgXshd-AVThRTQtyRjJRRcHKdEnLjhssmA4tECYPRMOix1qu0SjXSPbwsdAh54Ej-LBv1u1mUIJ-PNLveN-klCRcBN4wLgtSEK5odObhnuapxKcqsrsAD7yKAOYEzx3EBAmEoBK6Q1Qi-buU_MJlZA8c_I8975tjtu28Txv-1zil/s320/will%20o%20klar2.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBDecOXxOFKJLBa26Zlxy7aHtBtb-6I3qTgPgWfpsEsWQzlTmvgLi0vq98iEePN3XSvYu-_WAQwLXdm7saoe4GHL_keBwGb-KxJdgIGYKZHk-frtuzg4lNvKQQeY11k5fBJ2viEEUW4VdhVf_0xcWUOzSTPpKwStYNIf2DjcnPWVx7nEHXwCmFDOE-oMO/s1890/will%20o%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBDecOXxOFKJLBa26Zlxy7aHtBtb-6I3qTgPgWfpsEsWQzlTmvgLi0vq98iEePN3XSvYu-_WAQwLXdm7saoe4GHL_keBwGb-KxJdgIGYKZHk-frtuzg4lNvKQQeY11k5fBJ2viEEUW4VdhVf_0xcWUOzSTPpKwStYNIf2DjcnPWVx7nEHXwCmFDOE-oMO/s320/will%20o%20klar3.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I added a few bits of cotton dipped in latex to the mouth to make it look a bit more like the beak of a whipporwill. That strange bird also has some sort of bristles around its mouth so I added something like that too. The fetching hat and loincloth are made from "chunks-o-flesh" using latex tinted bone white -better explained it's latex applied to a flat surface, torn up when dry and allowed to bunch up into clumps of web-like material. 1 mm aluminum wires are hidden in the clothing items to make the flap in the wind during animation.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpx5YfBHkXQsVqhyiD2Kidv8EsI6HIYtYUOVRoYnHzvn8pW9rjE5PWNr4PFVdI0whv_FPAQJnUohf4f5CKw-gNri5lLWOU8cTVq1HI2Wh0klS_Aw8HBL8JbRctchOgGjgRI5_NMRgTVQDN4pKTBR_GMaOvB6Gbslp2cmeMPfKkRYaTUvtLmNVw9tV-A14/s1890/will_o_reeds.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpx5YfBHkXQsVqhyiD2Kidv8EsI6HIYtYUOVRoYnHzvn8pW9rjE5PWNr4PFVdI0whv_FPAQJnUohf4f5CKw-gNri5lLWOU8cTVq1HI2Wh0klS_Aw8HBL8JbRctchOgGjgRI5_NMRgTVQDN4pKTBR_GMaOvB6Gbslp2cmeMPfKkRYaTUvtLmNVw9tV-A14/s320/will_o_reeds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The backgrounds are a mixed bag of stills and footage, all of it from various stock media sources. For example, the background in the shot above is a close-up of real reeds slowly moving, while the reeds in front are CG animated.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bY0jfctzl4XyvWuZ1_3U9l5Gw5uWW9-jeX-r2yq72Bjwt9t2igw82B2FxnSX16uTs74Bul1rpQR7o7dLoyT3LnadOV7a4ViSOw4C05P3A6rvTEUcCQjsMFZRGFeeW_c0EXmGjC_zsh16NKOR_B4ydfaDy2pTUxBTtmLRkd43TEy231KMGxUMRgEhrp__/s1890/will_o_swamp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bY0jfctzl4XyvWuZ1_3U9l5Gw5uWW9-jeX-r2yq72Bjwt9t2igw82B2FxnSX16uTs74Bul1rpQR7o7dLoyT3LnadOV7a4ViSOw4C05P3A6rvTEUcCQjsMFZRGFeeW_c0EXmGjC_zsh16NKOR_B4ydfaDy2pTUxBTtmLRkd43TEy231KMGxUMRgEhrp__/s320/will_o_swamp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last shot is of a sickly-looking swamp, where the Will-O-The-Wisp encounters the spirit of a drowned man (the man is another stock image), is actually my first AI-generated image, made with Adobe AI. I think it worked out pretty well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I enjoy making videos based on poems, especially if they're moody and within the horror or fantasy genre. There's a bunch of them out there, so this one won't be my last adaptation.</div><br /> <p></p>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-30286225553057239842024-02-15T11:19:00.000-08:002024-02-15T11:19:29.728-08:00Rumble On Monster Island<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ayC8HDoFmkY?si=ONeFy_-n11GVJpHj" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p> I've always been a fan of clunky monster B-movies. Though I know they've all been cynically produced with profit in mind, and with hardly any artistic ambition, to me, they somehow achieve some kind of bizarre artistry -be it completely accidentally. Many of these old movies have a certain atmosphere, even creepiness sometimes. The monster designs range from the ingenious to the ludicrous. At any rate, they're seldom uninteresting. I decided to make some kind of tribute and create stop-motion versions of some of these creatures. I did a "Robot Monster" tribute a few years ago and that turned out to be pretty well-liked. My idea was to clump some of these critters together on the same island and see how they'd get along -or not. The inspiration is, of course, the Monster Island of the Toho Godzilla movies.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08Z6CtDms2ywxhACSqetaKoVij7tCgU4nRPWA2A7Q9gVgRK02bJzWo9zENG3SJrSdaut5BaDE-MiX9qElC7RSIUyYvJVRlJZ8qGn9pExNbjnLkJ0lyarNKNVypNvJS0D7_qM53Q6UxaAJdPxDGOAmhtBvxN3gTEpojsNMXio6kbXfGxlEC0R5jD5qL_cP/s1280/From-Hell-It-Came-1957.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1280" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08Z6CtDms2ywxhACSqetaKoVij7tCgU4nRPWA2A7Q9gVgRK02bJzWo9zENG3SJrSdaut5BaDE-MiX9qElC7RSIUyYvJVRlJZ8qGn9pExNbjnLkJ0lyarNKNVypNvJS0D7_qM53Q6UxaAJdPxDGOAmhtBvxN3gTEpojsNMXio6kbXfGxlEC0R5jD5qL_cP/s320/From-Hell-It-Came-1957.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The first monster we encounter is Tabonga from the gloriously titled movie "From Hell It Came" (1957.) In the film, Tabonga is this very bulky rubber suit tree man designed by monster-maker Paul Blaisdell, though he didn't build this suit himself. Tabonga is, probably due to the restrictiveness of the costume, not the most lively of monsters. I tried to give him more motion with my animation.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1FaqBEy1zjXcEc3kIKH4u6Plivt7t11eDaHvjeHNvxstVf-jfkQSjMHVykZaJNZhxBVA_eB8uXk2PslyL9e6CGsXHlRaCeyQlKoxebK_KoKhD89sAkUgJ37SSvjiXLRj4VDf5XywWBaHCsH5VVpBIP1hfjYDWFmyQ0EtA5eWfcZL6OqIQ3LGX0iTIQ91/s1890/tabonga1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1640" data-original-width="1890" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1FaqBEy1zjXcEc3kIKH4u6Plivt7t11eDaHvjeHNvxstVf-jfkQSjMHVykZaJNZhxBVA_eB8uXk2PslyL9e6CGsXHlRaCeyQlKoxebK_KoKhD89sAkUgJ37SSvjiXLRj4VDf5XywWBaHCsH5VVpBIP1hfjYDWFmyQ0EtA5eWfcZL6OqIQ3LGX0iTIQ91/s320/tabonga1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I sculpted his face and jaw in medium-grade Monster Clay, plus a small slab of bark-like texture to create a skin texture mold for the character.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaIA6YQIc9ZSue-DnG2UNqBtgAVUIDuBmGqMQr8-h3MAauHh94boeXXPFnNSz775bkRMCRStX8tb3mJnvch9XYhrS27tAdx6DrUsB-CHYDqebFvz3CjzX6eKU5Vh0U0ALvvX5j2Wa9fDm60sV5bvogFwxG75klfRWKT_S5gszsIGp2tPbBAYt6lhTm84Q/s1890/tabonga2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1573" data-original-width="1890" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaIA6YQIc9ZSue-DnG2UNqBtgAVUIDuBmGqMQr8-h3MAauHh94boeXXPFnNSz775bkRMCRStX8tb3mJnvch9XYhrS27tAdx6DrUsB-CHYDqebFvz3CjzX6eKU5Vh0U0ALvvX5j2Wa9fDm60sV5bvogFwxG75klfRWKT_S5gszsIGp2tPbBAYt6lhTm84Q/s320/tabonga2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The aluminum wire and thermoplastic armature is very simple, basically imitating the stiffness of the original Tabonga, though offering possibilities of more motion in the arms and legs. The dimensions are pretty close the the original suit. A single 2 mm wire loop controls the jaw. The eyes are plastic balls, pearls from an old fake pearl necklace, painted and coated with clear resin. The eyeballs are placed in sockets made from silicone clay, and held in place with thermoplastic.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6Om5Mq-v0vUylQ0ypxXW73tnGCL22rQlqkEw6nM_DthZDcjAL43SfWHSmBjKgxUobEAcfyHHTuvwrOIXwSEZ-zPsaRyWOJo0XeSvqLVBxVLRQ_DMk0P1FkCgH5Pdo_9JdgIlibZcRbo1i2Ql5GFQBG23V_WFN_HVKTEjItSE1NNpet1fmahgVKdqQB0H/s1890/tabonga3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="1890" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6Om5Mq-v0vUylQ0ypxXW73tnGCL22rQlqkEw6nM_DthZDcjAL43SfWHSmBjKgxUobEAcfyHHTuvwrOIXwSEZ-zPsaRyWOJo0XeSvqLVBxVLRQ_DMk0P1FkCgH5Pdo_9JdgIlibZcRbo1i2Ql5GFQBG23V_WFN_HVKTEjItSE1NNpet1fmahgVKdqQB0H/s320/tabonga3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Since the puppet would be covered with very detailed bark-like skin, I didn't add more than the necessary shapes when putting on the foam padding over the armature.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinA9Hp6yw0LCet49qOeYrVio4sPQvjppVb2cQoJpYHYbTkZRcWNlsovr0eMc8Jc07kGpFs_nBcN5v2rNm_RV7wqU_D9F8qUKO19yhS_53RkImKavVXjNtzGdyYtlin0dvR-PcfRb8YSvck31nXUOAq66jm_KgUG6zWa9klWtHaR8e_08Y01FK9zd8aqxXs/s1890/tabonga4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1635" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinA9Hp6yw0LCet49qOeYrVio4sPQvjppVb2cQoJpYHYbTkZRcWNlsovr0eMc8Jc07kGpFs_nBcN5v2rNm_RV7wqU_D9F8qUKO19yhS_53RkImKavVXjNtzGdyYtlin0dvR-PcfRb8YSvck31nXUOAq66jm_KgUG6zWa9klWtHaR8e_08Y01FK9zd8aqxXs/s320/tabonga4.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Tabonga has a bunch of branches on his head and shoulders. I built these up using cotton, tissue paper, and latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbYB2iXqZwMU1LQexJYy-Yj9lfolldJ8yNUMtJG7l9mUyLeLrLfctRo1_EOn9BAZGScS86W8FsXqZePc953zSGsNfhRpAWEonBBUMKznk54Gfns6TR13xfjhEZvpdyyvw2iboOtKxHnVdJIzfXRJHiKYUQS0mDN5eJcKB9XIiTuLGbKGo0XOffCubJ1uT/s1890/tabonga5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1186" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbYB2iXqZwMU1LQexJYy-Yj9lfolldJ8yNUMtJG7l9mUyLeLrLfctRo1_EOn9BAZGScS86W8FsXqZePc953zSGsNfhRpAWEonBBUMKznk54Gfns6TR13xfjhEZvpdyyvw2iboOtKxHnVdJIzfXRJHiKYUQS0mDN5eJcKB9XIiTuLGbKGo0XOffCubJ1uT/s320/tabonga5.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the puppet completely covered with textured latex skin. The toes are made from cotton and tinted latex. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_zH6SZA9KEs1RCI-Nn2tqDSsEb26GbSvq5RL_ITGlkV3KBygHdYQh5T8PjVG4OEnjwnEwORZVHnQ7xVKnH1AjhORcY2ec_sXNGIbdACRhYU6aUhFMGNp6ihUqvnjcDGyN345gh46UluEAzsEoupTn8aBz974G_lAErat9E_Jn6pU0t0hWk7GkR6G1hI5/s1890/tabonga%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1108" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_zH6SZA9KEs1RCI-Nn2tqDSsEb26GbSvq5RL_ITGlkV3KBygHdYQh5T8PjVG4OEnjwnEwORZVHnQ7xVKnH1AjhORcY2ec_sXNGIbdACRhYU6aUhFMGNp6ihUqvnjcDGyN345gh46UluEAzsEoupTn8aBz974G_lAErat9E_Jn6pU0t0hWk7GkR6G1hI5/s320/tabonga%20klar1.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpb-EqbHtUKXwbXcyrvTjv4F3hx_tnN_b_6wO2gk8InLgoQ6uJarIPs-QV02uaFq-3n1i3LkvDq-i5HrVzHgrTZsA3VGXDAj7QvapRRLA-89iNNb09pGAapnpN7BsIHtDD2vK-y5cre0hcvsnu8SGcO2_-W9D5zZYMYMYm9BmynU2QbokuwxLiA9VaMKis/s1890/tabonga%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1246" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpb-EqbHtUKXwbXcyrvTjv4F3hx_tnN_b_6wO2gk8InLgoQ6uJarIPs-QV02uaFq-3n1i3LkvDq-i5HrVzHgrTZsA3VGXDAj7QvapRRLA-89iNNb09pGAapnpN7BsIHtDD2vK-y5cre0hcvsnu8SGcO2_-W9D5zZYMYMYm9BmynU2QbokuwxLiA9VaMKis/s320/tabonga%20klar2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkefL1GskPFZhNYs1IqkRf-YGeZ-qBdiJP_cTkkCz1wk9EMQRzgoiVkPx7Vu-PzZ7vBsNsf59imeBL-HfzgXcJ7QHjY8V9S-mLq087-P7phEHNYRJHBJZQfGQCUBJL8lPdx7txJI57vEAZ5QcG98i85V2No2HF-gbyBTKOAOn1SSW9ceLyb8y6M30Gixcg/s1890/tabonga%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkefL1GskPFZhNYs1IqkRf-YGeZ-qBdiJP_cTkkCz1wk9EMQRzgoiVkPx7Vu-PzZ7vBsNsf59imeBL-HfzgXcJ7QHjY8V9S-mLq087-P7phEHNYRJHBJZQfGQCUBJL8lPdx7txJI57vEAZ5QcG98i85V2No2HF-gbyBTKOAOn1SSW9ceLyb8y6M30Gixcg/s320/tabonga%20klar3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMETKH51Q34Q5D144PSE0cWU-6n_8i7938dwkpVTwKTSRk3M1Xc2AKI38FhLQNsGw1AYwZED6q4vHJZaJ2MNvPOb0KhJC_ruYsfhqndz78wLSIiBIU84ZrQbVa2Qz3x3kLQ_i7ef8mND6pEvgcgXWgf213I3LBWKCnsFd_rlABg7Kh1AICbag7At96It4/s1890/tabonga%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1145" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMETKH51Q34Q5D144PSE0cWU-6n_8i7938dwkpVTwKTSRk3M1Xc2AKI38FhLQNsGw1AYwZED6q4vHJZaJ2MNvPOb0KhJC_ruYsfhqndz78wLSIiBIU84ZrQbVa2Qz3x3kLQ_i7ef8mND6pEvgcgXWgf213I3LBWKCnsFd_rlABg7Kh1AICbag7At96It4/s320/tabonga%20klar4.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppet is dry-brushed with tinted latex using a foam sponge. The teeth are tissue paper and latex. I forgot to add one important thing from the original movie, something you see in my finished film: A white dagger sticking out from Tabonga's chest. That dagger is a magical item that animates the monster into life in the movie. My dagger was made from a splinter of wood covered with plumber's epoxy. I cut a small slit through the latex skin and glued down the dagger into the foam padding.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29XI9JAh3YQqAmVJuVDnF4_6YAIYKH06Rwrhmq4djRzphroiyKGZPu_NOV7qhstH5m7VN7uNEnB1JE956Zz-FSW8JYcvop1BTZuW4Ie6n22dnyz56OJG6o_2A-Kz_SwwiV-Eqy8U8ajoDWPhGkPKV77DKWHYoz4rQwmbos4Jm1SLVn0pbgLGaFdV897cv/s1935/bmovie%20monsters1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1935" data-original-width="1890" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29XI9JAh3YQqAmVJuVDnF4_6YAIYKH06Rwrhmq4djRzphroiyKGZPu_NOV7qhstH5m7VN7uNEnB1JE956Zz-FSW8JYcvop1BTZuW4Ie6n22dnyz56OJG6o_2A-Kz_SwwiV-Eqy8U8ajoDWPhGkPKV77DKWHYoz4rQwmbos4Jm1SLVn0pbgLGaFdV897cv/s320/bmovie%20monsters1.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In my film, Tabonga goes up against this weird creature, which is also plucked from an old B-movie.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRQd8jO4gP7-_ytuyy3ydFClbeFgNFK-m6exQKw8vFAns5Ih1sxCiTp7EtKbD23-BPHH8z-ytBLNRl-bPdPi4TsS-qoHDY-n8mocaliD4JgisHcXUKdn10XdB6_ud-Q6U3Zo986m8Hc5WjaoR8xoKJ1shakzlbGYIUHs5XdoAoVSRGHSHAi181rskDsc2/s1920/2e2yb_tnl_1920x1080.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRQd8jO4gP7-_ytuyy3ydFClbeFgNFK-m6exQKw8vFAns5Ih1sxCiTp7EtKbD23-BPHH8z-ytBLNRl-bPdPi4TsS-qoHDY-n8mocaliD4JgisHcXUKdn10XdB6_ud-Q6U3Zo986m8Hc5WjaoR8xoKJ1shakzlbGYIUHs5XdoAoVSRGHSHAi181rskDsc2/s320/2e2yb_tnl_1920x1080.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>"Creature From the Haunted Sea" (1961) was quickly and cheaply produced by legendary B-movie mogul Roger Corman in less than a week, and it looks like it. I can't tell what materials were used to make the very iffy monster costume, but in the context of the movie, I'm guessing it's supposed to be seaweed.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjEFAv2y4QG1FMLklKZKEsRSdaSnL4roi4uj0384X2DwgJZfR3l54QOwJo-z1AypKtvyk4TaBUYhNG56J01iHHy5CdKnQ__rnlz29po-kVPSWKHHrpxkaPpxQXSGkVgEW9Hglj2oUMVchZT8RRm38jnILFmdOhXvPQ-POG992CnL5p5yCh8o775On4Q_b/s1890/creature1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="1890" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjEFAv2y4QG1FMLklKZKEsRSdaSnL4roi4uj0384X2DwgJZfR3l54QOwJo-z1AypKtvyk4TaBUYhNG56J01iHHy5CdKnQ__rnlz29po-kVPSWKHHrpxkaPpxQXSGkVgEW9Hglj2oUMVchZT8RRm38jnILFmdOhXvPQ-POG992CnL5p5yCh8o775On4Q_b/s320/creature1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Copying the look of something that was just thrown together, probably in an afternoon, isn't as easy as it looks. I sculpted the monster's head in clay and tried to get the main bumps and cracks seen in the movie just right. I pulled it off well enough, I think.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxoMqKTH807DVaIX6iUEW_n7Ao7pQQeqDar5E6klbkGzxhI4imOF6frHAwDQabktQozSLr5KYpvjIPBda8fykOszp1-yDF8RlklBEGBwFvltWt_JBFm3E9wXhpvuWb7mjMz9_BxmHuqLKjJ5wYILeeV5bUL3ymjxG53bMG4Q_Un0Kn5lJAkvq1EnjeH6J/s1890/creature2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1612" data-original-width="1890" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxoMqKTH807DVaIX6iUEW_n7Ao7pQQeqDar5E6klbkGzxhI4imOF6frHAwDQabktQozSLr5KYpvjIPBda8fykOszp1-yDF8RlklBEGBwFvltWt_JBFm3E9wXhpvuWb7mjMz9_BxmHuqLKjJ5wYILeeV5bUL3ymjxG53bMG4Q_Un0Kn5lJAkvq1EnjeH6J/s320/creature2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Like with Tabonga, I made the armature simple but effective, since the body of the puppet would be covered with a very coarse surface. A single 2 mm wire controls the mouth.</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAbv15uzddcuixCOMjZFp5a08rF6OLEX0k56lQBMCTkw9aNZoNkZjjSAvuZVmiRNOhwviN6mQS0sTKSQ3Va0MrQwenzxVSQJ-JshMAhnwe-cGizl-cQD1kNM0RinsQJLu5kUYTpIzoDAVlOk04dYXRMoSFzxuYXzAAX17Iq1TajgKJOlxfVQpjztracam/s1890/creature3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1467" data-original-width="1890" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAbv15uzddcuixCOMjZFp5a08rF6OLEX0k56lQBMCTkw9aNZoNkZjjSAvuZVmiRNOhwviN6mQS0sTKSQ3Va0MrQwenzxVSQJ-JshMAhnwe-cGizl-cQD1kNM0RinsQJLu5kUYTpIzoDAVlOk04dYXRMoSFzxuYXzAAX17Iq1TajgKJOlxfVQpjztracam/s320/creature3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And again, the padding is really simple, just basically knocking out the main shape of the character. The fingers are aluminum wires covered with yarn and dabbed with latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfmDj-KLG3AldL2me2-YIBHeHsNhcGAq85xD6Q2FeCMdid2yU77HlUKGnstZ2230-ONXjfUlSb6lFVQVYfig5n7-mmnxfuue6b-qXfVsOjUL2EfZTwL2Ol0Oo037o0QFqfCIzTRmtGWE9UlJJEIv0515vYYCTOQvPt6jn6sykQGSwa4EH0IHQdUa9UMkz/s1890/creature4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1674" data-original-width="1890" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfmDj-KLG3AldL2me2-YIBHeHsNhcGAq85xD6Q2FeCMdid2yU77HlUKGnstZ2230-ONXjfUlSb6lFVQVYfig5n7-mmnxfuue6b-qXfVsOjUL2EfZTwL2Ol0Oo037o0QFqfCIzTRmtGWE9UlJJEIv0515vYYCTOQvPt6jn6sykQGSwa4EH0IHQdUa9UMkz/s320/creature4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>All of the puppet will be covered with this: Chunks-O-Flesh. I've used this many times, it's a material quickly and cheaply made and it looks very organic. Latex (in this case tinted) is poured onto a flat, non-porous surface -I used a plastic tray- allowed to dry, and then roughed up and pulled apart by scratching my fingernails over the surface. If you dust it down with talcum powder first it'll tar but stay flay. If you don't, the latex will bunch up into clumps. Both variations are useful.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhS5Zljbzb6349MrUvdRB52NzTI0XniNzefVFdM7KOTvJaxJrevsIz0C5uVS8LDH82wKBLq3akWwCdCrolGoqhdTKjng615gd5FmdmNSODuSgHOS5Q_EC1ISdmYNQBUd8TKvYcxd5U2zQwM48Ngy4ItMxFBoYESyM1G-fLfW0P6eYtJenKpD9nrMi8vmm/s1890/creature5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhS5Zljbzb6349MrUvdRB52NzTI0XniNzefVFdM7KOTvJaxJrevsIz0C5uVS8LDH82wKBLq3akWwCdCrolGoqhdTKjng615gd5FmdmNSODuSgHOS5Q_EC1ISdmYNQBUd8TKvYcxd5U2zQwM48Ngy4ItMxFBoYESyM1G-fLfW0P6eYtJenKpD9nrMi8vmm/s320/creature5.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The whole body had been covered by the chunks-o-flesh, except for the hands, being true to the movie look. Sections of the head have also been decorated with bits of the material. The dangly bits hanging from the arms have sections reinforced with 1 mm aluminum wires, so I can animate them wiggling about.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObTDKwxXOFElKGy3tYKgmu-PFop5HwAOGsnWBSHu0oVO-Jpjiwbfj1d5ykP9ceAk3zjmsraWpTqH7wm8sBz33RgapQoDc1xDkZhLeQUF9P1f99NHwU9qvi8mPiJ9WS_7ZYpyYB6C157xso44p1H_z2eJBT6wULH35ScqZi1CsjJcTgwHisr6FJISX3Tro/s1890/creature%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1478" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObTDKwxXOFElKGy3tYKgmu-PFop5HwAOGsnWBSHu0oVO-Jpjiwbfj1d5ykP9ceAk3zjmsraWpTqH7wm8sBz33RgapQoDc1xDkZhLeQUF9P1f99NHwU9qvi8mPiJ9WS_7ZYpyYB6C157xso44p1H_z2eJBT6wULH35ScqZi1CsjJcTgwHisr6FJISX3Tro/s320/creature%20klar1.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjGMqd3q3o96r-CXMO5vHoRogrFUpoWq44GiE4LG-gqMZnwDaWcbsCIFrXitdZkUoRs5C0kOUSbOcfpR2VHacmq6ye01l7i0Kk08sUOxRREeDwG_kHXwm1U82yHf8UL3UelPpxCZ4ycXA-uoS77kQ_2ThSTNOMe2dLxuEchT0cXRp8A6gLszYGpRGeF6v/s1890/creature%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1545" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjGMqd3q3o96r-CXMO5vHoRogrFUpoWq44GiE4LG-gqMZnwDaWcbsCIFrXitdZkUoRs5C0kOUSbOcfpR2VHacmq6ye01l7i0Kk08sUOxRREeDwG_kHXwm1U82yHf8UL3UelPpxCZ4ycXA-uoS77kQ_2ThSTNOMe2dLxuEchT0cXRp8A6gLszYGpRGeF6v/s320/creature%20klar2.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Tb94GJ-GQi5prC53djT0sk78NBhFEZqQXwqpfRPtDs0jJbp8dWcsrucXIc-TfCl_I8dHU9NNg06_AaBb1zmaSqLJ4vw76sEiaJzYmGWYYJZid_r1c6aqZyWvo8dMyATzh6cpeiV2OfWQW1DESLzb429yWVgh8xJ1IvOWl_5Ihn1hEjnHrVdkYr8BVz70/s1890/creature%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1291" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Tb94GJ-GQi5prC53djT0sk78NBhFEZqQXwqpfRPtDs0jJbp8dWcsrucXIc-TfCl_I8dHU9NNg06_AaBb1zmaSqLJ4vw76sEiaJzYmGWYYJZid_r1c6aqZyWvo8dMyATzh6cpeiV2OfWQW1DESLzb429yWVgh8xJ1IvOWl_5Ihn1hEjnHrVdkYr8BVz70/s320/creature%20klar3.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppet is dry-brushed with tinted latex using a sponge. It's a fast method and perfect for this kind of crude look. The eyes are another pair of painted plastic balls glued into the head. They don't move around but work for the look of the character anyway. Teeth are cotton and latex, and the ludicrous claws are cardboard dipped in latex.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRJkAZB4h3ZUGqPhyNie7HpAljvclaXUtuT035Uh-914iclloBCSoh0bahlp6VflT_wBsQp97dgpZEXRmtkHezu2n3sdtydA0wAA9o2PXMBG-oaCghcge0xXFCt3_9VwKin-GpiWclfQGtjP_uejsUc-A9aYIjvpTOquVbAgdy3CeQvOMXEbBzXmhnG-H/s2652/MV5BN2U3YmIxMTMtOTNjMy00MGZlLWJhMGEtNzM3NzM5ZWFiZTVlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjQzNDI3NzY@._V1_.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2652" data-original-width="1749" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRJkAZB4h3ZUGqPhyNie7HpAljvclaXUtuT035Uh-914iclloBCSoh0bahlp6VflT_wBsQp97dgpZEXRmtkHezu2n3sdtydA0wAA9o2PXMBG-oaCghcge0xXFCt3_9VwKin-GpiWclfQGtjP_uejsUc-A9aYIjvpTOquVbAgdy3CeQvOMXEbBzXmhnG-H/s320/MV5BN2U3YmIxMTMtOTNjMy00MGZlLWJhMGEtNzM3NzM5ZWFiZTVlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjQzNDI3NzY@._V1_.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you can see from the poster, "Monster From the Ocean Floor" (1954) is supposed to be a cyclopean octopus, though, in the actual movie, you only see just a head puppet prop or stock footage of a real octopus. I went for recreating the monster on the poster as a stop-motion puppet.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcEhXj04q6iuVi-afcQxKgMGNB1XdNII7dDLnAzRcfMTI2ffYofzR7ZrCYdEoVL_vyZhOjmZ-OOqD_570libjv8E6bU-WXdR1t_YFvHHGg9D9Z9UOeA_N9YmQamlQ7V5c1DuWJsgfN3v26IHX5h9-hi-KJmt7hDq3w_F4-z74ADTnPFYf4x01-zfr6Kud/s1890/omonster1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1502" data-original-width="1890" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcEhXj04q6iuVi-afcQxKgMGNB1XdNII7dDLnAzRcfMTI2ffYofzR7ZrCYdEoVL_vyZhOjmZ-OOqD_570libjv8E6bU-WXdR1t_YFvHHGg9D9Z9UOeA_N9YmQamlQ7V5c1DuWJsgfN3v26IHX5h9-hi-KJmt7hDq3w_F4-z74ADTnPFYf4x01-zfr6Kud/s320/omonster1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I've done a few tentacled beasties in my day, so I started off by wrapping soft yarn around 3 mm aluminum wires to create tentacles. The yarn was then dabbed with liquid latex. Two 3 mm wires make up the neck. The eye is a big wood ball, with a Photoshop print.out iris, covered with a lens made from UV resin. The crudely painted blood veins correspond with the look of the poster monster. The eye is placed in a socket made from a used plastic pill jar cut in half. There's also an aluminum wire ending in a t-nut under the puppet. It'll be used as a tie-down on my animation stage.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIt2F64D35vlq0pHszZDdqHxPfgl2W7sCtVkMcUsQ-5j_Bxrqx7M6yYUMEOf23UooPOXKJq2fuHIo25Ib9psbb-FrHIPTcDVTWbgUaUdQlIrJwHtAI_kxgo0o9LgZkmKOcz_ELRpB5rrtEMA1aSfK53oLJcQBSh2_oQbw8G_yVUvsYrorml99StIPpI6uv/s1967/omonster2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1967" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIt2F64D35vlq0pHszZDdqHxPfgl2W7sCtVkMcUsQ-5j_Bxrqx7M6yYUMEOf23UooPOXKJq2fuHIo25Ib9psbb-FrHIPTcDVTWbgUaUdQlIrJwHtAI_kxgo0o9LgZkmKOcz_ELRpB5rrtEMA1aSfK53oLJcQBSh2_oQbw8G_yVUvsYrorml99StIPpI6uv/s320/omonster2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Soft polyurethane foam was glued down around the pill jar and the neck. A socket was built up around the eye using cotton and tinted latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCoa8_D7Fpp2tzd7A7K2yB1piuADJ7sqyA_pJ4bIetMohcRbmpsLL_nFeTeKEjN92q9uuwig8qdyLhYrkDtyDokIh3HFvA_QnGnf70uIgK9yQZmvMzIgTErkld2mC6ggIhVnfa1FL7b0JUumS_DXjEy2vXtD5B2i0HMQ3XItTJUOHqWaek8wVN_WihTfX/s1890/omonster3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1890" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCoa8_D7Fpp2tzd7A7K2yB1piuADJ7sqyA_pJ4bIetMohcRbmpsLL_nFeTeKEjN92q9uuwig8qdyLhYrkDtyDokIh3HFvA_QnGnf70uIgK9yQZmvMzIgTErkld2mC6ggIhVnfa1FL7b0JUumS_DXjEy2vXtD5B2i0HMQ3XItTJUOHqWaek8wVN_WihTfX/s320/omonster3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The whole puppet was covered with patches of knobbly latex skin cast in a skin texture mold. Each patch was glued onto the foam and the yarn using liquid latex as a bonding agent. Many years ago I created a plaster mold for octopus suction cups placed in a row. Each tentacle was given a latex cast from that mold for its underside.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFo1e2Mq95UzkNN-bzR03qFWo_6hxgNA2ABoauAE9ZIqIKJb7l304AYFLnRQXH5vIGQJbzpX-9hW9hwNOvGJ2Xt-PMB36KwAlu8yMgNDR-v108kIi83ipeGoNCGrbhz_hIdm7PlA32At4faFHw0Uaprgbj70cxZu_MmAf1JFzt2t4aE8ErXhs4nqQ94oZ/s1890/omonster%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1890" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFo1e2Mq95UzkNN-bzR03qFWo_6hxgNA2ABoauAE9ZIqIKJb7l304AYFLnRQXH5vIGQJbzpX-9hW9hwNOvGJ2Xt-PMB36KwAlu8yMgNDR-v108kIi83ipeGoNCGrbhz_hIdm7PlA32At4faFHw0Uaprgbj70cxZu_MmAf1JFzt2t4aE8ErXhs4nqQ94oZ/s320/omonster%20klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzS0ENY2P-nFtQ5U-R-MHuSk7-cAFsVbOpi3ZvIT9ZBVlMZgzcmigWsxoqgo5ak0get7_Gj79J8vzYYADNxMkFL6MO2fVh7Ir23CvnG6kkRUwlIfoeg3FgZu7Tak2JongxuxCtfRXWqslGV4K2oC49L48dQy8qBziwZEZTMDp9C3YoYAN-htoU6lg6vz0/s1890/omonster%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1890" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzS0ENY2P-nFtQ5U-R-MHuSk7-cAFsVbOpi3ZvIT9ZBVlMZgzcmigWsxoqgo5ak0get7_Gj79J8vzYYADNxMkFL6MO2fVh7Ir23CvnG6kkRUwlIfoeg3FgZu7Tak2JongxuxCtfRXWqslGV4K2oC49L48dQy8qBziwZEZTMDp9C3YoYAN-htoU6lg6vz0/s320/omonster%20klar2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGWE-BAwibU5DTpey9KR3yY7nhMwvIXpP1j_M2ZNezoHF8gycnLgvuDByIQi87o7vE5aLA60z_yfaEleAVyL-FvPjVgUmJPPDgpCOUyEMEC5zIns71Sv99erDjN3t7guwZPZElfx7BXD2hIIcKW7kWCCOY4aB829P3GDreYtVFoIzfYwEqQg_wldlUDFT/s1890/omonster%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1607" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGWE-BAwibU5DTpey9KR3yY7nhMwvIXpP1j_M2ZNezoHF8gycnLgvuDByIQi87o7vE5aLA60z_yfaEleAVyL-FvPjVgUmJPPDgpCOUyEMEC5zIns71Sv99erDjN3t7guwZPZElfx7BXD2hIIcKW7kWCCOY4aB829P3GDreYtVFoIzfYwEqQg_wldlUDFT/s320/omonster%20klar3.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJ9LthX6QlMmF6oGKyhJawrFueQfxwEKYFd4I8MaNatqZIMJFWkarVU35A57tSm7vtmuY6Ldam8S0Tiax8l3R_GXlFopbHQzcn4MBldwnJ2NjtZ56_BA5Z6NkAbMLDVqXUOGaPD04MHCUbR81Hrx_8mVBJr7a2c8y8XaflmlPpGYffQCrqzGujqxYpAMK/s1890/omonster%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJ9LthX6QlMmF6oGKyhJawrFueQfxwEKYFd4I8MaNatqZIMJFWkarVU35A57tSm7vtmuY6Ldam8S0Tiax8l3R_GXlFopbHQzcn4MBldwnJ2NjtZ56_BA5Z6NkAbMLDVqXUOGaPD04MHCUbR81Hrx_8mVBJr7a2c8y8XaflmlPpGYffQCrqzGujqxYpAMK/s320/omonster%20klar4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv21BOS5ZUqFuL6_f813j6A24qahyphenhyphencXVJyO8WL0PazdTV7hSWQXw3uL9m6VIVQPH6uTVuAmjL2E5ODtAlxphV3j6jeiXt8M9qww7E2adyBettF77aw_vLcTDLU6rysAK421CQpKQ4VxKDCV57Tt03V1R2dkii0oDMBJTUqbBjtEuhRN6VqcNNx9IJE5H8g/s1890/omonster%20klar5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv21BOS5ZUqFuL6_f813j6A24qahyphenhyphencXVJyO8WL0PazdTV7hSWQXw3uL9m6VIVQPH6uTVuAmjL2E5ODtAlxphV3j6jeiXt8M9qww7E2adyBettF77aw_vLcTDLU6rysAK421CQpKQ4VxKDCV57Tt03V1R2dkii0oDMBJTUqbBjtEuhRN6VqcNNx9IJE5H8g/s320/omonster%20klar5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Again, this puppet was also given a very simple drybrush job using tinted latex. </div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiwl5mcu8730_XWU5Pf3k1zST7M0CGsbEnzln0LA3iYD49VWji3-B4kAyJhhVVNrHbq3xp9Mx1FFtHPJ1oz7s89EldyzIgingW29s2gpMlCbQfHg1KriOugKVKZRyuU3meY8JM-RBSd1f0vlpFEkkhSN7S4JY-KfXLRDz3pySTBVDgvhjtnalDJQs7PS3/s2788/MV5BODRhNzU0NTUtMDhkYi00M2VmLTg5OGItZGM2NDE3MWJjZWU3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDgyNjA5MA@@._V1_.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2094" data-original-width="2788" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiwl5mcu8730_XWU5Pf3k1zST7M0CGsbEnzln0LA3iYD49VWji3-B4kAyJhhVVNrHbq3xp9Mx1FFtHPJ1oz7s89EldyzIgingW29s2gpMlCbQfHg1KriOugKVKZRyuU3meY8JM-RBSd1f0vlpFEkkhSN7S4JY-KfXLRDz3pySTBVDgvhjtnalDJQs7PS3/s320/MV5BODRhNzU0NTUtMDhkYi00M2VmLTg5OGItZGM2NDE3MWJjZWU3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDgyNjA5MA@@._V1_.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's another Corman monster; the mutant fiend from "Attack of the Crab Monsters" (1957). The creature in the movie is an impressive life-size prop with creepy human-like eyes. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZ6ArRBDI4n0v1RX3Cq8YYZOmrzWE93HLgNp9LdcOWI6zp89LbGTl_4n5Fsrt3sI8sYv7-jQdCa-XZCtH9tVVpn1WLpIsa7wMAUdRMKOnXufVe1E2KD00_TzYptPL2sxF5T3r2zQ2Pdr3o0RmvBaTDuMlO9NlVITtlBS636CBnbw4Sp1xA-QstTpD2sT_/s1890/crabm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1345" data-original-width="1890" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZ6ArRBDI4n0v1RX3Cq8YYZOmrzWE93HLgNp9LdcOWI6zp89LbGTl_4n5Fsrt3sI8sYv7-jQdCa-XZCtH9tVVpn1WLpIsa7wMAUdRMKOnXufVe1E2KD00_TzYptPL2sxF5T3r2zQ2Pdr3o0RmvBaTDuMlO9NlVITtlBS636CBnbw4Sp1xA-QstTpD2sT_/s320/crabm1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I sculpted the whole body in one piece, basically a flat, roundish blob with the face taking up most of it. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaTdDU74megQq3xJdqk7ylxSYQlimSMoim7pAXdp4x-AERpx-7uyNyAw4cQNjB0QP2g-z39iycEyWxnjroQgN9aDRXo-PDenJ7G_95JmCVwMBN-D408xWlcjrwPDlE9N68_B105wDJwEgCmg1Syp57my_Vpej_VZyZX2WXy0Y7gSnXt_QcKV5ZmzmhALW/s1890/crabm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="1890" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaTdDU74megQq3xJdqk7ylxSYQlimSMoim7pAXdp4x-AERpx-7uyNyAw4cQNjB0QP2g-z39iycEyWxnjroQgN9aDRXo-PDenJ7G_95JmCVwMBN-D408xWlcjrwPDlE9N68_B105wDJwEgCmg1Syp57my_Vpej_VZyZX2WXy0Y7gSnXt_QcKV5ZmzmhALW/s320/crabm2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I mostly used a homemade texture stamp made from silicone clay to detail the skin. The stamp is basically a ball on a stick with lots of indentations in it. I roll the ball over the clay, which creates a texture of tiny bumps.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9A9eroDS5lNpzYvgFTvqmMR3GybBo5hqcNSgDAtWp4qngSuaQx8YTSP4RIAXXsKxLL7NAHOr4WLFW1b4WLlcd5taesI3GFXpZKCdg1GCX7G0DFiJjAus9rNXjbG4VbdTNq3OPHgztUVnxv5iRsut9iTxH3Ixqiv5VdEvV46E_bK5tva_eMFcbEFzosPQy/s1890/crabm3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1664" data-original-width="1890" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9A9eroDS5lNpzYvgFTvqmMR3GybBo5hqcNSgDAtWp4qngSuaQx8YTSP4RIAXXsKxLL7NAHOr4WLFW1b4WLlcd5taesI3GFXpZKCdg1GCX7G0DFiJjAus9rNXjbG4VbdTNq3OPHgztUVnxv5iRsut9iTxH3Ixqiv5VdEvV46E_bK5tva_eMFcbEFzosPQy/s320/crabm3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>A mold made from dental plaster was built up over the sculpture and tinted latex was cast into the finished mold. The latex skin was reinforced with a mix of cotton and latex to make the casting really sturdy.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8G4KIqK8808RA11veYrcoPRRly6TQVWwMx9QwWfPnw7DlD1bjqEQDrblKK_8GGFxZOmRTpOXC4_NmMm4YKkz88aJaKa8wuT0k0OD1RtUFOHnSMApq_UiCy2pxBwbzEswA17bxtnkNzJKlElxCbpeXVdYnzuwN9QhqvS2dz8FQSs6UDie_mWkv58m3mCm/s1890/crabm4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1686" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8G4KIqK8808RA11veYrcoPRRly6TQVWwMx9QwWfPnw7DlD1bjqEQDrblKK_8GGFxZOmRTpOXC4_NmMm4YKkz88aJaKa8wuT0k0OD1RtUFOHnSMApq_UiCy2pxBwbzEswA17bxtnkNzJKlElxCbpeXVdYnzuwN9QhqvS2dz8FQSs6UDie_mWkv58m3mCm/s320/crabm4.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I made a simple lower lip by wrapping an aluminum wire in yarn and dabbing that with latex. In the end, I can't recall actually animating that lip.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZjcLCftT-_GdtoTxVjvfxwxNmyZrxwKQqVEt-fqzvf7vXmRAF6BAVqObTT6T8t-W1RZowNH8HegqPULU_D_fcGuoAyPAhz70k0zvdPeG6ZlTuzxu5iMT7mNqcUjlmVHW0R1OAq5Uu1N5u5NZtfOd-J5-T6wn-xsZis9b5nHoIsUkm3jEWglgPPGzPMD0/s1890/crabm5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZjcLCftT-_GdtoTxVjvfxwxNmyZrxwKQqVEt-fqzvf7vXmRAF6BAVqObTT6T8t-W1RZowNH8HegqPULU_D_fcGuoAyPAhz70k0zvdPeG6ZlTuzxu5iMT7mNqcUjlmVHW0R1OAq5Uu1N5u5NZtfOd-J5-T6wn-xsZis9b5nHoIsUkm3jEWglgPPGzPMD0/s320/crabm5.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I made two more clay sculptures with plaster molds; the claw split into two parts.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTbX-4G3pUmXfmc0wJonqM1UgVxobnDoTioc6uMS959ofkr2VV7ztzWCMF5ZzLr9vHBuc8Qk1MgqiX_J_3pm5nzGuDM0R79fA61tb_HcrPVzcY_SXfu0jXkHMnCnquTvrqAOf3NpmDqylzEnqNY6acwdojh1jiNG-h1Z9AbjqBgYt5KWlO-u1zbLIhyphenhyphenJz/s1890/crabm6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1806" data-original-width="1890" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTbX-4G3pUmXfmc0wJonqM1UgVxobnDoTioc6uMS959ofkr2VV7ztzWCMF5ZzLr9vHBuc8Qk1MgqiX_J_3pm5nzGuDM0R79fA61tb_HcrPVzcY_SXfu0jXkHMnCnquTvrqAOf3NpmDqylzEnqNY6acwdojh1jiNG-h1Z9AbjqBgYt5KWlO-u1zbLIhyphenhyphenJz/s320/crabm6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The claws were built from empty marker pens with 3 mm aluminum wires pulled through them. Another wire controls the opening of the claw.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVlNGaUm7XfVmFQLlxwxVZlI2-LCnF4fkTs80gj7IL-Ag79U_lNB2fGeouE94J-et4v3fShdykWqr4gCJeDFMu0glqrFewmJ0b0H7-wgTiELTdMELfHxcMoFYivsnhVrxBWJckBWw5iqIvwTJxRsi1wxgSjDGnuTXxXYkSeVTawOhdcUeCv7cYfT9k-V6/s1890/crabm7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1890" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVlNGaUm7XfVmFQLlxwxVZlI2-LCnF4fkTs80gj7IL-Ag79U_lNB2fGeouE94J-et4v3fShdykWqr4gCJeDFMu0glqrFewmJ0b0H7-wgTiELTdMELfHxcMoFYivsnhVrxBWJckBWw5iqIvwTJxRsi1wxgSjDGnuTXxXYkSeVTawOhdcUeCv7cYfT9k-V6/s320/crabm7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8J_Aq2hxfyg72bKg-rWYZCyoly9z4-kfgKLZ12a-iaQbl0iyAxTUykaFDsjtFzACtFWWpue9tIAbzbGQrMvbLfUKMwGqmvm28U8vSy5xbzLP2uD_cQqSCmru8HEEgqDYQJtYXXEePoVMjhyZveKinLWY89-v7rlMAm1i80m1XlVExQVnr_p0tZ40Ijgys/s1890/crabm8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8J_Aq2hxfyg72bKg-rWYZCyoly9z4-kfgKLZ12a-iaQbl0iyAxTUykaFDsjtFzACtFWWpue9tIAbzbGQrMvbLfUKMwGqmvm28U8vSy5xbzLP2uD_cQqSCmru8HEEgqDYQJtYXXEePoVMjhyZveKinLWY89-v7rlMAm1i80m1XlVExQVnr_p0tZ40Ijgys/s320/crabm8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cotton and liquid latex were built up to shape the textures on the claws.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MLSUqeG7pPb9lhx0Cnj53-CjkDLFJYlfzyRtoIaCXNXmSsPi1GBo6qDcuHswkgfSEMyjs959h0LwH-IovvfNyUqvETLXqe_WZZmexrRvBhKPqchxZQXeaLUDgcuIYlLD1g3UzolwMnNtf58KjTSVyCeyI5LV7TTd9QWqmUP31L1Fij_k5u1-3f6F5dHM/s1890/crabm9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="1890" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MLSUqeG7pPb9lhx0Cnj53-CjkDLFJYlfzyRtoIaCXNXmSsPi1GBo6qDcuHswkgfSEMyjs959h0LwH-IovvfNyUqvETLXqe_WZZmexrRvBhKPqchxZQXeaLUDgcuIYlLD1g3UzolwMnNtf58KjTSVyCeyI5LV7TTd9QWqmUP31L1Fij_k5u1-3f6F5dHM/s320/crabm9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I made six simple claw sculptures and created a silicone mold over them. Into this mold, I cast plastic copies of the sculptures using fast-setting Burro plastic.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsODt50AKhQcwYYC2ROryP18UAuh35mArBUhNTxsaX8G1hjvLieoHUUhkl_Kn9ct-BJMBcTlEUJ62TMMpHttk4qRT26Ty7IvAG93OwIxB-A9aCgZOXCLFm-PxapeFZsH4V-mXwQWnq512IMo_P3Df0YD5Mfm3LkiP05ngkhnB6ru42IaHznXXLjGEx_T-J/s1890/crabm10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="907" data-original-width="1890" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsODt50AKhQcwYYC2ROryP18UAuh35mArBUhNTxsaX8G1hjvLieoHUUhkl_Kn9ct-BJMBcTlEUJ62TMMpHttk4qRT26Ty7IvAG93OwIxB-A9aCgZOXCLFm-PxapeFZsH4V-mXwQWnq512IMo_P3Df0YD5Mfm3LkiP05ngkhnB6ru42IaHznXXLjGEx_T-J/s320/crabm10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The legs were made from wooden dowels with aluminum wires between each part. The dowels were covered with tissue paper and latex. The saw-like protrusions are cut from thick paper dabbed with latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNs0Lx6piR2XgPLGrMy9J9Ufv3tTLglt3kgCgmoS2QsmPvkgxUK79laIf1MpfuGcABTs_Rk235kIpEZxUOnP08Ojkh9QjYvR7ktLVeovBh8Q9AiFeDDsRZ0op95WQ0kBWXaE48XWJv9pnrFokBNMxMO0zdEJRq1PboMu0gGYhoeCcdAUh3niePbQlP6uO/s1890/crabm1%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1890" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNs0Lx6piR2XgPLGrMy9J9Ufv3tTLglt3kgCgmoS2QsmPvkgxUK79laIf1MpfuGcABTs_Rk235kIpEZxUOnP08Ojkh9QjYvR7ktLVeovBh8Q9AiFeDDsRZ0op95WQ0kBWXaE48XWJv9pnrFokBNMxMO0zdEJRq1PboMu0gGYhoeCcdAUh3niePbQlP6uO/s320/crabm1%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAesCwk4agsCwSfkPhhTA9LiyOuz3aAf3p5YgmlN1ODVtq3QPmtNkJCpGU5doGUSnn8paDaXdWRNucuQF7fP63r_hP452oNQv83bj46nyqmNuSwYx6IpWQrLoBSWXWfDWQyg-9lplOFB8Xuht3lLhRc1LXOOf3HK9hLLSYQN8PCzhRJzD49CCk5s0P6NpZ/s1890/crabm2%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1890" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAesCwk4agsCwSfkPhhTA9LiyOuz3aAf3p5YgmlN1ODVtq3QPmtNkJCpGU5doGUSnn8paDaXdWRNucuQF7fP63r_hP452oNQv83bj46nyqmNuSwYx6IpWQrLoBSWXWfDWQyg-9lplOFB8Xuht3lLhRc1LXOOf3HK9hLLSYQN8PCzhRJzD49CCk5s0P6NpZ/s320/crabm2%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5l_17p5M183ZrlgKdYubji04aWNCyvL1QwAO1ibz_d8HfkhqvdKcM4HasfvsaWSq296hqDhcyKlCov5JPdeNeCZLMwjji07ziw6vDCDX8v7lgBctjIns217LEwX3CESLwq07ojv5Co2nu0mbDOvcQHNSOu8vaZdIgF-8r5CXpfQl9K2Gw02_b4jf7dcRz/s1890/crabm3%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5l_17p5M183ZrlgKdYubji04aWNCyvL1QwAO1ibz_d8HfkhqvdKcM4HasfvsaWSq296hqDhcyKlCov5JPdeNeCZLMwjji07ziw6vDCDX8v7lgBctjIns217LEwX3CESLwq07ojv5Co2nu0mbDOvcQHNSOu8vaZdIgF-8r5CXpfQl9K2Gw02_b4jf7dcRz/s320/crabm3%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Drybrushed tinted latex was sponged on over the whole puppet, with a dash of acrylic airbrush colors here and there. The eyes are big plastic balls, where a concave surface was reamed into the ball using a Dremel tool. Photoshopped iris print-outs were glued into the concave areas and UV resin was added to create a lens effect. The plastic claws were super-glued to the ends of each leg. The antennae are steel wires covered with sewing string and latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2UNgq28DJWB4_fVtZLrUW0X_DVwzqCK9rBgTqHVCREoajjYsijRJSiNvQXpo4aQ9gEBOyi8BnnyV0kEondCbgGIkmP41C_3jQtUMDdx68bdQRuRUcqY7WUhKk5bmmj69TkMIFTcE5HsdmmslwbsYTBR7axRosCUIzsTwgjTk50iMcC4pCrpS9b5wlCTc/s1890/crabm4%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1890" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2UNgq28DJWB4_fVtZLrUW0X_DVwzqCK9rBgTqHVCREoajjYsijRJSiNvQXpo4aQ9gEBOyi8BnnyV0kEondCbgGIkmP41C_3jQtUMDdx68bdQRuRUcqY7WUhKk5bmmj69TkMIFTcE5HsdmmslwbsYTBR7axRosCUIzsTwgjTk50iMcC4pCrpS9b5wlCTc/s320/crabm4%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUQ-MtpgsoOpI-x9x3F29o3jXEgpbqBqiwexFHuYYVReHpLY0Y-TynikvTdKlSty_ah7je5xnAx-sVNpVQ4NNTm-g2W4wqSe00k4D3jhuMNfatgM8qpocmBfM4wRhfbAyRkcIxH2s-80vRXBeD4XeTl2ujNg_xlV03zeRYQvdEIlqQUe3YIBV3WKZ9wGc/s1890/crabm5%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1890" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUQ-MtpgsoOpI-x9x3F29o3jXEgpbqBqiwexFHuYYVReHpLY0Y-TynikvTdKlSty_ah7je5xnAx-sVNpVQ4NNTm-g2W4wqSe00k4D3jhuMNfatgM8qpocmBfM4wRhfbAyRkcIxH2s-80vRXBeD4XeTl2ujNg_xlV03zeRYQvdEIlqQUe3YIBV3WKZ9wGc/s320/crabm5%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-16gZSuzretsrqaq-_XcbSJV3Crbkl42dop8SdWNPzxk-cpvnith0Age2JAXlRYxTnyT65_yercMSlstaPxkJub_-7HfKa7VB8Zl6Iasf_tFfjK3_2EXhMQvF00R3tIckLbLsU2hrztuB4bEM-fvuAOYrIffdjaBejuBjUxWNQ_b2wpb6JKspzbTK3iZl/s1890/crabm6%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-16gZSuzretsrqaq-_XcbSJV3Crbkl42dop8SdWNPzxk-cpvnith0Age2JAXlRYxTnyT65_yercMSlstaPxkJub_-7HfKa7VB8Zl6Iasf_tFfjK3_2EXhMQvF00R3tIckLbLsU2hrztuB4bEM-fvuAOYrIffdjaBejuBjUxWNQ_b2wpb6JKspzbTK3iZl/s320/crabm6%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I almost couldn't squeeze in both battling monsters on my tiny animation stage. I should make a bigger one, since my puppets tend to get bigger.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP60eOc5w9Uw6Zjqc6V9l3eWDyYBy-KrLUdMMQ54xGFESDN1jilC3qK-wmiuCiPSLYJGEt3P8e3w13tJEQh2uaG-9rs7f5aVfbqnc3eaTiXwTxI6ml9M1zJGBWFhqbvLV1-bXzqDrtGL6BWViUtqBT1B8JQZp4pLRMxZyt-JU4LgP3DV_d5rk97r2HfZSH/s1381/MV5BNjg3NThkMDItZGVjMi00ZmZlLTk0YjQtNjA0OWY2YmMyYWM1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjM1NzYzMDk@._V1_.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP60eOc5w9Uw6Zjqc6V9l3eWDyYBy-KrLUdMMQ54xGFESDN1jilC3qK-wmiuCiPSLYJGEt3P8e3w13tJEQh2uaG-9rs7f5aVfbqnc3eaTiXwTxI6ml9M1zJGBWFhqbvLV1-bXzqDrtGL6BWViUtqBT1B8JQZp4pLRMxZyt-JU4LgP3DV_d5rk97r2HfZSH/s320/MV5BNjg3NThkMDItZGVjMi00ZmZlLTk0YjQtNjA0OWY2YmMyYWM1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjM1NzYzMDk@._V1_.jpeg" width="209" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When it comes to big-headed aliens you can hardly do better than the villains of "Invasion of the Saucer-Men" (1957). These costumes were built by designer and sculptor Paul Blaisdell.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFnr3-9CPR9LgOznGqf_ZezrozzYY51Y-I4SbFeu-w7vzqi5vCaeEcZtn5CtSxofcZ1lFH0_PKVqDl1kEpFxvAsGyECwp4Pj2mJjhbj1fWIT_lP_t9LT4OaXzFDSuwXp199Yfwq8uHZV3cQReUV2yqqUIziluBcBby9-M20NhnEqhLcDG3PSNhOeF4sai/s1890/saucer1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1695" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFnr3-9CPR9LgOznGqf_ZezrozzYY51Y-I4SbFeu-w7vzqi5vCaeEcZtn5CtSxofcZ1lFH0_PKVqDl1kEpFxvAsGyECwp4Pj2mJjhbj1fWIT_lP_t9LT4OaXzFDSuwXp199Yfwq8uHZV3cQReUV2yqqUIziluBcBby9-M20NhnEqhLcDG3PSNhOeF4sai/s320/saucer1.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I sculpted the whole head in clay and placed it on a flat clay surface. A clay wall around the sculpture helped keep the plaster where I wanted it.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVCE335rV5Ikl0xB7MTW0DsqCNyb9CaZf1jTTCeGRRWWAlcvJyfuy6wgEbr5Mz6nHIA1PSgI2f0oftShnTE7JKlXvL5M7hqsabr392rGk2oZAb7CBjSyW2uxtS95n4bq8HTZCrHLrXsmefNp1Hs7oHduUtwE_a032f3cACAbtulQC6w5dO3kT5cHQ_suT/s1890/saucer2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1867" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVCE335rV5Ikl0xB7MTW0DsqCNyb9CaZf1jTTCeGRRWWAlcvJyfuy6wgEbr5Mz6nHIA1PSgI2f0oftShnTE7JKlXvL5M7hqsabr392rGk2oZAb7CBjSyW2uxtS95n4bq8HTZCrHLrXsmefNp1Hs7oHduUtwE_a032f3cACAbtulQC6w5dO3kT5cHQ_suT/s320/saucer2.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2w2j6raCZukEX_lwWyGolTtRP1olPVvgCPFxkrR9HQkYzjoy-_JO0Bj3_B6QCnsB5nRw0q9MJOCPDdDbXfcqOFAiYYfagzhMcgBCNClno_LpXjYBLcO0c1kU2Mf_sANO7e0Gop4BgbMtK_JwSjl_eAC8hNZl7uOkI3j0ByZh-QSAcWWK4KnbD_-3zki2R/s1890/saucer3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2w2j6raCZukEX_lwWyGolTtRP1olPVvgCPFxkrR9HQkYzjoy-_JO0Bj3_B6QCnsB5nRw0q9MJOCPDdDbXfcqOFAiYYfagzhMcgBCNClno_LpXjYBLcO0c1kU2Mf_sANO7e0Gop4BgbMtK_JwSjl_eAC8hNZl7uOkI3j0ByZh-QSAcWWK4KnbD_-3zki2R/s320/saucer3.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Again, tinted latex was poured into the plaster mold and reinforced with a cotton/latex mix. The head didn't have any moving parts.</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQw94Q6_0QcGZjbKD2VySGpZMYgMV6Q6Y_J6uGXPjDaCe1hCmt7rY2L7p49NlGBU-lmrowh9U_jY5frC97qIsca99xSb3cpLrXM-8qHxci33-2qVNWDBUaxv1iA5mpwpZI2P9Z7WIfNdJT0j8ZqkiQpRVO4e5NctGUte7NHrlpuSkwaxW0GyCBqCPBpUM/s1890/saucer4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1025" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQw94Q6_0QcGZjbKD2VySGpZMYgMV6Q6Y_J6uGXPjDaCe1hCmt7rY2L7p49NlGBU-lmrowh9U_jY5frC97qIsca99xSb3cpLrXM-8qHxci33-2qVNWDBUaxv1iA5mpwpZI2P9Z7WIfNdJT0j8ZqkiQpRVO4e5NctGUte7NHrlpuSkwaxW0GyCBqCPBpUM/s320/saucer4.jpg" width="174" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Another simple armature. The aliens in the movie were played by four dwarf actors. I decided to give my puppet different dimensions, with longer arms.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbHGOlyqMZ7m13WsIlCGtCIVpBQ3c-ljlXKmiPV1LYpp5ihhlHn0niviSlGloYPQicnqRREX_R5Dx1qemkjIb9UrabTajIu8NSbIhIHUZzNcYdZpGpoMlrWnW_pm3onY7ATw5VRfzxhF91RCQMb_EMbYUyBHK1KGiiI2-T_NVp5_HKhNGn62HfvRa_nJK/s1890/saucer5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbHGOlyqMZ7m13WsIlCGtCIVpBQ3c-ljlXKmiPV1LYpp5ihhlHn0niviSlGloYPQicnqRREX_R5Dx1qemkjIb9UrabTajIu8NSbIhIHUZzNcYdZpGpoMlrWnW_pm3onY7ATw5VRfzxhF91RCQMb_EMbYUyBHK1KGiiI2-T_NVp5_HKhNGn62HfvRa_nJK/s320/saucer5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The prominent veins on the head were created with latex and cotton, while the slighter veins were simply painted on with a pointy dental tool. The eyes are plastic balls with a simple painted-on design made with a thin brush and acrylic paint.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhSeLe0r22JKw_B7IGvoUrNHNcfkE5jU8nkRd9YhU0p0Rs2xGIIbN6-WvwAC2h67SIKrIwwu2IJXwMHJDOD1ktWES4o3GJPj_XCdOlFcvA5vRcxh8KuRdRkL8_T5smBNn9v_C-1gazqMw1A7Bwvd-hzoRBQl_qaMtN1kHAt9c7KEzcy-KJEV7NgxuZBxH/s1890/saucer6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhSeLe0r22JKw_B7IGvoUrNHNcfkE5jU8nkRd9YhU0p0Rs2xGIIbN6-WvwAC2h67SIKrIwwu2IJXwMHJDOD1ktWES4o3GJPj_XCdOlFcvA5vRcxh8KuRdRkL8_T5smBNn9v_C-1gazqMw1A7Bwvd-hzoRBQl_qaMtN1kHAt9c7KEzcy-KJEV7NgxuZBxH/s320/saucer6.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Since the alien was wearing a black overall I tried to give my puppet a smooth foam padding.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4_wp9PPjePiq3RTgLiGeT_uG6ABDtOn4xsOku0Mc6Hm81zuc3O18QP7_6dLUhGVyGOmx5yQfdHDb3A-0YIpsDiZzbUcxPgBC9WuwdeI6tg4BJ4-O_MOsURnry9xk9XKdNvAJ2hy0_UX8clttLZ8axfYWiAKHz744u53cGzoE71yb-gQIHm8-wkbJ48T4/s1890/saucer7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="1890" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4_wp9PPjePiq3RTgLiGeT_uG6ABDtOn4xsOku0Mc6Hm81zuc3O18QP7_6dLUhGVyGOmx5yQfdHDb3A-0YIpsDiZzbUcxPgBC9WuwdeI6tg4BJ4-O_MOsURnry9xk9XKdNvAJ2hy0_UX8clttLZ8axfYWiAKHz744u53cGzoE71yb-gQIHm8-wkbJ48T4/s320/saucer7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The aliens have a sort of frill around their necks, going down over their chests, with similar decorations around their wrists. I sculpted these as rows of scales in clay and then cast them as latex pieces from a plaster mold.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-gMSQzGGW9s3VvSTj-PxAPLMy4lrZW3N4ykhqWFe0RB9vadTgtDpdI1VBtT7mTjgNA2RKv3r8PuBLS_oamzyMheD2mMWFvR7QVG66ALUpFf4PUDjl9Uu09I0DxJOXE0rYMatlreQjVF4USF2u_jXm2e985QdzgLyOWx0UyDkdja59XUxkHaB9hH6QIrx/s1890/saucer8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1352" data-original-width="1890" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-gMSQzGGW9s3VvSTj-PxAPLMy4lrZW3N4ykhqWFe0RB9vadTgtDpdI1VBtT7mTjgNA2RKv3r8PuBLS_oamzyMheD2mMWFvR7QVG66ALUpFf4PUDjl9Uu09I0DxJOXE0rYMatlreQjVF4USF2u_jXm2e985QdzgLyOWx0UyDkdja59XUxkHaB9hH6QIrx/s320/saucer8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The frilly scales were applied with liquid latex as a glue, overlapping each other. The hands were built up with yarn, cotton, and latex. As you might see, there are eyes on the alien's hands. These were made with small plastic pearls.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zDuHKs2zCOv7QOl_epBmjyeqahl3wATmy-iHZjaidgNuja84wSFzboEOBHkJFcrUpZnQEluy8NxuU0KJsEPA_tYdmXmZe8_meW1cR48MjkZaJiesGkoeLqPJS_wMeaCpOdcKYEqXwxhNazKEuzi6mH5uLj4W2gmAUpzxZgdjgWgLA9daqVy3QFKUQnNj/s1260/saucer9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1260" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zDuHKs2zCOv7QOl_epBmjyeqahl3wATmy-iHZjaidgNuja84wSFzboEOBHkJFcrUpZnQEluy8NxuU0KJsEPA_tYdmXmZe8_meW1cR48MjkZaJiesGkoeLqPJS_wMeaCpOdcKYEqXwxhNazKEuzi6mH5uLj4W2gmAUpzxZgdjgWgLA9daqVy3QFKUQnNj/s320/saucer9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I only made one puppet, though two appear in the film. One of them is carrying a ray gun made from a burned-out Christmas tree light bulb and a plastic orange pearl. The handle is made from plumber's epoxy.</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEyLAtVQ9kYrhAf80gKAwrE4iAd0gOVVVe8pnkg8mK87ibIbno-uYRPy78AbtVLeiF9u6m0shlSx7wPHqyOAJG17qA1PmRb4joeYE9ERPVHJBg2Cp64K78BB-mF7e1DMIu0oNQwZ65VVWL9LGqBjRFYa3HtQml4V-X3cJpFKbR_tTfIS05edTlk_bIcmn/s1890/saucer%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEyLAtVQ9kYrhAf80gKAwrE4iAd0gOVVVe8pnkg8mK87ibIbno-uYRPy78AbtVLeiF9u6m0shlSx7wPHqyOAJG17qA1PmRb4joeYE9ERPVHJBg2Cp64K78BB-mF7e1DMIu0oNQwZ65VVWL9LGqBjRFYa3HtQml4V-X3cJpFKbR_tTfIS05edTlk_bIcmn/s320/saucer%20klar1.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cshrqsdeW1aPfPyK8ldrZIVcxVmqER8RqDNw94Hke3i7khvqF0ITgFh8yzF6sJM-5xxOCKgFhBLqQUe1OccAEU42inYzf4b_lPgjVTh7SpZkZFj44C1vKQEuTDNT4bXYP19LJ5Z_R-KeuyQMBUTDswUvYUZU695UiXAk_GCs3QBafdShsUN-LlQvtWLn/s1890/saucer%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cshrqsdeW1aPfPyK8ldrZIVcxVmqER8RqDNw94Hke3i7khvqF0ITgFh8yzF6sJM-5xxOCKgFhBLqQUe1OccAEU42inYzf4b_lPgjVTh7SpZkZFj44C1vKQEuTDNT4bXYP19LJ5Z_R-KeuyQMBUTDswUvYUZU695UiXAk_GCs3QBafdShsUN-LlQvtWLn/s320/saucer%20klar2.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjSA9Ql9Q606FdDAIorxQ_sApQ0ySpYUtXm-HHnPdQzwBrxb2pCIP-IVfoLqbvfpfWX17ZV-LejYWgUsl0n7U2vRw5MU-Udd-zy0rpNDk1tiOeCn3VfpmEMnsmfVJo47tvGl7_lxQYXqMMpoU9lcWkKPM0iSAH3SCcda-VT4xNM4K_N1RSpo-_9cnBOf4/s1890/saucer%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1210" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjSA9Ql9Q606FdDAIorxQ_sApQ0ySpYUtXm-HHnPdQzwBrxb2pCIP-IVfoLqbvfpfWX17ZV-LejYWgUsl0n7U2vRw5MU-Udd-zy0rpNDk1tiOeCn3VfpmEMnsmfVJo47tvGl7_lxQYXqMMpoU9lcWkKPM0iSAH3SCcda-VT4xNM4K_N1RSpo-_9cnBOf4/s320/saucer%20klar3.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPQrmM2TZIcfx1Ih8QL5KZlIQRA_0GZU_aijsYiKDqWgNhatW6x9bHezxLAt3M36FxyLSKLmFFc5vdzF3QP_uL2B6SsdOqqatatPmOedaa5inOGVo3OL8W5wusXh3OOtKugN9YHzfDwkoYS_i7tq0eCLippwOIf56r4SrroTyr4QYxCmKMgkxXeSuqs-j/s1890/saucer%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPQrmM2TZIcfx1Ih8QL5KZlIQRA_0GZU_aijsYiKDqWgNhatW6x9bHezxLAt3M36FxyLSKLmFFc5vdzF3QP_uL2B6SsdOqqatatPmOedaa5inOGVo3OL8W5wusXh3OOtKugN9YHzfDwkoYS_i7tq0eCLippwOIf56r4SrroTyr4QYxCmKMgkxXeSuqs-j/s320/saucer%20klar4.jpg" width="158" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsonkuPLWAr1C9Wn_swtIcS_sOYD1nr-E_l2zwQ9ZBGzyaDbhAMy7bA-kYlawBJ6s2O0lZgaEJDjLlRhyLLnqfH2OE5ZLVJrQQofPUsFtIW2v6f-M_h34o_IKdt9NEmnMStcKEtnDC_sIQZYSESL60Zd0MwE-VXQ7mZ665Q_J-TdmUUiZ1vwc3vjj8UbJ/s1890/saucer%20klar5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsonkuPLWAr1C9Wn_swtIcS_sOYD1nr-E_l2zwQ9ZBGzyaDbhAMy7bA-kYlawBJ6s2O0lZgaEJDjLlRhyLLnqfH2OE5ZLVJrQQofPUsFtIW2v6f-M_h34o_IKdt9NEmnMStcKEtnDC_sIQZYSESL60Zd0MwE-VXQ7mZ665Q_J-TdmUUiZ1vwc3vjj8UbJ/s320/saucer%20klar5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76cWvY0dmbSD0rSsHtWPBgN7e0Bu2YJWewLG63vrbJIjphhhgaau4iHLz3meFj7eyB7enKE1N7MzxorbVJpS4kkXaYTNTcRaTX4__Wvvf1Adff0VmaCtbTHsdYFwK43IKP4w-HM2p6YS1_IqiuAFZDJ3z3rUAi1iFlKv_Ux3GVZ0NH3s0nVvVdcQMHrik/s1890/saucer%20klar6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76cWvY0dmbSD0rSsHtWPBgN7e0Bu2YJWewLG63vrbJIjphhhgaau4iHLz3meFj7eyB7enKE1N7MzxorbVJpS4kkXaYTNTcRaTX4__Wvvf1Adff0VmaCtbTHsdYFwK43IKP4w-HM2p6YS1_IqiuAFZDJ3z3rUAi1iFlKv_Ux3GVZ0NH3s0nVvVdcQMHrik/s320/saucer%20klar6.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A mix of dry brushed tinted latex and acrylic airbrush colors was used to finish the puppet. The gold paint is acrylic and quite flexible.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCkb5ooGe8-d7Z7AVGz3uhcf1hfoN5fuFaetAUJrFUHC77XGoO7T7ieg8jCAMh0-R4F543VJUzX8Qq_jGqoAr1FZLNBsPbppmjOl7Bg1Dbh3MG1ZoVJ5P2GjxCOQKRQ7-Z2h5Mr9lmPQvF6CIDSn_rWLpljPzYsZYZp1lYt91a67l0e6bFt1KLvNJaeX1/s4032/saucer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCkb5ooGe8-d7Z7AVGz3uhcf1hfoN5fuFaetAUJrFUHC77XGoO7T7ieg8jCAMh0-R4F543VJUzX8Qq_jGqoAr1FZLNBsPbppmjOl7Bg1Dbh3MG1ZoVJ5P2GjxCOQKRQ7-Z2h5Mr9lmPQvF6CIDSn_rWLpljPzYsZYZp1lYt91a67l0e6bFt1KLvNJaeX1/s320/saucer.png" width="320" /></a></div>The alien spaceship is a copy of the model used in the 1957 movie. I got hold of a bunch of photos of a model kit version and modified one of them in Photoshop. The image was simply 2D animated in After Effects.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm quite happy with the finished film, and it seems to have found an appreciative audience on YouTube. I will be making more stop-motion tributes to old monster movies, since these projects are so much fun.<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-30316868168410385952024-01-13T08:14:00.000-08:002024-01-13T08:14:20.843-08:00In the Age of the Piltdown Man<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GHJCaNpdCoc?si=THYZkAneWjj8qIzp" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Paleontology has a long and checkered history, with lots of mistakes and false assumptions littering its legacy. Among the more amusing ones is the story of the Piltdown Man. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyZrYy_09Cer2RdcLlOicnM3K34Bw86gSDxwV23mau-jF_5iz4D_AT3I_ZdIp0KcYwpOo2CDj-3RUC1ZJBxEOEbXN4WLNZWXmjXYlSjQKwQNeRHpwdPSjWOykICw-iZxZxoJXwl-bb74iDxdK2ogCNVJV4RzVrARxFfvfsQ20LelioS2irzq6peFHADar/s1884/Piltdown_gang_(dark).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1376" data-original-width="1884" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyZrYy_09Cer2RdcLlOicnM3K34Bw86gSDxwV23mau-jF_5iz4D_AT3I_ZdIp0KcYwpOo2CDj-3RUC1ZJBxEOEbXN4WLNZWXmjXYlSjQKwQNeRHpwdPSjWOykICw-iZxZxoJXwl-bb74iDxdK2ogCNVJV4RzVrARxFfvfsQ20LelioS2irzq6peFHADar/s320/Piltdown_gang_(dark).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The above image shows the so-called Piltdown Gang, the academics and enthusiasts who launched the Piltdown Man into public awareness and created a sensation. The man standing directly to the left of the lab-coated sitting fellow is Charles Dawson, an amateur archeologist who claimed to have found the fossil remains of the "first Englishman" in an East Sussex Piltdown gravel pit in 1912. It took many researchers 41 years to figure out that the bits of a skull and jaw that were found were nothing more than a hoax, and a fairly obvious one at that. The skull was apparently human, while the jaw came from an Ourangutan. It seemed that Dawson created the hoax to fool and ridicule the academics who had dismissed him and his various amateur theories.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzgoUEbhBMPzet64wgkT6y0ohv0siAjErdeDb9d3n38pY5Xy7deJmkNFJMnrRCXEMLraYXOK_rhu2S3BTdwKM8fBrWbDB_ASoPC8FhYIaXrZgzHxtNxDEoAC28ulxBoOjl9QdJmbcts7OAQ4nxDIIkfRVRYcZ7myBILJiW03SYag64FIPwvfS96uHQ8op/s1440/PSM_V82_D210_Reconstruction_of_Eoanthropus_dawsoni.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1054" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzgoUEbhBMPzet64wgkT6y0ohv0siAjErdeDb9d3n38pY5Xy7deJmkNFJMnrRCXEMLraYXOK_rhu2S3BTdwKM8fBrWbDB_ASoPC8FhYIaXrZgzHxtNxDEoAC28ulxBoOjl9QdJmbcts7OAQ4nxDIIkfRVRYcZ7myBILJiW03SYag64FIPwvfS96uHQ8op/s320/PSM_V82_D210_Reconstruction_of_Eoanthropus_dawsoni.png" width="234" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>41 years is a long time and a lot happened concerning the Piltdown Man skull during those years. Among other things, the "first Englishman" was given a proper scientific name, "Eoanthropus dawsoni" (Dawson's dawn-age man), and several engaging illustrations were produced, showing him stalking through prehistoric Britain. Dawson was not idle during the years following his great "discovery." Perhaps he got cold feet, for as interest in his find grew and more people flocked to the Sussex gravel pit to hunt for more fossils, Dawson started to put things into the pit which would eventually convince the academics that they were dealing with a big prank. He even put a bit of wood into the excavation site, suspiciously similar to a Cricket bat, to illuminate the true nature of the Piltdown Man joke, but to no avail.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH12ds4BbkEzlmMcC8Mqku_iJ8X0prCvHfF3ilJnaA40HHstpV8EL61BAtXPWgdr9GvG35iAZSmObUPJl6UOzzccazJGoAFGMOwtYHk_k0bsuq129eERcMIMUHL-ONWoCJVW8DA-viduUovpodnEaSD8FCT5jqCUVYBHRg37LrSIYUUf7iPYcItDut6Rpe/s1890/piltdown1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1085" data-original-width="1890" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH12ds4BbkEzlmMcC8Mqku_iJ8X0prCvHfF3ilJnaA40HHstpV8EL61BAtXPWgdr9GvG35iAZSmObUPJl6UOzzccazJGoAFGMOwtYHk_k0bsuq129eERcMIMUHL-ONWoCJVW8DA-viduUovpodnEaSD8FCT5jqCUVYBHRg37LrSIYUUf7iPYcItDut6Rpe/s320/piltdown1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I always thought it would be fun to make a story about the Piltdown Man and what a fictional version of prehistoric England might look like. I sculpted four Piltdown Men since my initial idea was to have two Cricket teams with two on each. In the end, I just used two of these characters.<div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH3TXCv1pUuWde1QEMMInuvQU0YpBHiTJ0npYWucC5eKnQRlIXvRXakd_INQRwuwktra88dPdORHj5YDUOzr-fBzHBXtMvrSgrbbxHyrXa3p7T3wbQSqDvJwarCkZSzwJ81CH1DFwbd7OoGg8Q3wXFYlpJDW60NS1aqeGg5Ia57VZlYnQDBTa_ChNh0Bx/s1890/piltdown2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1836" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH3TXCv1pUuWde1QEMMInuvQU0YpBHiTJ0npYWucC5eKnQRlIXvRXakd_INQRwuwktra88dPdORHj5YDUOzr-fBzHBXtMvrSgrbbxHyrXa3p7T3wbQSqDvJwarCkZSzwJ81CH1DFwbd7OoGg8Q3wXFYlpJDW60NS1aqeGg5Ia57VZlYnQDBTa_ChNh0Bx/s320/piltdown2.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The eyes were simple plastic pearls, with painted irises covered with a clear coat of gloss lacquer.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVXukexHQDSGOci4_WkL2RphPxcqod7ZdEPl6hUMoIrQ679JKFTkGQMbRNFm4efcz8nxV6dImkblXFPPYgbRrLsxGVu4HlKtOAc06qjZG7amiPoEh6T0vpUvYjNMgQ3ImUd1W_pAovcV4dlpK03K7xLCJ0AHSFgVDOFRAdfeqH0bfGQlpUmLZJIiQmP1l/s1890/piltdown3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1890" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVXukexHQDSGOci4_WkL2RphPxcqod7ZdEPl6hUMoIrQ679JKFTkGQMbRNFm4efcz8nxV6dImkblXFPPYgbRrLsxGVu4HlKtOAc06qjZG7amiPoEh6T0vpUvYjNMgQ3ImUd1W_pAovcV4dlpK03K7xLCJ0AHSFgVDOFRAdfeqH0bfGQlpUmLZJIiQmP1l/s320/piltdown3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I did cast four latex skins from a single plaster mold covering all four sculptures. I may use the two discarded skins for other characters eventually.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcd7821pSS7DlyfuGDWwl2iByDW6rALiIBuhT2MZTY94NFo9ZRCrnOloSVHziYVU1F4mYtttQtom9H-xPOVlQpayl1fJf6ralioPoFPrBhl_eXhpMTe2w0A4UM2-DjrloPQzHWe2YCpsIIz7S37dE9Ji95RRlfg191JxUHN0bz7Ny6CPzrSwlBQNSC1xt-/s1890/piltdown4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="1890" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcd7821pSS7DlyfuGDWwl2iByDW6rALiIBuhT2MZTY94NFo9ZRCrnOloSVHziYVU1F4mYtttQtom9H-xPOVlQpayl1fJf6ralioPoFPrBhl_eXhpMTe2w0A4UM2-DjrloPQzHWe2YCpsIIz7S37dE9Ji95RRlfg191JxUHN0bz7Ny6CPzrSwlBQNSC1xt-/s320/piltdown4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The inside of the head part was lined with a mix of latex and cotton to create a sturdy, leathery quality. After the latex/cotton mix had dried, it was covered with thermoplastic to create a skull of sorts. The eyes were embedded in silicone clay sockets held in place with the thermoplastic. A single 2 mm aluminum wire animates the jaw. Bits of polyurethane foam soaked in latex were stuffed into the chest area to help maintain its shape.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknAUkpjGHN-SUF1Hq4wuQ-mv5uH62ENYuR4G0DLzSIy_VB5kVoXEbGttwrsMOQOZ5oBAq8wSG-xZy9W4ctTcfMUi56vR7rYZOtMiuJXaokj1OmNulzc6pUAYeXhgvvyv827qJhm-eLEcg27p26U8cbpwzL62Ke85OeCMhupLjjXu1puO2OdJrrYT70MQr/s1893/piltdown5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1893" data-original-width="1753" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknAUkpjGHN-SUF1Hq4wuQ-mv5uH62ENYuR4G0DLzSIy_VB5kVoXEbGttwrsMOQOZ5oBAq8wSG-xZy9W4ctTcfMUi56vR7rYZOtMiuJXaokj1OmNulzc6pUAYeXhgvvyv827qJhm-eLEcg27p26U8cbpwzL62Ke85OeCMhupLjjXu1puO2OdJrrYT70MQr/s320/piltdown5.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The armatures for my two Piltdown Men were very simple. The feet have threaded bolts for tie-down, and the rump has another threaded bolt for attaching my flying rig for certain scenes. The feet were also sculpted and cast in latex, but they were, in fact, made years ago for another puppet project</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8NJ4V7wW76XTLxJmUgkNA1hBGMZbZlFhijpK9HntvkbtIaodXcGOidQAs98unIHXNOKtEcVY2rVdVXULTp40kJwmKAPVc-ZOx4HgL_eL8nPzeBvdBEfDDiXwt10okWj_RbrQUCJ5zpqV3xqyMDsw5z0q75bX8blh1e7AnLYgDUjxnq3AitMZilMSd_2K/s1890/piltdown6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="1890" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8NJ4V7wW76XTLxJmUgkNA1hBGMZbZlFhijpK9HntvkbtIaodXcGOidQAs98unIHXNOKtEcVY2rVdVXULTp40kJwmKAPVc-ZOx4HgL_eL8nPzeBvdBEfDDiXwt10okWj_RbrQUCJ5zpqV3xqyMDsw5z0q75bX8blh1e7AnLYgDUjxnq3AitMZilMSd_2K/s320/piltdown6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I spent quite a bit of time building up foam bits over the armatures to create subtle shapes of fat and muscles.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUla6jCdMUviTf83G9GKsjd0dF0PMz3N1E1HwtbWIOzcE-3YRkK6TrdFUjWZk59wsDNj8XMAYHET_DmyNzFV4w6lYJdfhGCpiO3FUxSqfRyGlWJj5grQRrjXShwaCZH9CniZs1dn8KKV5d2oj3sR-FjDphJeEVHabX55KXwm79WQ9j6gchK4Jn17m23E6g/s1890/piltdown7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1890" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUla6jCdMUviTf83G9GKsjd0dF0PMz3N1E1HwtbWIOzcE-3YRkK6TrdFUjWZk59wsDNj8XMAYHET_DmyNzFV4w6lYJdfhGCpiO3FUxSqfRyGlWJj5grQRrjXShwaCZH9CniZs1dn8KKV5d2oj3sR-FjDphJeEVHabX55KXwm79WQ9j6gchK4Jn17m23E6g/s320/piltdown7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When the foam build-up was finished I attached the latex chest- and head piece to the armature, and added small patches of tinted latex skin to cover the foam. I have a rubber texture stamp with a very subtle texture imitating pores into which I added thin layers of latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYr95wDJ5gdqDoyoey77sRCS3bxHG5WIO3VgOiWnnZdb4NYHyo1AS7ye_9gRtA3svap6e2CisOsXcwYgiZTMu69YTtgLSJym4Zdh9mt8ED2uy1opVSiHS8UeTMKoprLFwhyphenhyphenXoaADHb9QlprKHo5oWJj-z4VB1eIJHi-Mn-90vIOqW6SS31fqtYU8YyIUD/s1890/piltdown8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1890" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYr95wDJ5gdqDoyoey77sRCS3bxHG5WIO3VgOiWnnZdb4NYHyo1AS7ye_9gRtA3svap6e2CisOsXcwYgiZTMu69YTtgLSJym4Zdh9mt8ED2uy1opVSiHS8UeTMKoprLFwhyphenhyphenXoaADHb9QlprKHo5oWJj-z4VB1eIJHi-Mn-90vIOqW6SS31fqtYU8YyIUD/s320/piltdown8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The puppet was then given a unifying coat of tinted latex, which was sponged on in thin layers.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjXMCOzBOJKWd9yyaR4XZQc6ZrYNkBH9nD5-6WCZJKJxcPh2FK6igxkkyGQPNb3Ou250tXdN3mJ6ScLtHDXgxwcgG23TfO-JtUzY9wefuMEikOVpXOy_in_RzzzV5bmerxyaF2pUxPV4mbEckSi_z96_aCrE9LTCrm-EOCufUFXtd7NAxN_E0URZjv_wT/s1628/piltdown%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="1628" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjXMCOzBOJKWd9yyaR4XZQc6ZrYNkBH9nD5-6WCZJKJxcPh2FK6igxkkyGQPNb3Ou250tXdN3mJ6ScLtHDXgxwcgG23TfO-JtUzY9wefuMEikOVpXOy_in_RzzzV5bmerxyaF2pUxPV4mbEckSi_z96_aCrE9LTCrm-EOCufUFXtd7NAxN_E0URZjv_wT/s320/piltdown%20klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCs2kPwFaOurk787CdSGikGZI7-QSJ9QCsfp59BfZ_-IbDtZp-O7QKdlQh9i9IHJDbWsvea8RTLDVaf2z7nq-LOBRF5yGFYg3uDKnRJHVNlOYFRlS1SSmG9EZWd2YoBdhl8KqxZz70RWgH9PtkkXTwaKEF6u0KJYW-_aWFDJRe2KEJ_P1jl_m0ZHXGHDv/s1890/piltdown%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCs2kPwFaOurk787CdSGikGZI7-QSJ9QCsfp59BfZ_-IbDtZp-O7QKdlQh9i9IHJDbWsvea8RTLDVaf2z7nq-LOBRF5yGFYg3uDKnRJHVNlOYFRlS1SSmG9EZWd2YoBdhl8KqxZz70RWgH9PtkkXTwaKEF6u0KJYW-_aWFDJRe2KEJ_P1jl_m0ZHXGHDv/s320/piltdown%20klar2.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddeGy-ML2iiCDYv_-b4IHbrMW91J1HrCAJeWgYOHyegCP2Llp4J5T4uOXgqFfihF4r6BW3fhwdPOaD-4iLm2TDNmtRuRh_RPC8z3bkapcBcnjK5xXV7VNt3eYqwXA7DvW31VnJEsqWqLmV85xc7YJ5jjSNyUukCvE-SiHvcQJNI7KFQfGvYE3RTgsjoDo/s1890/piltdown%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1747" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddeGy-ML2iiCDYv_-b4IHbrMW91J1HrCAJeWgYOHyegCP2Llp4J5T4uOXgqFfihF4r6BW3fhwdPOaD-4iLm2TDNmtRuRh_RPC8z3bkapcBcnjK5xXV7VNt3eYqwXA7DvW31VnJEsqWqLmV85xc7YJ5jjSNyUukCvE-SiHvcQJNI7KFQfGvYE3RTgsjoDo/s320/piltdown%20klar3.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br /><div>The finished Piltdown Men (just one shown here) were augmented with dashes of acrylic paint, and of course, a handsome coat of bodily hair. The hair used was crepé hair (sheep's wool) glued on using liquid latex. Teeth were made from tissue paper and latex. The Cricket bat was cut from a strip of wood painted with watercolors.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEebKM3zhytv-tJJrNl6JYpJnyHmRUXco9_v4G7t6ihYIVLawbQPjDpwGJW4Oeqm8iaampHXpfEgduOu-Owzex_cE6qPVhwchxmvWoM2Ivshfqinyuyt8ihD0p_I3RLiEbQlZwzo79x19laf4UlAPzkWNzni9Jt-Zk1-p6lp0vRbMLLO71iJgSNtQ7v1S/s1890/piltdown%20skull%200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1833" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEebKM3zhytv-tJJrNl6JYpJnyHmRUXco9_v4G7t6ihYIVLawbQPjDpwGJW4Oeqm8iaampHXpfEgduOu-Owzex_cE6qPVhwchxmvWoM2Ivshfqinyuyt8ihD0p_I3RLiEbQlZwzo79x19laf4UlAPzkWNzni9Jt-Zk1-p6lp0vRbMLLO71iJgSNtQ7v1S/s320/piltdown%20skull%200.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I thought it'd be fun to have my very own Piltdown Man skull, so I made one from a discarded human skull I cast years ago (I never throw away anything). To change it into the established reconstruction of the Sussex fossils, I added new parts made from epoxy putty. I used a dark grey variety, which I think was called chemical metal, or something similar, and when I ran out of that I turned to a yellow putty used by model makers.</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qJiW7DCCc4Q_sGwRM6qBoPPyVxrLu74D0FDnuV1Cy-cvWq0p6gSw_dtOnKPZx8p_k4-Q7-xBFvG8rYGdrmehd9FJDupo_T7EM2ulRcmEOIKZCvIkpZ2mpl1xlTiCIDZB-EnQq8qCTNSskgH8RNNPML7ikpnocA8LicFz7i3D4C1VHSFnYgh4agQ7JWOK/s1890/piltdown%20skull%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1681" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qJiW7DCCc4Q_sGwRM6qBoPPyVxrLu74D0FDnuV1Cy-cvWq0p6gSw_dtOnKPZx8p_k4-Q7-xBFvG8rYGdrmehd9FJDupo_T7EM2ulRcmEOIKZCvIkpZ2mpl1xlTiCIDZB-EnQq8qCTNSskgH8RNNPML7ikpnocA8LicFz7i3D4C1VHSFnYgh4agQ7JWOK/s320/piltdown%20skull%201.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14HDkAh6_4HhCtHs4R976FHg9NjgjUE-zeGHn_O4lG7F-z9HPQYS-Q-TQ03Bu4MUFx7nAeXbSYrsnTc3NKM7X45pZWgL8zLx4CVWID7nauHM-SX1eTeRzmC6UFaa7y24QznSI_eyhvramXBSE3jRVbMUFPtOTc6tvrSadmrWprp0phGOiALmoIPI43Y_J/s1890/piltdown%20skull%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1503" data-original-width="1890" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14HDkAh6_4HhCtHs4R976FHg9NjgjUE-zeGHn_O4lG7F-z9HPQYS-Q-TQ03Bu4MUFx7nAeXbSYrsnTc3NKM7X45pZWgL8zLx4CVWID7nauHM-SX1eTeRzmC6UFaa7y24QznSI_eyhvramXBSE3jRVbMUFPtOTc6tvrSadmrWprp0phGOiALmoIPI43Y_J/s320/piltdown%20skull%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxldBeNLfxv9Ihv21pE5ohQxNryGMAZuoZ1V3kW2Z56EGandbONYDBGOXJhVkMOCqKwbmpJqUOu6rKjUAl_L91uGumubyMYx4YrZjZEoD1tJ9e6yvDL43KJ6I9viNCePqeoVaFRNiGceRqP0lbPJnVPBr46BTq-2eDuB95oSi7-akW8_gd6GkWI4yyMIAM/s1890/piltdown%20skull%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1681" data-original-width="1890" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxldBeNLfxv9Ihv21pE5ohQxNryGMAZuoZ1V3kW2Z56EGandbONYDBGOXJhVkMOCqKwbmpJqUOu6rKjUAl_L91uGumubyMYx4YrZjZEoD1tJ9e6yvDL43KJ6I9viNCePqeoVaFRNiGceRqP0lbPJnVPBr46BTq-2eDuB95oSi7-akW8_gd6GkWI4yyMIAM/s320/piltdown%20skull%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The skull was then spray-painted with two layers of car paint and touched up with acrylic airbrush paints. The brown parts are a water-based hobby paint applied with a brush. They signify the actual fossil parts found.<br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnii4W3WtMKChY3kdaZOJg2m43svxOYO5Ar6yEzSjZnnxu_INpQQvJ3njZCTKqFO4sJz04UUQB5r8lCUBVWC-KA88b_zFRjRgyx8v1Tb6CstTij69jd7TSRcBnRkhK7b5hrk7266U2jPDKq2hGlWLxtG8TwqCkg5HXkhgvS-2s64ArY4O-RARQlrIQTlu/s450/victorian%20stegosaur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnii4W3WtMKChY3kdaZOJg2m43svxOYO5Ar6yEzSjZnnxu_INpQQvJ3njZCTKqFO4sJz04UUQB5r8lCUBVWC-KA88b_zFRjRgyx8v1Tb6CstTij69jd7TSRcBnRkhK7b5hrk7266U2jPDKq2hGlWLxtG8TwqCkg5HXkhgvS-2s64ArY4O-RARQlrIQTlu/s320/victorian%20stegosaur.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wanted to add a few examples of prehistoric fauna to my caveman epic and felt that these animals ought to be on par with the Piltdown Man. Today we all know what a Stegosaurus looks like, but back when the original fossils were found several ideas were floating around. The above illustration is the creation of French artist Auguste-Michel Jobin and dates to 1884. Not only have the spikes and plates switched places, but the animal is now a biped. Eventually, American paleontologist Charles Othniel Marsh would figure out what the animal looked like, and with slight corrections, his version is what we still go with today.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuubbXhyphenhyphen1RYwlsFqYGb-rETFnASowdU65MI1H2k_xbzHa0JFKTxGMtkvqBMGg3euTAmIobMOH1sBks3aHq8FrDoe1eb7lE4Ls-1luKCHuqbUULQwBzLFaWEyrJeB5dVSLgXmlowiwOb0TVVn4klo3BQyzTytamS1IhkfUVf6kjXr7bzZmtBveDcDuh8tc/s4032/IMG_1532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuubbXhyphenhyphen1RYwlsFqYGb-rETFnASowdU65MI1H2k_xbzHa0JFKTxGMtkvqBMGg3euTAmIobMOH1sBks3aHq8FrDoe1eb7lE4Ls-1luKCHuqbUULQwBzLFaWEyrJeB5dVSLgXmlowiwOb0TVVn4klo3BQyzTytamS1IhkfUVf6kjXr7bzZmtBveDcDuh8tc/s320/IMG_1532.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Isn't this a cool picture? Jobin's Stegosaurus is taking in the sights in a (then) modern city to show the scale of the animal. All it reminds me of is, of course, modern Kaiju movies. This critter would certainly make a very nice stop-motion puppet.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIuaONEQvcfCxjmTITIuoOa8OvLP-2aXBYDnzSGImyxaO_xbt6Mo-0YyqtLrG8ZA3N4rfvU9dbWJIdsie0zW6zQgZjIwuTBD-NkMcYDay4QCqPikChra2y2B4nLw2H2ESr3PSmbhGxWascQfsw1rRHLXNdzk1uTKo_qGs99JGhQN8ofcEiryg_4KXCzPN/s1575/stego1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="1575" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIuaONEQvcfCxjmTITIuoOa8OvLP-2aXBYDnzSGImyxaO_xbt6Mo-0YyqtLrG8ZA3N4rfvU9dbWJIdsie0zW6zQgZjIwuTBD-NkMcYDay4QCqPikChra2y2B4nLw2H2ESr3PSmbhGxWascQfsw1rRHLXNdzk1uTKo_qGs99JGhQN8ofcEiryg_4KXCzPN/s320/stego1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>My favorite movie dinosaur of all time is the 1933 "King Kong" Stegosaurus, built by Marcel Delgado and based on paintings of the animal made by Charles Knight. However you look at it I stole his designs or was inspired by them when sculpting my Victorian Stegosaur head. I also created a sculpture of knobbly, scaly skin similar to the hide on Delgado's monster. My head sculpture was quite small, just a bit over an inch and a half long, but I still managed to pack quite a bit of detail in there. The eyes are tiny doll's eyes and made by a seller on eBay, where I bought them years ago. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcdj_B-f-Q2XZRApFpIluCH6F96WE93NEe9nr-zlTX9bf0ukJLNarGsghk5zEr1EEzhbbwsHiVUZs6aFE1DdjdQhLFMWbtnZlDpsKxeSJ69CObDb7NF7CkgPdzkJU0MggBe6a35l_VAt2bGDGtlARlf30FgKTOaBgJk8cFWgcvSvdhLdiyUl3LsFmXQpr/s1890/stego2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="887" data-original-width="1890" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcdj_B-f-Q2XZRApFpIluCH6F96WE93NEe9nr-zlTX9bf0ukJLNarGsghk5zEr1EEzhbbwsHiVUZs6aFE1DdjdQhLFMWbtnZlDpsKxeSJ69CObDb7NF7CkgPdzkJU0MggBe6a35l_VAt2bGDGtlARlf30FgKTOaBgJk8cFWgcvSvdhLdiyUl3LsFmXQpr/s320/stego2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Another one of my usual aluminum wire armatures, here with the head cast in latex attached.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFx5PckJ49gnIvls54RNkPjGLKz1yhqrOZklAEY8HwO6wMnSC32aI9tBNJTJEcgHAKvS7nF7QbZVd1LvceMXdkrtLdqvu47NQG_kaRsszF61kXoprY47RXWFsVNBIu1a8g6rUSMW5LcaKbiEpb9XOHSDVt6dAIAl3u9s6FsPwyYGbk5ND1RYqi4E3iniC/s1890/stego3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1452" data-original-width="1890" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFx5PckJ49gnIvls54RNkPjGLKz1yhqrOZklAEY8HwO6wMnSC32aI9tBNJTJEcgHAKvS7nF7QbZVd1LvceMXdkrtLdqvu47NQG_kaRsszF61kXoprY47RXWFsVNBIu1a8g6rUSMW5LcaKbiEpb9XOHSDVt6dAIAl3u9s6FsPwyYGbk5ND1RYqi4E3iniC/s320/stego3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lots of soft polyurethane foam muscles were glued over the armature using flexible contact cement. I used a speculative reconstruction of dinosaur muscles as a guide.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNdI-p23Yl1w7kPBhmSOL3wiSvtMVwCIKpeq6PccmYpuvrefo4G4CVjzkTB_wVIjY9UOWFlOycIULHVuAjPxqFuHGbbzOI9zxz_ALILlPuzoaFNU4Ybcd-D8sbhZwW7YgUmOHkDeVAbwmO27kz6XgUVaQuOm6VHMFG0HJzr0tn7odyX5ANCS7Ri1vpFdF/s1890/stego4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1890" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNdI-p23Yl1w7kPBhmSOL3wiSvtMVwCIKpeq6PccmYpuvrefo4G4CVjzkTB_wVIjY9UOWFlOycIULHVuAjPxqFuHGbbzOI9zxz_ALILlPuzoaFNU4Ybcd-D8sbhZwW7YgUmOHkDeVAbwmO27kz6XgUVaQuOm6VHMFG0HJzr0tn7odyX5ANCS7Ri1vpFdF/s320/stego4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>That knobbly skin is being applied, using liquid latex as a glue. I really like a good texture on a puppet. It monumentally adds to the character.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcVm0nOZ3p7eNsjpUqk_WYuj2OClIZG0_eKw3JJHvyQRdPh-uQUDeoDjCsQym25aBLMlrslFdplioyFwfOaFUdJNKr_tEm-R_8wY5BlawjMGvBvqn_Rqk7bHlwQ61UglE4xha-pNqdiFLAh7gsi0MlR61122Lex009T_NH_rup8wDLlZcaE3Aze0J7B6p/s1890/stego5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1373" data-original-width="1890" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcVm0nOZ3p7eNsjpUqk_WYuj2OClIZG0_eKw3JJHvyQRdPh-uQUDeoDjCsQym25aBLMlrslFdplioyFwfOaFUdJNKr_tEm-R_8wY5BlawjMGvBvqn_Rqk7bHlwQ61UglE4xha-pNqdiFLAh7gsi0MlR61122Lex009T_NH_rup8wDLlZcaE3Aze0J7B6p/s320/stego5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the whole puppet covered with skin, cast with tinted latex in a texture mold from my skin sculpture.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFq7Atd4s6hvFZP0D05392oNd64biIbr2cxipA5zDi0NWzE_vf_vmJesLIHOSlQIhh4EzgaBpzF1hgrV3v48Iw6kUSvGFSnDEpdosd4izu8ZGGczs34tNexK6lsPy1PUtFgDKWcXu1518v6GmvRPYHHegvymn_6tQLlb-SMjW-iHKrGKCJU8akEtJAKhuo/s1899/marsh%201%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1899" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFq7Atd4s6hvFZP0D05392oNd64biIbr2cxipA5zDi0NWzE_vf_vmJesLIHOSlQIhh4EzgaBpzF1hgrV3v48Iw6kUSvGFSnDEpdosd4izu8ZGGczs34tNexK6lsPy1PUtFgDKWcXu1518v6GmvRPYHHegvymn_6tQLlb-SMjW-iHKrGKCJU8akEtJAKhuo/s320/marsh%201%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyTXRjVob1XDXRFqE3ZxuQ7qiPf_zorsYaoN1QqSTcLzOr7iUc9bnFD0vrXxJBX0LOuCaHLPCGzJD7lor15BeO1qS8dP5fdWPk3Dz3A4lAR4CZ4KQ3LD33BmEldfkznJMdQH70MiTwOuSJggRd-dEFE48e_q84Pbfb7Ck86fRaw9kA5VHmJoiOSaolsoY2/s1890/marsh%202%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="1890" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyTXRjVob1XDXRFqE3ZxuQ7qiPf_zorsYaoN1QqSTcLzOr7iUc9bnFD0vrXxJBX0LOuCaHLPCGzJD7lor15BeO1qS8dP5fdWPk3Dz3A4lAR4CZ4KQ3LD33BmEldfkznJMdQH70MiTwOuSJggRd-dEFE48e_q84Pbfb7Ck86fRaw9kA5VHmJoiOSaolsoY2/s320/marsh%202%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj629NXlzlKtWuJt7jBjnHEy3_xGSfVLh9Nb8M6QAfo_8H54gJxVQi_SezABRQOI1Ysur0UdNZWRw8759n-avPYAxnebeEoWXq1KvGllAapNibRwoG3eNvsedxzN18hQOKfKVdMsRIvppHsyCJAAAte5In6UfQQ6Q7-ULc47fZ0KpBuJSTLoMmcVKwknhac/s1890/marsh%203%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="1890" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj629NXlzlKtWuJt7jBjnHEy3_xGSfVLh9Nb8M6QAfo_8H54gJxVQi_SezABRQOI1Ysur0UdNZWRw8759n-avPYAxnebeEoWXq1KvGllAapNibRwoG3eNvsedxzN18hQOKfKVdMsRIvppHsyCJAAAte5In6UfQQ6Q7-ULc47fZ0KpBuJSTLoMmcVKwknhac/s320/marsh%203%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVr49iNeyaYBq4K7EgcpSkMf_ZJ78Exmzhtb2CRGfno4oYhRIZDIJmVQOUFa0br6Nt3-QIir0y4-Lk11RSqALBqogpi-gwbBL3Z5Y_jl1bzzor3ha6XjVfIFai4vilJpx6X39cUMk4cMmU1Kw_7VuhwzGDbi4s0JKMJTh_kLjfIEU_XAUtXyOCQuPxjhs/s1890/marsh%204%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1731" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVr49iNeyaYBq4K7EgcpSkMf_ZJ78Exmzhtb2CRGfno4oYhRIZDIJmVQOUFa0br6Nt3-QIir0y4-Lk11RSqALBqogpi-gwbBL3Z5Y_jl1bzzor3ha6XjVfIFai4vilJpx6X39cUMk4cMmU1Kw_7VuhwzGDbi4s0JKMJTh_kLjfIEU_XAUtXyOCQuPxjhs/s320/marsh%204%20klar.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-L00Sr0ONyGgiVeY2jCS9srrXvTLXxxoHUF0aukt-4KamzAfVuDGmerR2hElogcyN69u1jaszO7Oxo3yNQNriivBVWVN-w7x_h3e5mQwCJgsAvG98KBuHhxopZZBre5Y__EP_NhgdLKTBIiTdbK3HOyDDkx0N88T68IMd8VTvPORbwKnPi5nmUTYt64J/s1890/marsh%205%20klar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1749" data-original-width="1890" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-L00Sr0ONyGgiVeY2jCS9srrXvTLXxxoHUF0aukt-4KamzAfVuDGmerR2hElogcyN69u1jaszO7Oxo3yNQNriivBVWVN-w7x_h3e5mQwCJgsAvG98KBuHhxopZZBre5Y__EP_NhgdLKTBIiTdbK3HOyDDkx0N88T68IMd8VTvPORbwKnPi5nmUTYt64J/s320/marsh%205%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The finished puppet is dry-brushed with tinted latex, with various subtle colors in layer over layer. The plates are bits of EVA foam covered with cotton and latex. The spikes are tissue paper and latex. The tiny teeth are just drops of latex tinted white. Small bits of latex skin were also attached to the edges of the mouth. I don't know if dinosaurs had that, but I've seen it in alligators and various lizards. The puppet is about 17 inches from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMwodZj0nYiKUzBm__sHhdCl7asaHZMjAheIa6LNl0tXIaECL3OAA0q8we_jqLfydHaaumSy1zVxFHTYJQXxjdI1Q9OR17AM5Q-Nhf-5eoL8lr2uDTuCIgllOT5zKLgtsAElYOHvROmsihjl6lvsOPD6y67c0FIdvGF5ajLMsLdqTZOifUBiRqFHVbsNR/s1079/uintatherium1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1079" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMwodZj0nYiKUzBm__sHhdCl7asaHZMjAheIa6LNl0tXIaECL3OAA0q8we_jqLfydHaaumSy1zVxFHTYJQXxjdI1Q9OR17AM5Q-Nhf-5eoL8lr2uDTuCIgllOT5zKLgtsAElYOHvROmsihjl6lvsOPD6y67c0FIdvGF5ajLMsLdqTZOifUBiRqFHVbsNR/s320/uintatherium1.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The second animal I chose to inhabit this undefined era-Britain was an incorrectly reconstructed Uintatherium; a herbivore described by American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope (bitter enemy of Charles Othniel Marsh, by the way.) Cope called his animal Loxolophodon, and figured it was something like a small elephant or tapir with antlers, for some reason. The correct version of this animal (as far as we know) was provided by Marsh, and the genus Uintatherium was coined by Marsh's colleague Joseph Leidy. Anyway, Cope's reconstruction cried out to be animated, and so it was.</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9d9HDFRZzExHPOhtfinkaWmezW5mqxc-Jo744GTEfMqJH6saDcpyyZT8pArRfNJzMcF2vrFCDTN4l_Vnc_aTvvyX8v62pwpGLM2XAt3uroGhLUuImaJ4KQSdc7e1r5AxAFZqx9QIhJyuQJnTfTY0LfhLg-tH0N9abO1bNTE8SF1f08d_OEbS_sCbnYxaG/s1890/unta1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="1890" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9d9HDFRZzExHPOhtfinkaWmezW5mqxc-Jo744GTEfMqJH6saDcpyyZT8pArRfNJzMcF2vrFCDTN4l_Vnc_aTvvyX8v62pwpGLM2XAt3uroGhLUuImaJ4KQSdc7e1r5AxAFZqx9QIhJyuQJnTfTY0LfhLg-tH0N9abO1bNTE8SF1f08d_OEbS_sCbnYxaG/s320/unta1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I sculpted most of the head for this puppet, not including the antlers and the trunk.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNP-Ztu4NI11x7QOSgWsYR4Ijxh9NKaZS8gds8a6H5Vwl-TORuyKU9NUOpINGY85ezs4WHoZ2Pa2POV-i2QUuGp-9HiRCoGbvYUXNru5T-QneapG3eBsvkyHd5vl36yGg6rPNpRopfrhem2m_0KNVjZTvar_2PQcbebArBcrCO81okYkmb-PO7EVTggyE/s1890/unta2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1495" data-original-width="1890" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNP-Ztu4NI11x7QOSgWsYR4Ijxh9NKaZS8gds8a6H5Vwl-TORuyKU9NUOpINGY85ezs4WHoZ2Pa2POV-i2QUuGp-9HiRCoGbvYUXNru5T-QneapG3eBsvkyHd5vl36yGg6rPNpRopfrhem2m_0KNVjZTvar_2PQcbebArBcrCO81okYkmb-PO7EVTggyE/s320/unta2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I forgot to snap any photos of the armature, but it's as basic as can be. Again, I used a muscle diagram to place the foam muscles in a believable way. I used a drawing of rhino muscles for this one.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb80lvr-6nrbKQ3OgsRAf5SASVh2z1gcm_CK3lS1SOnqIdj8-w_rHUqGyqmV-HUhp3OwmiElZvCvUjHLfPCqOaIifK1XG9eYFoMMVNkylujNxcecwtlFyUsYddYJEZiaYNtcJ2ZPJvKru1E60oWNC-73Op6NIlNbTdLP_-WLa6hD9Jjseqy5Fuc9Wm-KE2/s1890/unta3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="1890" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb80lvr-6nrbKQ3OgsRAf5SASVh2z1gcm_CK3lS1SOnqIdj8-w_rHUqGyqmV-HUhp3OwmiElZvCvUjHLfPCqOaIifK1XG9eYFoMMVNkylujNxcecwtlFyUsYddYJEZiaYNtcJ2ZPJvKru1E60oWNC-73Op6NIlNbTdLP_-WLa6hD9Jjseqy5Fuc9Wm-KE2/s320/unta3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The wrinkly elephantine skin came from a couple of well-used texture molds I made years ago. Lots of my puppets have been draped in these skin textures. The antlers are made from stiff metal wires covered with tissue paper dipped in latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsvtevMRc1PqJ6IOoHlmptgS_3m2gvYu0NgONFTKE4seqHd74yE8J5mZ4adM-xCbxNbtLKid6xr6EIEFpvQPPDdN-3wWz1TZxluLa3rA7J2uWxnMjeTkc8Wi0Tz77sSvwQnk5cgea0zSwsiggCc_hITKsaJ5TVbHtdgcDzOOZOYbD1nYvfSKnZdJYWBNP/s1890/unta%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="1890" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsvtevMRc1PqJ6IOoHlmptgS_3m2gvYu0NgONFTKE4seqHd74yE8J5mZ4adM-xCbxNbtLKid6xr6EIEFpvQPPDdN-3wWz1TZxluLa3rA7J2uWxnMjeTkc8Wi0Tz77sSvwQnk5cgea0zSwsiggCc_hITKsaJ5TVbHtdgcDzOOZOYbD1nYvfSKnZdJYWBNP/s320/unta%20klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGevmdnCRVzJJvcyXiMW22yy2ZmvjKDc7qKsLWoj1RAThL2FVDOibymgMxsPLGZ_Om3HdL_e4uB0bS9wRgitlv-HJSxj8YYquyyytyHoixbV4i4PVbmSPLBNuriZHPGpYqC4dklKK3loSorhXog9Y0hgpr3_HUwuihcqKOoWetc10FKOkPjgCYpOrd8Ok/s1890/unta%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1557" data-original-width="1890" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGevmdnCRVzJJvcyXiMW22yy2ZmvjKDc7qKsLWoj1RAThL2FVDOibymgMxsPLGZ_Om3HdL_e4uB0bS9wRgitlv-HJSxj8YYquyyytyHoixbV4i4PVbmSPLBNuriZHPGpYqC4dklKK3loSorhXog9Y0hgpr3_HUwuihcqKOoWetc10FKOkPjgCYpOrd8Ok/s320/unta%20klar2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU00t7IhFvUQpHSh9eoo0MdHwJRgcBkry-jcklrh_Vr97rUMDTkRGtH3vRCwE3jibuikFhWN_RKnLXo4nHkg6CfoUIdirgdHpdZl9OEzQuiJnES1y85Bof1anvLAoNvbts1Av8ujSc0aIDi7yIF4y0asXSiZCjd6kXWDFsTMstz1fqivjJNrsnZ8mit-D/s1890/unta%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU00t7IhFvUQpHSh9eoo0MdHwJRgcBkry-jcklrh_Vr97rUMDTkRGtH3vRCwE3jibuikFhWN_RKnLXo4nHkg6CfoUIdirgdHpdZl9OEzQuiJnES1y85Bof1anvLAoNvbts1Av8ujSc0aIDi7yIF4y0asXSiZCjd6kXWDFsTMstz1fqivjJNrsnZ8mit-D/s320/unta%20klar3.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished Uintatherium was dry-brushed with tinted latex using a sponge. The tusks were made from thermoplastic, and the bristles on the neck and the end of the tail were created with crepé hair.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflSvFdzNdxJHK8p_Fw1cisunbDvu5jXw8cLgL7hyrNSApIRFzgYvvsQvRHpnIAMpjllF-D5kUDzAhv394Eu2VZkdrbuz2P8Y2t4hWCOPZ_cnDfSAnWb7s_AKeVhF-sf5fRbjgUQyx5qLDafg1qwJnZgPXHjZzpl0-KQ3ee9UF50W0Jk5josRv8WjSsW8w/s1920/paleo%20fight2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflSvFdzNdxJHK8p_Fw1cisunbDvu5jXw8cLgL7hyrNSApIRFzgYvvsQvRHpnIAMpjllF-D5kUDzAhv394Eu2VZkdrbuz2P8Y2t4hWCOPZ_cnDfSAnWb7s_AKeVhF-sf5fRbjgUQyx5qLDafg1qwJnZgPXHjZzpl0-KQ3ee9UF50W0Jk5josRv8WjSsW8w/s320/paleo%20fight2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Of course, this film was the perfect opportunity to finally do a Ray Harryhausen-inspired battle between two prehistoric beasties. Harryhausen's monster fights are quite similar, with certain tropes lovingly repeated, like an actor knowing what his audience wants and giving it to them: The circling combatants before the fight, the biting of horns, the foot on the fallen opponent -I included all of it in my animation. The only difference is that this fight is a draw. The monsters back off and live to fight another day.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnBFY5-Hz6IOye9IYGH4_Tt3tV1v5cNhpVFjmw6FE0JC414PM7PTPE1RL4Ot608DrOs02kj36qwi83eUoSUbrR4qRCJUuKJ36SZkWPrTa-mnQo32uY_ztDjGJlF1RYIVCFU1UxUlaC4-xlGHOI2n5LQ49UuROIkegu7MwA9CxBPp8aFpnIYrHvuVmKyaJ/s4680/skog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2944" data-original-width="4680" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnBFY5-Hz6IOye9IYGH4_Tt3tV1v5cNhpVFjmw6FE0JC414PM7PTPE1RL4Ot608DrOs02kj36qwi83eUoSUbrR4qRCJUuKJ36SZkWPrTa-mnQo32uY_ztDjGJlF1RYIVCFU1UxUlaC4-xlGHOI2n5LQ49UuROIkegu7MwA9CxBPp8aFpnIYrHvuVmKyaJ/s320/skog2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>A word about the backgrounds. I picked up a bunch of photos of the Hoh rainforest in Washington state, found on the Depositphotos collection, to which I subscribe. I felt that the drooping mosses and the glowing greens could represent a lush prehistoric England. The various marked-out walkways were removed in Photoshop.</div><div><br /></div><div>The exploding volcano is a bit of stock CGI animation found on Videohive.com.</div><div><br /></div><div>To research the animation for the Cricket play I actually watched actor Peter Davison perform a perfect bowl in the Doctor Who episode "Black Orchid."</div><div><br /></div><div>The end credits are adorned by a rendition of Gilbert and Sullivan's "He Is An Englishman", sung by Harry Dearth in a 1907 recording. It's the only public domain recording I could find, but the crackling, ancient sound sort of fits in with the rest of the film.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p> </p></div></div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-85562074858247699272023-12-23T08:32:00.000-08:002023-12-25T15:03:43.403-08:00Heffalump!<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RpRc7njtEFc?si=I-N4r9lhQthSYVTI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p><br /></p><p>In 2021, the copyright Disney had usurped for the Winnie-the-Pooh property since 1961 expired. I was among the people who had hopes for other creators coming in and adapting the stories in their own way.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Xp4vcUIp4eUwHsR8baaKdSMqD-x75b6we6Uabciq4NKamW3S1quz3QbQaSdou6MRkT1R6mCMdTmyVKtCrnu3ExU4eMc6-jCOU57vTySlsHFotfWbQngvGh5cqx7rWmunksvOe32xI1qsJDaH9SCf1O2aQKR6BRZTIrfxwCJlacfwiz0v39rg921kownD/s1408/blood%20honey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1408" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Xp4vcUIp4eUwHsR8baaKdSMqD-x75b6we6Uabciq4NKamW3S1quz3QbQaSdou6MRkT1R6mCMdTmyVKtCrnu3ExU4eMc6-jCOU57vTySlsHFotfWbQngvGh5cqx7rWmunksvOe32xI1qsJDaH9SCf1O2aQKR6BRZTIrfxwCJlacfwiz0v39rg921kownD/s320/blood%20honey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Alas, what we did get was the "satirical" horror movie "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey." This disappointment got me thinking about what I could bring to the table, and I thought of an episode in the tales where Piglet dreams of Heffalumps.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9B_H2ZW2jVTxk43ZVoF5SVUUbNqtI_39LhrVuAwHfe17L1vFi_JtYi4SEXwRy_ljtVY1JkdbY3Ppscvt0JtTNUYcaf03HWHg5yG-2nGhFco6u8oPeP2hNWazlwFjJvqfrrdA1bjT7_CuFzAZoPr4JQ-mmHI_8QvLK2F1aMgQdX8unl3-9rJUJwMHGcaH/s2008/FM5xzG8XwAUQ1EJ.jpg-large.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="2008" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9B_H2ZW2jVTxk43ZVoF5SVUUbNqtI_39LhrVuAwHfe17L1vFi_JtYi4SEXwRy_ljtVY1JkdbY3Ppscvt0JtTNUYcaf03HWHg5yG-2nGhFco6u8oPeP2hNWazlwFjJvqfrrdA1bjT7_CuFzAZoPr4JQ-mmHI_8QvLK2F1aMgQdX8unl3-9rJUJwMHGcaH/s320/FM5xzG8XwAUQ1EJ.jpg-large.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Nobody really knows what a Heffalump is, except for it being huge and scary. Pooh illustrator E. H. Shepard portrays the Heffalump as a big, angry elephant, and Disney interpretations have gone that route too, in a way.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeaW6tbSq8pRZcE8u8KC-LlMsO28A19MKpRzznti-BbTUJxdd_bUjtZFhwkhtFfig9y382RtbQd_AKvFOjt3YMwiyPsRO3ybcx1wTeYv2gpd6fZTfMgIIP2URkAUXvFaUr5FzY6yUPIuo8wPGdUf0L1GVFPlhWsOWgg3NIDkq7Sh-JNrDIYya6lrNhbpx/s1200/Piglet_EHShepard.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="1200" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeaW6tbSq8pRZcE8u8KC-LlMsO28A19MKpRzznti-BbTUJxdd_bUjtZFhwkhtFfig9y382RtbQd_AKvFOjt3YMwiyPsRO3ybcx1wTeYv2gpd6fZTfMgIIP2URkAUXvFaUr5FzY6yUPIuo8wPGdUf0L1GVFPlhWsOWgg3NIDkq7Sh-JNrDIYya6lrNhbpx/s320/Piglet_EHShepard.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, for my project, I needed a version of Piglet and a version of the Heffalump. Starting with Piglet, I went back to Shepard's original illustrations. Color versions show Piglet's vest (or whatever the garment is supposed to be) being green, so that's what I stuck with too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAu2agdrPOdrvm-gGQf1Z680WK7gi20oxA8H_nta0rdGGwZRcljDn-zflxjofjSAcFevFQ-VkXcy1tChtfGKdEek6j5-NQwFgaxv_DzaDGW6pOLcQjtbf0mq2MPmnAEhu0yGC-BIMbYKGzsmGxHOV4Wg69caKQ-da5BWG_EnAHHuTmzDA0_4hevjK2Svs/s1260/piglet1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="1189" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAu2agdrPOdrvm-gGQf1Z680WK7gi20oxA8H_nta0rdGGwZRcljDn-zflxjofjSAcFevFQ-VkXcy1tChtfGKdEek6j5-NQwFgaxv_DzaDGW6pOLcQjtbf0mq2MPmnAEhu0yGC-BIMbYKGzsmGxHOV4Wg69caKQ-da5BWG_EnAHHuTmzDA0_4hevjK2Svs/s320/piglet1.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I sculpted a piglet head in Monster Clay, having the notion to reproduce the sculpture as a latex skin, as I usually do. In the end, I only used a portion of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNJSK8Q_Kwdb7J4tTH8NT9U3GItAmUMxxBNDVWOAVhOD_w_ePR03O9zmdu7LVI_QCg8Zbfm1VzihDxs6yidimXm9jFoYzDC1Vgb3PlsPomhqDf1FITPSpU9MCj5BnZcFy5lCKsx7adPuFe7Fc42Yynk5PbVDhtR2C7dQZnr4pKoTFKU-wLlHHNbJ2JXJg/s1890/piglet2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNJSK8Q_Kwdb7J4tTH8NT9U3GItAmUMxxBNDVWOAVhOD_w_ePR03O9zmdu7LVI_QCg8Zbfm1VzihDxs6yidimXm9jFoYzDC1Vgb3PlsPomhqDf1FITPSpU9MCj5BnZcFy5lCKsx7adPuFe7Fc42Yynk5PbVDhtR2C7dQZnr4pKoTFKU-wLlHHNbJ2JXJg/s320/piglet2.jpg" width="183" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This simple armature made the basis for the puppet. Not seen in this photo, there is an attachment point on the armature's bum for a flying rig.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6wPbMWSt6o6pTONFBfs6zQz5gvk6GPDsi3dqaybZ4LT5zUJmc7chwXnFoUMSxn-sizIu6y8uPi3LWPO4rFifrEx8ILx_BVsWuPjyIZvqlfb13PwJSW4qM2PyIdx6QVy9-5aOVkVswlcSSZO9KfJ24OCxiC5XPdzrXuLTMhFotaXN99rbrKDFlmlBwptj/s1890/piglet3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1185" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6wPbMWSt6o6pTONFBfs6zQz5gvk6GPDsi3dqaybZ4LT5zUJmc7chwXnFoUMSxn-sizIu6y8uPi3LWPO4rFifrEx8ILx_BVsWuPjyIZvqlfb13PwJSW4qM2PyIdx6QVy9-5aOVkVswlcSSZO9KfJ24OCxiC5XPdzrXuLTMhFotaXN99rbrKDFlmlBwptj/s320/piglet3.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The arms and legs were wrapped with soft yarn, and the rest of the puppet was padded with soft foam.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinI0PUPmAcaIMxyJyNFFZMOdsu77i5CieLNxepYL_zPJVw6G4xAN3ADsW8KMHePGV983-WMbAnYVde9jdsuTfL9eHwEQjK8Jg1NrckG1V5RY4VkX0yHQJNqlBOniLIe4H9ZoMxy4oc7w1oYKgcaPEBhsqrixMjY1UzTd7S46mBwDvNWBIkPJotWpQVFaLK/s1890/piglet4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinI0PUPmAcaIMxyJyNFFZMOdsu77i5CieLNxepYL_zPJVw6G4xAN3ADsW8KMHePGV983-WMbAnYVde9jdsuTfL9eHwEQjK8Jg1NrckG1V5RY4VkX0yHQJNqlBOniLIe4H9ZoMxy4oc7w1oYKgcaPEBhsqrixMjY1UzTd7S46mBwDvNWBIkPJotWpQVFaLK/s320/piglet4.jpg" width="177" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUbe8kIVrjiKH65rpfa1ITCt0_knLRq5JQWM_2MK59W-UeBaohyuSbPRKGeeq2le8WEYN74YqE21lz4MjBDKJM_J4wusKY9vhmCyT1Lpq5yzLXhhig5b7LvUSA11nez1xbBR_kvBOwUUYeBfCpcJmh2FJ3Iw9yeJ29CfyQg0OAMxCNKXYmT1EkTrWttx4/s1890/piglet5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="893" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUbe8kIVrjiKH65rpfa1ITCt0_knLRq5JQWM_2MK59W-UeBaohyuSbPRKGeeq2le8WEYN74YqE21lz4MjBDKJM_J4wusKY9vhmCyT1Lpq5yzLXhhig5b7LvUSA11nez1xbBR_kvBOwUUYeBfCpcJmh2FJ3Iw9yeJ29CfyQg0OAMxCNKXYmT1EkTrWttx4/s320/piglet5.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcj15mmydK977ms8PVJbI3Fu37DyPZqYdZvTSUWMWd9hy-Fs4s6blrVOWamQf6mxjiCDVWNApcDmmuvXRl8jX4YX7F8xitzPd2tcn8X7PPw3wP9Iua3QQz1qNXrItTmdoBE5XGlU7d4jjKw1rrqtHJrSf_-Xcq7mX11QVcrNc-N-ZQ8E_3nLrxMylC7KOD/s1890/piglet6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1051" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcj15mmydK977ms8PVJbI3Fu37DyPZqYdZvTSUWMWd9hy-Fs4s6blrVOWamQf6mxjiCDVWNApcDmmuvXRl8jX4YX7F8xitzPd2tcn8X7PPw3wP9Iua3QQz1qNXrItTmdoBE5XGlU7d4jjKw1rrqtHJrSf_-Xcq7mX11QVcrNc-N-ZQ8E_3nLrxMylC7KOD/s320/piglet6.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Here's the finished Piglet puppet covered with latex skin. I did consider making Piglet a felt puppet, which would've looked better. But since I was more familiar with latex and foam padding I went that route. The eyes and buttons are scrapbooking half-pearls glued on.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicV8FWsXYTA3Ok_vKuRT8jjo7r3lEIMwM3DsoALbvz_de0QuQ_rjymURVgvBSUO4EgDiBf-eSHoeE0jxAoBKxwCvTMPrLgR25hqZz8OOZTJuX2Z9Neto6wIgu3eA0YzIy4wAwt7Rjy3Op_08aUzsUiKjCfBvj4JaSvSsHxW7qGxeWXyuAGZlPhhWJVDtL0/s1870/heffa1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1870" data-original-width="1360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicV8FWsXYTA3Ok_vKuRT8jjo7r3lEIMwM3DsoALbvz_de0QuQ_rjymURVgvBSUO4EgDiBf-eSHoeE0jxAoBKxwCvTMPrLgR25hqZz8OOZTJuX2Z9Neto6wIgu3eA0YzIy4wAwt7Rjy3Op_08aUzsUiKjCfBvj4JaSvSsHxW7qGxeWXyuAGZlPhhWJVDtL0/s320/heffa1.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><p><br /></p>My idea for a Heffalump was realized a bit earlier than my planning for this film. I made this drawing just for fun and posted it on DeviantArt. I thought it'd make a good animation puppet.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFR0KY11JKU0Ug6i1hyGJvaHOoVAc1Yx_Lj4A1yAevpoeZmyqnYbA9Kfv0LyLqR6mLbRm5bmOlr6C2oB-BgInEXxw9U2SwSfxstk239Ii2X02SdvzhVZRXR-Z5vm0LYkBOnfL2FgyRSuIAbfoTLp5BTRfOIeIb6Klm7BgDg8niu7g2GXsRkxfrwYVJYoNe/s1890/heffa2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="1890" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFR0KY11JKU0Ug6i1hyGJvaHOoVAc1Yx_Lj4A1yAevpoeZmyqnYbA9Kfv0LyLqR6mLbRm5bmOlr6C2oB-BgInEXxw9U2SwSfxstk239Ii2X02SdvzhVZRXR-Z5vm0LYkBOnfL2FgyRSuIAbfoTLp5BTRfOIeIb6Klm7BgDg8niu7g2GXsRkxfrwYVJYoNe/s320/heffa2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I started with making the face in medium-grade Monster Clay. I simply made the face a bit too big, which meant that the rest of the puppet would have to be bigger than I usually make my puppets.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WYgEEKpAfQuj-PYwJFKK1OFavF86kAwVmKTlIy0SnpESWcXCEB1YEziQRJJmIsWhqOswZhpc7D4LZ3-Ywv4m26iLOB4OZlxmfWKUUobYALjDQH0ALigsDf8Sfxmte-_RFlzQWOzetcO6vdQ6zkjXaOmA5-Q5HoRjH5a-tcbGBBnws2Q1Fvd6xcg16D_I/s2520/heffa3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1497" data-original-width="2520" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WYgEEKpAfQuj-PYwJFKK1OFavF86kAwVmKTlIy0SnpESWcXCEB1YEziQRJJmIsWhqOswZhpc7D4LZ3-Ywv4m26iLOB4OZlxmfWKUUobYALjDQH0ALigsDf8Sfxmte-_RFlzQWOzetcO6vdQ6zkjXaOmA5-Q5HoRjH5a-tcbGBBnws2Q1Fvd6xcg16D_I/s320/heffa3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The face was cast in tinted latex from a dental plaster mold created over the sculpture. I made two eyes from a couple of very colorful plastic pearls and drilled a concave surface into them to create irisis. Each iris was painted and filled in with UV resin. The eyes are placed in silicone clay sockets held in place with thermoplastic. Three and four millimeter aluminum wires were added for the ears, the eyebrows, and the jaw. As you can see I removed the latex eyebrows. I sometimes do that to improve on the flexibility of that part of the face. The white stuff you can see on the inside of the latex skin is Polymorph thermoplastic, adding support for the head. I also added a rigid plastic tube as extra support for the mid-section of the face.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eqNz0HJjf8b5PO8XzYcLqO79A6FaCTzdw7QnYjLwOhyphenhyphendM0eoE17FIh2cmE_L4eIQcSZcqNm34joMHgn7qR_l2UianFtFsH64HSyl4zWO7-Jhp7p_4WgKbojiirMtzSwtCwCiuSY9z6Jk9VjHm73FWC-KmxDfL5svszsJ9L6vo00ZETXM1bEz4-gsrEcC/s1890/heffa4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1749" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eqNz0HJjf8b5PO8XzYcLqO79A6FaCTzdw7QnYjLwOhyphenhyphendM0eoE17FIh2cmE_L4eIQcSZcqNm34joMHgn7qR_l2UianFtFsH64HSyl4zWO7-Jhp7p_4WgKbojiirMtzSwtCwCiuSY9z6Jk9VjHm73FWC-KmxDfL5svszsJ9L6vo00ZETXM1bEz4-gsrEcC/s320/heffa4.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">New eyebrows were built up with soft foam.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYKYB0O27BqEhfLhaetpJapZKLaMd-pm1Kwq6Y7BTos1VhAUrCNecF1R4-VTi1tX8KVVDibWBFQMJhotgZa33N-dfpb30E5V-3kAaTXDl8LgTqDNqLGsKHUgIONPcQz8PrikPBZh9Igb02UcVLrk0X0Y0S_skeFEX5LxHRRZydQh-4x1x766zaUpJFEKb/s1890/heffa5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1261" data-original-width="1890" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYKYB0O27BqEhfLhaetpJapZKLaMd-pm1Kwq6Y7BTos1VhAUrCNecF1R4-VTi1tX8KVVDibWBFQMJhotgZa33N-dfpb30E5V-3kAaTXDl8LgTqDNqLGsKHUgIONPcQz8PrikPBZh9Igb02UcVLrk0X0Y0S_skeFEX5LxHRRZydQh-4x1x766zaUpJFEKb/s320/heffa5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBikPeGg0f28_l5oaPcu-lwoU9Si2WjQ6PDBJP2vRsxC1Tv6JQisNi1iezIZULepB4fyFR8f8-ckt7anzme_1DtDQX2qmayUnZI22i4-ElujZ_vAeSNQbZPs-S3bU0KIkqWUUc_1XQs6fYoqpdpEr9Qc5ofsjQHz9hyphenhyphen28X99TUkg3Y36L337GLbTJ-O-V_/s1890/heffa6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBikPeGg0f28_l5oaPcu-lwoU9Si2WjQ6PDBJP2vRsxC1Tv6JQisNi1iezIZULepB4fyFR8f8-ckt7anzme_1DtDQX2qmayUnZI22i4-ElujZ_vAeSNQbZPs-S3bU0KIkqWUUc_1XQs6fYoqpdpEr9Qc5ofsjQHz9hyphenhyphen28X99TUkg3Y36L337GLbTJ-O-V_/s320/heffa6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I decided to make a trunk with a grasping hand at the end. Fingers were built up by wrapping soft yarn around aluminum wires, while the trunk had a base of yarn, with foam on top of it. The yarn wrapping at the base makes the trunk less wobbly and more organic-feeling.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-EMtfGvLDeLgTQ6_3I4Xa7YikugkE09Nysb26TqWpgV9pupfI9R90V4RNTyfeNqVb5-qovphmP6lsGi-SERRig6_kzp-RjwOSBpawAbjtD-2KcAoGwztKaELBIeprLV_JuY8fFy20Hgz9JdLQc9pZpGZuKYmgBnHAEwA1UR_9WkReoyX5B8tNmsUe85c/s1890/heffa7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1890" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-EMtfGvLDeLgTQ6_3I4Xa7YikugkE09Nysb26TqWpgV9pupfI9R90V4RNTyfeNqVb5-qovphmP6lsGi-SERRig6_kzp-RjwOSBpawAbjtD-2KcAoGwztKaELBIeprLV_JuY8fFy20Hgz9JdLQc9pZpGZuKYmgBnHAEwA1UR_9WkReoyX5B8tNmsUe85c/s320/heffa7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I also sculpted a foot and cast four hollow latex versions of it, using a blend of latex and cotton lining the inside of each cast to make it extra sturdy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISPmVFxB-ZoY0lWh4GiBedBS-gQjPiHsXhbxQR4u7l-8cmpq0RGG-aUFzXIFEyag3iMvLZYcN4m_GTLfXo4awXN3BDdETMogZQhSa3OGhOOsHwb2j1buYCPlgB4TWL5AGSRGmsMpfBBdWLKGOadFbp-4uli40TlmVnfcnXTq8T9egZNofTIcZwXOuLNRC/s1890/heffa8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISPmVFxB-ZoY0lWh4GiBedBS-gQjPiHsXhbxQR4u7l-8cmpq0RGG-aUFzXIFEyag3iMvLZYcN4m_GTLfXo4awXN3BDdETMogZQhSa3OGhOOsHwb2j1buYCPlgB4TWL5AGSRGmsMpfBBdWLKGOadFbp-4uli40TlmVnfcnXTq8T9egZNofTIcZwXOuLNRC/s320/heffa8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>This turned out to be a huge puppet, the biggest I've ever built, standing a little over 16 inches tall. Each leg had a bundle of 4 mm aluminum wires for its joints. The body piece is a bit of plywood. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9Q-QdzCiLKg20VCP-0rV4KRm6asbuWrpW1OzAAJj05sqh28etEEBKigYmnUTdan8K_gdmMJiMteENUT6W7kF-JLNux8bzcWDbuZxcLqxKWbYELCBuzOp4Ernbtec1JN-oES3eB5V39UxrFiJRNPXzYtCEsgYV6MaHjbQZcLzvGXdKXwH-rzpSDPTWBvC/s1890/heffa9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9Q-QdzCiLKg20VCP-0rV4KRm6asbuWrpW1OzAAJj05sqh28etEEBKigYmnUTdan8K_gdmMJiMteENUT6W7kF-JLNux8bzcWDbuZxcLqxKWbYELCBuzOp4Ernbtec1JN-oES3eB5V39UxrFiJRNPXzYtCEsgYV6MaHjbQZcLzvGXdKXwH-rzpSDPTWBvC/s320/heffa9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Lots of padding for this puppet. It really wouldn't flex its midriff, so I just built up a big blob of foam, making it both bulky and slightly gangly-looking with its long legs.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNs0OolusJROnj0Kk07XugmMnHmBuweMPbOvmBsHUVldKO3QMON9DH8989JqiZiqIL0lhnL1U4IGqm1vN97RvXGwy3DCvLejuVHeKaRphCVugtPQmq70CIUInAJtRLr0DX-zX2QEW5CkU_vDCtdZmFzUWef0LJvxNJE7ByT-kncjBS926a4og_-8JlJa5D/s1890/heffa10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1744" data-original-width="1890" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNs0OolusJROnj0Kk07XugmMnHmBuweMPbOvmBsHUVldKO3QMON9DH8989JqiZiqIL0lhnL1U4IGqm1vN97RvXGwy3DCvLejuVHeKaRphCVugtPQmq70CIUInAJtRLr0DX-zX2QEW5CkU_vDCtdZmFzUWef0LJvxNJE7ByT-kncjBS926a4og_-8JlJa5D/s320/heffa10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Lots of latex patches cast in skin texture molds were draped over the foam. All the patches were tinted when cast, which gives a very fleshy look.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMB6bVkh3kekConNjXH9htYquDRft6_TJ25j31UXBArbBA6eCfJ3tL03cebMy1_1KnRadTg6lazQFAlT-hTg28nvrcwITMZGlqcssx5GtJ-UJhI-2UDwPegNPvP_OJqjF5eradgGnAGLfMeQuTswO4yjgnHeFxsCTzexEfTSFB0YP8qtv3wWAblEgxqwU/s1890/heffa11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMB6bVkh3kekConNjXH9htYquDRft6_TJ25j31UXBArbBA6eCfJ3tL03cebMy1_1KnRadTg6lazQFAlT-hTg28nvrcwITMZGlqcssx5GtJ-UJhI-2UDwPegNPvP_OJqjF5eradgGnAGLfMeQuTswO4yjgnHeFxsCTzexEfTSFB0YP8qtv3wWAblEgxqwU/s320/heffa11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The base color was applied using a sponge and tinted latex. Over this, I worked up hues of purple and blue, with red shadows in creases and folds.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb95bQXK1dWfDzxvk1KUrVoN9LR-RLYDVSNPMMeM-pzSp5t8K4lYnJL38bulAkk5tz36urTKMbzwff1lGpMDr-1W9ZhgZoj50HWjYYisH-dW5spuyZnCJwzsZaSYuMQRClWGE7-2cbS1Ra9DJwYZ1reMKJWOUwcoAvQFDzPVV7D0uOKsGd8GRNS5HL-14/s1890/heffa%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1890" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb95bQXK1dWfDzxvk1KUrVoN9LR-RLYDVSNPMMeM-pzSp5t8K4lYnJL38bulAkk5tz36urTKMbzwff1lGpMDr-1W9ZhgZoj50HWjYYisH-dW5spuyZnCJwzsZaSYuMQRClWGE7-2cbS1Ra9DJwYZ1reMKJWOUwcoAvQFDzPVV7D0uOKsGd8GRNS5HL-14/s320/heffa%20klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUiVJCODGL2W9voCZchKyAYC2VLuU0k8jcWn2ZA8x33Xg3_2YnpHm9XjJ5vlbNSbE3f5hjmibRF9ONmF7hbW74sWqVSNYSmitDzptXtmBxjFn06DJDY1soZYFvnooL4xg7JahyphenhyphenxSO3CDuQLKj1yaBUjBVJbhR6Q49dBpbc6kM0Gaphqf-eo-sAI9sAQA-/s1890/heffa%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="1890" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUiVJCODGL2W9voCZchKyAYC2VLuU0k8jcWn2ZA8x33Xg3_2YnpHm9XjJ5vlbNSbE3f5hjmibRF9ONmF7hbW74sWqVSNYSmitDzptXtmBxjFn06DJDY1soZYFvnooL4xg7JahyphenhyphenxSO3CDuQLKj1yaBUjBVJbhR6Q49dBpbc6kM0Gaphqf-eo-sAI9sAQA-/s320/heffa%20klar2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk3LDtwy6yh5i9D2OdWWCgErlssVRwpeuUYzhnHJVE70frS9ZJp5sZvFmg1GhnmVVFOa9JfCHtm6s-Om90OKcZ3IdFgckNvJu-G9c3mw_37IcQJ4tpTFPTbBNnKH87tMnMfJ70yIiJi2_UHwG1n6mdqS6j827s7dnBvhPiyJ-f8EP91T-CxMi5Sa0nldh/s1890/heffa%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1782" data-original-width="1890" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk3LDtwy6yh5i9D2OdWWCgErlssVRwpeuUYzhnHJVE70frS9ZJp5sZvFmg1GhnmVVFOa9JfCHtm6s-Om90OKcZ3IdFgckNvJu-G9c3mw_37IcQJ4tpTFPTbBNnKH87tMnMfJ70yIiJi2_UHwG1n6mdqS6j827s7dnBvhPiyJ-f8EP91T-CxMi5Sa0nldh/s320/heffa%20klar3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADZHRU7oI6PXNhx_cf4bh8JhzTc8gg96_alOTBTIySXovxlYwPJVHQmgFf8I5V969VDmsnETBUNw-ydVojWCDUuSYGVN54gtWjL2vUlHqLHmxwR9QUfVUBQeJYahNAoyUT7j4uSx5vnV5CiNEHm-iTbPVT_FmIGp7q18m3CwLkSdofCJgOPYtgy2OGcw4/s1890/heffa%20klar4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADZHRU7oI6PXNhx_cf4bh8JhzTc8gg96_alOTBTIySXovxlYwPJVHQmgFf8I5V969VDmsnETBUNw-ydVojWCDUuSYGVN54gtWjL2vUlHqLHmxwR9QUfVUBQeJYahNAoyUT7j4uSx5vnV5CiNEHm-iTbPVT_FmIGp7q18m3CwLkSdofCJgOPYtgy2OGcw4/s320/heffa%20klar4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjB-IR7cjIZqHzs0IboFqdS5N4fEMqOJE0olylohARqfXqJukYBhfMgVxaNmiL7hegi9ZomJ8jplbpSGf5z0QSKriaaXgV33Mc3fttP1pAhnIsbl2k0pq58EdMAewSrU8MCiHM-SspZUhw29pzsujn7D6R45pWLTu602YXzZQZm06WYMS5L1fXg4r5D6J/s1890/heffa%20klar5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjB-IR7cjIZqHzs0IboFqdS5N4fEMqOJE0olylohARqfXqJukYBhfMgVxaNmiL7hegi9ZomJ8jplbpSGf5z0QSKriaaXgV33Mc3fttP1pAhnIsbl2k0pq58EdMAewSrU8MCiHM-SspZUhw29pzsujn7D6R45pWLTu602YXzZQZm06WYMS5L1fXg4r5D6J/s320/heffa%20klar5.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj940te38uXALslC4x4SpsrvRmPWh3Q16yUjdhL0j0jmthd0tldzHs97GfbdwdbOl5YRGkn624_Ytn_fF-CV4nj5B13tJz19IfrWS1GL3a10y-U6UfVzHBWC2r0jc2oZ80IB8geH9VIG__Bg4SiGUTngm5D7Bnuimaid7i-nT5OzChV3lm4P60cu3HqMBwr/s1890/heffa%20klar6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj940te38uXALslC4x4SpsrvRmPWh3Q16yUjdhL0j0jmthd0tldzHs97GfbdwdbOl5YRGkn624_Ytn_fF-CV4nj5B13tJz19IfrWS1GL3a10y-U6UfVzHBWC2r0jc2oZ80IB8geH9VIG__Bg4SiGUTngm5D7Bnuimaid7i-nT5OzChV3lm4P60cu3HqMBwr/s320/heffa%20klar6.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-ZuzhMEae5O5iUOX75b08lxVftkPU0XtulGWE-p6qBmakUzIEfmXADJI-c79f4bG5ClAhZ5y70tUZw6St_GCGL_c6ewYgcSD0PN-xjGs3n9nrbenKiXYZ_uN50vf5m1NVFSH9Uq81JIO5Xb4hDJ6NjoNmw4qv7d5Y6X0HzJqpIOtMMRGxSkslvMrDSio/s1890/heffa%20klar7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1295" data-original-width="1890" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-ZuzhMEae5O5iUOX75b08lxVftkPU0XtulGWE-p6qBmakUzIEfmXADJI-c79f4bG5ClAhZ5y70tUZw6St_GCGL_c6ewYgcSD0PN-xjGs3n9nrbenKiXYZ_uN50vf5m1NVFSH9Uq81JIO5Xb4hDJ6NjoNmw4qv7d5Y6X0HzJqpIOtMMRGxSkslvMrDSio/s320/heffa%20klar7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Here's the finished Heffalump. The hair is dark grey fake fur dabbed with tinted latex. This made the hair stiff and easy to control. The nails and teeth were made from tissue paper and latex. Even the tusks were made this way. I rolled long strips of tissue paper soaked in latex and pressed them together until I had a tusk-like shape.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAA7XiG6biP9IMGAagoB8z3O9CmGH6qehcJCib3fEb_OS_caww6JE3MeGljbGzMpymUL9CaR3jb6aYELs6ACs7-OOZb-gRwGGIwshR-qc2EvkHuu_ZpNBXR0XpAVCtgEXQtRxs_XUnF3SXrRYCs9alZ47ELyeGpJG759tNU7Dd6XpLhJkuzbQaHWs_iEP4/s3769/nasse%20sovrum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2115" data-original-width="3769" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAA7XiG6biP9IMGAagoB8z3O9CmGH6qehcJCib3fEb_OS_caww6JE3MeGljbGzMpymUL9CaR3jb6aYELs6ACs7-OOZb-gRwGGIwshR-qc2EvkHuu_ZpNBXR0XpAVCtgEXQtRxs_XUnF3SXrRYCs9alZ47ELyeGpJG759tNU7Dd6XpLhJkuzbQaHWs_iEP4/s320/nasse%20sovrum.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The backgrounds were all digital 2D images. Piglet's bedroom was cobbled together in Photoshop using various stock image elements. I found an old photo of a teddy bear and placed it in a frame, making a portrait of Winnie-the-Pooh. Piglets pillows and bedclothes were bits of felt and cloth I had lying about. I animated Piglet saying "Bother!" when he woke up, but then remembered that it's Winne-the-Pooh who says that -Piglet says "Oh dear!" But when I dubbed in my Piglet voice (which I did myself) "Oh dear!" fitted anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8J-VRooetw9OYojkHP0_z7xMNYqBFGdpU-UrtWcdrGiGVG5KvQm5hhXI0gbt0QrN7i3Z7eFE9U6x9GXcLm_0-97fzmEheUjMNEqodFcU-NZFjVY-7VzbNZr8ktmn-pyug1ADDvObc0o1BjGFK3bb5ysXr6YxN4Q_OX_yuDl25bml2A5-CA-jfe8NY-0IS/s4608/skog1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2852" data-original-width="4608" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8J-VRooetw9OYojkHP0_z7xMNYqBFGdpU-UrtWcdrGiGVG5KvQm5hhXI0gbt0QrN7i3Z7eFE9U6x9GXcLm_0-97fzmEheUjMNEqodFcU-NZFjVY-7VzbNZr8ktmn-pyug1ADDvObc0o1BjGFK3bb5ysXr6YxN4Q_OX_yuDl25bml2A5-CA-jfe8NY-0IS/s320/skog1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Piglet's nightmare forest was downloaded from depositphotos.com, where I have a subscription, and I'm assuming it's AI art.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQrE-BiBnUuWLxX8-0AwPi8OG2mGZ-ogxlwKcX5I3z74rlR2FIfQnpNUe6Jh91ygf2UN64cohzDCSqLfWX32OnQa9WkaMQVpmdCiLHwfyNaxqSFheoPDE-HPHBJY0AXHaWVFo2mAIsfZGQbg7urH3QGBU7w8lNL98bFm2xSkSCyPIvuyhzBK7q0I_0R55/s1890/heffalump%20vs%20piglet_160dpi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="1890" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQrE-BiBnUuWLxX8-0AwPi8OG2mGZ-ogxlwKcX5I3z74rlR2FIfQnpNUe6Jh91ygf2UN64cohzDCSqLfWX32OnQa9WkaMQVpmdCiLHwfyNaxqSFheoPDE-HPHBJY0AXHaWVFo2mAIsfZGQbg7urH3QGBU7w8lNL98bFm2xSkSCyPIvuyhzBK7q0I_0R55/s320/heffalump%20vs%20piglet_160dpi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, that's my contribution to the pop culture universe of Winnie-the-Pooh and friends. Some kind people have suggested I should do more of this, but at the moment I'm happy with this short excursion. I love the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and though it would be fun and a privilege to adapt them, I also feel I want to leave them alone and not add on my interpretations. </div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></div><p></p>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-73825705429680655232023-11-17T10:26:00.000-08:002023-11-17T10:26:32.303-08:00Snail Wizard<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5FAexdM9XZU?si=KwjXHFR76aKqgkgi" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>For the longest time I've been focusing on adapting other people's texts for my YouTube projects, and it's been a lot of fun. But I do come up with my own ideas every once in a while. I haven't had the best track record with my self-scripted projects -usually, they don't get as much interest as my adaptations. But, for some reason that's started to change. Here's one example, "Snail Wizard."</div><div><br /></div><div>I actually started building the head of the Snail Wizard character for another project. He was going to be an alien slug on a distant planet; a film project concocted for my special needs people film group. In the end, that slug puppet went in another direction, but I had already sculpted the head and cast the rubber version from a plaster mold created around it. Eventually, while working in my puppet shop and sort of seeing the rubber snail head in the corner of my eye, the character of Snail Wizard grew into being. Then, of course, he needed a nemesis, and Bug Wizard was logically conceived. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-mgBIHKl9xTp-zIz7Ko5aJ5lYSpUUkgbQPQjzps8zSTaYeThx3wE1b_KXm_LkVirpNY-DreZPPG-g7bJ97bmboRvwx7y8NUx2l3DpWbdUjBpJxHCq6yzTjk0uyUKNs1fSNGE9S1g-hXHICFaKhOoVx9XUiegmNkGR89Wno1ZUyZ7e-hsp9ZxdpgLloZX/s1890/swiz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1890" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-mgBIHKl9xTp-zIz7Ko5aJ5lYSpUUkgbQPQjzps8zSTaYeThx3wE1b_KXm_LkVirpNY-DreZPPG-g7bJ97bmboRvwx7y8NUx2l3DpWbdUjBpJxHCq6yzTjk0uyUKNs1fSNGE9S1g-hXHICFaKhOoVx9XUiegmNkGR89Wno1ZUyZ7e-hsp9ZxdpgLloZX/s320/swiz1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>this is the original sculpture for the space slug, conceived in medium-grade Monster Clay. As you can hopefully see, the inside of the mouth has many rows of small holes. Sharp teeth would've filled these tiny cavities. In the end, I filled the holes in the final casting with drops of latex and went with a more human mouth, which possibly looked more unnerving.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeD53T-3fgTRjg2CltqxRyKkD4yFfr6ZeKRq2EU80UV-KmWXiB66SailXde2ERIdYaAMcxMql6dZ86JbZ5R9n90V0WfrwAzdkQlW8ih6XqC_nTbMgUeDRj-pxqCbKw8VG_1b-xRO3ZwbVDPKekMuM9VPDwe_HJJRXQYAxg2qPp-d_-8c7jJzI-qm-bu4P/s1890/swiz2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="1890" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeD53T-3fgTRjg2CltqxRyKkD4yFfr6ZeKRq2EU80UV-KmWXiB66SailXde2ERIdYaAMcxMql6dZ86JbZ5R9n90V0WfrwAzdkQlW8ih6XqC_nTbMgUeDRj-pxqCbKw8VG_1b-xRO3ZwbVDPKekMuM9VPDwe_HJJRXQYAxg2qPp-d_-8c7jJzI-qm-bu4P/s320/swiz2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The mold for this sculpture was made from Vel Mix Stone, a pink dental plaster that is very dense and very hard.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwurvYTjdqZ2xKjd9TtOr67k0zmR9cSNROVM0jS6dKjxDZCPl-3V5HrvXNCB-eH1SUOknTb6fiDwjLqKxGpN92EHC7Pl38CP_pnGOoywnR_VL9pn0jqgh3TtOwAXlFKgKMct_1eNROlBVo_Fxc5k1TX0GdD-7Qv2pMzGmLJGJk0AoHli_mnKgZpJCPI9R/s1890/swiz3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="1890" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwurvYTjdqZ2xKjd9TtOr67k0zmR9cSNROVM0jS6dKjxDZCPl-3V5HrvXNCB-eH1SUOknTb6fiDwjLqKxGpN92EHC7Pl38CP_pnGOoywnR_VL9pn0jqgh3TtOwAXlFKgKMct_1eNROlBVo_Fxc5k1TX0GdD-7Qv2pMzGmLJGJk0AoHli_mnKgZpJCPI9R/s320/swiz3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The next thing I did was sculpt the shell for the Snail Wizard. I went with the shell of an ordinary garden snail as an inspiration but turned the placement and direction of the whirl and made it a mirror image of how actual snail shells look. I made this choice so the audience could see most of the details of the shell during my animations, as the puppet would mostly be seen from the right side (from the viewer's perspective.)</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbFDv5SL_l_piXxfusfPsEIRevduSbB7F-u6DtD05AHdWz29iekXrkYXW4KktRXGRvkMAUWKuOqXhy9TD_xwRBjK1yVqa2txpzpteMdtqql63z_Lh10WmAxIhJa3PIorg0MERkSds5h3KVLDaR9oeml-pz22DCf6e1kOUzui6oGAuWIplgiIG4sAfTjDH/s1890/swiz4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1513" data-original-width="1890" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbFDv5SL_l_piXxfusfPsEIRevduSbB7F-u6DtD05AHdWz29iekXrkYXW4KktRXGRvkMAUWKuOqXhy9TD_xwRBjK1yVqa2txpzpteMdtqql63z_Lh10WmAxIhJa3PIorg0MERkSds5h3KVLDaR9oeml-pz22DCf6e1kOUzui6oGAuWIplgiIG4sAfTjDH/s320/swiz4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fAw2ofavCxNmAEJhHLk65-11CSTPKu2yDDnpszP_9JVQWnEHSM771S0aBOHuv3bbIjX6WL2cmi__DdCLtGFf7Rfl381KpqHe-bIwEN4u2qvCXpoU03zUBDr2Ao7FKxMxAUU6urdIdytsVMRIFpSp2xMNGfwLE2gPqshA2NOvhthoLUSVmMBwPZRuIK35/s1890/swiz5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1886" data-original-width="1890" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fAw2ofavCxNmAEJhHLk65-11CSTPKu2yDDnpszP_9JVQWnEHSM771S0aBOHuv3bbIjX6WL2cmi__DdCLtGFf7Rfl381KpqHe-bIwEN4u2qvCXpoU03zUBDr2Ao7FKxMxAUU6urdIdytsVMRIFpSp2xMNGfwLE2gPqshA2NOvhthoLUSVmMBwPZRuIK35/s320/swiz5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A mold made from hobby plaster, cheaper than dental plaster, was made over the shell sculpture. Tinted latex was poured into the mold to build up a rubber skin. A mix of latex and cotton was then added to the latex skin to make the rubber casting more durable. When the rubber shell had been pulled from the mold I also mixed and added Burro plastic resin and poured a batch of that into the rubber shell, which was thus made extremely sturdy. I could've made a silicone mold over the shell sculpture and cast the thing in plastic directly, but silicone isn't cheap, so by doing it this way I got a great result for a fraction of that cost. You can see that a part of a marker pen has been stuck into the plastic, with an aluminum wire exiting its other end. This is so the shell can be attached to the rest of the armature and also moved about slightly during the animation.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPUQ7OWV_deaZksYkmHHUD08CM4OtNMuUbnTKml5Xc2b3PtgA7ikeYGdr147lVZqd7DhqdpHPr9eQb6vU5UZJn5qPIRFBGg9eXJl4BWvd0mAUbsxVG_-P_J3aK_2PQNCb1YXijxHe5iQph7TbS_SsT_ZinlxjPXAnXijKI1d4eY_3yYtXV9boRNtjjYdI/s1890/swiz6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPUQ7OWV_deaZksYkmHHUD08CM4OtNMuUbnTKml5Xc2b3PtgA7ikeYGdr147lVZqd7DhqdpHPr9eQb6vU5UZJn5qPIRFBGg9eXJl4BWvd0mAUbsxVG_-P_J3aK_2PQNCb1YXijxHe5iQph7TbS_SsT_ZinlxjPXAnXijKI1d4eY_3yYtXV9boRNtjjYdI/s320/swiz6.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMsIeaPDjW0Ikklfg1J0JSaJp1iuDn_GVf019Ycp3AjYzD2Atu6gDnucgLWVAiIGkPJpBjvFMB9ZA7AJ_qdxB8T1PH9-0a87u9Mr2Te7MWEL9qR1EZ1pIOO-aUcVDHcbNFMdWhokDPfUhJdmoIeEsVaH47-hAtoXP3xILKcFBhRpxqLOgqNxEzmm5xlVr/s1890/swiz7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1810" data-original-width="1890" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMsIeaPDjW0Ikklfg1J0JSaJp1iuDn_GVf019Ycp3AjYzD2Atu6gDnucgLWVAiIGkPJpBjvFMB9ZA7AJ_qdxB8T1PH9-0a87u9Mr2Te7MWEL9qR1EZ1pIOO-aUcVDHcbNFMdWhokDPfUhJdmoIeEsVaH47-hAtoXP3xILKcFBhRpxqLOgqNxEzmm5xlVr/s320/swiz7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the head, the arms, and the shell attached to the very simple armature made from a single 4 mm aluminum wire. The white blob in the middle of that wire has a 4 mm t-nut attached to it to create a tie-down point. The eyes are made from acrylic domes with Photoshop print-outs attached to the underside using transparent glue. The jaw has a single 3 mm aluminum wire running through it, making it very malleable. The arms are padded with wrappings of soft yarn dabbed with tinted latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3q7JgESunLpjBA7gFZtT8zhidzAnLTojS42SEyaBkP6TlSGNlBNu-KlxzYoMJrlxfplb4f2U4-0E4YikW2AbGENo_e6Jx_Uq-ZEmqEzRSd2k_1gFOdWOSwiyc4dPZxkM1_Bn-KsVJPsFxaW4ILE5DCQbk_Id0y_1p_6bSZ85sFKYTkOVU5r1Rsv1BRl9G/s1890/swiz8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1628" data-original-width="1890" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3q7JgESunLpjBA7gFZtT8zhidzAnLTojS42SEyaBkP6TlSGNlBNu-KlxzYoMJrlxfplb4f2U4-0E4YikW2AbGENo_e6Jx_Uq-ZEmqEzRSd2k_1gFOdWOSwiyc4dPZxkM1_Bn-KsVJPsFxaW4ILE5DCQbk_Id0y_1p_6bSZ85sFKYTkOVU5r1Rsv1BRl9G/s320/swiz8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29iv7Y_JZ5XQd7JNq7ofUrkK9YaIN7z9CW4yhXAAo9Do1CG58nbPX41fD_FbILW1OgDR-F6Ss5y0by-OlDE3PCEQJimUA1GuTL2o2q8T6lurP92dSFSpD4bnCvqMv-4l5ikYo_doeNUKR74Tk8uCICkiv1qY6-zBAbR7F8587Q68bFUoWaHqM-9Erze1Z/s1890/swiz9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1642" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29iv7Y_JZ5XQd7JNq7ofUrkK9YaIN7z9CW4yhXAAo9Do1CG58nbPX41fD_FbILW1OgDR-F6Ss5y0by-OlDE3PCEQJimUA1GuTL2o2q8T6lurP92dSFSpD4bnCvqMv-4l5ikYo_doeNUKR74Tk8uCICkiv1qY6-zBAbR7F8587Q68bFUoWaHqM-9Erze1Z/s320/swiz9.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntV6S3MN4u7xoymTTlpiLgIAam7z9lfzt_4j1HQSVuAMY3-je1HaphBukzosRcLhp3Ig8eBl9DsSVwAeqgd3Ex5rE4OKkELr7DO3yzQ2XkAxQMH0j4V5Zma6CTN0ymlXNhye5CwGWu-3uqZjf01gi9XZhQJ_K3tdKd7zS37_Xbqrb28niXiQ8RFSIew4p/s1890/swiz10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1467" data-original-width="1890" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntV6S3MN4u7xoymTTlpiLgIAam7z9lfzt_4j1HQSVuAMY3-je1HaphBukzosRcLhp3Ig8eBl9DsSVwAeqgd3Ex5rE4OKkELr7DO3yzQ2XkAxQMH0j4V5Zma6CTN0ymlXNhye5CwGWu-3uqZjf01gi9XZhQJ_K3tdKd7zS37_Xbqrb28niXiQ8RFSIew4p/s320/swiz10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Soft polyurethane foam was used to pad the body into a sleek, organic shape. Flexible contact cement holds to foam together.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjrfxudXTkdzufDb7sb7Ho8wDLBM5MOxfSBiwguB1uJwCcyGiYrmQBHhyQjIIvWk5gy_IlhQ735VdHrqfN48BpYxHWdBSbZqBSoDtYVbG15SeK5jEzWfodUvRUSdrRfGNe0k6Do_bIC3EjVLaBDJgI0PZ3z7i_AguIGKsKnHRGfLTCvLtNjdVY4bgfjpO/s1890/swiz11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1865" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjrfxudXTkdzufDb7sb7Ho8wDLBM5MOxfSBiwguB1uJwCcyGiYrmQBHhyQjIIvWk5gy_IlhQ735VdHrqfN48BpYxHWdBSbZqBSoDtYVbG15SeK5jEzWfodUvRUSdrRfGNe0k6Do_bIC3EjVLaBDJgI0PZ3z7i_AguIGKsKnHRGfLTCvLtNjdVY4bgfjpO/s320/swiz11.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJaAIok99S7-QKkxTNPalIDMLXZvsOdsMiMIecnlG3e1JHSHsCKKWnfUGmuyPBUOlAGCDRDSKVX6e1AXGSlJEVdTlPVDeGnP1_yO-IBQV4xWIxBPAV-pS-29a99cULTcVXUh4P-shHBv_YeJMTK7bW_GgpqJrFvHkLBChMewYb9Y1I9YP637e9aOy-uWz/s1890/swiz12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1359" data-original-width="1890" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJaAIok99S7-QKkxTNPalIDMLXZvsOdsMiMIecnlG3e1JHSHsCKKWnfUGmuyPBUOlAGCDRDSKVX6e1AXGSlJEVdTlPVDeGnP1_yO-IBQV4xWIxBPAV-pS-29a99cULTcVXUh4P-shHBv_YeJMTK7bW_GgpqJrFvHkLBChMewYb9Y1I9YP637e9aOy-uWz/s320/swiz12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I used two older plaster texture molds to cast thin patches of latex skin to cover the foam padding. Liquid latex was dabbed onto the foam with a sponge to attach the skin bits.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuMnFuwFpi7S0QIHMr-lmLhUQUmwsxf3eYsQf8DQiPbCivWjXsxBlzq6PNjgXgFcNI7kohSht1zZC0uOXu_EJPoE-nzgeaLbCe1TVj4xuI1kGLDmwMcJwAsPizAtfcf5T31pCO8MeTbyTDFy6dljLfF_cAm_KRlWWR7Y6Q6zWk986nggfoZwMmcduOqH6/s1890/swiz%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1680" data-original-width="1890" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuMnFuwFpi7S0QIHMr-lmLhUQUmwsxf3eYsQf8DQiPbCivWjXsxBlzq6PNjgXgFcNI7kohSht1zZC0uOXu_EJPoE-nzgeaLbCe1TVj4xuI1kGLDmwMcJwAsPizAtfcf5T31pCO8MeTbyTDFy6dljLfF_cAm_KRlWWR7Y6Q6zWk986nggfoZwMmcduOqH6/s320/swiz%20klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjIS4-KipP8UJAzZQTVh_YlcOj9Oda6utvuAqtC5E6Yve21MvEDNUdtHK5Z2BruKWdhoDcTu1RIos6aRlZvPLk-dctVlEzekRMSFQ-bww4eonn4S3x46L_Udhv1Ms4KoUZqBiGObjgxuEOMCoyDTWKaU02Zp37UAebo-_0Ih82gA9irA-qezLN5uqZNVk/s1890/swiz%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1793" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjIS4-KipP8UJAzZQTVh_YlcOj9Oda6utvuAqtC5E6Yve21MvEDNUdtHK5Z2BruKWdhoDcTu1RIos6aRlZvPLk-dctVlEzekRMSFQ-bww4eonn4S3x46L_Udhv1Ms4KoUZqBiGObjgxuEOMCoyDTWKaU02Zp37UAebo-_0Ih82gA9irA-qezLN5uqZNVk/s320/swiz%20klar2.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90E6ZetSLHZ-85V7JSEvj1f8O4hMta2pLsDEMSKDPYhrZVryrEHRrMINRXF0R1CYGuLSPuQzfYlkWc4DiXVASJEXRbZjbYJ4TDhRcwssar9dISRgK5L0hiCiiqTjtEZaAMgZp-zhyXhZ4mHbIF41nOmdvAOOZBB8OMsrIn24Qngaoou9q80scXgGoJ25D/s1890/swiz%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1648" data-original-width="1890" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90E6ZetSLHZ-85V7JSEvj1f8O4hMta2pLsDEMSKDPYhrZVryrEHRrMINRXF0R1CYGuLSPuQzfYlkWc4DiXVASJEXRbZjbYJ4TDhRcwssar9dISRgK5L0hiCiiqTjtEZaAMgZp-zhyXhZ4mHbIF41nOmdvAOOZBB8OMsrIn24Qngaoou9q80scXgGoJ25D/s320/swiz%20klar3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_yCepZ93s9_4gTogc2_dXcJYY1EqtgpNIvPwqQc_JYFEjvjiqndqkgoUg3pPV4MbsJmHQ3qvjg7ADDHmEhbZkR1og9rrWuhsOQzJreHAYyD6ZXvZkc9_BDVcxfgyzDsYvTUqRy4jQR6yI3gVNlO99y1a4n0yz7t6ZdDD4b0S2TSdBDQRHsUW7LKIgVo1/s1890/swiz%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1726" data-original-width="1890" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_yCepZ93s9_4gTogc2_dXcJYY1EqtgpNIvPwqQc_JYFEjvjiqndqkgoUg3pPV4MbsJmHQ3qvjg7ADDHmEhbZkR1og9rrWuhsOQzJreHAYyD6ZXvZkc9_BDVcxfgyzDsYvTUqRy4jQR6yI3gVNlO99y1a4n0yz7t6ZdDD4b0S2TSdBDQRHsUW7LKIgVo1/s320/swiz%20klar4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppet was painted with tinted latex, dry-brushing on thin layers with different hues using more foam bits as sponges. Final touches were made with an airbrush and acrylic paint. The teeth and the wrinkles around the eyes were made with cotton dipped in latex. The jewelry was made with bits of odds and ends I've saved over the years attached to aluminum wires, so pieces of it could be animated if need be.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_Ivi8DgBT247hdLsKGywk0zUT4HZ_B4ca2wWf_pkZ3k0QimpRrhkmbaxqK_Ud2pVAfid5o9dq8UvwYI64I_ktTjLa2B5IzVb-mvSq1wrSk0UwcoxP1cP4LAOWn3PX3eTutTWtoxcpuKwLSellH7H4X93wHeYIcv0qAmYSgOu7JLBTVcNmz607lhAh9r7/s1575/bwiz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1270" data-original-width="1575" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_Ivi8DgBT247hdLsKGywk0zUT4HZ_B4ca2wWf_pkZ3k0QimpRrhkmbaxqK_Ud2pVAfid5o9dq8UvwYI64I_ktTjLa2B5IzVb-mvSq1wrSk0UwcoxP1cP4LAOWn3PX3eTutTWtoxcpuKwLSellH7H4X93wHeYIcv0qAmYSgOu7JLBTVcNmz607lhAh9r7/s320/bwiz1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Bug Wizard was, in contrast to his colleague, an original sculpture. I wanted a scrawny character with big eyes and several legs. I guess Bug Wizard is a mix of several insects and arthropods. As you can see, his face was a very simple sculpture.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiFB9ID117Za-HMNv46b6eiouAqgKE7czmkObh-EAGk9GuqClKxG6SxXubnov2cefGaMU8lldT1ihplzYi0TmOfp3KNhoTTH6aG2k8tI6Ajw-uu0oo4eEG64t4pIuoG8vlEz1EPQVnTPH_zDdUcfAu1sRixKRo1dD5HKoqo_ZN8oe2nscx2jLvpmUrgxR/s1890/bwiz2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1817" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiFB9ID117Za-HMNv46b6eiouAqgKE7czmkObh-EAGk9GuqClKxG6SxXubnov2cefGaMU8lldT1ihplzYi0TmOfp3KNhoTTH6aG2k8tI6Ajw-uu0oo4eEG64t4pIuoG8vlEz1EPQVnTPH_zDdUcfAu1sRixKRo1dD5HKoqo_ZN8oe2nscx2jLvpmUrgxR/s320/bwiz2.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I cast his face in tinted latex with a latex/cotton mix to make it stiff. It didn't need any flexibility, and would instead work better as a sturdy piece. The inside of the casting was also lined with Polymorph thermoplastic. 1,5 mm aluminum wires were attached to the inside of the face to provide antennae and mandibles. The mandibles were built up using cotton and latex. Two big plastic balls, plucked from a toy necklace, were painted to make the eyes. A coating of UV resin was added over the eye art to seal it and make it look organic.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffGRjWFIoBIiJ_HUOPN_xl-4rUvzEt6Q6-t1Mgir2OrDUcZUbQM5WNgdix69emAdqqeYXRUB_lhng3pwx8egVA117Ieap_z-EpdJdhiaDlpjhA_iks4zG6FvJ9zZCFdiR6ZvV-RH-Ajlwy7kr0e2Kz5zzrIGWO7MS3B4VdOVO8belEmVQ8t-MSFj0x2_T/s1890/bwiz3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1890" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffGRjWFIoBIiJ_HUOPN_xl-4rUvzEt6Q6-t1Mgir2OrDUcZUbQM5WNgdix69emAdqqeYXRUB_lhng3pwx8egVA117Ieap_z-EpdJdhiaDlpjhA_iks4zG6FvJ9zZCFdiR6ZvV-RH-Ajlwy7kr0e2Kz5zzrIGWO7MS3B4VdOVO8belEmVQ8t-MSFj0x2_T/s320/bwiz3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGYlgnFz3RRgJwIjwfJKFhUpNX_lKiknTxHAShPVz-ZAaDs-zd85kn-WdNaiDd0EJjglMZ9DPF6TorgC4Qbzh4_Dk-Km33xP1uX2NlTQfnEmFjie3sdkjqeuXbCY7ovZmM6he2lJnHoxGmssoH5CvR3VHY0OZl86L9z41wliXZ-6u2eQqK6-LzMiiqHwp/s1890/bwiz4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGYlgnFz3RRgJwIjwfJKFhUpNX_lKiknTxHAShPVz-ZAaDs-zd85kn-WdNaiDd0EJjglMZ9DPF6TorgC4Qbzh4_Dk-Km33xP1uX2NlTQfnEmFjie3sdkjqeuXbCY7ovZmM6he2lJnHoxGmssoH5CvR3VHY0OZl86L9z41wliXZ-6u2eQqK6-LzMiiqHwp/s320/bwiz4.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I've jumped ahead a bit here, having made the two halves of the puppet. The main armature section is a 4 mm aluminum wire running through the back part with the legs. Each leg has a 3 mm threaded bolt in its feet. All of the exoskeleton structures seen on the arms and legs were built of with cotton, tissue paper, and latex. the claws were tissue paper and latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8z_7I2G3vXhA8mCCPePU2ZQepQWFIPFCgcot6rprf9i-Bsv77gX3nZUmu2HCPZ_2fmw862SkzqLKoy1d6uCzA-nX0Aa9UxnLLfYB-0JgcRmdSygBi3vw6jjEt3VG-rY4jjmFTRl6-2ItCmNkJedpfBwHR5_SfWMoPfORznLvH8qOSZC6eznCXNBVZsOP/s1890/bwiz5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1514" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8z_7I2G3vXhA8mCCPePU2ZQepQWFIPFCgcot6rprf9i-Bsv77gX3nZUmu2HCPZ_2fmw862SkzqLKoy1d6uCzA-nX0Aa9UxnLLfYB-0JgcRmdSygBi3vw6jjEt3VG-rY4jjmFTRl6-2ItCmNkJedpfBwHR5_SfWMoPfORznLvH8qOSZC6eznCXNBVZsOP/s320/bwiz5.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqmIkNGlJUnNilQSpfqb7I6Y0AO9FELbOTih3rVTxhJAj56Gd8PspSzjfsNKlO0B4bIFW9RUERr0HRNYHXau-jYtnp9cQ_a52oMv3n4zn3_0bsPIvjwyIrs2vTUt584JnEPgJq4HrFdxHKyVLD69svOoTj5S9EW8POtTRTQgyad6OrAoQKuwbHMiei_ac/s1890/bwiz6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqmIkNGlJUnNilQSpfqb7I6Y0AO9FELbOTih3rVTxhJAj56Gd8PspSzjfsNKlO0B4bIFW9RUERr0HRNYHXau-jYtnp9cQ_a52oMv3n4zn3_0bsPIvjwyIrs2vTUt584JnEPgJq4HrFdxHKyVLD69svOoTj5S9EW8POtTRTQgyad6OrAoQKuwbHMiei_ac/s320/bwiz6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The segmented back and belly sections, as well as the carapace torso, were cast from older plaster molds made for other puppets probably more than ten years ago. The top of the 4 mm armature wire was attached to the torso using a big blob of thermoplastic. The antennae were built up using a wrapping of sewing string and latex. I added a few bits of cotton and latex around the left eye to give the character a permanent scowl.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnUN6C5cF3-KBqT4hkWWLk4-RwEmPL6KQJuiJJT6jC7YAX7o-GypFthKMByZeQKBaUmj5Q1FGH1k028Qbf-_coo1Dmwx_Z0eoPZIusS08tmgrTL3ZXLcERWFO4EdYZKlGmIo4rzqHvncYTTcYgvspxDkD492zh2BaBxwls2gpkkzHO_vUkBr_WNALmnpX/s1903/bwiz7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1903" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnUN6C5cF3-KBqT4hkWWLk4-RwEmPL6KQJuiJJT6jC7YAX7o-GypFthKMByZeQKBaUmj5Q1FGH1k028Qbf-_coo1Dmwx_Z0eoPZIusS08tmgrTL3ZXLcERWFO4EdYZKlGmIo4rzqHvncYTTcYgvspxDkD492zh2BaBxwls2gpkkzHO_vUkBr_WNALmnpX/s320/bwiz7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Each eye has a pupil made from a shiny red half-sphere used in scrapbooking. It was super-glued on and could be used as a grab-on point when swiveling around the eyes during animation. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6n5j37-otqiSkh-OGP5jIAA3y5niqMILEne6xiNzIjo7D2LZlPCo-EyBgMwOqWK-7VdAj32MuyaLxgIW67U7hRg4SJDwaNKta3nzzKjDrhWHTc5n0cbsuPYn8aFnhtQp7VjwQLQ3ZxxHHa6l2wG36EdUjW6bVnzwnZvQ8A_ABE7Ph559sal-G-xgMDgAN/s1890/bwiz%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1764" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6n5j37-otqiSkh-OGP5jIAA3y5niqMILEne6xiNzIjo7D2LZlPCo-EyBgMwOqWK-7VdAj32MuyaLxgIW67U7hRg4SJDwaNKta3nzzKjDrhWHTc5n0cbsuPYn8aFnhtQp7VjwQLQ3ZxxHHa6l2wG36EdUjW6bVnzwnZvQ8A_ABE7Ph559sal-G-xgMDgAN/s320/bwiz%20klar1.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH8NesDPjwgdcC9JQ-24FOgsFTzLDIQJ_h4D7V3k0qQ9nRoHpcAvWzRIztkYXJeIAdGNLhUCeOGhwTb4iJ8EnuPqaInTYoAhVYkENHXc6BT1PsFe-T9D-YriZ-Nicr7oc-XitONsFu8NDjJqrrEW106h6XWJDG5QzkMlbN6QwmdpPnNOR89ao9xP954oP/s1890/bwiz%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1554" data-original-width="1890" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH8NesDPjwgdcC9JQ-24FOgsFTzLDIQJ_h4D7V3k0qQ9nRoHpcAvWzRIztkYXJeIAdGNLhUCeOGhwTb4iJ8EnuPqaInTYoAhVYkENHXc6BT1PsFe-T9D-YriZ-Nicr7oc-XitONsFu8NDjJqrrEW106h6XWJDG5QzkMlbN6QwmdpPnNOR89ao9xP954oP/s320/bwiz%20klar2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoxcTJKbE9W70oUud11le5P3AaibTZFgX8Q8D51pRtc-GSammgqGtTWJ_pY-DllXnTvvk-A-OIYuRh4pGdToF9uFcp0Hrw2rZPLt6Y-RZCscPwQeTgMj0ml86-i3JTXaVW2Hn4ys5CvmF4pbgF0GFQ4XmS_y040nJfuWkOinQTv4WcaSG3ebQK2r4Bbnb/s1890/bwiz%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoxcTJKbE9W70oUud11le5P3AaibTZFgX8Q8D51pRtc-GSammgqGtTWJ_pY-DllXnTvvk-A-OIYuRh4pGdToF9uFcp0Hrw2rZPLt6Y-RZCscPwQeTgMj0ml86-i3JTXaVW2Hn4ys5CvmF4pbgF0GFQ4XmS_y040nJfuWkOinQTv4WcaSG3ebQK2r4Bbnb/s320/bwiz%20klar3.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhWJ3FIPMPsRcZCFyxtTOjRJt-oRukhByTCAF1oCMyD26I3Mz_aGRhqIUoMXIqwRY5aNksVwQBp_j-VYxrn5lz5ndOuDaCvDGUTre9Z90AC3GiHCf5W9kIewTCHT2ZfcPfqAXP4hyphenhyphene8fKfvoiD-9O6P3kuFPW_Ud8lTMydqHwS7G77U1juj4ishwXiORB/s1890/bwiz%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhWJ3FIPMPsRcZCFyxtTOjRJt-oRukhByTCAF1oCMyD26I3Mz_aGRhqIUoMXIqwRY5aNksVwQBp_j-VYxrn5lz5ndOuDaCvDGUTre9Z90AC3GiHCf5W9kIewTCHT2ZfcPfqAXP4hyphenhyphene8fKfvoiD-9O6P3kuFPW_Ud8lTMydqHwS7G77U1juj4ishwXiORB/s320/bwiz%20klar4.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSr5UqLWoehQMyrM_Ocb2v8lPJuzZu0si_-ZS9DcrBJGRcasBKuLF6AlcVC8rO3kl3DRiyOjUCdwNJxu4SQXn5WuxDk3Jm7bfB5mcNNHV0k7YWgNPWik05N4HRwFG6wvcysjxQNdP5EJO1MPdKWSOk5GFO5QPw_xvcvi6XIBY_g1ZfiRi71e7_aI6U7R19/s1890/bwiz%20klar5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1228" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSr5UqLWoehQMyrM_Ocb2v8lPJuzZu0si_-ZS9DcrBJGRcasBKuLF6AlcVC8rO3kl3DRiyOjUCdwNJxu4SQXn5WuxDk3Jm7bfB5mcNNHV0k7YWgNPWik05N4HRwFG6wvcysjxQNdP5EJO1MPdKWSOk5GFO5QPw_xvcvi6XIBY_g1ZfiRi71e7_aI6U7R19/s320/bwiz%20klar5.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1yhTotZiqIRPMimkdkSFTHYz_pbYn9eJAjbiWdiJpdlkXeO2Xag2j7FEUS9Qpjl2YxDtAEhzvbMjL4VBU5DLrTR9UOhmH_CxeDR9mgvPZLElWkIPVkF7QTp8o-E49TlvXGrNPw2P32OGF_6P9Tz9PKiygF65fo4NmHKL34vtJxw8PrYpdX9GNkvJIHLa/s1890/wiz%20duel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1890" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1yhTotZiqIRPMimkdkSFTHYz_pbYn9eJAjbiWdiJpdlkXeO2Xag2j7FEUS9Qpjl2YxDtAEhzvbMjL4VBU5DLrTR9UOhmH_CxeDR9mgvPZLElWkIPVkF7QTp8o-E49TlvXGrNPw2P32OGF_6P9Tz9PKiygF65fo4NmHKL34vtJxw8PrYpdX9GNkvJIHLa/s320/wiz%20duel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Bug Wizard was painted by dry-brushing on tinted latex with sponges. All the bling he's wearing was made from bits of latex, again cast in older plaster molds made for older puppets, combined with aluminum wires and some bits of brass. Most of it can be, and was, animated. It therefore took longer than usual to animate this character, but I think it was worth it in the end, making Bug Wizard a very lively character compared to his sluggish counterpart.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWy-pwr09wJEsmWKyOnWuMWMZl1oqzf-fSQdugZABr_hpNqhXx6HnvcsSnoUJoBhWszyW-uuozetB65vjAdPsYpHhvM61zrWBHNme76d_NFu7aL1R234qNjIKu5KfzGFG2oEhtxIPoaEPX2tSQqFDu41LBe28TtcRs4OLh_MHvk-yDspo4GEIkURCUJnt/s1890/pigdem1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1890" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWy-pwr09wJEsmWKyOnWuMWMZl1oqzf-fSQdugZABr_hpNqhXx6HnvcsSnoUJoBhWszyW-uuozetB65vjAdPsYpHhvM61zrWBHNme76d_NFu7aL1R234qNjIKu5KfzGFG2oEhtxIPoaEPX2tSQqFDu41LBe28TtcRs4OLh_MHvk-yDspo4GEIkURCUJnt/s320/pigdem1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFiZkhCtMzYgLHe1whIuMVz0vsN1ZQd3mfEDCBo5XdPRM-YGCZJn0wWPQWXcnQTkJZeXb42KzTmbjgvATEVUXZ2_MDZqore6zDNV5-VBMaWDd9KSPryh6-7f5ajm0wY5YFjN4kCSCZfMJZlGx37AAt8EXOfm7aF8rVdN8ytJCIgLShi5rjoz6E_Wa61E5/s1890/pigdem2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1726" data-original-width="1890" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFiZkhCtMzYgLHe1whIuMVz0vsN1ZQd3mfEDCBo5XdPRM-YGCZJn0wWPQWXcnQTkJZeXb42KzTmbjgvATEVUXZ2_MDZqore6zDNV5-VBMaWDd9KSPryh6-7f5ajm0wY5YFjN4kCSCZfMJZlGx37AAt8EXOfm7aF8rVdN8ytJCIgLShi5rjoz6E_Wa61E5/s320/pigdem2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As the two wizards get on with their conflict they both summon two demons to do the fighting for them. One of the puppets was already built for another project, and I'll get to that one shortly, but let's start with the puppet built especially for this film, the pig demon. I wanted the pig parts to look anatomically convincing, though some cartoony details slipped into my clay sculpture.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycJdXjJUGY8kw58YrH83vCK6oqG3-kmb1gR4ssQYMJvYtjmx6zI4Qaz9p2tT927z31hPVedM-SBOn8S5RVd_3IqnJXQDufRn7STfuDbmAoW0-dJJ9Mw_s4WgMlWerhpU9St0Ddy7vFHicGam6GiGAtKfkii0rc3Cneu_s4hVC2b9xZV8u0W_gs6VW_Bx8/s1890/pigdem3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1678" data-original-width="1890" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycJdXjJUGY8kw58YrH83vCK6oqG3-kmb1gR4ssQYMJvYtjmx6zI4Qaz9p2tT927z31hPVedM-SBOn8S5RVd_3IqnJXQDufRn7STfuDbmAoW0-dJJ9Mw_s4WgMlWerhpU9St0Ddy7vFHicGam6GiGAtKfkii0rc3Cneu_s4hVC2b9xZV8u0W_gs6VW_Bx8/s320/pigdem3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The whole face, or front of the head was cast as a single piece.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZSUBudQ55Hh0IZugEeRqG8pcf_7TCV1jaXk8gz0I0FzD5eKxNcya0cU4b4YYl8w9deCYNX_1-5QMpKhvIFUMuxmFQ3-RAnlZAcITJo61m5zekbbfZcV3zc9m6zRucmi_a5wTHgvfkd81HclCL_ANNOxmrUWefwj4SEuP0u20SByHEhqBqZkH8TMXoyZz/s1890/pigdem4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1524" data-original-width="1890" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZSUBudQ55Hh0IZugEeRqG8pcf_7TCV1jaXk8gz0I0FzD5eKxNcya0cU4b4YYl8w9deCYNX_1-5QMpKhvIFUMuxmFQ3-RAnlZAcITJo61m5zekbbfZcV3zc9m6zRucmi_a5wTHgvfkd81HclCL_ANNOxmrUWefwj4SEuP0u20SByHEhqBqZkH8TMXoyZz/s320/pigdem4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10qT0OkYwcB25sohWMndqMBxPzom-zPmzkItJLWnSDza9_MzV3-9cPcNV7RVH_2PuBovXz-tTzhpoc4VJgw4CFSBiSKhxTLtSlz8cN2I4hHU8iId8Fk8HXwYoC_sPO6wOublWPkJ2JnvhBAV8CoheM3st_mi8d1L9qPMWhisiUn_8TfR8QQQIZBOb6VOE/s1890/pigdem5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1669" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10qT0OkYwcB25sohWMndqMBxPzom-zPmzkItJLWnSDza9_MzV3-9cPcNV7RVH_2PuBovXz-tTzhpoc4VJgw4CFSBiSKhxTLtSlz8cN2I4hHU8iId8Fk8HXwYoC_sPO6wOublWPkJ2JnvhBAV8CoheM3st_mi8d1L9qPMWhisiUn_8TfR8QQQIZBOb6VOE/s320/pigdem5.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGibRzTsgvPDkkhClRpwNpDxPC6-aVqHp3OL1EMKWaVKXA4gU79x26NbWzaq304q25Wp1rUOjrjGpF3lzM6tDnRy1Ae0miXnkag6PkaM5UALLRHcWK3w1u6Jag4Io34UolciWCfzCzwJ8zcwrtcP3tKQ7fmuVcJ9XreOHW5D_K0xPD6GnQuc8WmtOFfpLl/s1890/pigdem6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1806" data-original-width="1890" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGibRzTsgvPDkkhClRpwNpDxPC6-aVqHp3OL1EMKWaVKXA4gU79x26NbWzaq304q25Wp1rUOjrjGpF3lzM6tDnRy1Ae0miXnkag6PkaM5UALLRHcWK3w1u6Jag4Io34UolciWCfzCzwJ8zcwrtcP3tKQ7fmuVcJ9XreOHW5D_K0xPD6GnQuc8WmtOFfpLl/s320/pigdem6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PbovazMqs2MihEq8YT8gU0mx-vskNu6C_utqL3dT_dNH_s3AI7cmT92h6VuH-DXyaG592cmP6mOUBZ4tR1Cy-TCRTfUEzn4Ni98Q5hyphenhyphenLF8lluD1L5e9I9xnoFMpVgEVy6zLgGm41SaQAU2IucVjGKO8ungKS5NJncOZbe9wF3z1LH625zRpmkc6W2N2W/s1890/pigdem7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="1890" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PbovazMqs2MihEq8YT8gU0mx-vskNu6C_utqL3dT_dNH_s3AI7cmT92h6VuH-DXyaG592cmP6mOUBZ4tR1Cy-TCRTfUEzn4Ni98Q5hyphenhyphenLF8lluD1L5e9I9xnoFMpVgEVy6zLgGm41SaQAU2IucVjGKO8ungKS5NJncOZbe9wF3z1LH625zRpmkc6W2N2W/s320/pigdem7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Here's the face cast in tinted latex, with a horn made from tissue paper and latex. I made eyes from plastic pearls, with Photoshopped irises, covered with UV resin to create a lens effect. A single 4 mm aluminum wire has been attached to the head and padded with a wrapping of soft foam. 3 mm aluminum wires run along the edge of each ear and also at the end of the snout. In the last photo, I've added a wrap of thread to shape the neck a bit and give it a few fatty folds. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3W2CpN-VP4CV6P88i2QGhtPfO4rzus8MijKK4jWBxdE7ftx8B7HtfLxH9IveT24wCRx0OdFgfN7rdWmR9qCuTbRi7MSqtsSwFhC8cX2V338Dkn1ZEdSh5JevuVREIqvvNgqOZjQyHmFQUOkUoDnM_uKHhP0XXzKIorilT-HNOMMb2bcHNQWW9YMqSOjC/s1890/pigdem8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1377" data-original-width="1890" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3W2CpN-VP4CV6P88i2QGhtPfO4rzus8MijKK4jWBxdE7ftx8B7HtfLxH9IveT24wCRx0OdFgfN7rdWmR9qCuTbRi7MSqtsSwFhC8cX2V338Dkn1ZEdSh5JevuVREIqvvNgqOZjQyHmFQUOkUoDnM_uKHhP0XXzKIorilT-HNOMMb2bcHNQWW9YMqSOjC/s320/pigdem8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Another attempt at realism in this strange chimera-like creature is the feet. I looked at photos of pig's feet and made the best, small clay versions I could. These were reproduced in latex via single-piece plaster molds.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9VEzPIVC6aroEeYSUkZOrQSqkS10lxYulQRpjlJhQpTDuq3HvKDGTRZhIO6NBlDwejAehCUwPvFHZoWfC4JWnIP-5ePc4X-ovjvbqwx7JBwcYLurvc9GGz_4aZVr0wDwUio6N5b-WXT2nYs_n8JBVf4-nRppYbc4MKrwC4eFcyhoccWcnTCQRl-8zClR/s1890/pigdem9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1386" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9VEzPIVC6aroEeYSUkZOrQSqkS10lxYulQRpjlJhQpTDuq3HvKDGTRZhIO6NBlDwejAehCUwPvFHZoWfC4JWnIP-5ePc4X-ovjvbqwx7JBwcYLurvc9GGz_4aZVr0wDwUio6N5b-WXT2nYs_n8JBVf4-nRppYbc4MKrwC4eFcyhoccWcnTCQRl-8zClR/s320/pigdem9.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Another original sculpted piece was this flat skin texture, inspired by the skin of an alligator turtle.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsOKYM-1jzXyfKqTK3uckUiIlgv6Qx244TbUCZJ1R704VP2wZ7tOuVeWCu62ObC2RKuexwaCJP7ixO1MyKucuX7lxYqOs6fy5BT41PCy_WAg3hp_0RzN1cSSFYSRfnG3ycnovB23dDbAOCf9luyQ5B2oDBclK_zz5-kVXH6I-KFvJ6MpKUIuUqAy4E5wS/s1575/pigdem10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="1575" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsOKYM-1jzXyfKqTK3uckUiIlgv6Qx244TbUCZJ1R704VP2wZ7tOuVeWCu62ObC2RKuexwaCJP7ixO1MyKucuX7lxYqOs6fy5BT41PCy_WAg3hp_0RzN1cSSFYSRfnG3ycnovB23dDbAOCf9luyQ5B2oDBclK_zz5-kVXH6I-KFvJ6MpKUIuUqAy4E5wS/s320/pigdem10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The feet were cast as hollow latex skins, with the cloven hooves supported with a latex/ cotton mix. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRAkAYECEmzfZNXOCK6Vaq7CgvNnJgRhTFsi-M5ixO33SZo4fI8mMUMAkgCQuLJg6V_v8QriOYTqGTWAPJn6eC-Jo4S2BPqb51WU8tokfT5_pB-Gzg3vdzCSkDJJ8ALuu8n-DQvDkc5_jYKx_-SLURw_7ENpiOelBgYPNjFMu8Dopyqec5zw53TBx091g/s1890/pigdem11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1282" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRAkAYECEmzfZNXOCK6Vaq7CgvNnJgRhTFsi-M5ixO33SZo4fI8mMUMAkgCQuLJg6V_v8QriOYTqGTWAPJn6eC-Jo4S2BPqb51WU8tokfT5_pB-Gzg3vdzCSkDJJ8ALuu8n-DQvDkc5_jYKx_-SLURw_7ENpiOelBgYPNjFMu8Dopyqec5zw53TBx091g/s320/pigdem11.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I should say that the gig's feet are actually the "hands" or front paws of the character. The hind legs are adorned with turtle feet built up with aluminum wires wrapped with soft string and dabbed with tinted latex. Textured patches of latex skins and claws made from cotton and latex finish the look.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AbcUrpXnsgeAuyoUPn9uOON-inmkhT0P4w_Tqi-lJJ2ovXoTtvyoh9ivD9ZFgwusdrq0ZFDsbtmMVBgpWVTzfB0Y-CGUQC6UKDp7jp0a5ArJq49BmFfJ7OScTLy1GFK4Q9NmfwcpGqpb0kHFZYzEFqgzInNPbG9ilYdGqQ5qgeffg9Y-TfXwpH4fThgu/s1890/pigdem12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1677" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AbcUrpXnsgeAuyoUPn9uOON-inmkhT0P4w_Tqi-lJJ2ovXoTtvyoh9ivD9ZFgwusdrq0ZFDsbtmMVBgpWVTzfB0Y-CGUQC6UKDp7jp0a5ArJq49BmFfJ7OScTLy1GFK4Q9NmfwcpGqpb0kHFZYzEFqgzInNPbG9ilYdGqQ5qgeffg9Y-TfXwpH4fThgu/s320/pigdem12.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The front feet or arms were built up with 4 mm aluminum wires padded with bits of stiff camping foam seats and soft foam covering the joint sections. the stiff foam adds shape and bulk without adding weight and actually makes the joints work better. You get a couple of arms without a skin that wrinkles and folds up like it would on an obvious miniature construction. Very thin foam was wrapped around the thicker foam to smooth out the shapes and make them softer and chubby-looking. Thermoplastic in the bottom of the latex hooves attaches them to the aluminum wire.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHn4tJw2ZyCkBNAMs6Woduxfq7U9YiEMqdCujcgj_Jc-Z_Oe3Az60rlP3JbfAYeKudIUDhwwOP2KsSNOpUgPR3chgs7-PXbyTs2MUqZTpFY8LUKclghgqrhpzz1ZzYYqC6m5Z_0qlSVtf3W2qybSq5_v6nBbs0irH4jkY1hv9FH4tIv2NUc006NKzI3Rly/s1890/pigdem13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="1890" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHn4tJw2ZyCkBNAMs6Woduxfq7U9YiEMqdCujcgj_Jc-Z_Oe3Az60rlP3JbfAYeKudIUDhwwOP2KsSNOpUgPR3chgs7-PXbyTs2MUqZTpFY8LUKclghgqrhpzz1ZzYYqC6m5Z_0qlSVtf3W2qybSq5_v6nBbs0irH4jkY1hv9FH4tIv2NUc006NKzI3Rly/s320/pigdem13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsHt5opX4tpoaob38j1QL_sXzUahjL142lFKweyrwUbqZzlenCK25ENOixXpnbCOsMlNd2tfKw0o-nF-2jatMwBDx128XoX5TfsQcMhfHSxfoAg7RdMgqjAmxXg8e2PAzOsO68pKf_1uTjdNjNz0jJaImcBPsKun7beIYbWq_g52m15sbWGUekxsGKHsw/s1890/pigdem14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="1890" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsHt5opX4tpoaob38j1QL_sXzUahjL142lFKweyrwUbqZzlenCK25ENOixXpnbCOsMlNd2tfKw0o-nF-2jatMwBDx128XoX5TfsQcMhfHSxfoAg7RdMgqjAmxXg8e2PAzOsO68pKf_1uTjdNjNz0jJaImcBPsKun7beIYbWq_g52m15sbWGUekxsGKHsw/s320/pigdem14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The entire back part of the puppet was inspired by, nay, copied from an alligator turtle. Its shell is ornately spikey, and its hide is prehistorically bumpy and scaly. The shell became a pretty big sculpture that took a couple of evenings to finish. I made an equally huge plaster mold using the cheaper hobby plaster.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaf5zdWdjYc-z0ZpicLQjme3P8stuta78XyTs5Rd003Eb3eLp0ydZu_Gm5ZoTQHE390OkQVsjODCqzPjl7TcSwF_6D9ZImYyMfe-eSG9evR7U_PPNWx0YOjSSoBK2InIdB6E-dx-wn2kBpeF515LbnaJYOXlPmGcvja2IcNYWpdam_wY-IBqBlONh-fuf/s1890/pigdem15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1627" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaf5zdWdjYc-z0ZpicLQjme3P8stuta78XyTs5Rd003Eb3eLp0ydZu_Gm5ZoTQHE390OkQVsjODCqzPjl7TcSwF_6D9ZImYyMfe-eSG9evR7U_PPNWx0YOjSSoBK2InIdB6E-dx-wn2kBpeF515LbnaJYOXlPmGcvja2IcNYWpdam_wY-IBqBlONh-fuf/s320/pigdem15.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The first couple of layers made with tinted latex were reinforced with a latex/cotton mix. When this relatively sturdy latex skin was pulled from the mold it was reinforced fother with a layer of Burro plastic, like Snail Wizard's shell.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAt2_HSA1f2M7EPcJXh483JCTLrtyZ8w8rlzYKtXnU3B_NTIRvMb8JkTGFYIsjcVY18uz6hzb-cH-J2qq3wsSU94zH_61ZDwdV7NYA6X_P0smx-ONH665Y_AJdIgIQ7uM5q4vAFpH_HjhmuBZ06rLk6sYBVRG09n0eIW3jUrSQwY9Ne2ssh7uwe7x60_B/s1890/pigdem16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1568" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAt2_HSA1f2M7EPcJXh483JCTLrtyZ8w8rlzYKtXnU3B_NTIRvMb8JkTGFYIsjcVY18uz6hzb-cH-J2qq3wsSU94zH_61ZDwdV7NYA6X_P0smx-ONH665Y_AJdIgIQ7uM5q4vAFpH_HjhmuBZ06rLk6sYBVRG09n0eIW3jUrSQwY9Ne2ssh7uwe7x60_B/s320/pigdem16.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The belly section was made the exact same way. This piece was smaller than the shell, however.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L78c5sIA3mcXT2h2iNh748ORYQvp4z4hj46a4tAfgXJSyp6Ihn92KocpCmhSF5DLNAnGiq8LHToI381kAkLSJNXtBjVkAzJUTJDnh7czFkIwW-bXP4Qktl_9zL2mxEI_tMWPW31dQZlZe-msPyzmj2L56HtcTW-emi64vI10LNU0x19LBDUcd26nhIan/s1890/pigdem17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1827" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L78c5sIA3mcXT2h2iNh748ORYQvp4z4hj46a4tAfgXJSyp6Ihn92KocpCmhSF5DLNAnGiq8LHToI381kAkLSJNXtBjVkAzJUTJDnh7czFkIwW-bXP4Qktl_9zL2mxEI_tMWPW31dQZlZe-msPyzmj2L56HtcTW-emi64vI10LNU0x19LBDUcd26nhIan/s320/pigdem17.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Remember the back legs with their turtle feet? Here they are pre-padding with soft foam. The white sections are stiff packing foam. Each leg has a 4 mm aluminum wire, which seems feeble to carry such a big puppet, but most of this puppet will actually be hollow and much lighter than you'd think. 4 mm threaded t-nuts are embedded in the feet using super glue and baking soda to attach them to the armature wires.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7AdQKjYVMTFnVKoDJo15DDz3JpNwsTwGu-YhKNXA_ekE7UBtzX1oB_6T0ZYmSyMjsqg9pK1oAcMglyjG0dWgHZd0xPqq_ycO0CDBK_ufH9vxS_pU4V2uCvtbm9Z-9aaztTt4vOG71wAiH1Y2zCthr01tYJ2_vT49uUCx4p4ViWhB5Br3AIOlHQ4yHBwr/s1890/pigdem18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1598" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7AdQKjYVMTFnVKoDJo15DDz3JpNwsTwGu-YhKNXA_ekE7UBtzX1oB_6T0ZYmSyMjsqg9pK1oAcMglyjG0dWgHZd0xPqq_ycO0CDBK_ufH9vxS_pU4V2uCvtbm9Z-9aaztTt4vOG71wAiH1Y2zCthr01tYJ2_vT49uUCx4p4ViWhB5Br3AIOlHQ4yHBwr/s320/pigdem18.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Soft polyurethane foam was wrapped around the legs to build up bulky but soft shapes. I didn't build up sections of intricate foam muscles, like I usually do, because that's not how the legs on the alligator turtle look.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiqUnTltyxvKXWgCS342FsCQUjHYcu70_vygOHi6PM2krFjRLbh-UG_RxzZ_xZ9R4IzN-Y4Davh-S0-ZTMfAyUU0H2VN048v4NvBq_nDjwJJWyg8KOYfUKx34doeaTOBjMSB3l12jpf3rIfBHgDqOd5T_Nimc481QF-jlUzwyFP4F5tGMNVlgzbS_FKEC/s1890/pigdem19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1839" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiqUnTltyxvKXWgCS342FsCQUjHYcu70_vygOHi6PM2krFjRLbh-UG_RxzZ_xZ9R4IzN-Y4Davh-S0-ZTMfAyUU0H2VN048v4NvBq_nDjwJJWyg8KOYfUKx34doeaTOBjMSB3l12jpf3rIfBHgDqOd5T_Nimc481QF-jlUzwyFP4F5tGMNVlgzbS_FKEC/s320/pigdem19.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here, the various sections of the puppet have finally come together. A tail has been added to the back leg section.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1rDF_BN9xPgFxTKomSg_atFUi89wpylp5kAmrD208rOR9rXz7_719W5HaR9fFxGy0AfpVyxA4WcOmW9CgHwudmjepi6lfGowH4mIvXZYVW5dCfVrUIdeeaMGI-0e_-EauZ0-RsEVKApv5P0LD-7esX6yNT03ehnJ0Jr50VPj-zkYnUq6qtICJGJu6cjG/s1890/pigdem20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1890" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1rDF_BN9xPgFxTKomSg_atFUi89wpylp5kAmrD208rOR9rXz7_719W5HaR9fFxGy0AfpVyxA4WcOmW9CgHwudmjepi6lfGowH4mIvXZYVW5dCfVrUIdeeaMGI-0e_-EauZ0-RsEVKApv5P0LD-7esX6yNT03ehnJ0Jr50VPj-zkYnUq6qtICJGJu6cjG/s320/pigdem20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I've added a folded 4 mm aluminum wire to the shell, embedding it in the plastic reinforcement so I can attach the shell to the middle section spine armature wire. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hzddUnAtDRvneFY0Lakb5OA5ZitJ6P8eeU6Y5_pacA85e_AUvBh4YphI2AeZUVEYmJEvtd6NtrxyBQ9kpHuZTucZSD3-VZmF5mCW0AX7YwZiFk2BNZRYu5uBlCHK1XNx5BatNlOZDJCWhJtr-jaz8_umlmR8rFINXaVjvman64WlEvr5YUl1ABUvZJWf/s1890/pigdem21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="1890" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hzddUnAtDRvneFY0Lakb5OA5ZitJ6P8eeU6Y5_pacA85e_AUvBh4YphI2AeZUVEYmJEvtd6NtrxyBQ9kpHuZTucZSD3-VZmF5mCW0AX7YwZiFk2BNZRYu5uBlCHK1XNx5BatNlOZDJCWhJtr-jaz8_umlmR8rFINXaVjvman64WlEvr5YUl1ABUvZJWf/s320/pigdem21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The belly part has been reinforced with more sturdy packing foam (white and black.) Again, these sections look big and bulky, but weigh close to nothing.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1w2jN7UFmbr4E1-MlZtSA3VWelzaUyVbJPaVVgKvw0zAqif1UEaCL9OKMwDsHaaQTa-TgH0mJZSI8LaVLQ6Dq8Jj9aLGaESg3LjCdYiZDyZjs8M8AUaOrjYg4zVV-z-vkGpvYsFgWjBHWi_bnyfRULb9y22CJArS6kktZYiNW0_eCgWOvma8VErKDxLl/s1890/pigdem22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1646" data-original-width="1890" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1w2jN7UFmbr4E1-MlZtSA3VWelzaUyVbJPaVVgKvw0zAqif1UEaCL9OKMwDsHaaQTa-TgH0mJZSI8LaVLQ6Dq8Jj9aLGaESg3LjCdYiZDyZjs8M8AUaOrjYg4zVV-z-vkGpvYsFgWjBHWi_bnyfRULb9y22CJArS6kktZYiNW0_eCgWOvma8VErKDxLl/s320/pigdem22.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPIQdho9-XsyIXUh_wGWyiOfcECU-Wn9DXKdu6FYE4iSFDxcZOqXazUYDB3d3OK5zuM5YtldJ4vKsBbXxscawjEfGzUHlPlYspVkQRtwI4th9qP7MUQ1PuNphjJ5FS_kjAQJV1PJnidsfiZp3sgjnnPTJsboptBF7dXOjFNr1N778PSqZNGFFgU9tY4r6/s1890/pigdem23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPIQdho9-XsyIXUh_wGWyiOfcECU-Wn9DXKdu6FYE4iSFDxcZOqXazUYDB3d3OK5zuM5YtldJ4vKsBbXxscawjEfGzUHlPlYspVkQRtwI4th9qP7MUQ1PuNphjJ5FS_kjAQJV1PJnidsfiZp3sgjnnPTJsboptBF7dXOjFNr1N778PSqZNGFFgU9tY4r6/s320/pigdem23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>All of the puppet is here assembled. The middle section is hollow, basically, just a void of air, which (as I said) will reduce the weight of the puppet dramatically. The belly part was attached to the shell with hot melt glue.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMBLdUr5KYhYhMsAxMmmK_BOVcQeTqNI9u3h-kg00D1vAkBSztFiYnYk8KLHPwomenZLz7bVcDy8L8nWdPRYuKISYpAGH8xupIxucKjkBAXAotOLw_gM0DMeWKrF4bl96HAYCkbC_F4twApOG91iOICoAMtaVjr6hvN44s_FtcX1xSfgklToftKEUbnHj/s1890/pigdem24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1374" data-original-width="1890" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMBLdUr5KYhYhMsAxMmmK_BOVcQeTqNI9u3h-kg00D1vAkBSztFiYnYk8KLHPwomenZLz7bVcDy8L8nWdPRYuKISYpAGH8xupIxucKjkBAXAotOLw_gM0DMeWKrF4bl96HAYCkbC_F4twApOG91iOICoAMtaVjr6hvN44s_FtcX1xSfgklToftKEUbnHj/s320/pigdem24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The empty spaces between the mid-section parts were covered up with castings of the knobbly skin sculpted for the legs-<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxVWZycq63U8xR0isNpxnqYC2KSlHP_NtYcUvuI2tT1Uxfmfc0rrGjkfKWd0q7-oYlWWXOgEQZxlTFR2vBxeCI3m9DfMDE4f32iXU4tV-IootGfjUbr1zwfhyphenhyphenCDnKsqRrIeasBGrLtJ23FiusJSbBmQK6fG22VKziRbaMpUAoGxVp4oe8yXWgifwCJsQ2/s1890/pigdem%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1664" data-original-width="1890" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxVWZycq63U8xR0isNpxnqYC2KSlHP_NtYcUvuI2tT1Uxfmfc0rrGjkfKWd0q7-oYlWWXOgEQZxlTFR2vBxeCI3m9DfMDE4f32iXU4tV-IootGfjUbr1zwfhyphenhyphenCDnKsqRrIeasBGrLtJ23FiusJSbBmQK6fG22VKziRbaMpUAoGxVp4oe8yXWgifwCJsQ2/s320/pigdem%20klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPDr9Cw8kb8oT0pRtb875b5yDC-yEEc-z5ilPqxpUENhMhOjArqZPoEfx70nD-wisIIPCzWN46-ajP_DEtCWWuLMTVU4AWxeetM_9mqAPdZpEwiG-b7aKv7IRawKvidjd2pjdRhzpVC2oQBCgdfIFu-ltm6m-3FPouoZMaRpbJOJTTE-JbgBBZfpm-CyE/s1890/pigdem%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPDr9Cw8kb8oT0pRtb875b5yDC-yEEc-z5ilPqxpUENhMhOjArqZPoEfx70nD-wisIIPCzWN46-ajP_DEtCWWuLMTVU4AWxeetM_9mqAPdZpEwiG-b7aKv7IRawKvidjd2pjdRhzpVC2oQBCgdfIFu-ltm6m-3FPouoZMaRpbJOJTTE-JbgBBZfpm-CyE/s320/pigdem%20klar2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfPj2Z72RM4r_pEgLR2fEPRedT1s0q8MZVCQgn8vDbdQispATiX1M0YbLJm1JbdRbin4cXr9BBQlLADqUxxvyiDqHx1-oMIJEv-zIMyJiSJ84cegcr4awg-CkfeheksE5aTy7loGq4ASKnnayloPdxBh76A09bBfNHhMdnqbYYJCHCpCFKh0dOyYj_Df-/s1890/pigdem%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="1890" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfPj2Z72RM4r_pEgLR2fEPRedT1s0q8MZVCQgn8vDbdQispATiX1M0YbLJm1JbdRbin4cXr9BBQlLADqUxxvyiDqHx1-oMIJEv-zIMyJiSJ84cegcr4awg-CkfeheksE5aTy7loGq4ASKnnayloPdxBh76A09bBfNHhMdnqbYYJCHCpCFKh0dOyYj_Df-/s320/pigdem%20klar3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dvprTTktwBN5Xis7T_wL9jtuUc-1XiufFDA1-TBpHUgwbxdQ5oRWVvftbX5O0Sz9ua3k0xkaZtJDD7iKdfYdhd1KvmIh25d1oiM1uXWpY2QpKUgzkV269cm7_BKOmbaYCSUYVtGrv5Mt-Yb4gX2Dwt43xbuqhJH9czGifPoWrAeh7-FmKpyo3xty9PIs/s1890/pigdem%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1518" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dvprTTktwBN5Xis7T_wL9jtuUc-1XiufFDA1-TBpHUgwbxdQ5oRWVvftbX5O0Sz9ua3k0xkaZtJDD7iKdfYdhd1KvmIh25d1oiM1uXWpY2QpKUgzkV269cm7_BKOmbaYCSUYVtGrv5Mt-Yb4gX2Dwt43xbuqhJH9czGifPoWrAeh7-FmKpyo3xty9PIs/s320/pigdem%20klar4.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI2PLjMsite1KIS9avxHXpsqPMEBjnsQgDM27BTyGwGiA5VnZ3Ox8G0WdRg5f6G6Xo0lqNd128p5SYMi_mMLYk7NWJFA2xv_zo7swg-e_iGen9jfXbpvinfASVsk-rcIrT-saie1XVflM8CP9I5OR_D67jEBsme7p46GNvb-YNoahuJ1PXbpBefykYG4J/s1890/pigdem%20klar5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="1890" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI2PLjMsite1KIS9avxHXpsqPMEBjnsQgDM27BTyGwGiA5VnZ3Ox8G0WdRg5f6G6Xo0lqNd128p5SYMi_mMLYk7NWJFA2xv_zo7swg-e_iGen9jfXbpvinfASVsk-rcIrT-saie1XVflM8CP9I5OR_D67jEBsme7p46GNvb-YNoahuJ1PXbpBefykYG4J/s320/pigdem%20klar5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppet was painted with a mixture of tinted latex and acrylic airbrush paints. I added droplets of tinted latex to the transitioning areas between pig and turtle to create green scales. This is a pretty big puppet, about 16 inches from snout to tail.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIXIrvmLsY47CvfvoIRp7ahzn1tbf_7NKJSfQkAtG5dbxocq2HH8pXSjjb0xrFKCzhJvDhZRLW1-q39H0HskEtblLctCLjmVVXM5aRImCTW9UL_4qvVBFWUZ9myjc-C12J6Og73REBkbBTNZc9cBHD85fS1vmNiXcwrp_eO2CLlytffY2XYh7hLYdDq1Z/s1890/fight3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIXIrvmLsY47CvfvoIRp7ahzn1tbf_7NKJSfQkAtG5dbxocq2HH8pXSjjb0xrFKCzhJvDhZRLW1-q39H0HskEtblLctCLjmVVXM5aRImCTW9UL_4qvVBFWUZ9myjc-C12J6Og73REBkbBTNZc9cBHD85fS1vmNiXcwrp_eO2CLlytffY2XYh7hLYdDq1Z/s320/fight3.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Pig Demon's antagonist was originally made for a different project; the film "It Wants Blood 2" by James Balsamo. Here, kaiju-sized, it battles another giant monster, which is a mutated version of the rapper Coolio, if you can believe that. I thought the design of the puppet was fun and deserved another go-around. It would make a cool animalistic demon.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcrp7wJsZ5A-SZOioSy4gP1CLJ9dibsIsqRL4b5CaqWtSarWBUB0NKIGsUDFvCW5kSyoORSHlk4EyUt4bTzQQ1ul4l6v0zZc1QDs-YGS8i5cFSvIu6ra56Zo0KF2VUF_HIWfXxTIaNacA9koDqk9o6XEVEHSqYdVM7ZJdHU_L07eBi-mFsuUreiVRMVcu/s1575/cham1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="1575" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcrp7wJsZ5A-SZOioSy4gP1CLJ9dibsIsqRL4b5CaqWtSarWBUB0NKIGsUDFvCW5kSyoORSHlk4EyUt4bTzQQ1ul4l6v0zZc1QDs-YGS8i5cFSvIu6ra56Zo0KF2VUF_HIWfXxTIaNacA9koDqk9o6XEVEHSqYdVM7ZJdHU_L07eBi-mFsuUreiVRMVcu/s320/cham1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRbSEIJqUYd8KOjG254XmVlqyHXq81g1bUC7F9TYKCQF_EUdyAydOBPA2QIR1cdGUekZznpg-nwDWqx0R3lO61maQGHmhSlcYnVsYzqKhyphenhyphenfrUqjvwUmvJc2ylEmIBcX4aTE8A3N2jXMwDC74OgZ9_P_JG2w1vOIF_iauNHinksvxR6ZzIyNBWzEpzrBeb/s1575/cham2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1575" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRbSEIJqUYd8KOjG254XmVlqyHXq81g1bUC7F9TYKCQF_EUdyAydOBPA2QIR1cdGUekZznpg-nwDWqx0R3lO61maQGHmhSlcYnVsYzqKhyphenhyphenfrUqjvwUmvJc2ylEmIBcX4aTE8A3N2jXMwDC74OgZ9_P_JG2w1vOIF_iauNHinksvxR6ZzIyNBWzEpzrBeb/s320/cham2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The final puppet is covered with tiny round bumps to imitate the look of a real chameleon, but the head wasn't sculpted this way. The head of a real chameleon is actually quite skull-like, so I did a very simple clay sculpture replicating the basic shapes, with protrusions and hollows. The top of the head as well as the jaw were made this way.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAemwI_wO3nl-WP7EqPiKCk5G_58O5ER0kqZR58x01dW8TUtqqMq2yV67zSMzPLC8Ft1-WaAvrmurLQyTKTMWyQJ7ni1irehVHtqpM7996IKPAUoeaWWI82sBH5MsKZufq5SPNR88TA1jrZYKI3MllYH1M3Zj5TxcccvaE8IMPwtyUSK3XGdcXWcvL2RLX/s1575/cham3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="1575" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAemwI_wO3nl-WP7EqPiKCk5G_58O5ER0kqZR58x01dW8TUtqqMq2yV67zSMzPLC8Ft1-WaAvrmurLQyTKTMWyQJ7ni1irehVHtqpM7996IKPAUoeaWWI82sBH5MsKZufq5SPNR88TA1jrZYKI3MllYH1M3Zj5TxcccvaE8IMPwtyUSK3XGdcXWcvL2RLX/s320/cham3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's how the latex castings turned out. they're reinforced with a cotton/latex mix.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ao2YHLblOZmEtkg6hufaOUsr653yhsivvumx5CQcda_VGo1OHN_9tb4hdCGuMlhCTlmV8mc-hz11RCyG5rAUuW2yvQr3o8k0TCLGOJm2mfhzXC677jCxSsSG6pIFcqn1VCnOZhxMnELMAJpST4GsZ8r5iYtrHPr09TfH5O02_gHS6vnylOKnzS4WfuZ1/s1890/cham4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1890" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ao2YHLblOZmEtkg6hufaOUsr653yhsivvumx5CQcda_VGo1OHN_9tb4hdCGuMlhCTlmV8mc-hz11RCyG5rAUuW2yvQr3o8k0TCLGOJm2mfhzXC677jCxSsSG6pIFcqn1VCnOZhxMnELMAJpST4GsZ8r5iYtrHPr09TfH5O02_gHS6vnylOKnzS4WfuZ1/s320/cham4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The three big horns were cast in Burro plastic from a silicone mold originally created for another puppet or prop project (I honestly can't remember what it was made for.) To achieve an authentic look for the horns, I wrapped macrame yarn around the plastic horns and attached them to the head with thermoplastic. 3mm aluminum wires join the jaw with the head, and a rolled-up piece of soft foam creates the corner of the mouth.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmNbeNnHkE6NPVU1mbUWhOVEbL2nmGL2uZd4oHC_ev4QYp0mMmkOQA_WzdfENctqvOlBtre7nzEVOzVhDAgtn16-oMp4V25QSQbajDN43NmHZY4L87HDvoKUwKuCFkpLiR8h7RlO6sCUQKk8DzbpyfxeUhUGb25-RcgEJsK0eR45HelpG17Ev7ru7sb7X/s1890/cham5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1890" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmNbeNnHkE6NPVU1mbUWhOVEbL2nmGL2uZd4oHC_ev4QYp0mMmkOQA_WzdfENctqvOlBtre7nzEVOzVhDAgtn16-oMp4V25QSQbajDN43NmHZY4L87HDvoKUwKuCFkpLiR8h7RlO6sCUQKk8DzbpyfxeUhUGb25-RcgEJsK0eR45HelpG17Ev7ru7sb7X/s320/cham5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The insides of the head and jaw were lined with thermoplastic, and a 4 mm aluminum wire was inserted into the head to create a neck. At the bottom of the jaw, you can see a shiny bit of plastic. That's the cap of a marker pen, into which the tip of that pen, now attached to a long tongue, will be attached for certain shots. the head and jaw have now been covered with patches of bumpy latex skin cast in a plaster skin mold. That mold was also used to create skin for the rest of the puppet. Adding skin textures this way creates a sleeker, better detailed head, than I'd been able to produce as a clay sculpture. A mold for such a sculpture would also have been tricky to make without a bunch of air pockets and other problems. The eye is a wooden ball, also covered with latex textures. It's attached to the eye socket with a piece of yarn but can be moved around without having it fall out.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD06pRQ0554NDz89yAl9bl_4nASlcpugqSQ67gXR6oiNHhcmDfy9NWXmNAzSXCZsZ_AU-AlQ7lWzs3_v7ANLkkgaX9jpKJ6kSdZOtUM1seS-CKy8IyxyQyG9IaSmyHFnZ7ki0SkI5bcgzwfNxil2BdZE6Zckp-6R_MtF4ZcsChEBMIHJqH5GLQhaRMN_e1/s1890/cham6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1890" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD06pRQ0554NDz89yAl9bl_4nASlcpugqSQ67gXR6oiNHhcmDfy9NWXmNAzSXCZsZ_AU-AlQ7lWzs3_v7ANLkkgaX9jpKJ6kSdZOtUM1seS-CKy8IyxyQyG9IaSmyHFnZ7ki0SkI5bcgzwfNxil2BdZE6Zckp-6R_MtF4ZcsChEBMIHJqH5GLQhaRMN_e1/s320/cham6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Hey; here's my old wing-making trick again, making bat wings using an aluminum and latex wing structure submerged in cheap hobby plaster.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6mzYE2VpkdWI-sayFR-myZRs01VXunwX-ztCoigz3LRbR1-xPjpEVB_dVmSooV628jZeLQfisQd-IR5l9yjGOuGPgb1Otq-M6fjjsPhP81wQy81L9Psn8masRf1crw7Sf83ot0iNzuxe11vriAfPlc1bKc8og3r5fZcAXFjqA7tbRtPhP54bH34GRGGY/s1890/cham7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1811" data-original-width="1890" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6mzYE2VpkdWI-sayFR-myZRs01VXunwX-ztCoigz3LRbR1-xPjpEVB_dVmSooV628jZeLQfisQd-IR5l9yjGOuGPgb1Otq-M6fjjsPhP81wQy81L9Psn8masRf1crw7Sf83ot0iNzuxe11vriAfPlc1bKc8og3r5fZcAXFjqA7tbRtPhP54bH34GRGGY/s320/cham7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the finished armature, sans wings. Just above the tail, you can see a white protrusion. That's an attachment point for my flying rig, which will allow me to lift and throw around the puppet frame-by-frame during animation.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLgkHiz6muMAvdlUYVOdxpgN1aJ3CNZJ4oW3azHSj0poqQtuxS1V1NMfDjZjT1B79OATfGS1C_r9e0_BnJUURrhH2SAVOXgo5NQSTFQ55eijjLdGmVnrMH77dnw345flBFHChunKyxs7DvmX_d8PJIwwzKKWCfSMI64PPwFM8TadWnKUsq1tdzomYv8VP/s1890/cham8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLgkHiz6muMAvdlUYVOdxpgN1aJ3CNZJ4oW3azHSj0poqQtuxS1V1NMfDjZjT1B79OATfGS1C_r9e0_BnJUURrhH2SAVOXgo5NQSTFQ55eijjLdGmVnrMH77dnw345flBFHChunKyxs7DvmX_d8PJIwwzKKWCfSMI64PPwFM8TadWnKUsq1tdzomYv8VP/s320/cham8.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And here's the armature with the wings added. The latex skin on the base of the wings isn't attached to anything yet but will be embedded in sections of foam.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAvtcVbVaIRHeNnfrYV1GdechC18YgfoZ28JjlFnh07KADb8aDA1RM0TiAPmOtTpotNkSFcyuQZ6bN7LM4YSa4mumNtuOh5jGLh1ND5_sHx_GSW4X4Gsvm6vIsQLGsOD4wWhZeHC500iQyZJgBJLVbfKNvtuKxFJ5LRnIeipNxaO8w3pjoMRtO5vQA3ms/s1890/cham9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1283" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAvtcVbVaIRHeNnfrYV1GdechC18YgfoZ28JjlFnh07KADb8aDA1RM0TiAPmOtTpotNkSFcyuQZ6bN7LM4YSa4mumNtuOh5jGLh1ND5_sHx_GSW4X4Gsvm6vIsQLGsOD4wWhZeHC500iQyZJgBJLVbfKNvtuKxFJ5LRnIeipNxaO8w3pjoMRtO5vQA3ms/s320/cham9.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb6r_H5rrZhF7xLM3XHgsRRnc1L1YgfBOoUID9yrODm504PyWb8ZjCBiEcDk5sU3NqLly0jLQBwNC4PK-qQCSQye2-Wb4vXY1408adP9c7aoblp8-6jyemzbonbBcYTFIeh3zqDdGbbRgMFEdNnhhxKPARifQ7N_P7c2jeOlw9rXPXpJofL8dFeqHl_3E/s1890/cham10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb6r_H5rrZhF7xLM3XHgsRRnc1L1YgfBOoUID9yrODm504PyWb8ZjCBiEcDk5sU3NqLly0jLQBwNC4PK-qQCSQye2-Wb4vXY1408adP9c7aoblp8-6jyemzbonbBcYTFIeh3zqDdGbbRgMFEdNnhhxKPARifQ7N_P7c2jeOlw9rXPXpJofL8dFeqHl_3E/s320/cham10.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Here's the foam padding for the puppet. Again, it's pretty simple, because chameleons don't have defined muscle tones apart from the muscular tail, which in this case is built up by a wrapping of yarn soaked in latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESxHfBQzeT6vt0WCwtT-4UvFPr5XTI5a6RnN4E8M3bhD9y_v2-FKgxNU-MOMm1vARbeI5ldl0oNyIyz4oeD-lXUQ2fwaT6LFdsp_VzNVh3FNnisazYQvEfH-tcT4vPMvgb8MkZKWd2PitUsaN39m-klLSo21_xfGDOYNTxofFFti6m0w0aX6plokv8XwR/s1890/cham11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="1890" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESxHfBQzeT6vt0WCwtT-4UvFPr5XTI5a6RnN4E8M3bhD9y_v2-FKgxNU-MOMm1vARbeI5ldl0oNyIyz4oeD-lXUQ2fwaT6LFdsp_VzNVh3FNnisazYQvEfH-tcT4vPMvgb8MkZKWd2PitUsaN39m-klLSo21_xfGDOYNTxofFFti6m0w0aX6plokv8XwR/s320/cham11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The body is covered with patches of latex skin that came out of the same texture mold used for the head. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvnaANoDG3Em9VpMwMIHrenGKaU8M6fztnQFh7rhpDdFau5NJmjG3NwXnVbqBe2xZcj2g9MoaeoK-YGema7uBKPKb8NSSb4e9T7nPdTxEY15VwofXqBFhw2fNz_zg35x770Mweq_ojD88Lwu0Ey5WVLmyW2Q9Rz1IOOORoe400Q3w7UzgEp0IJpp07co8/s1890/russkie%20monster%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1490" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvnaANoDG3Em9VpMwMIHrenGKaU8M6fztnQFh7rhpDdFau5NJmjG3NwXnVbqBe2xZcj2g9MoaeoK-YGema7uBKPKb8NSSb4e9T7nPdTxEY15VwofXqBFhw2fNz_zg35x770Mweq_ojD88Lwu0Ey5WVLmyW2Q9Rz1IOOORoe400Q3w7UzgEp0IJpp07co8/s320/russkie%20monster%20klar1.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>Here's how the puppet looked as it was finished for "It Wants Blood 2." All of it was painted with tinted latex using a sponge.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix50uM1VKa5_s9QDu5e4GnP8CPiEYBMy4y5M8Je133-_mfDD5RPTgrjhMeYggaG2wmoQGQOIcbVu0FO8BiSxA2x2PL0Ey3aqBxRUMXwfJf4cTo_cgykNJuKg9cjsvmlrAhsWh-8hvLbhlsyq402B4sdtbJGSGSXBmeC_K_qklpErEB6XBYBHlzyUEsJcrr/s1890/russkie%20monster%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix50uM1VKa5_s9QDu5e4GnP8CPiEYBMy4y5M8Je133-_mfDD5RPTgrjhMeYggaG2wmoQGQOIcbVu0FO8BiSxA2x2PL0Ey3aqBxRUMXwfJf4cTo_cgykNJuKg9cjsvmlrAhsWh-8hvLbhlsyq402B4sdtbJGSGSXBmeC_K_qklpErEB6XBYBHlzyUEsJcrr/s320/russkie%20monster%20klar2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The tongue is a single 3 mm aluminum wire wrapped in yarn and dabbed with latex. As explained earlier, it's attached to the tip of a marker pen, which then snaps into the plastic cap at the bottom of the jaw. The tongue was only attached for shots when it came out.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LdD_I3Xu-cTh8UGLseyLOSgAUaZa3KhbcGIA1uZOwII7aHyXeQAtCJvkAKVHm-pn5D2tU2UNHhKC6EMQMNP2DtwPdqHCvHnDFhnnylyb5kFyHkDj6YPQh-R6JjErvLx1O6pI2eWQLcMDcNs6A2DEkhqsn2JC-fegrUdtxIrFkeFlz-48HvdnsjVT_3yh/s1890/russkie%20monster%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LdD_I3Xu-cTh8UGLseyLOSgAUaZa3KhbcGIA1uZOwII7aHyXeQAtCJvkAKVHm-pn5D2tU2UNHhKC6EMQMNP2DtwPdqHCvHnDFhnnylyb5kFyHkDj6YPQh-R6JjErvLx1O6pI2eWQLcMDcNs6A2DEkhqsn2JC-fegrUdtxIrFkeFlz-48HvdnsjVT_3yh/s320/russkie%20monster%20klar3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The teeth and claws were made from cotton and latex, and touched up with my airbrush.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIK7ISjFu0cUyqzRRStlXSNNszNE-O6lMOdpQfDsg3kA2bfIMvyd9au5WklDADn4znKoXJ3Ro3ReFvk-KXvJs6eUg9IWZ4PP6qQQpN2CRrr0wdNmH6rS2y5K6COAiP31GAFugNKrYQtUIwq8KOdltsKXuM6r1VMt-C1BPnoMsjzgUGDCUvj2vzCpniLSO/s2205/pigdem%20fight%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="2205" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIK7ISjFu0cUyqzRRStlXSNNszNE-O6lMOdpQfDsg3kA2bfIMvyd9au5WklDADn4znKoXJ3Ro3ReFvk-KXvJs6eUg9IWZ4PP6qQQpN2CRrr0wdNmH6rS2y5K6COAiP31GAFugNKrYQtUIwq8KOdltsKXuM6r1VMt-C1BPnoMsjzgUGDCUvj2vzCpniLSO/s320/pigdem%20fight%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlhyVaTFKHDNdooyMyn-QqxKsCxsyoEjZXBS5fGwYAfPx1VEvU8qJdJxkp0EGfNrZObX8uzocS9i0jawygjMeOsLcM-GEXaGuyjtzLGCCmse-jgCS1yKqlVEwzgpvOphNjwbtPl6t72S4Q0sN-GcPaFklZUfswmyCrwWQgYiQyaHo32bjrW8rQXvoIS2Q/s1890/pigdem%20fight%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlhyVaTFKHDNdooyMyn-QqxKsCxsyoEjZXBS5fGwYAfPx1VEvU8qJdJxkp0EGfNrZObX8uzocS9i0jawygjMeOsLcM-GEXaGuyjtzLGCCmse-jgCS1yKqlVEwzgpvOphNjwbtPl6t72S4Q0sN-GcPaFklZUfswmyCrwWQgYiQyaHo32bjrW8rQXvoIS2Q/s320/pigdem%20fight%204.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For "Snail Wizard" I glued on tiny plastic gemstones here and there, as a tribute to the glorious dragon seen in "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm," built by Wah Chang and animated by Jim Danforth. </div><div><br /></div><div>These two puppets being the sizes they are caused a slight headache for me because they quickly filled up my small animation stage. I've had that problem a few times since then, so I really should update the stage and make it bigger.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN6JURaPEUiPvqtv0jbZFIVEK3-fvL5yg6avxxipnx5rRCpLCyXwQP4Caz0kXWhpIoMrjbZ_KU51pryc7vMnwtKJGkcjCgCn1XPk5CYQse1VO4C-IXUN3CM7u6LnKNfk2r_S-Hpr_lphWz7OE7_tQs6GG-GtjNgKoi5cRNSOu-uORhchNWAp5bjru5NwD/s1890/spell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1676" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN6JURaPEUiPvqtv0jbZFIVEK3-fvL5yg6avxxipnx5rRCpLCyXwQP4Caz0kXWhpIoMrjbZ_KU51pryc7vMnwtKJGkcjCgCn1XPk5CYQse1VO4C-IXUN3CM7u6LnKNfk2r_S-Hpr_lphWz7OE7_tQs6GG-GtjNgKoi5cRNSOu-uORhchNWAp5bjru5NwD/s320/spell.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLqurGt2-MlnWp9aa4Ofvn8PgfJop0p0lj_pbUAB7kPWXjZoiJCCFUHM2xl-HFeEKWJ5CmmKZVXY7MmnXxAG9m0phahK79wmHaCT_H9papJPlXhL3Y0SY04dG9WKDHDWkvaa-ud8EETn9XdeoyjcwFtlMK8k85nOrabn7oIX2Jx-Zdhs-nmWmS2HxLIF8/s8700/snail%20sigill.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="8700" data-original-width="8700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLqurGt2-MlnWp9aa4Ofvn8PgfJop0p0lj_pbUAB7kPWXjZoiJCCFUHM2xl-HFeEKWJ5CmmKZVXY7MmnXxAG9m0phahK79wmHaCT_H9papJPlXhL3Y0SY04dG9WKDHDWkvaa-ud8EETn9XdeoyjcwFtlMK8k85nOrabn7oIX2Jx-Zdhs-nmWmS2HxLIF8/s320/snail%20sigill.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The magic energy effects in the film were all stock digital animations tweaked slightly by me in After Effects. The sigils conjured by the wizards to bring forth the demons are two stock illustrations that, as far as I know, have no counterpart in traditional magic. They just look good. The original illustrations are black and white, but I colored them in Photoshop and added a glow to them. They were then animated using the 3D tool in AE.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzf5-w4GBzxsfi1aJHbRslFlavCDYcJZPpFF0iEs2-rMI5MUrQEmyOmJKydk0Y9tGDn68ml7MVwZnrh9EymoO5WY2pm2avCzWYzk33a9W1VETIlfggF2P0-EadO02CTUUbzmKdX1M9d3481i7N2yxvZGddT5bhWSZKk1U5MUk40jTAqVN6FGO108mAXElH/s1890/demon%20fight1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzf5-w4GBzxsfi1aJHbRslFlavCDYcJZPpFF0iEs2-rMI5MUrQEmyOmJKydk0Y9tGDn68ml7MVwZnrh9EymoO5WY2pm2avCzWYzk33a9W1VETIlfggF2P0-EadO02CTUUbzmKdX1M9d3481i7N2yxvZGddT5bhWSZKk1U5MUk40jTAqVN6FGO108mAXElH/s320/demon%20fight1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's an example of stock CG effects overlaid on the tongue of the chameleon demon. The pig demon is lit up using the puppet's body as a matte.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbJlWI4QLG57GZVi-R2MFEhTwYbgZR4GdVNKJpFkYPFmLfBgrfclXRZ5_5euut9aOJEe78xlcLcBG7Rni0muWgq-2eLIgEhZMiy5_XAEdO3pDUJaT63K66836O1Wio3Y93D3a20yonhGGTXFr2TTgJyD5ucgKsRF8sFgRjuDdW7HE4rDHagjvpSyNtUjT/s1890/demon%20fight2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbJlWI4QLG57GZVi-R2MFEhTwYbgZR4GdVNKJpFkYPFmLfBgrfclXRZ5_5euut9aOJEe78xlcLcBG7Rni0muWgq-2eLIgEhZMiy5_XAEdO3pDUJaT63K66836O1Wio3Y93D3a20yonhGGTXFr2TTgJyD5ucgKsRF8sFgRjuDdW7HE4rDHagjvpSyNtUjT/s320/demon%20fight2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The fight between the demons was inspired by the lumbering style of traditional American wrestling by the likes of King Kong Bundy and similar hulking artisans of that tradition. As per usual, I added motion blur via the "Timewarp" tool in AE.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztCN65BSUFPoWoIoaMuXrRnozfpcSGnLj3OoDEIl_ogOykb0re-lWpEgrqUohJlVyCV93kQgpzVfA0tH31MeXdTctNevoEA1F7UJ7Y4CYi0ovHPcfsZhBCv3G5xamgwHPy9dAU1nIecg2h6d_fXuZdBerc-iTMes4CINozBVpWriGsxmONRYf-uvWaNbI/s7680/slott1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="7680" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztCN65BSUFPoWoIoaMuXrRnozfpcSGnLj3OoDEIl_ogOykb0re-lWpEgrqUohJlVyCV93kQgpzVfA0tH31MeXdTctNevoEA1F7UJ7Y4CYi0ovHPcfsZhBCv3G5xamgwHPy9dAU1nIecg2h6d_fXuZdBerc-iTMes4CINozBVpWriGsxmONRYf-uvWaNbI/s320/slott1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the backgrounds were purchased as a bundle from the ArtStation website. I'm guessing AI had a hand in the making of them, but the look is perfect for my films. They're not quite real, but not too stylized either. I'll be using more AI-rendered backgrounds in future animations. I'm not much for AI-generated content, especially not when complete works of art, literature, or music are produced using it, but snippets here and there I'll readily forgive. It can be a useful complementing tool.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhui2ijJUcZ-tXZQZ00paCJwQoFWqs9JfclgD8UnZZ71wobl8T7zLSJgRvzSf-grQmGL82MNdefY9NJi43OWaA7-Wc-bpZ6MyDRiFclD_oyA6MoD-zJ-kXOx_J5vUZ6zHeqQ9FH6hJ0P6C2SSfoCV-gRM_-xcrS4LESLYHCu98ucEt7yR4GVnLABq7rJZzA/s1890/snail%20wizard%20battle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhui2ijJUcZ-tXZQZ00paCJwQoFWqs9JfclgD8UnZZ71wobl8T7zLSJgRvzSf-grQmGL82MNdefY9NJi43OWaA7-Wc-bpZ6MyDRiFclD_oyA6MoD-zJ-kXOx_J5vUZ6zHeqQ9FH6hJ0P6C2SSfoCV-gRM_-xcrS4LESLYHCu98ucEt7yR4GVnLABq7rJZzA/s320/snail%20wizard%20battle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>I posted the finished "Snail Wizard" in May, and something strange happened, something that hasn't occurred before or since: The YouTube algorithm snapped up the video and spread it all over the platform. In just three weeks I amassed over 50 000 views and added 3000 new subscribers to my channel, plus a couple new supporters on Patreon. Since then another 7000 views have dropped in. I have no idea how the YouTube algorithm works or why it picked my video that month, but it was a fun experience seeing comments from befuddled viewers who had no idea of who I was and what my content was about.</div><div><br /></div><div>Quite a few viewers suggested that Snail Wizard should make a comeback, despite being squashed at the end, and I do have plans for both him and his arch-enemy. Let's see what happens next year.<br /><p> </p></div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-42931644398097462492023-10-30T02:00:00.000-07:002023-10-30T02:00:27.012-07:00The Path Through the Marsh<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4QpoyaRsNGI?si=4G-3aQWBxUhfLuua" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p><br /></p><p>A while back I did a short film called "Changeling", based on a poem by American weird fiction writer and poet Leah Bodine Drake. Her poems are a treasure trove of moody genre musings, so I decided to tackle another of her creations, this time "The Path Through the Marsh." This poem dwells on the legend of a fearsome presence in a boggy forest. Is it just a Native American legend of a demonic nature spirit, or is it something akin to Bigfoot? I decided it was something in between. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoN4NikMXTFnSObdMBmATIQ8hyxvqOS6Sg0OLjnfCBiw4sZ5RUWkBwIHjgZVJmuZIQlL9RDeP4wWlZ3uQMkcvowrlx9XH2Sym2HaJzl37ZEmes_7q2vmL_dg7ZYkQ0GtF7AVqQFVZYohOwR0xIjFOWzSChY2g5m7Can9sGepEujjx1QRQxlRen9HHpm-sb/s1507/MV5BMTQ1NDcxNDE0Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjA2MDE3MTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1507" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoN4NikMXTFnSObdMBmATIQ8hyxvqOS6Sg0OLjnfCBiw4sZ5RUWkBwIHjgZVJmuZIQlL9RDeP4wWlZ3uQMkcvowrlx9XH2Sym2HaJzl37ZEmes_7q2vmL_dg7ZYkQ0GtF7AVqQFVZYohOwR0xIjFOWzSChY2g5m7Can9sGepEujjx1QRQxlRen9HHpm-sb/s320/MV5BMTQ1NDcxNDE0Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjA2MDE3MTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I'm a big fan of the movie "The Legend of Boggy Creek", mostly because of its dense atmosphere. You never really see the Bigfoot creature said to inhabit the wilderness around Fouke, Arkansas, but you do glimpse it, and that's all the movie needs to put its audience on the edge. The movie underlines that the mysterious monster is right at home in nature, while we aren't anymore. It's an organic part of the swamp, while we're only intruders. The movie also says that nature may be far scarier and more dangerous than we think, even if we're only talking about the woods around the corner of our house.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oaGkOIwqAP4DbFrBVd7ktaMrx5y_gY4ClKVgPRkbGHa2HmC0nmCT6cOi-YPev_8oO0X3Mk03kNxGshI8Zeoonc-UL6ZRoM9s1Wf61jm2iZTKB3REVO4xN1gorDsjentqUpvBM5IMSQfmjQwnO3JIaf8fJ_JU9HC1s4_EAibTcLhhNuekrNNBEDzRYn1h/s3840/Depositphotos_632914810_XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oaGkOIwqAP4DbFrBVd7ktaMrx5y_gY4ClKVgPRkbGHa2HmC0nmCT6cOi-YPev_8oO0X3Mk03kNxGshI8Zeoonc-UL6ZRoM9s1Wf61jm2iZTKB3REVO4xN1gorDsjentqUpvBM5IMSQfmjQwnO3JIaf8fJ_JU9HC1s4_EAibTcLhhNuekrNNBEDzRYn1h/s320/Depositphotos_632914810_XL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">All the backgrounds used in this film were found at Depositphotos or Storyblocks, and they're all shots or pictures of American swamp land. I had to do very little tweaking to make them look creepy or moody. I did add a fair amount of fog drifting around because you can't have a swamp monster film without any fog.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5fbgGzxUqT6JZ1Z6AzBjofT2zPcxVtpgJySDAkSvJQSxPhob7s0GLJ5anZfUbRNX_A6ZRI4QpPJir9dY6k4crbGKRbmE5o2UlEFT32O_g0hX0Ygg6Z6HX7CoIkOBWfSgiqJs4wP5OGMQBLUgKErY03wYbZaFVhmD8X0kiFXr-LdeeAC61hFZEfQYBu3s/s1890/sm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5fbgGzxUqT6JZ1Z6AzBjofT2zPcxVtpgJySDAkSvJQSxPhob7s0GLJ5anZfUbRNX_A6ZRI4QpPJir9dY6k4crbGKRbmE5o2UlEFT32O_g0hX0Ygg6Z6HX7CoIkOBWfSgiqJs4wP5OGMQBLUgKErY03wYbZaFVhmD8X0kiFXr-LdeeAC61hFZEfQYBu3s/s320/sm1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">So let's talk about the monster. I actually based the puppet on a half-finished abandoned puppet project. this was going to be a big goblin creature, but since I wasn't happy with how it turned out I chose another path and did a different version. I had, however, progressed a bit and saved what I had built. This was the whole upper torso of the character, so I just stuck on a pair of legs, and I had the beginnings of my swamp monster.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvVt4xKyoDRtdVfsUbiXcFS-lmkrl1Xy1t7KVyCpGm0tk0wo1wUjW67jwtGIEQ4nME9EMQylQgq7liLVPqi5ZTiePyUrZkgBQ5c9mWWrOD5Wt2D8pyaEriikb4ssXD6BRmhgw6NU236GqbOwX3xgyP5kfudtBAZ0JXirUxfIZVlLutQgRWeGLTFpUln75/s1890/sm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvVt4xKyoDRtdVfsUbiXcFS-lmkrl1Xy1t7KVyCpGm0tk0wo1wUjW67jwtGIEQ4nME9EMQylQgq7liLVPqi5ZTiePyUrZkgBQ5c9mWWrOD5Wt2D8pyaEriikb4ssXD6BRmhgw6NU236GqbOwX3xgyP5kfudtBAZ0JXirUxfIZVlLutQgRWeGLTFpUln75/s320/sm2.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Since the body of this creature would be covered with a very ornate and concealing texture, I didn't spend much time n making the foam padding look organic.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-5Qhs5ygcdwnERMMCwDFm9O9C1yu3JSInEIHCF0W9d6p1E12_8979pClgqQ-KQvbJfdt3j58LoSf_51raZdBna8VSXhycwSXyO1rsvRTL_nxhQcTlTJKtsubKnTZkt9OboVAiPYK4YxmZRTK4gDaPmjYbPCtougKuHjZsJ3eZGCkeePNdpqcn6m46j5n/s1890/sm3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-5Qhs5ygcdwnERMMCwDFm9O9C1yu3JSInEIHCF0W9d6p1E12_8979pClgqQ-KQvbJfdt3j58LoSf_51raZdBna8VSXhycwSXyO1rsvRTL_nxhQcTlTJKtsubKnTZkt9OboVAiPYK4YxmZRTK4gDaPmjYbPCtougKuHjZsJ3eZGCkeePNdpqcn6m46j5n/s320/sm3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhKlGDbyKAozPyMnLwG7iTIPmc0GoHPzPIflongbn5A8_7uzpvOpleEb6-IyJOh0czQbntqm0q5ryqGG8PWkthkYJfWmtzdg9OAONIh4ccgx-hABbBY6NPD858eOOrs1TmaEXxNWaPsFZ27JBsQl-r7wtTGWgmNXn0bK5EIDuaGJ3uKI5gjbn1QYw6L6r/s1890/sm4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhKlGDbyKAozPyMnLwG7iTIPmc0GoHPzPIflongbn5A8_7uzpvOpleEb6-IyJOh0czQbntqm0q5ryqGG8PWkthkYJfWmtzdg9OAONIh4ccgx-hABbBY6NPD858eOOrs1TmaEXxNWaPsFZ27JBsQl-r7wtTGWgmNXn0bK5EIDuaGJ3uKI5gjbn1QYw6L6r/s320/sm4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">I did cover up the foam with patches of textured latex skin since I knew the final texture wouldn't cover up exactly everything.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdWH2dTs7bY77_PZcoU4V41yMpHYr5CvE8bHUmMq0KF8l0TNoAcMMoXscn5bQG5VeVV20BKrnjyHq8MESC0s2baj7Rm4tFkMZ0GcOX8-Cr4RUYC_EClQhkTJCoYdQo3RqH7PwtA8hWLWrKSOStIxatGax4B0o92WHgw2mn5JP8-yD8AqCBfki4hVikFS5/s1575/sm5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="1575" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdWH2dTs7bY77_PZcoU4V41yMpHYr5CvE8bHUmMq0KF8l0TNoAcMMoXscn5bQG5VeVV20BKrnjyHq8MESC0s2baj7Rm4tFkMZ0GcOX8-Cr4RUYC_EClQhkTJCoYdQo3RqH7PwtA8hWLWrKSOStIxatGax4B0o92WHgw2mn5JP8-yD8AqCBfki4hVikFS5/s320/sm5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">This texture I keep mentioning is "chunks-o-flesh", a favorite thing among many a special effects makeup expert. You basically take a sponge, soak up some latex, and paint it out on a neutral, non-absorbant surface. You let it dry and then rough it up with your fingernails until the layers turn into something that looks like a fishing net. You can then pull the latex off the surface and the spongy rubber texture can be applied to make fake wounds, stringy flesh for zombies to chomp through, or, as in this case, to make a puppet look like it's covered with strange organic textures. I tinted the latex a dark green before using it. For zombie flesh, you'd tint it red.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXoKlJhOyxHzlHeU59bNzPpi1-QTopNXUGC-Cqq0bUt7_llOdJ_LOy5oUqqJXjHO3ymuY6aFxWtXzIOKofQFT3-3bz25hfRfGlVSWWZkJ2qg3twE8d0gfI6XcyloMgvDLqD1V2mOduft9FmXAx945zPhoOrrWurfRDMibDULjl2rz3TlJfYGLF7zubYPp/s1890/sm%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1388" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXoKlJhOyxHzlHeU59bNzPpi1-QTopNXUGC-Cqq0bUt7_llOdJ_LOy5oUqqJXjHO3ymuY6aFxWtXzIOKofQFT3-3bz25hfRfGlVSWWZkJ2qg3twE8d0gfI6XcyloMgvDLqD1V2mOduft9FmXAx945zPhoOrrWurfRDMibDULjl2rz3TlJfYGLF7zubYPp/s320/sm%20klar1.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUPGkvyUfPNBJSaclkCWHsQxI2bi733KoBTwExgFS7V083w7vbiEU8wC4pBS5Eu13Hf_dJMCZtY8h2nU_PlCfvFeaLK0itPHQdvsbG6R4rvr_qfAO8KP-uLfszNLd6rHVfl8dh_6DFU9kgSHWPDZSoZJNrmq16FxCIp1KwwXnTqax8hc77j-OdQjSArpS/s1575/sm%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1343" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUPGkvyUfPNBJSaclkCWHsQxI2bi733KoBTwExgFS7V083w7vbiEU8wC4pBS5Eu13Hf_dJMCZtY8h2nU_PlCfvFeaLK0itPHQdvsbG6R4rvr_qfAO8KP-uLfszNLd6rHVfl8dh_6DFU9kgSHWPDZSoZJNrmq16FxCIp1KwwXnTqax8hc77j-OdQjSArpS/s320/sm%20klar2.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">The finished puppet turned out pretty okay. The chunky flesh texture bits were attached using liquid latex as a binding agent, and the whole thing was dry-brushed with several light layers of differently tinted latex. The eyes are two scrapbooking pearls that reflect the light cast on them.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYNW3bv47PwufPm80iSn2lbRHYkoksTftLArDTD_G-I-d2h41adOz9gvIV_fJ8s-JWKLb96Y-sWo9R-XU8GmM9PPiHXDalXqnBPjcFiOZbwY_oZVwj8W7a4oEn2j2stbxnMCZYp-fMwacTv6pmT16OODST8_nLroYbCfyvtmnRF7I2kfWMAHubRfTPAyD/s1890/sm%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1516" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYNW3bv47PwufPm80iSn2lbRHYkoksTftLArDTD_G-I-d2h41adOz9gvIV_fJ8s-JWKLb96Y-sWo9R-XU8GmM9PPiHXDalXqnBPjcFiOZbwY_oZVwj8W7a4oEn2j2stbxnMCZYp-fMwacTv6pmT16OODST8_nLroYbCfyvtmnRF7I2kfWMAHubRfTPAyD/s320/sm%20klar3.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3hKNPpw7fiXFa4E4BrggY_4TVyqkD6AqxQaFkBU6z28XqwGVMHIYXGunonGID_Eda9YuToCFGF2XN6QxoF_WyPqhxfuXAnPlgcdNSYpNxeKFa6H5xI3oxngo4MIs-4jmQqbanSpcVTW97dIV8rVUmVZuFjywr7DaeQxxVkrt0ApBPRWTgcWmcES8Zs3t/s1890/sm%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3hKNPpw7fiXFa4E4BrggY_4TVyqkD6AqxQaFkBU6z28XqwGVMHIYXGunonGID_Eda9YuToCFGF2XN6QxoF_WyPqhxfuXAnPlgcdNSYpNxeKFa6H5xI3oxngo4MIs-4jmQqbanSpcVTW97dIV8rVUmVZuFjywr7DaeQxxVkrt0ApBPRWTgcWmcES8Zs3t/s320/sm%20klar4.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VEuSWj3U8tC_pTa7yW6vQAECtaKzfHKy96unfshk4S1RbmY_MtD93ZVAEfE_leov3g8eGsDCO27W6OI4ichSL4b9NvCZEHmn4oVLaNwhrPVNw-76lx_0M_b7vMhplb0hyNalwTPGoi1RCKG4NepF0DLtEOMtiGuRjR9Y3-9qM42ADckishy7hkCN9_Iw/s1890/sm%20klar5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VEuSWj3U8tC_pTa7yW6vQAECtaKzfHKy96unfshk4S1RbmY_MtD93ZVAEfE_leov3g8eGsDCO27W6OI4ichSL4b9NvCZEHmn4oVLaNwhrPVNw-76lx_0M_b7vMhplb0hyNalwTPGoi1RCKG4NepF0DLtEOMtiGuRjR9Y3-9qM42ADckishy7hkCN9_Iw/s320/sm%20klar5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">The teeth were made from tissue paper dipped in latex. I hope I managed to pull off a character that has both the feel of a malignant nature spirit as well as a Bigfoot flirtation.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nj44SxyLe3HCdUwecOhYU9KskoHLXHgYXJ7b6hyphenhyphen9HL1GJgKQvBBpR4UVf_2oQGz0Ci4PRcJvvXVku1fupFZWv3MWFFePHeZj2zeQDdTyA62JiJlz4F5c2n_RqLazKTubIWXfgC5jduOZYFXvAd7xBrlByE4vHzkZQy59jHo9NhEEtc-4GssPTpBVRP73/s481/the_heap_9.jpg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nj44SxyLe3HCdUwecOhYU9KskoHLXHgYXJ7b6hyphenhyphen9HL1GJgKQvBBpR4UVf_2oQGz0Ci4PRcJvvXVku1fupFZWv3MWFFePHeZj2zeQDdTyA62JiJlz4F5c2n_RqLazKTubIWXfgC5jduOZYFXvAd7xBrlByE4vHzkZQy59jHo9NhEEtc-4GssPTpBVRP73/s320/the_heap_9.jpg.webp" width="233" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Swamp monsters have been around for a while, mostly in comics. The Heap was first out during World War II. He was a heroic character and was followed in that same vein by two more well-known monsters.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-3MkoFtG4V35zvWXOCYCm-8S9deFkVASIHapqWGmNxc_oulw7oh-dhH7i3XzKFmdicU7BiLjVMvI5GOhU6_vYEg1AAWgpoMCDX3GUxG7cMBlhjVbzRQKYiRwZsikBLHlK8OsOo5SkYvKaP1dOpCfB7PZ602eqjbghl3avLVQQJ-vEo3DzC8YkXb1knXQ/s480/hqdefault.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-3MkoFtG4V35zvWXOCYCm-8S9deFkVASIHapqWGmNxc_oulw7oh-dhH7i3XzKFmdicU7BiLjVMvI5GOhU6_vYEg1AAWgpoMCDX3GUxG7cMBlhjVbzRQKYiRwZsikBLHlK8OsOo5SkYvKaP1dOpCfB7PZ602eqjbghl3avLVQQJ-vEo3DzC8YkXb1knXQ/s320/hqdefault.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">I'm of course talking about Marvel Comics´ Man-Thing, and DC Comics´ Swamp Thing. A comparison between my monster and them is inevitable, though none of these were at the forefront of my mind while building the puppet. The original version of The Heap is in the public domain, by the way. I might do something with that character eventually.</p><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><p></p>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-91030832848587364262023-10-03T08:35:00.002-07:002023-10-04T01:35:21.781-07:00Hunter of Hyperborea<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RZTJKBj_nGc?si=Nq8eBM5elOSGFbSt" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>I can't recall where the idea for "Hunter of Hyperborea" came from, but the general notion was to make a film starring a hunter or a hero who recorded his successful exploits and clearly lied about the whole thing. I already had a bunch of prehistoric creature puppets, some of them not featured in films posted on my YouTube channel, and that kind of decided the plot. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nOfpxlnFd3ogA_67IX9Ib-K5Gk0gHoKraP0TliK4hVnCHgr3cVdEmyiGE5HQnL3Y6YPiDTWtwuVuV58BPBQShaDeO-CdOcpR334EWssrNOtA395Pgx1WwB_NTXRoUtEbSLxfFdqdll71Uf7Z3gYDdRFGKoCKFJz_sAjVrxILbA8lJpRvEHYzhTQ-QtyG/s2008/hornbird%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="1738" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nOfpxlnFd3ogA_67IX9Ib-K5Gk0gHoKraP0TliK4hVnCHgr3cVdEmyiGE5HQnL3Y6YPiDTWtwuVuV58BPBQShaDeO-CdOcpR334EWssrNOtA395Pgx1WwB_NTXRoUtEbSLxfFdqdll71Uf7Z3gYDdRFGKoCKFJz_sAjVrxILbA8lJpRvEHYzhTQ-QtyG/s320/hornbird%20klar1.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Instead of posting the same info twice, I'll just post links to older blog posts detailing the making of the puppet in question. Regarding the "terror bird," it was featured in a film called "The Age of Invention", made with my special needs people film group, and that film isn't posted on my YouTube channel. You can read about that puppet <a href="https://loneanimator.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-age-of-invention-terror-bird.html">HERE.</a><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBghxgpZTIGl3dLWX_znVbmarCnG9y43N4EqwHtAmb-2wlafyy8q5d8X2h8sIB3Xn99ylYLEIRtA1JYA6S7Ey6adhykYnvV-LVVp9MI-6JhUGsRQlbu92C9WcVVSnZRcY-uh0ZJyrz6JGEJImw0PMsZbTcW9GKQPsT26VSPmTHByMM77bzo43VNEn1cfG/s1772/mammut14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1772" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBghxgpZTIGl3dLWX_znVbmarCnG9y43N4EqwHtAmb-2wlafyy8q5d8X2h8sIB3Xn99ylYLEIRtA1JYA6S7Ey6adhykYnvV-LVVp9MI-6JhUGsRQlbu92C9WcVVSnZRcY-uh0ZJyrz6JGEJImw0PMsZbTcW9GKQPsT26VSPmTHByMM77bzo43VNEn1cfG/s320/mammut14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The mammoth (there's just a single puppet) was also built for "The Age of Invention," and you can read about making that puppet<a href="https://loneanimator.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-age-of-invention-mammoth-and-dog.html" target="_blank"> HERE.</a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybjFeAm6aIbSn6Fe7890SG9AOd30JmDhTzBDvqA6Ki6Uh5AWNqtOHByhtzro5kk8kmShhYosFcsaj3VfxvRCeBCBXKqMzDkkCsWoaS2TSPlox3FTwnvYY0nUyWXhJzJGzHLO6OR7VT2FlxIX9i2yEE9Vr4uD4rY2vpAbBbnpBHkMJQ5sohvucoiFY0JzU/s1890/manbeast%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1724" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybjFeAm6aIbSn6Fe7890SG9AOd30JmDhTzBDvqA6Ki6Uh5AWNqtOHByhtzro5kk8kmShhYosFcsaj3VfxvRCeBCBXKqMzDkkCsWoaS2TSPlox3FTwnvYY0nUyWXhJzJGzHLO6OR7VT2FlxIX9i2yEE9Vr4uD4rY2vpAbBbnpBHkMJQ5sohvucoiFY0JzU/s320/manbeast%20klar2.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The big yeti-like ape monster was made for a film that is on my YouTube channel; "In the Ooze of Ubbo-Sathla." This puppet was only very briefly featured in that film, so I thought it deserved to have another go. I added a little horn to its forehead in a nod to both "Trog" the giant Neanderthal in Ray Harryhausen's "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" as well as the "orangopoid" from the 1936 "Flash Gordon."</div><div>You can read about the making of this puppet<a href="https://loneanimator.blogspot.com/2021/02/in-ooze-of-ubbo-sathla.html" target="_blank"> HERE.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>So, over to the puppet that was actually built specifically for this project, namely our hero, the hunter of the title. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0W2d3GmRkU6mKC2c4ZCWmj_TwEafI3trnfPP6p-44PTai86ffcSbPBoOOYA1YpU6hyBvPz4gvBqk-0M1THiZvd3qlTahe75-i_o3RQK1sVo1asqS0IjD4gl2QVSa6B_6F4A7VFBqNxcOfLtqSJ_rFTPzJIIe1jlCVu5Cf3abFQ43rHLMnNkkQHfwoOcsK/s1890/hunter1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1874" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0W2d3GmRkU6mKC2c4ZCWmj_TwEafI3trnfPP6p-44PTai86ffcSbPBoOOYA1YpU6hyBvPz4gvBqk-0M1THiZvd3qlTahe75-i_o3RQK1sVo1asqS0IjD4gl2QVSa6B_6F4A7VFBqNxcOfLtqSJ_rFTPzJIIe1jlCVu5Cf3abFQ43rHLMnNkkQHfwoOcsK/s320/hunter1.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The character was sculpted in medium-grade Monster Clay (well, the head and neck.) I tried to make him look meek and maybe a bit comical.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gPkNIoBuSl8MTLUW8nA0Bx34PFWYRvFDfdI7dFSuwr1hnUvXrglAA1bk8AYye5qE1x7AZYREzKJrYUe1oI_KcVWrL_T65ktJtL8KRKgX6HxyFCTxwstMlDVLPsq8wB0Ro48hbnaSsJaMPfmjnjYhqcXvfCNvAm6V1FJP_KQ2iusiM8sfqWyOV3R3iuZD/s1850/hunter2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1850" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gPkNIoBuSl8MTLUW8nA0Bx34PFWYRvFDfdI7dFSuwr1hnUvXrglAA1bk8AYye5qE1x7AZYREzKJrYUe1oI_KcVWrL_T65ktJtL8KRKgX6HxyFCTxwstMlDVLPsq8wB0Ro48hbnaSsJaMPfmjnjYhqcXvfCNvAm6V1FJP_KQ2iusiM8sfqWyOV3R3iuZD/s320/hunter2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After creating a hard dental plaster mold over the sculpture, I cast a copy of the sculpture as a latex skin. The eyes are made from small plastic fake jewelry pearls, placed in sockets made from silicone clay. Since this puppet was fairly small -about six inches tall- I only used single 2 mm aluminum wires for the armature. 3 mm threaded nuts are attached to the feet with a mix of super glue and baking soda. A 3 mm t-nut was also stuck to the puppet's behind so I could attach him to my flying rig for certain scenes. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLag8e1X9sHg7JcqYCGt_8Gayn8Bzm67_47qV_F9aO4_iiwCTxr0SIiq-TxEvLnTm4y8Bl7m3Cms7m9YoLN9IDINOS1sAPVF3DHTR0v5BcpOTkqnJjlgMy_9SMJ3b7s_ocT5WU1q01Mc-IENJVypmUurGKU2hK5mBVbCbZBtbaFqljy02U2NOidiUaYj3K/s1943/hunter3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1943" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLag8e1X9sHg7JcqYCGt_8Gayn8Bzm67_47qV_F9aO4_iiwCTxr0SIiq-TxEvLnTm4y8Bl7m3Cms7m9YoLN9IDINOS1sAPVF3DHTR0v5BcpOTkqnJjlgMy_9SMJ3b7s_ocT5WU1q01Mc-IENJVypmUurGKU2hK5mBVbCbZBtbaFqljy02U2NOidiUaYj3K/s320/hunter3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The body was padded with a wrapping of very thin and soft polyurethane foam. Fingers were made with crochet yarn wrapped around aluminum wires and dabbed with tinted latex. And also, he got some hair.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgueV4Wn9j4ua8FZnM0YUEoRHl9zaR5yCfq5nN3QalvHmJbEVinbfoC-rnLgywUI7kBd8FOUFfCaxvbFyU2-iCWkq71HIrlsSiEbLtciVKtVWXO1RhyneXi_LA9u3zYnWCymLxeAm_fYr6n1wHkSkdKjXWxbtIYjz9KMbtP-SPhBP7P2Y6J5qsd5DhOalK/s1575/hunter4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgueV4Wn9j4ua8FZnM0YUEoRHl9zaR5yCfq5nN3QalvHmJbEVinbfoC-rnLgywUI7kBd8FOUFfCaxvbFyU2-iCWkq71HIrlsSiEbLtciVKtVWXO1RhyneXi_LA9u3zYnWCymLxeAm_fYr6n1wHkSkdKjXWxbtIYjz9KMbtP-SPhBP7P2Y6J5qsd5DhOalK/s320/hunter4.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I used crepé hair for the beard and hair. It's sheep's wool boiled and tufted, then braided. Stage productions use it for fake beards and mustaches on actors.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzelsZazCnzpIw7R8HFDSJF31qExCdyRoZ7jqriz1MoLeXUdFzWM9wWvoy3bEGcKPYj7EqSDqe6ajgn311b5LIlgw0mNSmKz_mctfb12PyHPFhSmUe_Kl4BWvfFf4oPLoCFbvkT3OD4po-tbG3vXACIUgpoRURnQRaBh8naLHMw2h38gGrbjdedLvgOc_/s1575/hunter5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1181" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzelsZazCnzpIw7R8HFDSJF31qExCdyRoZ7jqriz1MoLeXUdFzWM9wWvoy3bEGcKPYj7EqSDqe6ajgn311b5LIlgw0mNSmKz_mctfb12PyHPFhSmUe_Kl4BWvfFf4oPLoCFbvkT3OD4po-tbG3vXACIUgpoRURnQRaBh8naLHMw2h38gGrbjdedLvgOc_/s320/hunter5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Liquid latex was used to glue down the hair, one tuft at a time. To press down the hair I use a dental spatula tool.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqucr_LTwv608qzMQX9ENAiG8a8o9xWH6ikXKOU_EKOYkaQ84fTGfkVdLOG3mD0RltcCLsaR11nLWa9hfwxSEBCXECsNQ4DqArAdj2CDhDPno9SqQSw4jKjXqXsj3MwpK-MJiix4ArpHwny_ICXhfu4Lwu0PyHfreLPGPqQyeLQZriPOeIwKs9pLh6ZZp/s2100/hunter6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2100" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqucr_LTwv608qzMQX9ENAiG8a8o9xWH6ikXKOU_EKOYkaQ84fTGfkVdLOG3mD0RltcCLsaR11nLWa9hfwxSEBCXECsNQ4DqArAdj2CDhDPno9SqQSw4jKjXqXsj3MwpK-MJiix4ArpHwny_ICXhfu4Lwu0PyHfreLPGPqQyeLQZriPOeIwKs9pLh6ZZp/s320/hunter6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">To make the application of eyebrows easy on such a small puppet I simply painted them on.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAP1-yl_Il4oe9J3Ye3PHQI33Qxb78Vbnu_UG32PHwZkgeWaPDGhDPngrmay4XwV-h21ORirDmpvV4FiiZJ3jLZZfPiwJRll_ciasDOdn4QIqJK_JUxNlYFWPTog8Cgk68h03tKNNOPyiAs85tRHQMGjrmGg7M28glLFezO03q0CW1cgmfv3H8M1nKSuCF/s2100/hunter7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2100" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAP1-yl_Il4oe9J3Ye3PHQI33Qxb78Vbnu_UG32PHwZkgeWaPDGhDPngrmay4XwV-h21ORirDmpvV4FiiZJ3jLZZfPiwJRll_ciasDOdn4QIqJK_JUxNlYFWPTog8Cgk68h03tKNNOPyiAs85tRHQMGjrmGg7M28glLFezO03q0CW1cgmfv3H8M1nKSuCF/s320/hunter7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The clothes of our hunter are actually based on what Ötzi the Ice Man was wearing. So I'm beginning with giving him a linen diaper-like loincloth. this is made with tissue paper dabbed with latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipmsz-iUdJj96kymWElTJ9jlz7V2Q2ZCqOVgz5ygSHIR2lNIUZGyToih-yGcCBjlBZN9nWHqTRiBN4j0jgjA6lUl2b7jb3yPfyZpy9dmCLu_W8zYjYkS1auruvhAc6YWj6kWgNcw9eI7WctdB-LGBBXkpY51f58UxOYpFoJyUsMKy1xxO7jGNCFTt0-cd/s2100/hunter8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2100" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipmsz-iUdJj96kymWElTJ9jlz7V2Q2ZCqOVgz5ygSHIR2lNIUZGyToih-yGcCBjlBZN9nWHqTRiBN4j0jgjA6lUl2b7jb3yPfyZpy9dmCLu_W8zYjYkS1auruvhAc6YWj6kWgNcw9eI7WctdB-LGBBXkpY51f58UxOYpFoJyUsMKy1xxO7jGNCFTt0-cd/s320/hunter8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswidgAqV4ddCz2rIxZwKlvrM39wn1TkB3jmpJ266wNGyx2hFxlSbTVAyAtkBRlzlpQf16oZd7eSJVn6_BReyUId3C5g14r5ADDgKEvRxgnLN0qSELrMufqlnQqQgRWV-6JyU8MYOcP0oRCeeD-D8W4wa7CuV0-dF4BaSUNlivEHdoChHNow7WRftYSOqF/s2005/hunter9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2005" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswidgAqV4ddCz2rIxZwKlvrM39wn1TkB3jmpJ266wNGyx2hFxlSbTVAyAtkBRlzlpQf16oZd7eSJVn6_BReyUId3C5g14r5ADDgKEvRxgnLN0qSELrMufqlnQqQgRWV-6JyU8MYOcP0oRCeeD-D8W4wa7CuV0-dF4BaSUNlivEHdoChHNow7WRftYSOqF/s320/hunter9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The rest of his clothes would be made with leather -or, rather, small bits of latex cast in a texture mold.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00JCjGXMbSJygr35feOhlf-xRP4E_eWwi_BGuHgX9eGUIOqOk3I8jgHApCLYfkAxyOSy8o7KcvK_mi40T44NL24j0R3o-gCalJJGEYkg75Qfpq1UAYjvrX6Gr_Tkr69ycnIdHteSnA_v_kWFLu9czxqtvnWbuiLJG5c2Z7hQ1q8-1Lg0RP-89GmScTKku/s1837/hunter10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1837" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00JCjGXMbSJygr35feOhlf-xRP4E_eWwi_BGuHgX9eGUIOqOk3I8jgHApCLYfkAxyOSy8o7KcvK_mi40T44NL24j0R3o-gCalJJGEYkg75Qfpq1UAYjvrX6Gr_Tkr69ycnIdHteSnA_v_kWFLu9czxqtvnWbuiLJG5c2Z7hQ1q8-1Lg0RP-89GmScTKku/s320/hunter10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The hunter's tunic is made from thicker leather and I resorted to using the thin foam I wrapped the armature in. These are washing pads I bought at a local drugstore.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYK0zdRXijRhuqsMXyC2NfLQg7Qg3kZ-m1KQv7oPNumOfb2ZOF2F6QQ6Sh_ggxkg_zT3SVWoDWEsNWlyFCja2RWgxteh4t1eMfIsqe19CB89DsuuNafyfDcr9KdjJ20Em1LyrjT6Fi46imaA9ICRnV5m8HAyH7NaEu8gboxpr2bcpPqw354yTUb47HCgKL/s1983/hunter11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1983" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYK0zdRXijRhuqsMXyC2NfLQg7Qg3kZ-m1KQv7oPNumOfb2ZOF2F6QQ6Sh_ggxkg_zT3SVWoDWEsNWlyFCja2RWgxteh4t1eMfIsqe19CB89DsuuNafyfDcr9KdjJ20Em1LyrjT6Fi46imaA9ICRnV5m8HAyH7NaEu8gboxpr2bcpPqw354yTUb47HCgKL/s320/hunter11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To make "leather" out of the foam I soaked each patch with tinted latex, applying the latex with a piece of foam sponge.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgJJ6AXyTq9woCQvm71tCCcZF_AfQe8QNpP8Phdzai_udRD0IM62PTB1Ij-yCh_PathiCs5Y8O4rWgwUQxC3MjkNLwLrIUXt-ARMwK2Z03aJetH4qn3YhRCR7IvpFHXB51YtL_uBSt7n8dffDhfLFr1rwflPXFexyeZPm4Lp5R-FgHGYbuLAOpNVX-9rN/s1575/hunter12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1451" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgJJ6AXyTq9woCQvm71tCCcZF_AfQe8QNpP8Phdzai_udRD0IM62PTB1Ij-yCh_PathiCs5Y8O4rWgwUQxC3MjkNLwLrIUXt-ARMwK2Z03aJetH4qn3YhRCR7IvpFHXB51YtL_uBSt7n8dffDhfLFr1rwflPXFexyeZPm4Lp5R-FgHGYbuLAOpNVX-9rN/s320/hunter12.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The shoes were also made from these foam pads.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUq95zjgJVNTjVukn7DUw_5hEmPjlLEebJ6bp_vo0u0ByV8FrbLIE0hsibV9OJ48oS9qRKeHJNT-19inQiDGMaAR6NlPVWEEpFCdjP3TykiK8ALJpNia38j_SQS5-ZbZRzqaH0QDb04U_gBrNxgR4jUvvc7dFhSS8gYao0CJT5hHI40FU_jmZcTb6A21Kv/s1575/hunter13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUq95zjgJVNTjVukn7DUw_5hEmPjlLEebJ6bp_vo0u0ByV8FrbLIE0hsibV9OJ48oS9qRKeHJNT-19inQiDGMaAR6NlPVWEEpFCdjP3TykiK8ALJpNia38j_SQS5-ZbZRzqaH0QDb04U_gBrNxgR4jUvvc7dFhSS8gYao0CJT5hHI40FU_jmZcTb6A21Kv/s320/hunter13.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Apparently, during at least a part of the Neolithic age, nobody wore pants but rather used leg hoses, like many native American people. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Msm8rox8z3OZ05aEocBuCUoYbM_pgNI3rcHgoQ5AY8VMScCe6zuL3-z9TJYz7fzqlU3s8jaRTTuSM3EBJ7jQocCFH-9hx5L_zOoIREgITHtRPWP9zgyENdRQ5JFXr7MCxuHAToWcrPANkfm_zsZMWGBm-tN0xfQOW2y-yHQb9yVpebn-1OlJJgIhkmia/s1890/hunter14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1890" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Msm8rox8z3OZ05aEocBuCUoYbM_pgNI3rcHgoQ5AY8VMScCe6zuL3-z9TJYz7fzqlU3s8jaRTTuSM3EBJ7jQocCFH-9hx5L_zOoIREgITHtRPWP9zgyENdRQ5JFXr7MCxuHAToWcrPANkfm_zsZMWGBm-tN0xfQOW2y-yHQb9yVpebn-1OlJJgIhkmia/s320/hunter14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our hero is equipped with three spears made from simple wooden flower pins.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhLwTF0PhMg4yuQge8rkSZKWRxF4F0rV3b4C85J25nNWnzngr0h8okyHCTPOQ8DeSJPNfNCrtO_qE2MFweETeBqi10zdH7Jxt8k4NnEUZR2UNtIRRd76bEX9AL7raKayM1yLbAy6N_ohEFBx0Tw5CO3jttBpJCtKDFvot4OkpQ6HD3WeCRdfnF122Oqo_/s2100/hunter15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2100" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhLwTF0PhMg4yuQge8rkSZKWRxF4F0rV3b4C85J25nNWnzngr0h8okyHCTPOQ8DeSJPNfNCrtO_qE2MFweETeBqi10zdH7Jxt8k4NnEUZR2UNtIRRd76bEX9AL7raKayM1yLbAy6N_ohEFBx0Tw5CO3jttBpJCtKDFvot4OkpQ6HD3WeCRdfnF122Oqo_/s320/hunter15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I roughed up the surface on each pin by rubbing it against a coarse abrasive pad so it'd look a bit more worn and hand-made.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJw4ovrzloVfqHCdr2D-OiQOLaTfHsSLHAR2mziabwImcvIQnGwtW9izUrMB5SE3lodRbGTocbsERMA8RkbcVxcarhRlpJ-p2sjQs_AAI81pAv7PSgmwUDSQt28lO2xNVpaznLgyA-TVVC3InSAoCwh0huY_-0dTBCcjVq_50APBAD9Atb9XhoBWOat3Yo/s1890/hunter16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1890" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJw4ovrzloVfqHCdr2D-OiQOLaTfHsSLHAR2mziabwImcvIQnGwtW9izUrMB5SE3lodRbGTocbsERMA8RkbcVxcarhRlpJ-p2sjQs_AAI81pAv7PSgmwUDSQt28lO2xNVpaznLgyA-TVVC3InSAoCwh0huY_-0dTBCcjVq_50APBAD9Atb9XhoBWOat3Yo/s320/hunter16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The flint spear points were simply made from scrunched-up tin foil and then painted with hobby paints.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlxLKz_0khC9yJ2lgzxLjrlUKMKXHaOy7h5fP3s4H9jrJj58VcgULS9PvysIfHPWYk-AgJvl7_0wjxdwJ9b_f5_YBOkJFFEtH-Q7-vLsbLjpvYzrLI4FEbpX2rrCY4fgFb0XZPUSpBuOCGzeu3onWxKA2Nu6KgALb0QKeZdVckc8LF0-dRaFMzDb4a3up/s1575/hunter17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1273" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlxLKz_0khC9yJ2lgzxLjrlUKMKXHaOy7h5fP3s4H9jrJj58VcgULS9PvysIfHPWYk-AgJvl7_0wjxdwJ9b_f5_YBOkJFFEtH-Q7-vLsbLjpvYzrLI4FEbpX2rrCY4fgFb0XZPUSpBuOCGzeu3onWxKA2Nu6KgALb0QKeZdVckc8LF0-dRaFMzDb4a3up/s320/hunter17.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Of course, he'd need some cool hunting trophy so I made a claw necklace from plumber's epoxy and a bit of flexible garden wire.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionjSWN__3AiKDNGbxXIRBRGXCLE72eP4FITHDHB7o2hJbINqokfUbwEVFfJNIhYS_HlNFqE55bwojWDOMSV4zRu1T8_mD7xb9opW3WBDUonQauPWCtRHg-yHDNEEZGQQaocUYf56e0_D-t-QMhTHIv1S4w-oXVx_FM2C8CoeP7isV-SsO2D6mH6zSBcgc/s1894/hunter19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1894" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionjSWN__3AiKDNGbxXIRBRGXCLE72eP4FITHDHB7o2hJbINqokfUbwEVFfJNIhYS_HlNFqE55bwojWDOMSV4zRu1T8_mD7xb9opW3WBDUonQauPWCtRHg-yHDNEEZGQQaocUYf56e0_D-t-QMhTHIv1S4w-oXVx_FM2C8CoeP7isV-SsO2D6mH6zSBcgc/s320/hunter19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The hunter would be wearing a rather makeshift deer skin disguise, which apparently was a thing according to established archeology. I made two small horns from tissue paper and latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNjIrOhLYK9hnQjnmojOIRKfC_impEo0dVCOzooy4TUHpmmem5U_zMDQ34-nuf_3o2shmCoxU-bPVaRIW-zrM3XauEuB7jANVMoTUQDZA733ylUydUVL5jxVHHzo5XTuvSk5Cpg8Da6mEGnLaIgnDgIJr0IluEEaV4rK6VOZGJkFOGXd3RBQyOpBtaCv2/s1846/hunter18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1846" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNjIrOhLYK9hnQjnmojOIRKfC_impEo0dVCOzooy4TUHpmmem5U_zMDQ34-nuf_3o2shmCoxU-bPVaRIW-zrM3XauEuB7jANVMoTUQDZA733ylUydUVL5jxVHHzo5XTuvSk5Cpg8Da6mEGnLaIgnDgIJr0IluEEaV4rK6VOZGJkFOGXd3RBQyOpBtaCv2/s320/hunter18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The actual deer skin was a piece cut from an old winter hat made from short fake fur. I added a 1 mm aluminum wire along the edge of the skin, so I could animate it flapping and folding when the hunter was making fast movements.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZpQ63Fuf2GranHJMwshsCDWH6EbLkXuvRh799D-eiiHIgwA75wRLSP92zFDBwiBaD3MCc0trzKhjNRdr0N39Lm9iUk5S_EenTk9jT5Vr1TjVgygm93R_C7n9HWcA_b4TZT3i5O0FjljPNxnLFpTM4-B6XNH4K_UPHEPfJcuGqTl5WdhzWzR7JxXuJ51-/s1890/hunter%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZpQ63Fuf2GranHJMwshsCDWH6EbLkXuvRh799D-eiiHIgwA75wRLSP92zFDBwiBaD3MCc0trzKhjNRdr0N39Lm9iUk5S_EenTk9jT5Vr1TjVgygm93R_C7n9HWcA_b4TZT3i5O0FjljPNxnLFpTM4-B6XNH4K_UPHEPfJcuGqTl5WdhzWzR7JxXuJ51-/s320/hunter%20klar1.jpg" width="183" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kxoXbw4fYaAUTh5pvmSk7rTP7ZtFRXEcdjWJpMfksFQet1CrOC4VR3428yko54y-P0sxPWWYHBv_3kHADCYnpASn-pn8lvkwbYjV7DeKH1wTk4uSxs_sY4KoGTN9oJC5fpWTWFc2jh5AB0fcHNLjx0pEdKGP4bD2K3X44RBHX6GBNM2-w_UoNN2_XwI6/s1575/hunter%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1247" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kxoXbw4fYaAUTh5pvmSk7rTP7ZtFRXEcdjWJpMfksFQet1CrOC4VR3428yko54y-P0sxPWWYHBv_3kHADCYnpASn-pn8lvkwbYjV7DeKH1wTk4uSxs_sY4KoGTN9oJC5fpWTWFc2jh5AB0fcHNLjx0pEdKGP4bD2K3X44RBHX6GBNM2-w_UoNN2_XwI6/s320/hunter%20klar2.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEx5BlNjBzr_Dpb1q-CsIXDSusJ3I-u3I7NKsQctaWlij8n7JHe34o9s1XZziAKp-NmNPe1aybqywvtWfkifQcUNRHbIKqjwQ1f8S8Auygz1Sr0EeteL9NZ7jrnk1jpuyRTvGQGvF5mPCqNp517-zVamLxv6RQB3PCiMljQryw1e9ui_5rWcvZqIRd1qf/s1890/hunter%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1128" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEx5BlNjBzr_Dpb1q-CsIXDSusJ3I-u3I7NKsQctaWlij8n7JHe34o9s1XZziAKp-NmNPe1aybqywvtWfkifQcUNRHbIKqjwQ1f8S8Auygz1Sr0EeteL9NZ7jrnk1jpuyRTvGQGvF5mPCqNp517-zVamLxv6RQB3PCiMljQryw1e9ui_5rWcvZqIRd1qf/s320/hunter%20klar3.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9MkfSu7rGCZm-aPWddyK-5Xi6Q7rz_V9Gf27wXz-YQwTLL-j2aJS6NgJomTSlVM0BydmtlmCMJ9AJyWYqJQ8L-4fGRnkwY0AaJhIsGs6mGOgtvVQyKdTeJcoAcxwgsKUWgreVFhUgXbLN4VnI3Mn_No8gjacYbRV1VBlWtjLLBqqxbdGyGBjL7D39bCv/s1890/hunter%20klar4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9MkfSu7rGCZm-aPWddyK-5Xi6Q7rz_V9Gf27wXz-YQwTLL-j2aJS6NgJomTSlVM0BydmtlmCMJ9AJyWYqJQ8L-4fGRnkwY0AaJhIsGs6mGOgtvVQyKdTeJcoAcxwgsKUWgreVFhUgXbLN4VnI3Mn_No8gjacYbRV1VBlWtjLLBqqxbdGyGBjL7D39bCv/s320/hunter%20klar4.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CoLreOTeU9L6NdZ-rg0uiberVvRneMH2oNEGUbOw2qSMhgaEqlIgNRXqsKhs-HsCa58krwMiDrzpXTJ6QAQE_eSYtX4G61oeaLHWGOsBQa_34lXT_vaZmx8YNk773dwwQ3nEDjFxctT6nbVbI9jJ9mOefftHJ4SsVj5_BSoH_Sf-8aD4J1JG__dEwSN8/s1890/hunter%20klar5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CoLreOTeU9L6NdZ-rg0uiberVvRneMH2oNEGUbOw2qSMhgaEqlIgNRXqsKhs-HsCa58krwMiDrzpXTJ6QAQE_eSYtX4G61oeaLHWGOsBQa_34lXT_vaZmx8YNk773dwwQ3nEDjFxctT6nbVbI9jJ9mOefftHJ4SsVj5_BSoH_Sf-8aD4J1JG__dEwSN8/s320/hunter%20klar5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, here's our finished protagonist. I also made a flint knife from tin foil, but I can't recall if I ever used it. It was a while ago since I made the film, or even watched it. It seems my little stone-age drama was well-received on YouTube. People got the joke at the end. I used the word "Hyperborea" in the title mainly because it had a suitable pulpy connotation. My hunter had adventures not unlike those endured by hardier heroes like Conan the barbarian, but without any of the success of a legendary champion. The moss he eats at the end of the film was plucked from a branch on a very old oak tree standing at the edge of my garden.</div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-79659097860471888922023-08-31T10:05:00.000-07:002023-08-31T10:05:06.497-07:00Hello?<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7OaNYdXWqKo?si=bkh4bx9_Md4I3hdn" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Like last month's post, this entry is about a project that started off as a YouTube shorts project, until I rejected that idea. In the end, I ended up just making a very short, silly video. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6QplGyH7-505q5y8qtgSnup0w1sv-eb18Rr_05Y2LqU5Xl_i1owWVdTVHUsGB5ekshXigtuC9B5gB3oSJr-p829y929-AUVyJv7U3LvDXdhhQmhNOp_G5Ytc1uc_E0Ws2t90C1Ehma6_SAjoGbsOAAChT1sUJeWXbOL4CE_X7fU1EAo2kB9M_DNKEQBb/s4032/ghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6QplGyH7-505q5y8qtgSnup0w1sv-eb18Rr_05Y2LqU5Xl_i1owWVdTVHUsGB5ekshXigtuC9B5gB3oSJr-p829y929-AUVyJv7U3LvDXdhhQmhNOp_G5Ytc1uc_E0Ws2t90C1Ehma6_SAjoGbsOAAChT1sUJeWXbOL4CE_X7fU1EAo2kB9M_DNKEQBb/s320/ghost.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My inspiration for the ghost in the film was this Victorian illustration. I have no idea where it's from but it's included in a huge book on supernatural literature, which I've had for years.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uiMq4RneG5JAdwiIxI_thMA0v9OPUwamF0i6EjRaRytuJ7DZUNRKH9KX4uiWXCEqwtFLlQ80xAHoof_5I4FZuoPISvykZuUH4BDXJnYaWIoQKbp7zWKNouE2-qf-_Me3rwDhCSWTuQKEg6D-kBKdV3wn97lLgXzttOuAf0_W0LNQ2E3HXOcS7f85SbmM/s1890/ghost1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uiMq4RneG5JAdwiIxI_thMA0v9OPUwamF0i6EjRaRytuJ7DZUNRKH9KX4uiWXCEqwtFLlQ80xAHoof_5I4FZuoPISvykZuUH4BDXJnYaWIoQKbp7zWKNouE2-qf-_Me3rwDhCSWTuQKEg6D-kBKdV3wn97lLgXzttOuAf0_W0LNQ2E3HXOcS7f85SbmM/s320/ghost1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I sculpted the face in medium-grade Monster Clay on a flat slab of aluminum and did all the rest: a plaster mold of the clay and the casting tinted latex into the mold. The chest area was cast in a mold created many years ago for the demon in my film "Memory."</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3lonvSdgFsjNdiGnPeiAD-3HXx6-0e7-JQMi3JYbF-U4W6JZ6jPGuSl2b0dEP-_HZATUYh94uR5AHk6H9l-Z5kzRlWOJq--TmKKM1499z7ta_CyxyRx6WvD-w7hHmB9ksOhhTy6WGIoH9Zp2z3Z-p4Pk7Ore0_ujfpKlzj2ft7ca0wh3iSA_sLlFw06x/s1260/ghost2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="1260" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3lonvSdgFsjNdiGnPeiAD-3HXx6-0e7-JQMi3JYbF-U4W6JZ6jPGuSl2b0dEP-_HZATUYh94uR5AHk6H9l-Z5kzRlWOJq--TmKKM1499z7ta_CyxyRx6WvD-w7hHmB9ksOhhTy6WGIoH9Zp2z3Z-p4Pk7Ore0_ujfpKlzj2ft7ca0wh3iSA_sLlFw06x/s320/ghost2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I wanted striking eyes for the puppet since it would only be on screen for a very short bit. I picked a couple of semi-transparent plastic pearls, for a sort-of luminous effect, and reamed a concave surface into each pearl to create a lens effect. The eyes were detailed with acrylic airbrush paints painted on with a thin brush. UV resin was then added to create the actual lens effect.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0DAEKnqtjhiA9UeLDpWOrJuBM4FqpTu4lZXzHjUj12YdC37VMzuKN5kAVAQjez3Tn2mIbcv8xzWcjJ7dyevI7wGClpmTUeWPwOOInj2ew_be2miomQKADAqLoRwFLAswas7H6KMjwq9TCanfR8ZRrEaG8Ih9XesuPAszMeeY_wIzd8ueoYucaXVlf5wE/s1890/ghost3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1339" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0DAEKnqtjhiA9UeLDpWOrJuBM4FqpTu4lZXzHjUj12YdC37VMzuKN5kAVAQjez3Tn2mIbcv8xzWcjJ7dyevI7wGClpmTUeWPwOOInj2ew_be2miomQKADAqLoRwFLAswas7H6KMjwq9TCanfR8ZRrEaG8Ih9XesuPAszMeeY_wIzd8ueoYucaXVlf5wE/s320/ghost3.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I wanted the arms to be really spindly and skeletal, so they were built up with thin metal rods folded over and covered with soft crochet yarn soaked with latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E0_J1EBZiNuKJqq7kvoxk0gMGWl7kPHVqeiaO-9eUTY6P-eMTz7I592uhzMJKZXVrXd3XMU_LmmRso1eEFhBzVInwQmlLfDRSGmIxhPVkU8ou1Oidgo3OpoNhzbbeyceRz2xhDhJdgB_UW6UqNgcAAsXA7iX-aL-9R_a1f3lW2HupE8vVmAeyrAvxYJb/s1890/ghost4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1890" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E0_J1EBZiNuKJqq7kvoxk0gMGWl7kPHVqeiaO-9eUTY6P-eMTz7I592uhzMJKZXVrXd3XMU_LmmRso1eEFhBzVInwQmlLfDRSGmIxhPVkU8ou1Oidgo3OpoNhzbbeyceRz2xhDhJdgB_UW6UqNgcAAsXA7iX-aL-9R_a1f3lW2HupE8vVmAeyrAvxYJb/s320/ghost4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When the puppet parts were assembled the whole thing was attached to a wooden rod, one of those you stick into a flower pot to support a floppy plant. Thermoplastic was used to hold it all together.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fz1NN7V4VeQ9XjIBZG5kJ2S0FpWaOXWdrUf9jyd_1L2RhsEIC74ZeK7vIDVXLI5a1OtRtpzOdgG3TwC_asJGuEiftIUK9l_ZUMQaKM0AFnriaK0zTtMSghFexXLkxIuFvuDlVqjGXyBNxpYVMxwuKBcYZb0Ft7KZAOG66gOUZZXPacOWxqpqdYFgxbez/s1890/ghost5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="1890" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fz1NN7V4VeQ9XjIBZG5kJ2S0FpWaOXWdrUf9jyd_1L2RhsEIC74ZeK7vIDVXLI5a1OtRtpzOdgG3TwC_asJGuEiftIUK9l_ZUMQaKM0AFnriaK0zTtMSghFexXLkxIuFvuDlVqjGXyBNxpYVMxwuKBcYZb0Ft7KZAOG66gOUZZXPacOWxqpqdYFgxbez/s320/ghost5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The flimsy garment of the ghost / dead thing was made with kitchen tissue paper soaked in latex. I then simply cut pieces from it and pressed them together. the sticky surface of the paper as a bonding agent.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Z4RGgWI2uydF_nxHM1ipjMomHWXP7LHVhbNgrqRPvq0NUUcRHImGo-k-9ULCDnt-Zalg5g2047ytxWA6Masmrs-PVj9xlGCPxQmCj6nd4XIbHQNmjy1K6VPU4ErI9jTNNSCCTwMNGFD2Io-8GLv7AnEjnshr_Bh82yWXwS4kgI2nUFsE4uHK-4Wau45E/s1890/ghost%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Z4RGgWI2uydF_nxHM1ipjMomHWXP7LHVhbNgrqRPvq0NUUcRHImGo-k-9ULCDnt-Zalg5g2047ytxWA6Masmrs-PVj9xlGCPxQmCj6nd4XIbHQNmjy1K6VPU4ErI9jTNNSCCTwMNGFD2Io-8GLv7AnEjnshr_Bh82yWXwS4kgI2nUFsE4uHK-4Wau45E/s320/ghost%20klar1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y5pj_VFawvaNJUMIta_QVDvyaMva2QJ5GVDBNWlpq4cBkgwo6rUguUXBXnSoviZy1UxshQUNBwP21AZXxAW7AuJKO5KbvHO4FLbSvPzyF-34Bw_m6TDxQ68dwoyFVo93pCZs9QOkJTZ234DtQ-H-P9iNDntNXFYqMGE3bSsEcH3TRb5ls1H0KSd7BEMJ/s1890/ghost%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y5pj_VFawvaNJUMIta_QVDvyaMva2QJ5GVDBNWlpq4cBkgwo6rUguUXBXnSoviZy1UxshQUNBwP21AZXxAW7AuJKO5KbvHO4FLbSvPzyF-34Bw_m6TDxQ68dwoyFVo93pCZs9QOkJTZ234DtQ-H-P9iNDntNXFYqMGE3bSsEcH3TRb5ls1H0KSd7BEMJ/s320/ghost%20klar2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5zoUs1nGQyFCaVbDYybFA6mkvg7ywTF3a69tFtJe1UArpOIl0IC96YZ-yrkwNeFSnxoaRUCz09L9Qb3nbqj7ZI1YEjYrZftOK8is4W_cEJioz2_SK04gKMzxAHxmGaEq2Z5upOVRizIiJK8eNFdsCR829TUgHL8AEiKx74jvZe8SlgCd1Jwb-lBtAvXS/s1890/ghost%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1189" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5zoUs1nGQyFCaVbDYybFA6mkvg7ywTF3a69tFtJe1UArpOIl0IC96YZ-yrkwNeFSnxoaRUCz09L9Qb3nbqj7ZI1YEjYrZftOK8is4W_cEJioz2_SK04gKMzxAHxmGaEq2Z5upOVRizIiJK8eNFdsCR829TUgHL8AEiKx74jvZe8SlgCd1Jwb-lBtAvXS/s320/ghost%20klar3.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So, here's the finished ghost. The arms, the neck, and the jaw were the only articulated parts of the puppet. the hair was made from crepé hair (sheep's wool used for fake beards.)</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7uGgLV3EtDGdFmW1GMmBpGqNQEDbdVF_lMWUeaue-8burkCn5WQsgN7r4Q2bumIeP_cWlD6kH5y6o9UpLb92LoISfqV04isUvYOJBUaCy4ZrzxmCl8EdhYl4GU6tIbshkCNNesP5EsGTb4ULz3v7XeftScRW2g_70fBHrksiOsKLhxti_nIrGGwBZTPm/s1890/man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7uGgLV3EtDGdFmW1GMmBpGqNQEDbdVF_lMWUeaue-8burkCn5WQsgN7r4Q2bumIeP_cWlD6kH5y6o9UpLb92LoISfqV04isUvYOJBUaCy4ZrzxmCl8EdhYl4GU6tIbshkCNNesP5EsGTb4ULz3v7XeftScRW2g_70fBHrksiOsKLhxti_nIrGGwBZTPm/s320/man.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The second puppet in the film is the man who walks by the cave and engages in conversation with the ghost. This is actually a very old puppet, built at the end of the 1990s. It's still holding up, barely. The latex is really dry and brittle but the clothing and the armature are fine. As you can see he hasn't got any real feet because for the film he was originally built, he doesn't show his feet. I didn't make any tie-downs back then, I just clamped the puppet down on a tabletop with a small glue clamp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some of my YouTube viewers were disappointed that the film was short and thought it was just "gimmicky." Others thought the film was fun. It was an interesting experiment.<br /><div><br /><p> </p></div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-44163592372864749152023-07-29T06:54:00.000-07:002023-07-29T06:54:09.164-07:00Strange Waters<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f-m215xdYss" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had the notion to do a Lovecraftian weird tale in the style of a diary or log book and considered writing my own text instead of finding one readily available. This is what I came up with. I think it's filled with enough cliches to feel comfortably familiar. I decided to dispense with any actors, just showing a lonely ship on an ocean that was getting weirder and weirder.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPVak8GubGhAMBg-I79-EpZLF5hDm5ooce-2L8NqIPGMGmuJGhjzXJpzGpXPMHV5tPco6bDst1h-V-Rp3JCGZTRNZQe8eMusOICPsgsFBD8AOrjUuTsHsK9cVeBtFE7lpoaj8uw9Bm2ASJz9DymDSa-07BxRsdvBvPtcyaFkgYMVWvR3ouxoFxpy0DjK9/s1024/Foto-Taube-700x1024.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPVak8GubGhAMBg-I79-EpZLF5hDm5ooce-2L8NqIPGMGmuJGhjzXJpzGpXPMHV5tPco6bDst1h-V-Rp3JCGZTRNZQe8eMusOICPsgsFBD8AOrjUuTsHsK9cVeBtFE7lpoaj8uw9Bm2ASJz9DymDSa-07BxRsdvBvPtcyaFkgYMVWvR3ouxoFxpy0DjK9/s320/Foto-Taube-700x1024.jpeg" width="219" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">One inspiration for this project was, of course, the horror-filled nautical tales of William Hope Hodgson, but also the rambunctious songs of Swedish singer-songwriter Evert Taube (seen in his element in the photo above). Some of his songs are very long and tell of nautical adventures, some of which he himself took part in. These songs go into great detail, naming the ship, describing the cargo and the destination, and painting colorful pictures of the crew.</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFR2pcygU1iKnqUAv2eIeUCukLX4syGsN_HuSAutxIS83-_mnLBvzh5fl_LrK-FAHnxkY54-rNJrNI7PlR_Y1c-dOTuNfTFWncoyq8MzmbZ_jlXHDHWMtTB6BJW3CT_Hhel8zznNT7hXdlKSyiO8HYSZxDoqXFypCFD0XNqL3pFn3f-ZdId2s9930qUAFm/s2776/skeppet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2037" data-original-width="2776" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFR2pcygU1iKnqUAv2eIeUCukLX4syGsN_HuSAutxIS83-_mnLBvzh5fl_LrK-FAHnxkY54-rNJrNI7PlR_Y1c-dOTuNfTFWncoyq8MzmbZ_jlXHDHWMtTB6BJW3CT_Hhel8zznNT7hXdlKSyiO8HYSZxDoqXFypCFD0XNqL3pFn3f-ZdId2s9930qUAFm/s320/skeppet.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">I found a few images online showing model ships built for museums, picked one image, and then spent a couple of evenings removing the background in Photoshop. I probably could've made things easier for me, and only included the absolutely necessary details for a ship shown in the distance, but I wanted to be sure that nothing was missing. I added an animated flag waving in the wind atop one of the masts in a couple of shots, as well as engine steam.</span><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhnvFrp83CYlmVkJUI2dQbQmZ_FzbqRujCGYthUCs3ziQT5pr5b3mbMawQ2pgzKhUE-kt3DfPuRixqjVmDoIuj_HCNj10nUvWY9UN220iLso3XO3UkIZkiAiDYaTDNtt39c3S1KI04soerOPv6g5tZEwB5P1ay8Qm1EnufWdOvRO4epO4Yc1rHuKZThus/s1890/strange%20waters%20dag%209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="1890" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhnvFrp83CYlmVkJUI2dQbQmZ_FzbqRujCGYthUCs3ziQT5pr5b3mbMawQ2pgzKhUE-kt3DfPuRixqjVmDoIuj_HCNj10nUvWY9UN220iLso3XO3UkIZkiAiDYaTDNtt39c3S1KI04soerOPv6g5tZEwB5P1ay8Qm1EnufWdOvRO4epO4Yc1rHuKZThus/s320/strange%20waters%20dag%209.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The sea in all the shots is stock footage clips, either showing real oceans or CG versions of water. The sky is represented by photos of normal skies, which are then supplanted by stock footage of time-lapse skies, as well as shots of ink and glitter being pumped into a water tank. </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp3o59eXVdrcc-RaLxJeY3AFTyE-s_kHSWZj9TqwCXHbKFNRo-f7YgobLlg6h9T8266AoGj0u9BER3w0EhoLn19DL4K9EatslCQrUQTUiiXaSnXjvhAIu2GbynKSMfnlGSO4YpDnooKtZdnCLLaNYiWB0mnqiYgYoibGronuINEjaI5pedc6HotCkxSbz/s2020/cosmic%20critter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2020" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp3o59eXVdrcc-RaLxJeY3AFTyE-s_kHSWZj9TqwCXHbKFNRo-f7YgobLlg6h9T8266AoGj0u9BER3w0EhoLn19DL4K9EatslCQrUQTUiiXaSnXjvhAIu2GbynKSMfnlGSO4YpDnooKtZdnCLLaNYiWB0mnqiYgYoibGronuINEjaI5pedc6HotCkxSbz/s320/cosmic%20critter1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-9QSdh3KcUhSLeAEQxKKWG6B1Jh-eZTTVE2OqhjGr-vgsk-myOAj1m3lWA9SiCwJAh5tc0opvxEVZPM1jHI_GgQtdAtpwt-0VA56XPQ-fk9SpYgSEALyLZVMhX_XW5ziIFo2sik1zYxXtpmfgAmXAyTm91GXFAbNFB7cuXhAbcsJ7-TJRNq8OgtVZnBD/s1575/cosmic%20critter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1575" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-9QSdh3KcUhSLeAEQxKKWG6B1Jh-eZTTVE2OqhjGr-vgsk-myOAj1m3lWA9SiCwJAh5tc0opvxEVZPM1jHI_GgQtdAtpwt-0VA56XPQ-fk9SpYgSEALyLZVMhX_XW5ziIFo2sik1zYxXtpmfgAmXAyTm91GXFAbNFB7cuXhAbcsJ7-TJRNq8OgtVZnBD/s320/cosmic%20critter2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the ship eventually crosses into a different dimension it's escorted by strange creatures floating in the ethereal sea of space. I only made one puppet and animated it moving about. This beastie was built from scratch, and by that, I mean not sculpting anything in clay, but only relying on building up the shapes using materials like latex, cotton, and EVA foam. It’s a fairly quick procedure and very cost-effective. I’m starting with making the eyes, and I wanted big watery eyes for this creature. Instead of resorting to buying glass or acrylic taxidermy eyes, I’m making these using acrylic domes bought in a Scrapbooking shop, and Photoshopped eyes printed out on ordinary printing paper. I’m using transparent scrapbooking plastic to glue down the dome over the eye art, creating a lens effect that looks kind of neat.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMAm5qYruYy2TJUk_Y68a7C1VQGe_nixKcKU6Bri_V0Wsx0fY0CK05DD0NQEtUGAxyVBKLwUeHU8CB1h1u3-09xwqWYW4LDMsbRigbDNBDc0nTm5DfxbEmcdMFHWpM4giav2Fo_y_xxaTQIt79hSGZqOVfJdwyyEzKTvrMjGrfdBcm91sDNv2RPRLRrdi/s1386/cosmic%20critter3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1386" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMAm5qYruYy2TJUk_Y68a7C1VQGe_nixKcKU6Bri_V0Wsx0fY0CK05DD0NQEtUGAxyVBKLwUeHU8CB1h1u3-09xwqWYW4LDMsbRigbDNBDc0nTm5DfxbEmcdMFHWpM4giav2Fo_y_xxaTQIt79hSGZqOVfJdwyyEzKTvrMjGrfdBcm91sDNv2RPRLRrdi/s320/cosmic%20critter3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For smaller eyes, because this monster will have a bunch of them, I’m adding drops of UV resin over the art and then blasting the plastic with a small UV light. I can then simply cut out each eye from the paper with small, sharp scissors.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubXtNw8dgYMnKLuUt-_Ks3wPUddmZrqs5rAl9j9zDj8AMPjljsCmsDEG4yYFFGgw8bYIbjsDX0HZucLUoxLFjDvN_XMnihgrtVwvyGlIo0NsSKKJTAtdTqc-62KOZrdECsDpGAbvpQQKl1GVpcXiHnMiyfjEE62b6e_LwJHDA2svr3o-YowCpI5v6IHuw/s1575/cosmic%20critter4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1575" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubXtNw8dgYMnKLuUt-_Ks3wPUddmZrqs5rAl9j9zDj8AMPjljsCmsDEG4yYFFGgw8bYIbjsDX0HZucLUoxLFjDvN_XMnihgrtVwvyGlIo0NsSKKJTAtdTqc-62KOZrdECsDpGAbvpQQKl1GVpcXiHnMiyfjEE62b6e_LwJHDA2svr3o-YowCpI5v6IHuw/s320/cosmic%20critter4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The body of this puppet is this leftover plastic casting made from a silicone mold created over an old perfume bottle. This was what I had handy, but I could’ve used an old pill jar or a bit of scrap wood. I made holes in the plastic and attached screws to create points where aluminum wires for tentacles will be placed. If I just attached the wires with glue or thermoplastic to the body, they might come loose, but when they’re hooked up to the screws they’ll stay put.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1Jdi7ppaI1vKO7pNGNxBziw8WTsxxC7SIzhrNM_-XoPhQhVOTeuP8uMo8uBEn0K3d04-26ktQ73p1OJyANnMHj7s2nO_1b333OTPtvBtx6rxJaDK4gKnsipl8_PFAWevSO3SubPwvbwCfS3DXG0MO2FgAd4u1BBrmTXP1qMi-H9GAM3RDoCJH3MQtp2E/s1575/cosmic%20critter5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1575" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1Jdi7ppaI1vKO7pNGNxBziw8WTsxxC7SIzhrNM_-XoPhQhVOTeuP8uMo8uBEn0K3d04-26ktQ73p1OJyANnMHj7s2nO_1b333OTPtvBtx6rxJaDK4gKnsipl8_PFAWevSO3SubPwvbwCfS3DXG0MO2FgAd4u1BBrmTXP1qMi-H9GAM3RDoCJH3MQtp2E/s320/cosmic%20critter5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This little wooden ball will become the head and this single 3 mm aluminum wire will be the neck. To attach the wire to the ball I’m using a few drops of super glue, and then I’m spreading some baking soda over the glue, thus creating a new solid material which helps bond the wire to the wood very effectively. I’m also making a hole on the side of the model to attach a t-nut. This nut will work as an attachment point to my flying rig. This nut is also held in place with the super glue/baking soda combo. To attach the aluminum armature wires to the screws I’m using melted thermoplastic. I melt portions of it with a heat gun and being careful I can then handle the material with my fingers, taking care to move the plastic blob around a bit, so I won't get burned. This creature has three tails or three tentacles growing out from its behind, and I’m making them out of 1,5 mm aluminum wires, covered with soft string and then dabbed with latex. You’ve most likely seen this procedure before. It’s one of my golden oldies.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aUkQaevbb-_fVVlfJvex4nJY2o0Y0tAgLPHGdKuQ9l2H6m8i-OCdZ2v8FXL943E9O7bybcJTTIYGE6wrwrg0fv0h2YRGjNYONits69k5F1UZ9UZb889M2sfsVjk5AlHxKYljqtTYjZQjzwi6bgrRrU8zIFcKt0ns7GbOLry7TnWEzg7Ce1lcux2Q4Ol8/s1575/cosmic%20critter6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1575" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aUkQaevbb-_fVVlfJvex4nJY2o0Y0tAgLPHGdKuQ9l2H6m8i-OCdZ2v8FXL943E9O7bybcJTTIYGE6wrwrg0fv0h2YRGjNYONits69k5F1UZ9UZb889M2sfsVjk5AlHxKYljqtTYjZQjzwi6bgrRrU8zIFcKt0ns7GbOLry7TnWEzg7Ce1lcux2Q4Ol8/s320/cosmic%20critter6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted something like a strange beak growing out of the monster’s head and for this, I’m using dense EVA foam. Ordinarily, I would’ve made this as a sculpture in clay, then making a plaster mold around it, and then cast a latex duplicate into the mold. But building it up like this saves time, as well as allowing happy accidents to happen.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LDYwGcKPhyo465ZGH5hY-T08HiVPWnar1b8Ic87suKyKJYBpdOxAPZGHH5Nlw2kkRIOMe58Qnz-wC8kwHy8DEY1L5xzWpqee5aBqUTaHkJt6uyM9qj6dtx7Ci56PbIWaKAU8SLdDY1YffmYBKJVWJ6lFLATQWv0_9PlVQCuIJ0gCWGaBw04d22SR-FG-/s1575/cosmic%20critter7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1575" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LDYwGcKPhyo465ZGH5hY-T08HiVPWnar1b8Ic87suKyKJYBpdOxAPZGHH5Nlw2kkRIOMe58Qnz-wC8kwHy8DEY1L5xzWpqee5aBqUTaHkJt6uyM9qj6dtx7Ci56PbIWaKAU8SLdDY1YffmYBKJVWJ6lFLATQWv0_9PlVQCuIJ0gCWGaBw04d22SR-FG-/s320/cosmic%20critter7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoo-W2LXnPcIKqiXBC4Mv9kNnqDVLBRoGe0RXhnBdK9pH15R26rklkMlqb_UzAMik8ImvM5EGyxlrn-kbk2Asg_EDew5rrBrEKBk54umBjHaSVNwcNT0gb-fwA9Z92vv8gjIt3q3a8g0NrsbSurIfERWFrUDIkNUOgryWMpato0KflEBtO9pOkGt5XTpL/s1575/cosmic%20critter8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1575" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoo-W2LXnPcIKqiXBC4Mv9kNnqDVLBRoGe0RXhnBdK9pH15R26rklkMlqb_UzAMik8ImvM5EGyxlrn-kbk2Asg_EDew5rrBrEKBk54umBjHaSVNwcNT0gb-fwA9Z92vv8gjIt3q3a8g0NrsbSurIfERWFrUDIkNUOgryWMpato0KflEBtO9pOkGt5XTpL/s320/cosmic%20critter8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To add texture as well as to cover up parts of the puppet I'm applying cotton dabbed with tinted latex. Using pointy tools I can create wrinkles and other textures in the material. This method works well for rigid parts of the puppet that won't have to stretch or bend.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZn9wlEftJRCeCSZB7G2F9v_HbpjYSV6Gb7-jiMsMLY3C1N-5s7Pvg1dGw5KtBPpXbwPcvPaxFDkt0mL4ckG_UycQjMSEB7WVVlfUfNOHIOc6qWCQ8bLpqWgj7NaW-NnABdLRQltSuu5qHfiIHxifBgGYsi1TPsrJyOrvIi08Pvk5FeJcRZOs3DwovV-N/s1575/cosmic%20critter9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="1575" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZn9wlEftJRCeCSZB7G2F9v_HbpjYSV6Gb7-jiMsMLY3C1N-5s7Pvg1dGw5KtBPpXbwPcvPaxFDkt0mL4ckG_UycQjMSEB7WVVlfUfNOHIOc6qWCQ8bLpqWgj7NaW-NnABdLRQltSuu5qHfiIHxifBgGYsi1TPsrJyOrvIi08Pvk5FeJcRZOs3DwovV-N/s320/cosmic%20critter9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the puppet is then covered with patches of wrinkly latex skin cast from skin molds. This skin is very flexible and will work well for the bendy areas on the puppet.</span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil63-k4NtrpKMECN46Pk1PVwv3y25TSmMa5vB6Et_8IkFLe7WEgBQI5mLMtI-QrHavUUHzQ772K4nqXgbL87m4RebFZQ1Xbtqf48uomSn3l7wkqz7M7Ys5-2NmmN0A34iLDkF-5OntpjMXsYjmkEJkvPJg3M60WZoFolwtjb1J76GePOMa6l62Ytpp_9U-/s1575/cosmic%20critter10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="1575" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil63-k4NtrpKMECN46Pk1PVwv3y25TSmMa5vB6Et_8IkFLe7WEgBQI5mLMtI-QrHavUUHzQ772K4nqXgbL87m4RebFZQ1Xbtqf48uomSn3l7wkqz7M7Ys5-2NmmN0A34iLDkF-5OntpjMXsYjmkEJkvPJg3M60WZoFolwtjb1J76GePOMa6l62Ytpp_9U-/s320/cosmic%20critter10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To create extra details I'm adding drops of latex on top of the skin, creating small bumps.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqd8UIWTsYpCpCLEQytj7JPWbgDT3srh0BPDCkwgxd_xlPhaJcTNpHvmVPymxveD74Q29oalOb_OW1IVjun15p96Onr1CX5_yvkwJX6-rcf7vhwWegup9U15G9AVLBUd9b20SLhTZuQuwks4dyB8IxSFJxbevwOhAY7YpQ4-LNdbkW-hkoGw6-991bxW61/s1575/cosmic%20critter11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="1575" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqd8UIWTsYpCpCLEQytj7JPWbgDT3srh0BPDCkwgxd_xlPhaJcTNpHvmVPymxveD74Q29oalOb_OW1IVjun15p96Onr1CX5_yvkwJX6-rcf7vhwWegup9U15G9AVLBUd9b20SLhTZuQuwks4dyB8IxSFJxbevwOhAY7YpQ4-LNdbkW-hkoGw6-991bxW61/s320/cosmic%20critter11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Cotton and latex are also used to build up folds of skin around the eyes, which have been applied using contact cement.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreZTv3pSBwjUeWclJULDMR-EqnjeUL2XLxK6P6yzqq-ON3q5s1L3EbBykOsmaIAAKo3WCpG5ktZzPWF52rMHhSCl3QLYc29_uGFUvHxCg4hTy65hWjZPA2H_xz54qnR_HPt-GqPtY7QmFqgaF6qS15N-LU_gmeuTN2BpOU3Z5ylUWer2VEJ8LpReNY9BU/s1573/cosmic%20critter12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1573" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreZTv3pSBwjUeWclJULDMR-EqnjeUL2XLxK6P6yzqq-ON3q5s1L3EbBykOsmaIAAKo3WCpG5ktZzPWF52rMHhSCl3QLYc29_uGFUvHxCg4hTy65hWjZPA2H_xz54qnR_HPt-GqPtY7QmFqgaF6qS15N-LU_gmeuTN2BpOU3Z5ylUWer2VEJ8LpReNY9BU/s320/cosmic%20critter12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Finally, the whole puppet is painted a dark red using tinted latex and a sponge. When that layer has dried (with the help of a heat gun) I dry-brush on a grey/blue color to offset the deep red, which will still be seen adding shadows to wrinkles and folds.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPtHIIVR8QrXFw_IxnvjOXMP1VYdgCNZNGXkaKdcCbsPq3IoNl2GXU8MGh0_OyuTKVTH6YZteXr90DaWohWO0QUVwfeXoTP7J8fEPrIXaXyMepuqzxdcDQRYj1yVgDSXSOPGY0sBew_2yQCPXmC2MYyR8cwm2P3NGBzvVGw2mYXpYK2j9Ki3HP4CJu7JW/s1890/flying%20cosmic%20critter%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1890" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPtHIIVR8QrXFw_IxnvjOXMP1VYdgCNZNGXkaKdcCbsPq3IoNl2GXU8MGh0_OyuTKVTH6YZteXr90DaWohWO0QUVwfeXoTP7J8fEPrIXaXyMepuqzxdcDQRYj1yVgDSXSOPGY0sBew_2yQCPXmC2MYyR8cwm2P3NGBzvVGw2mYXpYK2j9Ki3HP4CJu7JW/s320/flying%20cosmic%20critter%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2f81aoREUf-yLdeOA1RdU5CABE42azTIcK1bUh3Lv87L16qRdKPBKZIaq_HKbdwAwdI-5OeHrJmttJxHQG6SeB_04drcY0BGqa56b63BWphtL4yitTHWtSVbRfJc5OrYY-KDjWl6isYPvbkJQ9wD8scL_lGzp9gXFVyuqksRi0yn0KOffFMPa4zSbIFL/s1890/flying%20cosmic%20critter%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1890" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2f81aoREUf-yLdeOA1RdU5CABE42azTIcK1bUh3Lv87L16qRdKPBKZIaq_HKbdwAwdI-5OeHrJmttJxHQG6SeB_04drcY0BGqa56b63BWphtL4yitTHWtSVbRfJc5OrYY-KDjWl6isYPvbkJQ9wD8scL_lGzp9gXFVyuqksRi0yn0KOffFMPa4zSbIFL/s320/flying%20cosmic%20critter%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XrR_blby9QsurruBLIAIPLliOQw2CXokGuS2o7bIp802Z-ImbTKUxK0CbaNNWNsvDoAmnbj5jHwQJj7xspJQulutGQignI6fEmiev4DP7_M23GARDwRjrtkl7i_Ndx02GbOqWU-FWj8M2KeuNBogcF3_FjdEeizhRv3De_tEqQBYjJ1WizeYmVc3YQD-/s1890/flying%20cosmic%20critter%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1890" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XrR_blby9QsurruBLIAIPLliOQw2CXokGuS2o7bIp802Z-ImbTKUxK0CbaNNWNsvDoAmnbj5jHwQJj7xspJQulutGQignI6fEmiev4DP7_M23GARDwRjrtkl7i_Ndx02GbOqWU-FWj8M2KeuNBogcF3_FjdEeizhRv3De_tEqQBYjJ1WizeYmVc3YQD-/s320/flying%20cosmic%20critter%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>The finished puppet was animated and held aloft on my flying rig jointed arm. You only see the creature from one side, but I finished both sides with equal effort.</p><p>I read the narration myself, as I usually do. I don't consider myself especially gifted at that, but hiring people to do the voice work is getting increasingly expensive. </p><p>This film was a fun little experiment. I might do similar projects in the future if I can come up with narratives that fit this form of storytelling.</p></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-9576354839667707402023-06-24T01:49:00.000-07:002023-06-24T01:49:11.573-07:00Forbidden Words<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uA4_6vUEXUg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>I sometimes contribute to the various publications of Graeme Philips, which all have Lovecraftian content of some kind. In the booklet "Forbidden Knowledge" I found the poem "Forbidden Words" by Frank Coffman and decided that it would be a perfect addition to my cosmic horror selection on my YouTube channel. After I got Frank's permission to adapt his poem, I set to it. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFofXHIChy57dQc-YpV-hvM-UFtusXVibFilM2T73IKO_UwmEdEsIMCyv5r6Hy783AcD99RfM-Jg8ytWtSl6t_Cmy8iDGyOERiDP-Zx_jVWyODJoOzcvdZ74E3a6bGNF0EhtwA6cqitsG1qPZbNVQRdM88pqTbGKd2EbUxzPdJ5r1qSHRlZWAhVr62PGr/s1312/forbidden%20knowledge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="915" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFofXHIChy57dQc-YpV-hvM-UFtusXVibFilM2T73IKO_UwmEdEsIMCyv5r6Hy783AcD99RfM-Jg8ytWtSl6t_Cmy8iDGyOERiDP-Zx_jVWyODJoOzcvdZ74E3a6bGNF0EhtwA6cqitsG1qPZbNVQRdM88pqTbGKd2EbUxzPdJ5r1qSHRlZWAhVr62PGr/s320/forbidden%20knowledge.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to do something that had the atmosphere and look of the AIP Roger Corman Poe adaptations, which meant over-embellishing certain colors, using bombastic music, and a gothic setting with overdressed rooms. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92x3ygXPYpcwE2jpEwuHwjJdN2mwcwFK9yKajMfHKkfVtMzMqFGzYe-s8HNCxgvgoNnaBXfG5jn6z7vyxAFdVaqlTyPu_OXdw1weXKFA8BliiixWFj5ts0Gatn3btlxsOqlKruFwXcRIXdDDgDzUW-_h6JYmhMi2BDEV0IAbRlNDhw1a4btSi8y3LvYd2/s1890/forbidden%20study.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92x3ygXPYpcwE2jpEwuHwjJdN2mwcwFK9yKajMfHKkfVtMzMqFGzYe-s8HNCxgvgoNnaBXfG5jn6z7vyxAFdVaqlTyPu_OXdw1weXKFA8BliiixWFj5ts0Gatn3btlxsOqlKruFwXcRIXdDDgDzUW-_h6JYmhMi2BDEV0IAbRlNDhw1a4btSi8y3LvYd2/s320/forbidden%20study.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was briefly contemplating finding a real location for this, but I quickly realized that wherever I went, I'd have to augment the place in After Effects anyway to get the look I wanted. So instead I went with completely digital 2D backgrounds, composed in Photoshop. I mainly used a bunch of stock images found on depositphotos.com, with additional elements added.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw-hN1yq-eEdJVIupcjlFRwaawXVh7zaCOtwX4sx5laVNCie-khjARxq-QqDQ1eX7atmxpczewNj_2sk5T8F5oUfISz-v3NIgylq1gL4KDdGqbZMCWuRtDPQxmztUkiL3Q1YBB-yuzWPQUSXb2GchDJOSbTwddhW_aiqDRu5CQ43CMrhx9HflsqZ9ux--/s1890/forbidden%20ap.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw-hN1yq-eEdJVIupcjlFRwaawXVh7zaCOtwX4sx5laVNCie-khjARxq-QqDQ1eX7atmxpczewNj_2sk5T8F5oUfISz-v3NIgylq1gL4KDdGqbZMCWuRtDPQxmztUkiL3Q1YBB-yuzWPQUSXb2GchDJOSbTwddhW_aiqDRu5CQ43CMrhx9HflsqZ9ux--/s320/forbidden%20ap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For the main character, a man searching for taboo knowledge (aren't they always?), I recruited my stalwart actor Andreas Pettersson, whom you've seen in a number of productions by now.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNh2cPsNgN8f5W8v1Fb656EBJTQZhTxmO80TUGd2qpshhNu3iNnwdKZ6KoXKWb5R631rTG4YGq3f5A3pH-5gmLRVIUnPEtErBiFAWsSoIOPxFFnlneDZRtq_Q3I3Xro7Whm4e7q2-G6ilEVh-49ePu3I9gEePTuKn2auY3C8N0AY4GRu2Q0KJZYDtGg7GC/s1890/ap.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1051" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNh2cPsNgN8f5W8v1Fb656EBJTQZhTxmO80TUGd2qpshhNu3iNnwdKZ6KoXKWb5R631rTG4YGq3f5A3pH-5gmLRVIUnPEtErBiFAWsSoIOPxFFnlneDZRtq_Q3I3Xro7Whm4e7q2-G6ilEVh-49ePu3I9gEePTuKn2auY3C8N0AY4GRu2Q0KJZYDtGg7GC/s320/ap.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I shot all of his scenes in his living room in front of a green screen. By now we have this process pretty much down to a T.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbB7THU51KskEZD5_mAEJKt0UhVf0yAPwlyvh5RH9H9Oy2kuEcvrTjpgB8EqFV8ZGM6-A5XLIFlIM3FgpSyglwhky6pSHgVlnXeCTfOyEJRJuUzJLRikQ4XG_qVu9c124WGZDVTfcpC5kYugOCa1gQxTglgMMHktv9nLNQxLxaE4wmw4Np7yIKtgqy9LC/s1890/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbB7THU51KskEZD5_mAEJKt0UhVf0yAPwlyvh5RH9H9Oy2kuEcvrTjpgB8EqFV8ZGM6-A5XLIFlIM3FgpSyglwhky6pSHgVlnXeCTfOyEJRJuUzJLRikQ4XG_qVu9c124WGZDVTfcpC5kYugOCa1gQxTglgMMHktv9nLNQxLxaE4wmw4Np7yIKtgqy9LC/s320/book.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The occult book our hero reads from is just an old book -a cookbook if I remember correctly- with a printed-out spread placed into it. The pages are a Photoshop mash-up of parts from a 19th-century astrological calendar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb01vcXrvQ06s8kEwkvC7d4G4RxZrNvnI9fRDLPmY-jLOPVLpTO1XL3UJD_hKneHNncHSPm3nIjmt3r75Qkou6sfUTnFiVJ3mxgsIYLD20fii5xUwkYsESTB_Q2TQ_2GYcxJy2xt--i9jxN1WPNMb9R5_0PSHuevosOPv_9609tpFf6hveStX_WOP_KDkM/s1890/skull%20in%20bag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb01vcXrvQ06s8kEwkvC7d4G4RxZrNvnI9fRDLPmY-jLOPVLpTO1XL3UJD_hKneHNncHSPm3nIjmt3r75Qkou6sfUTnFiVJ3mxgsIYLD20fii5xUwkYsESTB_Q2TQ_2GYcxJy2xt--i9jxN1WPNMb9R5_0PSHuevosOPv_9609tpFf6hveStX_WOP_KDkM/s320/skull%20in%20bag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>In the end, our protagonist conjures up a demonic entity, and I could've gone with a number of creatures, but for some reason, I decided to go with a hovering skull. I had a bag of plastic Halloween bones lying around and I thought the included skull had the right dimensions.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj8m1ibHOgLuTo8P4ZCW_PDug8oac_FO7WUQtDqwwsbeqYtsZLlaejsZs4uhn0qoLqOGbejL-L-mmAFSrgRZR9Q7JLeVptmdMfxKKbat766RDx_JI-G_XW6TD3E9ubVFDQjG6GiEjHWDAew0NgbIaJrNrbj3MpokleI_QoruRgiFN4SZqVS2D2latFq4M/s1890/skull1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1890" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj8m1ibHOgLuTo8P4ZCW_PDug8oac_FO7WUQtDqwwsbeqYtsZLlaejsZs4uhn0qoLqOGbejL-L-mmAFSrgRZR9Q7JLeVptmdMfxKKbat766RDx_JI-G_XW6TD3E9ubVFDQjG6GiEjHWDAew0NgbIaJrNrbj3MpokleI_QoruRgiFN4SZqVS2D2latFq4M/s320/skull1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As props bought from dress-up shops often are, this skull was made from rather flimsy plastic, and I had to reinforce it by mixing a batch of Burro casting plastic (from FormX in Holland) and lining the insides of the skull with it. After that, I cut loose the jaw and re-attached it to the skull with aluminum wire hinges. In the eye sockets, I placed two tentacles made with aluminum wires wrapped with soft yarn and dabbed with latex, and a long tongue made the same way. The tongue was rolled up and pushed up into the roof of the mouth when not lolling out to be animated. I placed screws on the inside of the skull to help attach the tentacles, the tongue, and the jaw joints. A wooden dowel was also attached to the rear of the skull as a support rod.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-P02Vp94lYjbmOOZWHHJGqkFOKI5kgB6O5WTq5ul-bn8sA9xksB8gMfNz-0DA-UcOc45qVb7s3OfdqyEwbunIefACgwi8IuI7HiuxnuKw8qfyatx3t1NijX97ccaeDv9W5CgT43VWBGcihcPO1Ttz75uok0Ga9_yhGzktmL6H2R5CcFRIvUpL4dmmvi_/s1893/skull2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="1893" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-P02Vp94lYjbmOOZWHHJGqkFOKI5kgB6O5WTq5ul-bn8sA9xksB8gMfNz-0DA-UcOc45qVb7s3OfdqyEwbunIefACgwi8IuI7HiuxnuKw8qfyatx3t1NijX97ccaeDv9W5CgT43VWBGcihcPO1Ttz75uok0Ga9_yhGzktmL6H2R5CcFRIvUpL4dmmvi_/s320/skull2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The whole skull was then covered with a mix of cotton and latex. This created an organic-looking surface and a base for creating more elaborate shapes.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqVu9Mf4b3ExHX5jbzsei2b_3KGFf236QgUNdURhpEtWSkTIZ9gwy7fj1Lc-IGTHzaVSDlgBLCco0J1NOQ4HGj8vn1sG3_OFbWS10hoX-yFGkcOoXW-fwbvH6kcyxOUvLGJNEGURaxRLmrU4ejkp4zjPYGucofMZI4PltreoQL1WWWX9rAF2Ow8k1O6-0/s1890/skull3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqVu9Mf4b3ExHX5jbzsei2b_3KGFf236QgUNdURhpEtWSkTIZ9gwy7fj1Lc-IGTHzaVSDlgBLCco0J1NOQ4HGj8vn1sG3_OFbWS10hoX-yFGkcOoXW-fwbvH6kcyxOUvLGJNEGURaxRLmrU4ejkp4zjPYGucofMZI4PltreoQL1WWWX9rAF2Ow8k1O6-0/s320/skull3.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Using more cotton and latex and using a pointy dental tool I built up a textured skin, with bumps and wrinkles.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fPKEPxY_uNDTVjsUIZCG-DvlNZ8xAWp8J0leW2wZurTQO-Ysh35zRNrPNLdsFNj3Ii6E4l7JcAvFPxMPWnxhFokeRJFUf8s78l_dzhDbJQx4YaBaOZsBaSHDtgIUxizFr3zaJffIE0szxkBGGzaRBfV-sTVCtaiuOIwcN7MzCkvZ8SkrFZTdM8EVnaNP/s1890/skull4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fPKEPxY_uNDTVjsUIZCG-DvlNZ8xAWp8J0leW2wZurTQO-Ysh35zRNrPNLdsFNj3Ii6E4l7JcAvFPxMPWnxhFokeRJFUf8s78l_dzhDbJQx4YaBaOZsBaSHDtgIUxizFr3zaJffIE0szxkBGGzaRBfV-sTVCtaiuOIwcN7MzCkvZ8SkrFZTdM8EVnaNP/s320/skull4.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I also made teeth with the cotton / latex mix.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkEE3-O280Hv7F-309m_N5LeuNixxfE8Y0WQom50yccenU53C4CSLZAjzPOeYcQSLpg6pxuRwEcsI0m6vjQD77EpDYxIuhq9OpsYl0MH5oCvTEctHXIU3VVnmK34zFoKPLejHK8REaE3jv4zzflAgIXF9vDcmnicNWlO2cPjoH78bfrw5MzTAd_DzmCNW/s1890/skull5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="1890" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkEE3-O280Hv7F-309m_N5LeuNixxfE8Y0WQom50yccenU53C4CSLZAjzPOeYcQSLpg6pxuRwEcsI0m6vjQD77EpDYxIuhq9OpsYl0MH5oCvTEctHXIU3VVnmK34zFoKPLejHK8REaE3jv4zzflAgIXF9vDcmnicNWlO2cPjoH78bfrw5MzTAd_DzmCNW/s320/skull5.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I also used yarn to create some of the shapes. This whole procedure is pretty quick and very economical since you don't have to make any molds, but since the latex/cotton mix dries to a sturdy leathery quality it's only applicable to projects where flexibility isn't necessary. using this technique on a full stop-motion puppet would not work at all.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA8H69j_bAFtWtPvKYoW5H6OTJht-QYjHMooKTyRDT7m1RNfy1Y2EShnb3mneRwz3TDulMrNuyvHjzFkoiUb_lsajHlxAFx2u3QNwbNT_5Dyz2p4du9yVgOkdcVEl2qlvSTlQnNmUBb_Mejn0OvI4gR0aBuR_C0Eei4Y629u1ONl9uRWS6oAbHt21i2L6/s1890/skull6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1568" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA8H69j_bAFtWtPvKYoW5H6OTJht-QYjHMooKTyRDT7m1RNfy1Y2EShnb3mneRwz3TDulMrNuyvHjzFkoiUb_lsajHlxAFx2u3QNwbNT_5Dyz2p4du9yVgOkdcVEl2qlvSTlQnNmUBb_Mejn0OvI4gR0aBuR_C0Eei4Y629u1ONl9uRWS6oAbHt21i2L6/s320/skull6.png" width="265" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's the finished skull before the paint was applied.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcHDClmw_G4_KEqlXWY24gNxLjMRcvOM8X4EGAwfmF27I5iEKHrj0lZl3sG2m81RBiyr7dPg5o_hdG80sApQjXN5tdajO9NV4909Q-jB6qWbVqIww_t7fjy_de-K9kIMi-qZU7-I8UsiU9_xJlNHlcw2_IMk0oJPYNZm8xO4Q4a5zgGxZn6QBRB_rDpDx/s1890/skull7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="1890" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcHDClmw_G4_KEqlXWY24gNxLjMRcvOM8X4EGAwfmF27I5iEKHrj0lZl3sG2m81RBiyr7dPg5o_hdG80sApQjXN5tdajO9NV4909Q-jB6qWbVqIww_t7fjy_de-K9kIMi-qZU7-I8UsiU9_xJlNHlcw2_IMk0oJPYNZm8xO4Q4a5zgGxZn6QBRB_rDpDx/s320/skull7.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I started off with a mix of latex and red pigments sponged on with a bit of foam. This created a very organic-looking base.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzL2U67J-i6L_Fhx4Aod9LWL2iZ_kD9Lq_S18CoOQpND98jXLhZwQVbJyj5PeGKgSmcUqaNDmcdnkJP4Emjhx7CcQh39fPhto823zWOc7MgWxV_6KunYePUYT0sHN7IrFoAUN9LzCe7OjlGJjl86bMWJ_XbgVB22yUAKtT2QCYf36KVE3bqLzxQ3b5C-q/s1890/skull8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="1890" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzL2U67J-i6L_Fhx4Aod9LWL2iZ_kD9Lq_S18CoOQpND98jXLhZwQVbJyj5PeGKgSmcUqaNDmcdnkJP4Emjhx7CcQh39fPhto823zWOc7MgWxV_6KunYePUYT0sHN7IrFoAUN9LzCe7OjlGJjl86bMWJ_XbgVB22yUAKtT2QCYf36KVE3bqLzxQ3b5C-q/s320/skull8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Other colors were mixed the same way and dry brushed on with more sponges (bits of foam from an old cushion). I used I light layer of white acrylic paint over everything to get a glowing effect. Lastly, blue acrylic airbrush paint was hand-applied with a brush to offset the other colors and augment the psychedelic effect.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EDY1ehM3WVwqcxmq4Jli-M2VRD5GPSrKeYjCVvI846LsIlYgIxuRf_eVuxB94LnWTEi07P6DG9DpydVsDM7PIviiCWkON-gML1K11dPsdj17kOL0tw8fykF8x7FgPoz-36Tc1N5dOFp_YFM4eVzI3AwzJ8eHcQVoqVTgoaPB6J2k-N8POMEvTLTHakyc/s1890/skull%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EDY1ehM3WVwqcxmq4Jli-M2VRD5GPSrKeYjCVvI846LsIlYgIxuRf_eVuxB94LnWTEi07P6DG9DpydVsDM7PIviiCWkON-gML1K11dPsdj17kOL0tw8fykF8x7FgPoz-36Tc1N5dOFp_YFM4eVzI3AwzJ8eHcQVoqVTgoaPB6J2k-N8POMEvTLTHakyc/s320/skull%20klar1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyq_DM-dDhqsU7Tt-kgZjDB8gqzLp8g0v_Bl7ztfFGsQM80towT96yGEaobLZkS9YxeyDDuozST_GmpnaRSBleT_eJ_LYY4Yd4GS0UVOO6n08GUwq1tjL78wccE1OS52VlsAZvPZ3qgVLIwSGbM-B2q12cpgRd7cm0jP-wxcXuHKWl6W7_9k_LIWlW_Ef/s1890/skull%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyq_DM-dDhqsU7Tt-kgZjDB8gqzLp8g0v_Bl7ztfFGsQM80towT96yGEaobLZkS9YxeyDDuozST_GmpnaRSBleT_eJ_LYY4Yd4GS0UVOO6n08GUwq1tjL78wccE1OS52VlsAZvPZ3qgVLIwSGbM-B2q12cpgRd7cm0jP-wxcXuHKWl6W7_9k_LIWlW_Ef/s320/skull%20klar2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO10dxnr3-U0kUUw8kPpb3OqyhcljHAr0X_pgmLxBaVAqyLy1Lkom-prVGGBCH-FF5Mx6KHDL-mKcOq2mkUoxKs2ZNvuzFWJZnTZi2kugJK9ukMeRd8zCOSB_slO5TY-CUrmN98tPyig7074x3izhA7arU2QfdqPcvdOoNTI1pxCctjul0RPL9fe36ni5V/s1890/skull%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO10dxnr3-U0kUUw8kPpb3OqyhcljHAr0X_pgmLxBaVAqyLy1Lkom-prVGGBCH-FF5Mx6KHDL-mKcOq2mkUoxKs2ZNvuzFWJZnTZi2kugJK9ukMeRd8zCOSB_slO5TY-CUrmN98tPyig7074x3izhA7arU2QfdqPcvdOoNTI1pxCctjul0RPL9fe36ni5V/s320/skull%20klar3.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the finished skull puppet. The stand is simply held fast with a glue clamp when animating the puppet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizE3puIEe_qbF9wAEdVgci5gmGt_-UCYTXknuYpjMcX-ta3Y5Ld9Uy3SxgFvA83MwdT__DQe6jrGdGN7BuMMMoFM-fzUXxnXCBu1jhcct0X4-qYK73jTSo7jCkfagQu0IQe1AzWW_4UlEESw4at_EFnHF1Ooy1oaEr-Fo94sCCilE5sqfZpmNzHw2oyVMO/s1890/skull9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizE3puIEe_qbF9wAEdVgci5gmGt_-UCYTXknuYpjMcX-ta3Y5Ld9Uy3SxgFvA83MwdT__DQe6jrGdGN7BuMMMoFM-fzUXxnXCBu1jhcct0X4-qYK73jTSo7jCkfagQu0IQe1AzWW_4UlEESw4at_EFnHF1Ooy1oaEr-Fo94sCCilE5sqfZpmNzHw2oyVMO/s320/skull9.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is how it looks when piecing together the various elements that make up one of my monster scenes. In this case, I have the animated skull in the front layer, and behind it, I've added layers of smoke and a cloudy luminous background. I've also added a part of the billowing smoke pillar over the skull to create a sort of widow's peak coming out of the top of the head.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQOS-79nu9rPkoXhlGy5ETWo_aL4_s4cQtQVlEUKjxZxz5xXteKo26v2ZG8FU5H0kxPTSypiQtVvDwZ-suJ2st-TfLIYjh3Km3d4qVN0C_u5y7lSTnROEMGP-BfsTr9gE1lbTqZ-QYcvUf00UQog3dx52F2laeCImXSap_pz0IOcAQguSPXQRIrlqz6So/s1890/forbidden%20skull.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="1890" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQOS-79nu9rPkoXhlGy5ETWo_aL4_s4cQtQVlEUKjxZxz5xXteKo26v2ZG8FU5H0kxPTSypiQtVvDwZ-suJ2st-TfLIYjh3Km3d4qVN0C_u5y7lSTnROEMGP-BfsTr9gE1lbTqZ-QYcvUf00UQog3dx52F2laeCImXSap_pz0IOcAQguSPXQRIrlqz6So/s320/forbidden%20skull.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The skull only makes a brief appearance, but that's the only thing it should do. This was a very quick project but I'm quite happy with it. Stuff like this is perfect for experimenting with creating mood, which is one of my favorite challenges.</div><p> </p></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-41308192213326543002023-05-07T01:56:00.000-07:002023-05-07T01:56:02.059-07:00Yum, Yum, Said the Moon<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VXe2ApMvkGc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>When YouTube started marketing its YouTube shorts as an alternative (and a rival) to TikTok, a lot of people jumped at making very short content in a standing format. There were promises of funds handed out to YouTubers trying out the format, and it seemed the concept gained popularity among watchers. For a weak moment, I considered what I could bring to the table, and thought up a few story ideas adapted for this new format. However, after doing a poll among my own watchers, as well as doing a bit of research among YouTubers trying out making shorts, I decided that it probably wasn't for me. Instead, I simply made shorter-than-usual youtube videos, and they seem to have been well received.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Yum, Yum Said the Moon" is the first of these shorts-wannabees. The story is childishly simple: A jogger is eaten by a creepy man in the moon. The setting is a bit of nighttime landscape in the countryside, and it never changes during the run of the short film. The setting is a photo adjusted in Photoshop to suit my needs for the film.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's go over to the evil moon, the only puppet in the film. I should warn anyone with Trypophobia (a phobia of holes) that you should probably stop reading now since the moon is covered with tiny craters.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YK_oAdyStTsdANAQwk7rjhS1mvDEwhaftZqt3wThoP-g5pc1XByaWEg9qhclqosxpw4tr4zVGZ9gGwcHeWXr0TWOLBe30gZcJqEV25iDg_2TIaJBzWfAM5UNmX9AZ7mZEQmhcsWKIcnvGy5tcJ3AoBGqnJLZNVDUMPdB5xcRf-8cr3-sshHuYy2AZQ/s1890/moon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1569" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YK_oAdyStTsdANAQwk7rjhS1mvDEwhaftZqt3wThoP-g5pc1XByaWEg9qhclqosxpw4tr4zVGZ9gGwcHeWXr0TWOLBe30gZcJqEV25iDg_2TIaJBzWfAM5UNmX9AZ7mZEQmhcsWKIcnvGy5tcJ3AoBGqnJLZNVDUMPdB5xcRf-8cr3-sshHuYy2AZQ/s320/moon1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is the main sculpture of the moon, made with medium-grade Monster Clay. I actually sculpted both sides of the face but only covered this side with craters, wrinkles, and other small details. I knew I'd only shoot the moon from this side, so no need to spend time detailing both.<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWZ3JL1uA2-4jBU79A0MiByFUm3g-xOYszY8_Na1brb-pBCx2ln5Zuk1qylE-SHTOIxpkNEfkgz-_P4VDC5lC0BL-B9bxjxGa4G9LBHme8LTYGBUCuM4vvi9z_4-4-M_C47Fqe7EIlKx8isSSQoEm9OgK3evbtxrktud7vkQLQA8f67tCSnj5px3t3A/s1989/moon4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1989" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWZ3JL1uA2-4jBU79A0MiByFUm3g-xOYszY8_Na1brb-pBCx2ln5Zuk1qylE-SHTOIxpkNEfkgz-_P4VDC5lC0BL-B9bxjxGa4G9LBHme8LTYGBUCuM4vvi9z_4-4-M_C47Fqe7EIlKx8isSSQoEm9OgK3evbtxrktud7vkQLQA8f67tCSnj5px3t3A/s320/moon4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I used simple hobby plaster to create a mold around the sculpture. Four layers of tinted latex created a flexible face.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NPYXDMpLRH3NmsMtO-Vevv6LKCX6B3rjwtQYkOr0iK8Igf1DANB1_CKGZnNCJrujBPNK3UqkSM0eh5biZmZ2ycLQZdAhx-d5-InfVSJ9MfjtRFEm3BFf3_ULf-WpwIHjO1Vz5LYpj22UHRDzkKnsRZm7JFtLzCl985amf0jKNzQ9wkhprItC3VzI9w/s1890/moon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NPYXDMpLRH3NmsMtO-Vevv6LKCX6B3rjwtQYkOr0iK8Igf1DANB1_CKGZnNCJrujBPNK3UqkSM0eh5biZmZ2ycLQZdAhx-d5-InfVSJ9MfjtRFEm3BFf3_ULf-WpwIHjO1Vz5LYpj22UHRDzkKnsRZm7JFtLzCl985amf0jKNzQ9wkhprItC3VzI9w/s320/moon2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For the crater-marked skin of the rest of the puppet, I sculpted an oval filled with craters on a flat piece of clay.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwk7OMKWsSZOWeTWJBa4_dqzCSrnim1nTllIlrPPHlNpa6uWp-Tgz9nW4poxc_mVmElEOcKxyWsamSLqQ2FC-qEFfz0NloeMIV5VdbTthBNR5M9C3QXuDJEDo65I0HjvNWyfeGeS55tppqAO1VplSOd8t7edvIfbT96xS3CjA4rmhCAm6sXmGFXq4zQ/s1890/moon3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="1890" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwk7OMKWsSZOWeTWJBa4_dqzCSrnim1nTllIlrPPHlNpa6uWp-Tgz9nW4poxc_mVmElEOcKxyWsamSLqQ2FC-qEFfz0NloeMIV5VdbTthBNR5M9C3QXuDJEDo65I0HjvNWyfeGeS55tppqAO1VplSOd8t7edvIfbT96xS3CjA4rmhCAm6sXmGFXq4zQ/s320/moon3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Again, hobby plaster was used to make a simple skin texture mold.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1U0OmAiGcPSjvy3rEkbasdaFsBMxyn72Cx0209goanyFxdVdp6ST6oY5XMY5mQlCRgyAuIa9ZSAe8iu4WAgJr5_LgZi7x18qsY6fITWKw41FJC4FAgjlt6NI1eOL5HfAfLS4_DjgZbCOdIys2jJaklGNWYO_57UIF36PiBTujqNr4hzl8-J-Ssc_D6Q/s1890/moon5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1890" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1U0OmAiGcPSjvy3rEkbasdaFsBMxyn72Cx0209goanyFxdVdp6ST6oY5XMY5mQlCRgyAuIa9ZSAe8iu4WAgJr5_LgZi7x18qsY6fITWKw41FJC4FAgjlt6NI1eOL5HfAfLS4_DjgZbCOdIys2jJaklGNWYO_57UIF36PiBTujqNr4hzl8-J-Ssc_D6Q/s320/moon5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And again, a few layers of tinted latex created bits of skin that could then be attached to the body of the puppet.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveYsnBJ6QmCQN6EmvU5Lh2nC7Wuv5oPtNdK108DJIlGqGuOF1mDzaGuTzYWllfL7IjGz-4r40RqiMO3c63TTuX98jcKIhejXCRtDqiyGcOR3IUkAQ7VllRi9aKO_ptMa2np78OetapO66UBwbVVbLvj7J3FXDbN4xHQhf3edjJMMjm4IhxM84_BI9Lg/s1890/moon8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveYsnBJ6QmCQN6EmvU5Lh2nC7Wuv5oPtNdK108DJIlGqGuOF1mDzaGuTzYWllfL7IjGz-4r40RqiMO3c63TTuX98jcKIhejXCRtDqiyGcOR3IUkAQ7VllRi9aKO_ptMa2np78OetapO66UBwbVVbLvj7J3FXDbN4xHQhf3edjJMMjm4IhxM84_BI9Lg/s320/moon8.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The moon only has one eye on the side shown to the camera. It's a plastic pearl painted with acrylic airbrush colors and sealed with clear varnish. Here it's placed in a matrix of silicone paste, which allows the eye to be swiveled around by putting a needle in the "pupil" and turning it.</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-FgTw4VUlhvkqBD0MOVGuwAqvP1y4vz845LoQutdQbx1PDDCkV0E2ybXDBhk6pTRsYEvLpV-BLFk9-lcbfYdVTKLHocHbB2fKPm6V6Qqec8EKOrxksZNubhA-YBvhtUPzVtOwEppoh9n8TOBPxnpaKN5f_qjV1PHlTL4HEhVXM6wxSu4yAxGkmWJHg/s1890/moon6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-FgTw4VUlhvkqBD0MOVGuwAqvP1y4vz845LoQutdQbx1PDDCkV0E2ybXDBhk6pTRsYEvLpV-BLFk9-lcbfYdVTKLHocHbB2fKPm6V6Qqec8EKOrxksZNubhA-YBvhtUPzVtOwEppoh9n8TOBPxnpaKN5f_qjV1PHlTL4HEhVXM6wxSu4yAxGkmWJHg/s320/moon6.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here the moon has been padded with soft polyurethane foam. Under the foam, there's a 2 mm aluminum wire running through the puppet all the way out into the horns. This is so the moon can curl up and grab its prey with the points of the horns. There's also a 1,5 mm aluminum wire circling the jaw, so the moon can talk and chew.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BL_aNqrleUyva4NJW0-_S_VzDDdvltK_k58PZToKxxhztp7H3cDruAblT506NI-cdYlWZLYSD372Zq-Qb_ovlri1v6hLueAJU257LUYYVcPGhijUEiYLbtJwITvdeIY14l0Rn5gXxIx709wIlMSwkgFrUK6PFX60uB6GlIdU3-jkG0L_rGgSy043Hw/s1890/moon7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1764" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BL_aNqrleUyva4NJW0-_S_VzDDdvltK_k58PZToKxxhztp7H3cDruAblT506NI-cdYlWZLYSD372Zq-Qb_ovlri1v6hLueAJU257LUYYVcPGhijUEiYLbtJwITvdeIY14l0Rn5gXxIx709wIlMSwkgFrUK6PFX60uB6GlIdU3-jkG0L_rGgSy043Hw/s320/moon7.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the moon with patches of pock-market latex skin covering all of the foam padding.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXNyBhvkFCocaNo0PH634BJQz6PnRb9w-hOiLbRG_o4515NKpv5QpbsH91YVewb6sDchokEL_ZWrTlvceSdYNrm0Z6ljtdS5Ho4JljOMhIlhyYx5lQImG-vH9GHgGT4zyWc_QF5cjCZVGjLbA_gpVlf74BPL01uxv0TBjBY4ZguHITJ-93DHECAe6dg/s1890/moon9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1789" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXNyBhvkFCocaNo0PH634BJQz6PnRb9w-hOiLbRG_o4515NKpv5QpbsH91YVewb6sDchokEL_ZWrTlvceSdYNrm0Z6ljtdS5Ho4JljOMhIlhyYx5lQImG-vH9GHgGT4zyWc_QF5cjCZVGjLbA_gpVlf74BPL01uxv0TBjBY4ZguHITJ-93DHECAe6dg/s320/moon9.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I should also add that a threaded 3M nut is placed at the back, joined with the main 2 mm aluminum wire. This is so I can attach the puppet to a ball-and-socket flying rig, holding the moon aloft.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBggH8928jbsdRjhVmBNmKI82-uVnRHjSFx57k_5yW_d0f0lUp2mQob78SmWSo_V7UIMsJ5VgNOnZMU9hZEV0zBMxlz6-08LRbzLD1K9GvUPIQ-0RxXGl_fiqq8e7aRJwbHQWjEIOMqEqiK38HebbObGnWfrS6CDY_fT_Kr2qZjuq3evv6hh3S3_WGQ/s1890/moon10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBggH8928jbsdRjhVmBNmKI82-uVnRHjSFx57k_5yW_d0f0lUp2mQob78SmWSo_V7UIMsJ5VgNOnZMU9hZEV0zBMxlz6-08LRbzLD1K9GvUPIQ-0RxXGl_fiqq8e7aRJwbHQWjEIOMqEqiK38HebbObGnWfrS6CDY_fT_Kr2qZjuq3evv6hh3S3_WGQ/s320/moon10.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The puppet is painted by dry brushing tinted latex onto it using sponges, and applying the paint in thin layers. The teeth are made from tissue paper dipped in latex and rolled into pointy shapes with my fingers.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZhFCjWUNRLM5TlAS3KhxD5rjT5LPDN6du-RdNSIlfQmBm67b6KiUGhvKbqTOzbCdwzR-2CkfDIpjbdieqrzsruoyOQo71lhIqis0q-pND7aRE6xK5odLN0RwG3rmsHT03PpL36LAwJDShaoFm6fZaqUoPqGHPuYb8HdTgrIRI0R3kFkkVsgRfhwHeQ/s1890/moon11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1718" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZhFCjWUNRLM5TlAS3KhxD5rjT5LPDN6du-RdNSIlfQmBm67b6KiUGhvKbqTOzbCdwzR-2CkfDIpjbdieqrzsruoyOQo71lhIqis0q-pND7aRE6xK5odLN0RwG3rmsHT03PpL36LAwJDShaoFm6fZaqUoPqGHPuYb8HdTgrIRI0R3kFkkVsgRfhwHeQ/s320/moon11.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The puppet was animated against my puppet stage green screen backdrop, with green screen tape covering up the flying rig.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpbkCLNscP7mGW0V6ZsK8u9HUqMwCjeOF3fRxWmK5kyN65hI2C2qKg7Ev_kKlPQI7siogPjghEx36LoicOj4vRJQ5X31nvyGW_vfQ7KsXndPGW_tfa9G_ecPUMW9qEWpfMhmQl6YMHZXIysqBzirL2axnzaTS6tFpeIziEy0_uklMQgj76mEJE2F6HA/s2537/Ska%CC%88rmavbild%202023-05-07%20kl.%2009.20.34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="2537" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpbkCLNscP7mGW0V6ZsK8u9HUqMwCjeOF3fRxWmK5kyN65hI2C2qKg7Ev_kKlPQI7siogPjghEx36LoicOj4vRJQ5X31nvyGW_vfQ7KsXndPGW_tfa9G_ecPUMW9qEWpfMhmQl6YMHZXIysqBzirL2axnzaTS6tFpeIziEy0_uklMQgj76mEJE2F6HA/s320/Ska%CC%88rmavbild%202023-05-07%20kl.%2009.20.34.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The jogger assaulted by the moon is a looped digital animation of a man running in a tracksuit. I simply keyframed him being grabbed by the stop-motion moon and sped up his movement to look like desperate leg-kicking as he was eaten. When the moon licks its mouth I used a bit of pink oil-based clay bought in a toy shop.</div><div><br /></div><div>So that was "Yum, Yum, Said the Moon", a short bit of silliness. But, it's been surprisingly well received. One viewer commented: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #0f0f0f; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now THIS is the kind of surreal and niche horror I admire so often!" I can't ask for a better reaction than that.</span></span><br /><p> </p></div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-12382468645055671522023-03-15T02:08:00.006-07:002023-03-15T02:10:01.892-07:00Yogash the Ghoul<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LYCBBArliKY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p> If we are to believe old Lovecraft himself he has a family tree to give you nightmares. If you go far enough back you'll encounter various cosmic abominations in his lineage. Closer to our time, but still very far back in history, we find the name Yogash the Ghoul -apparently one of the first, if not the very first, of that very creepy breed of creatures.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHMQa0vKYRv-Y9xMjZWY0jJmatzt0nChwuVth5RD1xPuTczJZ347X6trT-gvFzy1HQj4k9XNYXWA7Gc_rbEbZgpIwRBzhQDgxERH6Te1x4IEVsJNOXn9uMDXezrdx8h-J09YCdU8hsEQaSE2kckj4mwRmY-P_sQ3Ca_GMccCJZwRZTeo9WLSr9TEW4A/s1245/lovecraft%20family%20tree.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1245" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHMQa0vKYRv-Y9xMjZWY0jJmatzt0nChwuVth5RD1xPuTczJZ347X6trT-gvFzy1HQj4k9XNYXWA7Gc_rbEbZgpIwRBzhQDgxERH6Te1x4IEVsJNOXn9uMDXezrdx8h-J09YCdU8hsEQaSE2kckj4mwRmY-P_sQ3Ca_GMccCJZwRZTeo9WLSr9TEW4A/s320/lovecraft%20family%20tree.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>You can study the Lovecraft family tree in one of the volumes collecting Lovecraft's countless letters. The tree was included in a 1933 message to James F. Morton. My fancy had been tickled by the name Yogash the Ghoul for a while since it was both very descriptive (It's a ghoul) and open to endless imaginative story possibilities. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPOOmZJjJbQ0-Nq8gC-NqYDZ1ZN8Bw9AE1twbhxBnRdPht5pb09ln-buKkyKqB5Dn_qf55RpRv3GWeCfPeQM0QS7eqvCTsfDWkOvkcqtGTnAGHPDTBjjoiqtGjjt2OSCWXxHBAFaRRr_gZ1vH7Q8o93NVLqrYC2_uLWvcCHg_vo8tP9JhGps0YRixKA/s4496/pickmans%20model_big.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4496" data-original-width="2994" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPOOmZJjJbQ0-Nq8gC-NqYDZ1ZN8Bw9AE1twbhxBnRdPht5pb09ln-buKkyKqB5Dn_qf55RpRv3GWeCfPeQM0QS7eqvCTsfDWkOvkcqtGTnAGHPDTBjjoiqtGjjt2OSCWXxHBAFaRRr_gZ1vH7Q8o93NVLqrYC2_uLWvcCHg_vo8tP9JhGps0YRixKA/s320/pickmans%20model_big.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For those of you who remember bits of my previous work, you'll recall that I did make a ghoul puppet way back in 2013 for a film called The Lovecraft Alphabet. The puppet was very detailed and as it happens also very expressive when animated. It was a combination of a sculpture that I was happy with and an armature that did the job.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY-UM_M4lJoq9p2w6TJMHWmyH7t5_zLDYdBf4FnYYML1DPjby0ufvftgyW3s-L4Z518BjtWlfhvHm996lOyrp0xRu4Pt3KYTOYKjsUR8vX7W000HmGEaMIaBaWJqpFi7DzPEJhaYxs5-Cf1ZSnkbKyLxa90eHwyIKf4By9l3n7Y0xw9Y7nx9hZEqtHQ/s1653/pickman_ghoul.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1653" data-original-width="984" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY-UM_M4lJoq9p2w6TJMHWmyH7t5_zLDYdBf4FnYYML1DPjby0ufvftgyW3s-L4Z518BjtWlfhvHm996lOyrp0xRu4Pt3KYTOYKjsUR8vX7W000HmGEaMIaBaWJqpFi7DzPEJhaYxs5-Cf1ZSnkbKyLxa90eHwyIKf4By9l3n7Y0xw9Y7nx9hZEqtHQ/s320/pickman_ghoul.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>In that film, the puppet is shown very briefly to illustrate old ghoul painter Pickman. His art comes alive, turns around, and makes a face at the viewer. That's all the puppet did, so I figured I should do something more with it before it started deteriorating, as all latex puppets eventually do. At this point in time, the puppet is in surprisingly good shape, so I thought I'd give it the starring role it deserved. Now, the making of the ghoul puppet has already been covered in an older blog post, so I'll direct you over to that one instead. You'll find it <a href="https://loneanimator.blogspot.com/2013/11/my-lovecraftian-alphabet-part-3.html" target="_blank">HERE.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>The story I came up with for the film set out to show the horrific world the ghouls live in, but in that world, the ghouls themselves might not be all that bad. In Lovecraft's The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath they're quite heroic characters.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEPTeJVmfTjLH3cv64KkYuCvBhUugiAPh91USg0Je6DeAHOQ57ghS_vl4O3KQi2sj1YfcTqSR-fFGwx6Q8aiSpvacpQAd9LM0z-_Aj9icctIPn_urSQMoQO0GjMEGij1-qlRr4jitSaAbGTHdxkfCgRkMnyayc5xQeGJbxeVCmcxNJ_MLZ_3232AhaA/s1890/sorc1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="1890" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEPTeJVmfTjLH3cv64KkYuCvBhUugiAPh91USg0Je6DeAHOQ57ghS_vl4O3KQi2sj1YfcTqSR-fFGwx6Q8aiSpvacpQAd9LM0z-_Aj9icctIPn_urSQMoQO0GjMEGij1-qlRr4jitSaAbGTHdxkfCgRkMnyayc5xQeGJbxeVCmcxNJ_MLZ_3232AhaA/s320/sorc1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiEHKKo2vWWHnIHo0VQuGQyAuQoD3_oVwYTPGQZCadwDpVqnR_zcKOmcKUIQyGaj5rcB7Kp1JcRAK0kH1JS7PBL8Cbgo0ie88U8zGgazP--dtxyjs4Y43BDV2zivP4tYDUy6WfKwE7mCJr2c3DrEDhOLKGVZMlAR5rm49kuvd6y7Q3qIklMsWp-ziTQ/s1890/sorc2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="1890" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiEHKKo2vWWHnIHo0VQuGQyAuQoD3_oVwYTPGQZCadwDpVqnR_zcKOmcKUIQyGaj5rcB7Kp1JcRAK0kH1JS7PBL8Cbgo0ie88U8zGgazP--dtxyjs4Y43BDV2zivP4tYDUy6WfKwE7mCJr2c3DrEDhOLKGVZMlAR5rm49kuvd6y7Q3qIklMsWp-ziTQ/s320/sorc2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To illustrate the weirdness of the ghoul world I added a few other creatures. First up is a transforming sorcerer the ghoul spies in a ruined temple. This puppet was inspired by a previous puppet/sculpture I built for an online game-maker. That character was a woman standing up. The sorcerer has traveled a bit further down the line in his transformation and is lying on the ground. I sculpted the puppet's torso in medium-grade Monster Clay to get the best and most exact detailing I could on the anatomy. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPLSaatez8hgf8Wims98Iwzk1PMDcpaGUcRnEUUIKICTGATZQJDMkfAE-rXW-eqcTb9iHo3EFfuah_3sn5LxOr7fVbLE0sJhX06OEYahG68JfPOot0J1IdI7COrLcjlgZlvZuZtwtQy70jumavR6as1tWx1ZMn8hCoEr78TC7BjoM-XOOS9uvGjOsAA/s1890/sorc3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1637" data-original-width="1890" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPLSaatez8hgf8Wims98Iwzk1PMDcpaGUcRnEUUIKICTGATZQJDMkfAE-rXW-eqcTb9iHo3EFfuah_3sn5LxOr7fVbLE0sJhX06OEYahG68JfPOot0J1IdI7COrLcjlgZlvZuZtwtQy70jumavR6as1tWx1ZMn8hCoEr78TC7BjoM-XOOS9uvGjOsAA/s320/sorc3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A dental plaster mold was made over the sculpture and tinted latex was added to the mold using sponges and q-tips. The dental plaster catches and keeps all the delicate textures and details, something that the cheaper and more easy to get hobby plaster usually doesn't. A total of four layers of latex were added, in some parts of the mold, it was ladled on thinly to give the rubber skin more flexibility. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINImMAdjaikb1TCP3gUslzSHOP25KcG98h4dES57PJXT4C7LB_vDGXgaWChyg9oRyGjj3mu6EJ5jSLjja5wFrT57v1yOlscFsKMWtwRefS-w2bLU6jPQHzZXCgzJ2s_Zlym7kvfIUH2_p6P7HFw4al7CkXvFZqfP7JJzC3uBW91ud5wiswD_alL_Ehg/s1890/sorc4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1890" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINImMAdjaikb1TCP3gUslzSHOP25KcG98h4dES57PJXT4C7LB_vDGXgaWChyg9oRyGjj3mu6EJ5jSLjja5wFrT57v1yOlscFsKMWtwRefS-w2bLU6jPQHzZXCgzJ2s_Zlym7kvfIUH2_p6P7HFw4al7CkXvFZqfP7JJzC3uBW91ud5wiswD_alL_Ehg/s320/sorc4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaN7V-hyzgWM8CKlteHzL_YIrMYD38kb-mvgQY2C88vhs2Oi251F66gStElez9uThcSz1F11--q4BJ2tGzAEZWT6YewtSHDf-C7OvNJN4xSFnaPUdHss-yF8-IkebSdFeozZaThk-apW22n_b1hp4jRjOvy04CCWar6cyYT4KxlOJNyvGTpQvYd6sBrA/s1890/sorc5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="1890" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaN7V-hyzgWM8CKlteHzL_YIrMYD38kb-mvgQY2C88vhs2Oi251F66gStElez9uThcSz1F11--q4BJ2tGzAEZWT6YewtSHDf-C7OvNJN4xSFnaPUdHss-yF8-IkebSdFeozZaThk-apW22n_b1hp4jRjOvy04CCWar6cyYT4KxlOJNyvGTpQvYd6sBrA/s320/sorc5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The rest of the puppet was built up using a combination of soft polyurethane foam, cotton, yarn, and latex. The tentacles were aluminum wires covered with soft yarn, then dabbed with tinted latex. All moving parts had joints made from bundles of aluminum wires held together with polymorph thermoplastic. The teeth are paper dipped in latex. The red monster eye is a plastic pearl with a blue iris created by grinding down a section with a Dremel tool, then painting the concave surface blue and covering it with UV resin. The normal eye is a tiny doll's eye made from acrylic plastic. I bought a bunch of those from eBay years ago. The arm was gradually built up with thin layers of latex over an aluminum wire armature padded with thin strips of foam. The flower-like growths on the hip are cotton tufts dipped in latex and rolled between my fingers.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S8y0eOZhqySR9rqP3B1UW3vBY9gYsgSTRJvrRWyb085g-pS6UuJjJAvNj-82A97kCE94pxwsDCtWmet4MK8yn8h3qcgUjuaTVYXpjsLeLh2zlECdovUdNr661qiuOSJY56mSTrCheSbqYOoAgHAgbp3ojHCcFmJfEN-JsldNenVTOefnzIY9bdKmhA/s1890/sorc6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1890" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S8y0eOZhqySR9rqP3B1UW3vBY9gYsgSTRJvrRWyb085g-pS6UuJjJAvNj-82A97kCE94pxwsDCtWmet4MK8yn8h3qcgUjuaTVYXpjsLeLh2zlECdovUdNr661qiuOSJY56mSTrCheSbqYOoAgHAgbp3ojHCcFmJfEN-JsldNenVTOefnzIY9bdKmhA/s320/sorc6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbps-FL9ofW-9XIM3SGCD0i5fjsDbvtfxr0QMIhTyvn0ki55fTZkGC9Ax3rmZ0hO6opH4DHNe_fBH6FJ_CEuMQix0Qd8hlw-wH3XSdHhuwUqhoRYEE7j-59W5z9FIZ-4x82qh9_aJqyTUouleayTo-ITCI_qjqLgXSE5UskqW2fvl4qhpYuE8nHr4_Aw/s1890/sorc7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbps-FL9ofW-9XIM3SGCD0i5fjsDbvtfxr0QMIhTyvn0ki55fTZkGC9Ax3rmZ0hO6opH4DHNe_fBH6FJ_CEuMQix0Qd8hlw-wH3XSdHhuwUqhoRYEE7j-59W5z9FIZ-4x82qh9_aJqyTUouleayTo-ITCI_qjqLgXSE5UskqW2fvl4qhpYuE8nHr4_Aw/s320/sorc7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ikac-wV8yrwL2b54YL0st_xhdKrRiKIt2uBMmaryQF-Jfg-E52yO4O3jacjmkFoL9JwQc701HRUlMLiv5-gVYmAVEjJloL1cU0icpLxeD9i4kvl9VAC_ClfX6iaebuZwQS4lNEwoIMksOayyzeb68E2iPAQtmNSgw-DiTBC6ePrprN6xEwteudtPxA/s1890/sorc8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1890" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ikac-wV8yrwL2b54YL0st_xhdKrRiKIt2uBMmaryQF-Jfg-E52yO4O3jacjmkFoL9JwQc701HRUlMLiv5-gVYmAVEjJloL1cU0icpLxeD9i4kvl9VAC_ClfX6iaebuZwQS4lNEwoIMksOayyzeb68E2iPAQtmNSgw-DiTBC6ePrprN6xEwteudtPxA/s320/sorc8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppet was dry brushed with tinted latex and given a light touch-up with acrylic airbrush colors. The hair is crepé hair, i e sheep's wool, normally used for stage production beards and mustaches. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AVp9m3dU0K0gF8iwUqep3F1Ni_ovERTAMH94X8VMgMLemAp_WS8mEOVQaMidpFrkCVhzHje8MOCFiQpzqmub0IjPcic8wOhm-bMYQgiP2t89yEoHXG9cv8havqZzzEBg2MGY8ybR6fLUsTn3Vd619ayQhtA9KXwmd8gw6UZI23eF5fSjOHq1pAVQTw/s1890/sorc9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1890" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AVp9m3dU0K0gF8iwUqep3F1Ni_ovERTAMH94X8VMgMLemAp_WS8mEOVQaMidpFrkCVhzHje8MOCFiQpzqmub0IjPcic8wOhm-bMYQgiP2t89yEoHXG9cv8havqZzzEBg2MGY8ybR6fLUsTn3Vd619ayQhtA9KXwmd8gw6UZI23eF5fSjOHq1pAVQTw/s320/sorc9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As you can see, the back of the puppet isn't much to write home about. Since you'll never see that part of the character I just didn't finish it. You can see the tie-down point coming out of the back. It's a threaded bolt attached to a metal rod using super glue and baking soda to fix it in place.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsMiu61j6lxhe93xmfLkUQ79AUlnydraOLewUaCUc-gTSaBFHoq6A36cVq14WnCKLnbgnJUzbh4y3wOvmnfZd3JtglUCaMjfG23vpbZYSsDvxJ1cdxg8e5tTSt1tYrell9ww3g65FrNwZJ67_ZAs-Yt1lTNHUQaf1fr_fMEz4yYsPMGgZMJne1pGvyA/s1890/beh1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1451" data-original-width="1890" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsMiu61j6lxhe93xmfLkUQ79AUlnydraOLewUaCUc-gTSaBFHoq6A36cVq14WnCKLnbgnJUzbh4y3wOvmnfZd3JtglUCaMjfG23vpbZYSsDvxJ1cdxg8e5tTSt1tYrell9ww3g65FrNwZJ67_ZAs-Yt1lTNHUQaf1fr_fMEz4yYsPMGgZMJne1pGvyA/s320/beh1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNZUw7vpthnmbxy91kZA5lG0M3vrJV8vrg_BU4yLK8DhkeoaQxcbN6O2muWX-VHaHpbhbk_M0o1VpbO3VNJJO4oCeNccBjeYpltsW7IXUbeXMu84vxfU7x6n6UlwEq23CXzUnSsfs99Z5ytb0kDUSDFhPOOB8mPdt6MBlN6lz8WIpXnx34LAJ1Y6HPw/s1575/beh2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1210" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNZUw7vpthnmbxy91kZA5lG0M3vrJV8vrg_BU4yLK8DhkeoaQxcbN6O2muWX-VHaHpbhbk_M0o1VpbO3VNJJO4oCeNccBjeYpltsW7IXUbeXMu84vxfU7x6n6UlwEq23CXzUnSsfs99Z5ytb0kDUSDFhPOOB8mPdt6MBlN6lz8WIpXnx34LAJ1Y6HPw/s320/beh2.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Journeying further with Yogash we come to the valley of the behemoths, chubby vaguely humanoid giants. We see two of them in the film. I sculpted one with both face and torso, while the other only got a head sculpt. I re-used the flabby body of his friend for him as well when casting latex skins for the puppet bodies.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCzW-PMntJXc0O5v-IoApxSeShXXrBIGBSQHTwoxeO8MOKhTJH6Qve6K8lTlCpYpwr6WX1xdoGxzl18psyULNnui-Q3e1O0hdLDipzX1SKNh8nGU0zcGliR_B5efa4u0bvHmKJz6mHfYe4eZdmVBYutTrGmtdkC4BB3wSrjAZ6AZEIOcv_4ja9DcH3Q/s1890/beh3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="1890" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCzW-PMntJXc0O5v-IoApxSeShXXrBIGBSQHTwoxeO8MOKhTJH6Qve6K8lTlCpYpwr6WX1xdoGxzl18psyULNnui-Q3e1O0hdLDipzX1SKNh8nGU0zcGliR_B5efa4u0bvHmKJz6mHfYe4eZdmVBYutTrGmtdkC4BB3wSrjAZ6AZEIOcv_4ja9DcH3Q/s320/beh3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The puppets are fairly small, about eight inches tall. I forgot to snap photos of their armatures, but they're very simple constructions using aluminum wires and thermoplastic. The foam padding over the armatures was made using foam of various densities depending on where on the body they were placed.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNss1JT_6FK6XkzLvHOYWnpVcuh0zhMqdCaz9ppAxU5LY0jSdV8S7LBRce1ko3a3-_bqFshQVxO73_9V3pADwYW2y0NYZeRJd9DFJWC-Jy0W7ijsN_zvRm6vXqDj5lmV4nfWXfYT2CQR0xQf3nTzzii_hTf4wevcjnuJGBIghmht7yBSXAHUyO2dBnA/s1890/behemoths%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1267" data-original-width="1890" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNss1JT_6FK6XkzLvHOYWnpVcuh0zhMqdCaz9ppAxU5LY0jSdV8S7LBRce1ko3a3-_bqFshQVxO73_9V3pADwYW2y0NYZeRJd9DFJWC-Jy0W7ijsN_zvRm6vXqDj5lmV4nfWXfYT2CQR0xQf3nTzzii_hTf4wevcjnuJGBIghmht7yBSXAHUyO2dBnA/s320/behemoths%20klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE0ftOdD8d3AhhySgPOmIIL9opb4_TL9v86bGK8nDhnmGkrIsR6npEW8_MYmUZqRPxilEwgdIOmFEu6G4g56q3DecKz-8vHasdjgP5hHr4D6oouuycdn1BMrO1dCVq0g0uHm94mcR4QfQa1a4LVvYGAYQx5XAVPZTxRDK6kbPMvkR1R00GiNzeZm1WQ/s1890/behemoths%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE0ftOdD8d3AhhySgPOmIIL9opb4_TL9v86bGK8nDhnmGkrIsR6npEW8_MYmUZqRPxilEwgdIOmFEu6G4g56q3DecKz-8vHasdjgP5hHr4D6oouuycdn1BMrO1dCVq0g0uHm94mcR4QfQa1a4LVvYGAYQx5XAVPZTxRDK6kbPMvkR1R00GiNzeZm1WQ/s320/behemoths%20klar2.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3r5uJ9mPe3bZOy3FbuXPVYqxDoYNvYmIkUQ1U7CVbVmvyzg_HtnxtWJdOAGf4GQdOlp5hg6fYM09xcKFW86I0FOziCSN1fg3N9RoRif4QOWsm6TueN_uETC0j4QCTQo3KIR8PI-Df9MOmArUE8i40GeZzeWtTArPZQkTEqwstB5pKVivm0NcirgKbw/s1890/behemoths%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3r5uJ9mPe3bZOy3FbuXPVYqxDoYNvYmIkUQ1U7CVbVmvyzg_HtnxtWJdOAGf4GQdOlp5hg6fYM09xcKFW86I0FOziCSN1fg3N9RoRif4QOWsm6TueN_uETC0j4QCTQo3KIR8PI-Df9MOmArUE8i40GeZzeWtTArPZQkTEqwstB5pKVivm0NcirgKbw/s320/behemoths%20klar3.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppets are covered with patches of latex skin cast in skin texture molds, as well as latex casts made from the clay sculptures using plaster molds. They're painted with tinted latex and acrylic colors applied by dipping an old toothbrush in color and spraying it on by dragging my thumb over the bristles. The eyes are mother-of-pearl scrapbooking acrylic domes.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6pA1aT3awm7ey9RGxyIN1OWFn2i3yh0zGjO4quiutb1KSVjopnewa9nkU7-yCZHIsJ3za3yIwR_aB0amWw09XSb1XHr--KKALHXUCt5HXBgHb5kNltXH2KPWTJXKHMUEfGSNgr2gJ8tMvgHBXjoA3L0K4AuWdlV6Nb2riXJWu4NZYEqIZdd8-dvK_Q/s4032/IMG_1668.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6pA1aT3awm7ey9RGxyIN1OWFn2i3yh0zGjO4quiutb1KSVjopnewa9nkU7-yCZHIsJ3za3yIwR_aB0amWw09XSb1XHr--KKALHXUCt5HXBgHb5kNltXH2KPWTJXKHMUEfGSNgr2gJ8tMvgHBXjoA3L0K4AuWdlV6Nb2riXJWu4NZYEqIZdd8-dvK_Q/s320/IMG_1668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Eventually, Yogash comes to a human city and encounters a dying boy lying on the floor in a pauper's hut. Yogash asks the boy if he'll come with him to become a ghoul himself, or if Yogash should just leave him there to die. This little chap is Hannes Johansson, whom you've seen in a few of my other films by now. I just filmed Hannes lying on the floor in my buddy Andreas Petterson's flat. Hannes lives above it, so he just stopped by on his way home from school.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSepkdFTuNoCmvE6XhcNBdIw5dZqhabpX00zl22CSZE9Fe_gRbxFwYtHC-ArQh-cVUHsrpufun5ILtgVZUJE1bjKxa8s7pi4qcsch1JIrXHRrJ2Klg8SIe8lVquExREqrgcdSHG6sTOwDcx-ApdBSBvUDVusoTfGFhNj3dK1wV4qMh7maceojAkgFGg/s1890/hannes4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="1890" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSepkdFTuNoCmvE6XhcNBdIw5dZqhabpX00zl22CSZE9Fe_gRbxFwYtHC-ArQh-cVUHsrpufun5ILtgVZUJE1bjKxa8s7pi4qcsch1JIrXHRrJ2Klg8SIe8lVquExREqrgcdSHG6sTOwDcx-ApdBSBvUDVusoTfGFhNj3dK1wV4qMh7maceojAkgFGg/s320/hannes4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Probably the toughest shot in the film, the little challenge I try to put into all my projects so I'll grow and learn something new with each effort, is when Yogash leaves the town carrying the boy. It's a combination of Photoshop and After Effects trickery.</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrAdZASIK9_2C1gmi062AksigruxD2KxygqoYkk1K8-KrNED0uaikKOafLtY4Ao1bbrs7TVG_5SDmLcGMYpnVxNhabMeQANguWw7XL1ZCJ0XATOioCLAkB0-Q0kQzXWs-1mGXRJ89LSDwi1za1Ee7T0viUs_mKTlHZJrriGmq0ZDZihHG1zqIB1grPg/s1987/hannes1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1953" data-original-width="1987" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrAdZASIK9_2C1gmi062AksigruxD2KxygqoYkk1K8-KrNED0uaikKOafLtY4Ao1bbrs7TVG_5SDmLcGMYpnVxNhabMeQANguWw7XL1ZCJ0XATOioCLAkB0-Q0kQzXWs-1mGXRJ89LSDwi1za1Ee7T0viUs_mKTlHZJrriGmq0ZDZihHG1zqIB1grPg/s320/hannes1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uaeonseydEmKS5GecuLsfRBu2qkecQv--wHSlaWowFya8D7mA8AYTcTL1gqAyaTXVaGgLUJzvsE-U2lI3ag5EMooyYWeKK-K7Hg2kaunWr928rKYIcqbqrvFZexQThg95sos8sHOSSKNkc4HKRO3hetX0YCpsIDYzDOWH1JgVog0pHO_aApOH6O1xw/s1890/hannes2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1670" data-original-width="1890" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uaeonseydEmKS5GecuLsfRBu2qkecQv--wHSlaWowFya8D7mA8AYTcTL1gqAyaTXVaGgLUJzvsE-U2lI3ag5EMooyYWeKK-K7Hg2kaunWr928rKYIcqbqrvFZexQThg95sos8sHOSSKNkc4HKRO3hetX0YCpsIDYzDOWH1JgVog0pHO_aApOH6O1xw/s320/hannes2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>To place Hannes in the arms of the puppet I picked him up and twirled around in front of my video camera, to get views from all angles.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zX7NkdqDr2dMOhE57wqzH958KPC8kV6mwRLZoXPivk4NzMVGOfJSuvuTuhvz0oABec-hZLO0DD7Up2CV2YjHboDh_01QfyYriLMdj2AWyxYm83VFXR81Gh3x8bIcTL2bCmgeI8fxS57aJq8ZsI2_dn5ajQUcBr10bx-yl0sZpfCs6jx6OqRagfuaUw/s1890/hannes3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="1890" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zX7NkdqDr2dMOhE57wqzH958KPC8kV6mwRLZoXPivk4NzMVGOfJSuvuTuhvz0oABec-hZLO0DD7Up2CV2YjHboDh_01QfyYriLMdj2AWyxYm83VFXR81Gh3x8bIcTL2bCmgeI8fxS57aJq8ZsI2_dn5ajQUcBr10bx-yl0sZpfCs6jx6OqRagfuaUw/s320/hannes3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG0Cp-mSvHg70wfOaUYK7eoNqGfBRBiVEjUjMpTlvzhQ34i6M86eKvFFgxFHQggmDuB0RPXGgJkPsI_gKAbQgxS1AnDXsqY32G0UtxmAryzBUxlsPOrlldjDA_R7Mg2eEhuTopGz9pu9A8muT_q_tAm5uD3td7WVhILvsR_EyA3UnJYJ4Jw-n5AkLrA/s2221/ghoul%20carry1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2221" data-original-width="1973" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG0Cp-mSvHg70wfOaUYK7eoNqGfBRBiVEjUjMpTlvzhQ34i6M86eKvFFgxFHQggmDuB0RPXGgJkPsI_gKAbQgxS1AnDXsqY32G0UtxmAryzBUxlsPOrlldjDA_R7Mg2eEhuTopGz9pu9A8muT_q_tAm5uD3td7WVhILvsR_EyA3UnJYJ4Jw-n5AkLrA/s320/ghoul%20carry1.png" width="284" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Pulling stills from the video footage, I then cut out Hannes in Photoshop and added another photo of the ghoul puppet with its arms in the right position. I animated the puppet walking towards the "camera", cut away the top half of the animated ghoul with the masking tool, and added the Photoshopped image instead. The trick to making this work was to use keyframes at certain points to make the Photoshop image follow the animated lower half of the body. It's a short enough clip that I think I made it work -barely. There is a tracking tool to make one image layer follow the movements of another layer, but I've never been able to make it work satisfactorily.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5_VjpUpLeZVF74LOWAYPNehDYBq0nrPyqvSFMxpCKhufpFAZigWv0WcvSSw3axyVXz1F0AjviRE-xCgeYBB4YIpRFwoZpMfv5EyHxA7eCFFf2WqRlC4juc_Stxde4mYwX1ox37vhwvU6LNQuZJm6v5hXezzzhIT0ni8qThQrQi8yIYy6jH_tKKCFkA/s1890/crypt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5_VjpUpLeZVF74LOWAYPNehDYBq0nrPyqvSFMxpCKhufpFAZigWv0WcvSSw3axyVXz1F0AjviRE-xCgeYBB4YIpRFwoZpMfv5EyHxA7eCFFf2WqRlC4juc_Stxde4mYwX1ox37vhwvU6LNQuZJm6v5hXezzzhIT0ni8qThQrQi8yIYy6jH_tKKCFkA/s320/crypt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>All the settings of Yogash's world are various stock photographs pulled apart and re-assembled in Photoshop, usually to work in a number of layers in conjunction with stock video effects such as fog or fireflies. I thought this building looked sufficiently crypt-like to work as Yogash's abode. A guy on YouTube called me out on it and explained it's part of an old waterworks complex just s stone's throw from where he lives.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLKmmaDPPS8GEY09hqTVVQ9pn55InEKnSeQ41KJWnRAOXE-iTjJvvjekdXMctWlcz1btviWLJw6VASIj_AojqGNE-YDnOsmOHZNAlwAxinoy10gwjIEbsFzjg6X-6Ekw740UTEBoU1Z7MH5PV7oBTpYSjyWB5krkD7uptd7LDDPbIwcwF3f4mSyRwtw/s1890/grave.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLKmmaDPPS8GEY09hqTVVQ9pn55InEKnSeQ41KJWnRAOXE-iTjJvvjekdXMctWlcz1btviWLJw6VASIj_AojqGNE-YDnOsmOHZNAlwAxinoy10gwjIEbsFzjg6X-6Ekw740UTEBoU1Z7MH5PV7oBTpYSjyWB5krkD7uptd7LDDPbIwcwF3f4mSyRwtw/s320/grave.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The graveyard around Yogash's crypt is, I believe, an old French graveyard. I had a stock video of a squawking crow shot against a green screen, so I added that to one of the tombstones.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdIOYhpPZt3Pfj7MHbqZwalYcNqpyiYLfe_SEVbFDoxBHpCBf0PmavPDxnb19vPJcOPr2-g4hOc9Au7uqQhQFzIbCO1SUTBTiU6opzjDTeE0_0DgD2j0zKwK2r2-Xjbd7lHpepbNPSgLMRy0mJAbPD5r1sguRcSRFxTwNbAeIHngT2u6Q8BxIFV67Cw/s4000/Depositphotos_168633378_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2670" data-original-width="4000" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdIOYhpPZt3Pfj7MHbqZwalYcNqpyiYLfe_SEVbFDoxBHpCBf0PmavPDxnb19vPJcOPr2-g4hOc9Au7uqQhQFzIbCO1SUTBTiU6opzjDTeE0_0DgD2j0zKwK2r2-Xjbd7lHpepbNPSgLMRy0mJAbPD5r1sguRcSRFxTwNbAeIHngT2u6Q8BxIFV67Cw/s320/Depositphotos_168633378_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The town itself was a gaggle of photos of the old Mongolian town Sarai-Batu. I thought it had a vaguely Asiatic or eastern look, which would go well with the esthetics of the proto-fantasy tales that Lovecraft and his pals, like Robert E Howard.</p><p>All in all, Yogash the Ghoul got a very good reception on YouTube, which delights me. In fact, people have asked for a sequel. They want to see more exploits of Yogash and "ghoul boy", as they've nicknamed Hannes. And I have given that some thought. Hannes is certainly up for it, and the ghoul puppet is still looking well enough. I'd also like to give other characters from the Lovecraft family tree a spin, such as K'baa the serpent, or Goth the Burrower.</p><p><br /></p></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-59148425700945244422023-01-10T08:37:00.001-08:002023-01-10T08:37:39.382-08:00Silly Asses<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bcBCQVT60uI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>"Silly Asses" was adapted from a short story by Isaac Asimov published initially in Future Science Fiction, # 35, 1958. It has slipped into the public domain since, and I thought it would make a short, fun project for my YouTube channel. All of the story is there, basically. I have changed parts of the text that work better as imagery on film.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPXW5bQaHqu-Cv7QRtUtM1_vK4sXy4Mw1jeFrHqP6F0cXtI2sUlGqJxKQrF4nCTfNA9VFXBPzthNel-0PPJOkVvCCV88xYM5jwwxgDxQUSxJAKlwVD2AnSIX4eAoUGQjCRlPWDRu-VeFhF1XiZa4goGFoGFFNhe2UrRLKbB7P-pLNJaO8VL3jF5tVtg/s1890/shrimp%20guy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPXW5bQaHqu-Cv7QRtUtM1_vK4sXy4Mw1jeFrHqP6F0cXtI2sUlGqJxKQrF4nCTfNA9VFXBPzthNel-0PPJOkVvCCV88xYM5jwwxgDxQUSxJAKlwVD2AnSIX4eAoUGQjCRlPWDRu-VeFhF1XiZa4goGFoGFFNhe2UrRLKbB7P-pLNJaO8VL3jF5tVtg/s320/shrimp%20guy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There are two main characters in the story. Let's start with this one, which I call "Shrimp Guy."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXL5f1ARpvtp6Pi6Pnittxrd_Vpj9pXcuoxAJ3IGk1bsbqqXwRcCfefonOd3NVYH_h6zzkFKjnOGCvyNqFtRJ_bAfyXQ69gyxIMKJvXEyJw0EhHOO6LHbVc1lSFdtf638KFGFhF2V5AoC7U0afcTXkDG6Qy7gy-MnXvvBsUsQBUhbwYGU22b0xsh1svg/s695/KOR%20DITWH%20Abyss%20-%20The%20Octopoid%20Creature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXL5f1ARpvtp6Pi6Pnittxrd_Vpj9pXcuoxAJ3IGk1bsbqqXwRcCfefonOd3NVYH_h6zzkFKjnOGCvyNqFtRJ_bAfyXQ69gyxIMKJvXEyJw0EhHOO6LHbVc1lSFdtf638KFGFhF2V5AoC7U0afcTXkDG6Qy7gy-MnXvvBsUsQBUhbwYGU22b0xsh1svg/s320/KOR%20DITWH%20Abyss%20-%20The%20Octopoid%20Creature.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><div><br /></div>His most distinguishing feature is probably his head. It's actually the nose section of a different puppet made for a different project. Way back in 2014 I was involved in the pre-production for a rock opera adaptation of H P Lovecraft's "The Dreams In the Witchhouse." The monster designs were made by my DeviantArt buddy King OvRats and I was responsible for translating his drawings into puppets. We put quite a bit of work into the project, but nothing came of it in the end. I finished one of the puppets, but I haven't used it for any of my own films. I still have the mold made from the nose and thought I could at least put that to good use.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsPGkNROQRnvRxYMaR_86mhOmM8TsaqStNKoEUwOZ-VCtT74lK8g-Er3q-bUWAHb2G8c7hND9ysLJPY7v14GPvzMcMBW2-BOjHluVV9NWMwUSzzrC9PnDmVQw4ZtRB4Vux313m6Z3p__1gyGQxHKiglNgp9k_PjEhOMUlS6xAU2cdpGq92uuYFei-qQ/s2248/octo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2248" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsPGkNROQRnvRxYMaR_86mhOmM8TsaqStNKoEUwOZ-VCtT74lK8g-Er3q-bUWAHb2G8c7hND9ysLJPY7v14GPvzMcMBW2-BOjHluVV9NWMwUSzzrC9PnDmVQw4ZtRB4Vux313m6Z3p__1gyGQxHKiglNgp9k_PjEhOMUlS6xAU2cdpGq92uuYFei-qQ/s320/octo1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYKBPXVhmFa48tW1rCv_lZASTQyLkjCj_oE5hlIdRBTQz7YWl50kihXDua8iAqg6jr_t1XZQvwvCccOKlMD44slLmkmCh5rTlT9OC3dOcHKbAIUkfridb6BpMI7KEika-CKp5_3-d-oRUD1XvNUksQpOwipli1At6CiJsDsDVTX25o9u33fW3PEPocQ/s2096/octo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="2096" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYKBPXVhmFa48tW1rCv_lZASTQyLkjCj_oE5hlIdRBTQz7YWl50kihXDua8iAqg6jr_t1XZQvwvCccOKlMD44slLmkmCh5rTlT9OC3dOcHKbAIUkfridb6BpMI7KEika-CKp5_3-d-oRUD1XvNUksQpOwipli1At6CiJsDsDVTX25o9u33fW3PEPocQ/s320/octo2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's my original sculpture for the nose, one of the first I made in Monster Clay. Turned upside down it would be used as the head of Shrimp Guy. If you want to read the full story of the Witchhouse project, or as far as it got you can read all about it <a href="https://loneanimator.blogspot.com/2014/11/witchouse-monsters-part-1.html" target="_blank">HERE.</a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4fUaj28kv2SfstC0d-ZECwE8YnNCO-w6fR4_u2OKzWurFW2ChcalGMUZtnO68zfBwzrTprfKezntXbNQ8cBmtK3ftzy_iNsUPiCsvDjfOU2HrAhhUjpFP-qP_xxmhewJB-yHFk4AOBA4bM7b78LBXFWc4XUoN0yCW_WdZCVJt63f-njG1wdHdbO2ew/s1890/shrimp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4fUaj28kv2SfstC0d-ZECwE8YnNCO-w6fR4_u2OKzWurFW2ChcalGMUZtnO68zfBwzrTprfKezntXbNQ8cBmtK3ftzy_iNsUPiCsvDjfOU2HrAhhUjpFP-qP_xxmhewJB-yHFk4AOBA4bM7b78LBXFWc4XUoN0yCW_WdZCVJt63f-njG1wdHdbO2ew/s320/shrimp1.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I cast the headpiece in tinted latex, making it as pink as I could. The inside of this latex skin was lined with a latex/cotton mix to make it sturdy and to make it hold its shape. I also added thermoplastic to create a sort of skull inside it. The thermoplastic also worked as an attachment for the two eyestalks and the pincer-like mouth of the character. The body is a paper ball covered with thermoplastic. Tail, arms, and legs were made from aluminum wires wrapped in soft yarn dabbed with tinted latex. The limbs don't have any "bones" in them. They're jointless and move about very much like the limbs of cartoon characters in old animated films using the so-called "rubber hose" animation style. The claws on the feet are also latex cast in an old plaster mold for horns and such, made many years ago.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjKZJIz-m0YplnwJdKxOmuIuFESyu2kr0355Xbs4VGf0ZjyisYgc6Sth_KSHrNOI7okq9kSTgf_r_VlR6-dTWzw-QgVjScMj6ckxyg0ewSqMjcDq4Yi-iQ4GPqUuraRN_Fq1Gb3BFvQl9c8u0pYx3RKMJwypBP7pl1PLiuvmqYLXr7c-Ea9wyzw5ePg/s1890/shrimp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1127" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjKZJIz-m0YplnwJdKxOmuIuFESyu2kr0355Xbs4VGf0ZjyisYgc6Sth_KSHrNOI7okq9kSTgf_r_VlR6-dTWzw-QgVjScMj6ckxyg0ewSqMjcDq4Yi-iQ4GPqUuraRN_Fq1Gb3BFvQl9c8u0pYx3RKMJwypBP7pl1PLiuvmqYLXr7c-Ea9wyzw5ePg/s320/shrimp2.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A bit of polyurethane foam padding puts more flesh on the torso and tail. The skin textures are latex casts made from molds for older puppet projects. The combination of textures and latex casts is a real mishmash.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrriJRN0jCtvdl9GjUMfNXUmhNlJzBhvYL5xm0MYAXFlZ2LFAyxDS2F765ZN_SZe8J-itjc2lDI8X23IUqDpi5FG7zIcGZ5sdOfmIb1KCVa3TYJWXt325j6gKNd6-o8aw5NCLwHDmS_q_Uuc2Q_gtQCERRrFvXULNU17F1J-nV-D9tR93ns6_u5az4hg/s1890/shrimp3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1074" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrriJRN0jCtvdl9GjUMfNXUmhNlJzBhvYL5xm0MYAXFlZ2LFAyxDS2F765ZN_SZe8J-itjc2lDI8X23IUqDpi5FG7zIcGZ5sdOfmIb1KCVa3TYJWXt325j6gKNd6-o8aw5NCLwHDmS_q_Uuc2Q_gtQCERRrFvXULNU17F1J-nV-D9tR93ns6_u5az4hg/s320/shrimp3.jpg" width="182" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here the puppet has gotten its base coat of pink paint, which is made from tinted latex. Detailing with acrylic airbrush paints now awaits. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUs4afExwmCYTtdQWsNk7c1dKFeX43JRIXuGUzb0uUdOxytoCg-TvUEE3nayzC4UjDtgKfWlidkYsifN6npfIiVsp_AafeM2cu3BKxEfAxuA4Ddm9gPQ8tUIv2Eb-ElkNmIh3F1Y-dojPuyyL5c2LhAwUOd6J0OkGEBD2aDZtbeqXrtryyq5-SK-xbg/s1890/prawn%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1079" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUs4afExwmCYTtdQWsNk7c1dKFeX43JRIXuGUzb0uUdOxytoCg-TvUEE3nayzC4UjDtgKfWlidkYsifN6npfIiVsp_AafeM2cu3BKxEfAxuA4Ddm9gPQ8tUIv2Eb-ElkNmIh3F1Y-dojPuyyL5c2LhAwUOd6J0OkGEBD2aDZtbeqXrtryyq5-SK-xbg/s320/prawn%20klar1.jpg" width="183" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1TSDv1duUa8ImbhPN0S39Y5HUMVHLkjn26FrLIkrUYC3_jRDpxdYsQo7SFJT-q9Ye-rI8bAu6-l9ljZza43lPHMZZ9HfPh7rDkerhkzz7mNdVlSAAgdv5frQqBUJBQRCiHYWXoUngZasApjkvW_VF592GcMlPUWI6ujDM4w6tmtQudI_fmbry7kqMQ/s1890/prawn%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="854" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1TSDv1duUa8ImbhPN0S39Y5HUMVHLkjn26FrLIkrUYC3_jRDpxdYsQo7SFJT-q9Ye-rI8bAu6-l9ljZza43lPHMZZ9HfPh7rDkerhkzz7mNdVlSAAgdv5frQqBUJBQRCiHYWXoUngZasApjkvW_VF592GcMlPUWI6ujDM4w6tmtQudI_fmbry7kqMQ/s320/prawn%20klar2.jpg" width="145" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaq0feWLgJHCQLBOPrZZu3zhBjUO_wrazJAZqHy8Z4ya6A0JV8rCZMMAQtIhYrPSA9h9babhK_kZVeumqOg5PNbm8GGkvT7p49wqTt_an8_PKH76d_ckGF7uunkgDNzehKl2KjQdbjYfhCMWvnuI5ImOvZRPJJvBV7RKQ8afO56ThCWxqa1LdmWadSQ/s1890/prawn%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1173" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaq0feWLgJHCQLBOPrZZu3zhBjUO_wrazJAZqHy8Z4ya6A0JV8rCZMMAQtIhYrPSA9h9babhK_kZVeumqOg5PNbm8GGkvT7p49wqTt_an8_PKH76d_ckGF7uunkgDNzehKl2KjQdbjYfhCMWvnuI5ImOvZRPJJvBV7RKQ8afO56ThCWxqa1LdmWadSQ/s320/prawn%20klar3.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the finished puppet. The eyes are photoshop print-outs stuck to the backside of clear acrylic domes. These domes as well as the transparent glue used on them were bought from a local scrapbooking shop. </div><div>The device he's holding is a plastic cast taken from a silicone mold made over a model kit part. I think it's a motor part or some kind of hatch from a Klingon ship.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Hk17aIiOE272PUPuD-j7feSNtjSSiXhf-ddvDnLPHxbi6yO-A3kfnCDY4pB9Bz4t1hVOPIwiTb5xI0_CRnEpAitDlxaFlVfzxq8aIWV_JqWU2k2bOGvlf5nINF6fnDUajKBNBntqXia6fpE8q3Y37slUsdiGLWkgYf2nD6FX3INpq0lrz6kHBLBJmQ/s1890/boss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Hk17aIiOE272PUPuD-j7feSNtjSSiXhf-ddvDnLPHxbi6yO-A3kfnCDY4pB9Bz4t1hVOPIwiTb5xI0_CRnEpAitDlxaFlVfzxq8aIWV_JqWU2k2bOGvlf5nINF6fnDUajKBNBntqXia6fpE8q3Y37slUsdiGLWkgYf2nD6FX3INpq0lrz6kHBLBJmQ/s320/boss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Now for Shrimp Guy's impatient boss. He's actually an older puppet used once for a film called "Beans." I touched up the puppet a bit and added a chest plate made from latex and silver paint. He also got plasticene eyebrows and a plasticene lower lip and teeth, so I could animate him talking and add a few bewildered expressions to his face. It's cartoon acting of the lowest order. You can read all bout how this puppet was made and the "Beans" project <a href="https://loneanimator.blogspot.com/2013/11/bug-eyed-aliens.html" target="_blank">HERE:</a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WY_LiXDiqfqQcIRiHs35IdJcGlIhYXWFj0cFHolEfC14VdIkjjEXGoXcazaW4rTQI9nOkyQxSuL4L-miSoK1lnjaAClPuSULIedMJEfQ8FxENYs9TJlA2tt5um-VQGefyQIIgFXNIhRa0N-TcUCKQsYrOEKN2WUjg-26M0DX46iwm5_umGv0OSGVeg/s1890/aliens%20city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WY_LiXDiqfqQcIRiHs35IdJcGlIhYXWFj0cFHolEfC14VdIkjjEXGoXcazaW4rTQI9nOkyQxSuL4L-miSoK1lnjaAClPuSULIedMJEfQ8FxENYs9TJlA2tt5um-VQGefyQIIgFXNIhRa0N-TcUCKQsYrOEKN2WUjg-26M0DX46iwm5_umGv0OSGVeg/s320/aliens%20city.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The Galactic Federation planet is populated with many alien races, some of which are briefly glimpsed in one shot as they're walking past the "camera" in a corridor. For this, I only used old puppets from various projects, and I also stuck an old toy robot in there - an R2-D2 knockoff bought for me at the end of the 1970s. The city and its densely trafficked skies are a blend of CG stock footage and CG stock images, animated by me in layers in After Effects. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxi3mK9YqPrNI0g0I1n6-TKacpTKbQb9VaZNVBIbQ5fu34ucLpUn7SsfYDyKuL3kdWclegrB5MHJWr67lyjsqy95pPM1y9hlma9gwXsjVnIdZoQme6uXidkhF1BkkbPcljhiX87ERvDKzTvryvRlc3EFYvAxmftOn2IkldPCyQG4nd0YDRQY024nYFrw/s1890/boss%20room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxi3mK9YqPrNI0g0I1n6-TKacpTKbQb9VaZNVBIbQ5fu34ucLpUn7SsfYDyKuL3kdWclegrB5MHJWr67lyjsqy95pPM1y9hlma9gwXsjVnIdZoQme6uXidkhF1BkkbPcljhiX87ERvDKzTvryvRlc3EFYvAxmftOn2IkldPCyQG4nd0YDRQY024nYFrw/s320/boss%20room.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The same goes for the office of the boss. I found a few CG images of a spaceship interior on Depositphotos.com and adapted them in Photoshop, changing the perspectives and adding or removing details. The computer graphics floating around the room were also stock media found of Videoblocks and Videohive, and again adapted in After Effects to suit my needs. I did the voices for both characters, and my Italian friend Marco Zanelli provided the trippy music.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I really like Sci-Fi, probably more so than fantasy, so I'm planning on doing more projects in that genre.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-61549308233678482192022-12-11T11:51:00.003-08:002022-12-11T11:51:47.602-08:00Spider Mites<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zWndVivXJtg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMSCO7MBP93Mytlj4m_J0hIouKoknplHDk-nBf_AVvCqfF-qiJkzzVK9NWqAbTtCKrSQY-qnbogO19HMYvaIzxaRc1WOP_99Pt3HASXEJn2EpKEHXbUVJg-NLvb7XC7MGmb47NP-CBnhlYmnTkhD3nZHUkCZDgklAsMdB2w21QH5FhY_Dr6AQJRTlrA/s400/scratchmann.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMSCO7MBP93Mytlj4m_J0hIouKoknplHDk-nBf_AVvCqfF-qiJkzzVK9NWqAbTtCKrSQY-qnbogO19HMYvaIzxaRc1WOP_99Pt3HASXEJn2EpKEHXbUVJg-NLvb7XC7MGmb47NP-CBnhlYmnTkhD3nZHUkCZDgklAsMdB2w21QH5FhY_Dr6AQJRTlrA/s320/scratchmann.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>"Spider Mites" is adapted from a poem I found on a website listing creepy Halloween-appropriate poems. I thought it was really to the point and imaginative. I contacted the author, Max Scratchmann, via Facebook and found him to be a quirky, very interesting guy. He kindly gave me the go-ahead to let me do my stuff with his text.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOP9qNQ0QKnkDsXeBEBF3ZsjDTd_Eadg9HManx1B4SXzM6YAaO_-BU1ozHcBcdfHLcEfPY4EK2Tnqf1nOOjBrmO7IsqZvxYApUSlxGNqkdI_3TcVuqg-ruBKMu0ypWxnr2p9x8nWHePObmxBpZKiYum_zfvfohvX3esHzYQbJMg-HJoJKNce2_PxmbA/s1890/spidermites1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1179" data-original-width="1890" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOP9qNQ0QKnkDsXeBEBF3ZsjDTd_Eadg9HManx1B4SXzM6YAaO_-BU1ozHcBcdfHLcEfPY4EK2Tnqf1nOOjBrmO7IsqZvxYApUSlxGNqkdI_3TcVuqg-ruBKMu0ypWxnr2p9x8nWHePObmxBpZKiYum_zfvfohvX3esHzYQbJMg-HJoJKNce2_PxmbA/s320/spidermites1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>So let's start with our little titular monsters. There are clues to what they look like in the poem, mainly their clicking, clacking legs. I started with sculpting their heads in medium-grade Monster Clay. I placed them side-by-side on a slab of clay and cast a plaster mold over the heads.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGNMr3L6AJYVsys9HwYQrWaiQw5MLvfSu1g28HoSfYzPcMyxun-vr0NySjCy_CslHexpe7aStdLlNcE8LM7BJpjsdoCucKM_tVZEv5KV-ztJiqax5QN5rghIH74-NrvOwDQXtLikaLce7gapXsBFjaMNR9Vwcbinwq13P_PYWxMOX5ptxlDcPteXZ1A/s1890/spidermites2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1890" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGNMr3L6AJYVsys9HwYQrWaiQw5MLvfSu1g28HoSfYzPcMyxun-vr0NySjCy_CslHexpe7aStdLlNcE8LM7BJpjsdoCucKM_tVZEv5KV-ztJiqax5QN5rghIH74-NrvOwDQXtLikaLce7gapXsBFjaMNR9Vwcbinwq13P_PYWxMOX5ptxlDcPteXZ1A/s320/spidermites2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I poured tinted latex into the plaster mold to create two flexible skins. The latex was tinted a pale blue. They will be painted white, so I thought that color would make a good base hue.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyEz-aLLlZhPdYcaNZr6ksfDTDBxtZH4GWimAGWkMSQa8Rl8OVW3Ber8CNZk1eSQazrL763df6045dStxW7VHzY5Jo8E99R4lOZq1p13vsQhhTj6fE1Y4g9rrmVHhEYop9Mk1crr9dO_oFm6NauKyX4TWFZ5Oq-LrxR-T2GsBTTTprl5ZnTW0kLwqkg/s1890/spidermites3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1527" data-original-width="1890" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyEz-aLLlZhPdYcaNZr6ksfDTDBxtZH4GWimAGWkMSQa8Rl8OVW3Ber8CNZk1eSQazrL763df6045dStxW7VHzY5Jo8E99R4lOZq1p13vsQhhTj6fE1Y4g9rrmVHhEYop9Mk1crr9dO_oFm6NauKyX4TWFZ5Oq-LrxR-T2GsBTTTprl5ZnTW0kLwqkg/s320/spidermites3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To give the skins some better stability I soaked thin bits of polyurethane foam in latex and pressed them into the skins. This helped make them sturdy without compromising the flexibility of the latex. In this photo, you can perhaps also see that the top fronts of the heads have been lined with white Polymorph thermoplastic. This is so I'll have a hard part of the heads I can grab hold of when animating, and the plastic also grabs hold of the aluminum wires moving the jaws.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6QF9IbXoiJD0rzG_FID_qh3OqQad172CdivMQfKpKf5713ms8SjVFsWqO1hiJA7JZHoFbIrA-Q_8WXIb39BFIhjVM1G9cruxGv0zW_yGZJP6AWeShHj_oCM31fHSBYxEDiPNBEpbOSkHIe1JhA_SffKx1kKsxueOm94Out6vgoQzaaHTw579KLVZww/s1890/spidermites4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="1890" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6QF9IbXoiJD0rzG_FID_qh3OqQad172CdivMQfKpKf5713ms8SjVFsWqO1hiJA7JZHoFbIrA-Q_8WXIb39BFIhjVM1G9cruxGv0zW_yGZJP6AWeShHj_oCM31fHSBYxEDiPNBEpbOSkHIe1JhA_SffKx1kKsxueOm94Out6vgoQzaaHTw579KLVZww/s320/spidermites4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The legs are a mix of many materials. Mainly they're built out of aluminum wires, wooden ice cream sticks cut and sanded into various shapes. There are also bits of pens, glue tube caps, and small scrapbooking gems. The green girder-looking bits are rolls holding plaster bandages. Each leg has a foot with a small threaded nut attached to aluminum wires with a mix of super glue and baking soda.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_PKq6PVjdzg8P8x5pZcj7b6X44-bAl9pJg5d3jz0R6WWjw2x5CPicG3bDkUs25BSya6n-2OveVYH-s98jMsIGbCluXJBXF4PM30y4R78WgCW-uCR5A9krt17gL--Doyfbr2_N7ZG3AiClcEO6W1XaB7_r-kA6MRS10v7_QWtQ_P_BPREVDsZ0qbjqw/s1890/spidermites5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="1890" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_PKq6PVjdzg8P8x5pZcj7b6X44-bAl9pJg5d3jz0R6WWjw2x5CPicG3bDkUs25BSya6n-2OveVYH-s98jMsIGbCluXJBXF4PM30y4R78WgCW-uCR5A9krt17gL--Doyfbr2_N7ZG3AiClcEO6W1XaB7_r-kA6MRS10v7_QWtQ_P_BPREVDsZ0qbjqw/s320/spidermites5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrSy2nrEj0B3GPfPnfoixzn4jHmIB81iZK5YGT191PPUyvqul2WVff9W70E7NtOrdYBC4yGBaPjSLLgBEiCwygfhHvSJ6ndWqOyZO_NDh7FZsAJ85u04B1py24EY8DUYzxcuzC4yUuBbW8uKSm7D1PCR7ykY46oSX3tkTtoc8qWF0LAJ65FBLrNm9bA/s1890/spidermites6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="1890" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrSy2nrEj0B3GPfPnfoixzn4jHmIB81iZK5YGT191PPUyvqul2WVff9W70E7NtOrdYBC4yGBaPjSLLgBEiCwygfhHvSJ6ndWqOyZO_NDh7FZsAJ85u04B1py24EY8DUYzxcuzC4yUuBbW8uKSm7D1PCR7ykY46oSX3tkTtoc8qWF0LAJ65FBLrNm9bA/s320/spidermites6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I'm building two Spider Mite puppets I made two sets of legs. They were attached to a base made from thermoplastic and ice cream stick parts.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAhgy4AjkSyRJ30UdRFXMM_QdGcrWn5nQw03tDlDpxBAsdcTMN6x0n-05W_pYvuNx4KWxTzJ1AHn8i8eOAbe1Mvg7NP67z2WWJ5SVNsu4QE1nG2rluDIrxlecGymlqY9gWN3RBJizWuD6hbTzvralQkc2-RDIz7RZmYyrGNyfSCmJZDIU8OptY2EoUQ/s1890/spidermites8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAhgy4AjkSyRJ30UdRFXMM_QdGcrWn5nQw03tDlDpxBAsdcTMN6x0n-05W_pYvuNx4KWxTzJ1AHn8i8eOAbe1Mvg7NP67z2WWJ5SVNsu4QE1nG2rluDIrxlecGymlqY9gWN3RBJizWuD6hbTzvralQkc2-RDIz7RZmYyrGNyfSCmJZDIU8OptY2EoUQ/s320/spidermites8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Besides having the reinforced, hard foreheads as a hold-on point when animating I also added a short bit of plastic piping to add extra stability to each puppet.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe2C4L4xgp9JrDDmFq-ln_Oy3Adgd-Go8T0qWHFhX-tI12dIk_Br_O4bBIrUVIzBoP2qJSGWVs43P0xaDBo1Y3C4L97jal21BscabEuD8AoiUlAoyBZbnuCxQFjH0zt8bDRu7SI03Ug2Z38B2rnT18Zoj23JnExqWCfGIrok3zm40lM5ZNCyrY3OMlQ/s1890/spidermites7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1890" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe2C4L4xgp9JrDDmFq-ln_Oy3Adgd-Go8T0qWHFhX-tI12dIk_Br_O4bBIrUVIzBoP2qJSGWVs43P0xaDBo1Y3C4L97jal21BscabEuD8AoiUlAoyBZbnuCxQFjH0zt8bDRu7SI03Ug2Z38B2rnT18Zoj23JnExqWCfGIrok3zm40lM5ZNCyrY3OMlQ/s320/spidermites7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizj7FFHz_72mxACCL-9N5MXHVt54EQIOO1EFA7cOi9Dq4XMxa_lhbGSCU10XIQ_vmNO-xRiw188JpwDlCBBnc32oagsGOdeFVVDC-CmfqXIhVIurlidYoLmy_OXF17GoMPdMXRc-zrU9_lS8XxVHJUBYjHGUCE2bl0-_ueosgzS1Plq3b2rJyEmzm1uw/s1890/spidermites9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizj7FFHz_72mxACCL-9N5MXHVt54EQIOO1EFA7cOi9Dq4XMxa_lhbGSCU10XIQ_vmNO-xRiw188JpwDlCBBnc32oagsGOdeFVVDC-CmfqXIhVIurlidYoLmy_OXF17GoMPdMXRc-zrU9_lS8XxVHJUBYjHGUCE2bl0-_ueosgzS1Plq3b2rJyEmzm1uw/s320/spidermites9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The pulpy bodies were bits of soft polyurethane foam, with yarn wrapped around parts of the foam to give it some extra shapes. You can also see here that I've painted the legs. I've used a black base color spray paint.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLYk1ACyHxtVPOOWWGXQSanBtEQ3kkJDBUfUB-9dq8-5wdzCUtXoiFysvgWc3SUcCuqP4aw9Mcn13KbRpsQeB9xJiidEZwMr1KanDfXuv6H3cpS1i3Rbncax8T74U8CC1gzgGNt3pgB-ErwctbzDWeA6hoUWFGl7VxyeN0KWQg1HgOWJQLus0WrO8iQ/s1575/spidermites10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1181" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLYk1ACyHxtVPOOWWGXQSanBtEQ3kkJDBUfUB-9dq8-5wdzCUtXoiFysvgWc3SUcCuqP4aw9Mcn13KbRpsQeB9xJiidEZwMr1KanDfXuv6H3cpS1i3Rbncax8T74U8CC1gzgGNt3pgB-ErwctbzDWeA6hoUWFGl7VxyeN0KWQg1HgOWJQLus0WrO8iQ/s320/spidermites10.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To build up the skin on the body I added patches of latex skin cast from skin texture molds. When that looked ok I dry brushed on latex-tinted white using a foam sponge until I had a good balance between the white paint and the blue base paint.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMuhj0uC7bHp-m9YlKMEz-MXIow8CnatLG_Vp3KBULK3f6rVVeERp0PZCeUQSTXPVMVGETCvqsTPCP08pJFErC8MQ4Do_bgISBfz6oM0iHdOvCrv8WhKwuyPb7cLMOgZHJK6ES6IEBpaTF8wKILxAybbmGUl4mpfIuGglU2KMwXmFZqWd9JHcP6hdJg/s1575/spidermites11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1346" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMuhj0uC7bHp-m9YlKMEz-MXIow8CnatLG_Vp3KBULK3f6rVVeERp0PZCeUQSTXPVMVGETCvqsTPCP08pJFErC8MQ4Do_bgISBfz6oM0iHdOvCrv8WhKwuyPb7cLMOgZHJK6ES6IEBpaTF8wKILxAybbmGUl4mpfIuGglU2KMwXmFZqWd9JHcP6hdJg/s320/spidermites11.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Under the body and between the legs I wanted something looking like scrap metal clumsily riveted together. I use EVA foam for that. It's a very popular material for model makers and cosplayers. I cut lots of tiny rivets out of the foam using a leather hole cutter.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBz3RGZB6ejlu6LXOLNZ5kYojeh9PAODV8zNH40loZ0nHDmm5Hu3jDXXUTGYD7OOpBuUq5CKWhVN10WDAixgLsjRWhuSGcHRcGwQtsYVpp1bcTDAYHCPRMAecSy7AykqC3zxuaoeqVq2pytYGRYWCK7DL3l4Dliz-VJmWeTSCsu8m1WzeaY7lS50I9A/s1890/spidermites12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBz3RGZB6ejlu6LXOLNZ5kYojeh9PAODV8zNH40loZ0nHDmm5Hu3jDXXUTGYD7OOpBuUq5CKWhVN10WDAixgLsjRWhuSGcHRcGwQtsYVpp1bcTDAYHCPRMAecSy7AykqC3zxuaoeqVq2pytYGRYWCK7DL3l4Dliz-VJmWeTSCsu8m1WzeaY7lS50I9A/s320/spidermites12.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The EVA foam build-ups look pretty good, especially when the metal pain went on. EVA foam is pretty cheap and when working with puppet scales it lasts forever. You get a lot of material out of a single A4 size sheet.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJ-BpBsKtP-QCSqLp6O3AGoaNMLIJ6RR9YyCHK1lY7Ni3tXe3Qi8jk6PC706nTtdCjqcJgnlJc5DPfpTtSZYpPvnmklUjIjlM-XGWHIu7ch6nURakliKF3ZLgO6X0qZmYMfS_aPg9PPItgHp-lBq81D-j66REc2WA9wkWSQsaVB2xx4UwUxDHAzUR7Q/s1890/spidermites%20klara%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1890" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJ-BpBsKtP-QCSqLp6O3AGoaNMLIJ6RR9YyCHK1lY7Ni3tXe3Qi8jk6PC706nTtdCjqcJgnlJc5DPfpTtSZYpPvnmklUjIjlM-XGWHIu7ch6nURakliKF3ZLgO6X0qZmYMfS_aPg9PPItgHp-lBq81D-j66REc2WA9wkWSQsaVB2xx4UwUxDHAzUR7Q/s320/spidermites%20klara%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTu3Heumfmv0aDdui56X2t4rYftMtRsa5XVVOtel8F5p2_70A2mloyODk8w3jxKqMRErvOZLPSd9vKlZ4GLBN2EgVLgejHTPkW87Vju6Bhpf7Zav93XlXeZUAgifZOsjHw1xagyNWHpCkGFeAPFcSVzRZrBW_btfe-olHw2LOYiqByd43ak31J7Uc5JQ/s1890/spidermites%20klara%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="1890" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTu3Heumfmv0aDdui56X2t4rYftMtRsa5XVVOtel8F5p2_70A2mloyODk8w3jxKqMRErvOZLPSd9vKlZ4GLBN2EgVLgejHTPkW87Vju6Bhpf7Zav93XlXeZUAgifZOsjHw1xagyNWHpCkGFeAPFcSVzRZrBW_btfe-olHw2LOYiqByd43ak31J7Uc5JQ/s320/spidermites%20klara%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvvOTT_l-9U0JV7vOrIDpTPjBOleV_nQESNEV5-8NOhqf495NIyoSDt3ut_wBoE6aD7QFL0LTQKd9-FaxuAiCcs9dqZeOpPze-niKmcAN9Yya88cAHKpxLAI3cd_uhrsXCy31A6zkeQUcz1fXW9RgSE1omFriDUofy9wJCil2vhxmWElDY9fFWgPy0g/s1890/spidermites%20klara%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1843" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvvOTT_l-9U0JV7vOrIDpTPjBOleV_nQESNEV5-8NOhqf495NIyoSDt3ut_wBoE6aD7QFL0LTQKd9-FaxuAiCcs9dqZeOpPze-niKmcAN9Yya88cAHKpxLAI3cd_uhrsXCy31A6zkeQUcz1fXW9RgSE1omFriDUofy9wJCil2vhxmWElDY9fFWgPy0g/s320/spidermites%20klara%203.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRfJCISKYqjLcAcVuqkLdnou0uR_-zng04ZushqkRjdxGOkpWLpfG4QYyAHB58egiZfrZJUHKL87YEboS71w0H6wDuht8TIuMbW-Ai3t9_sbQ54s3hXYiF6dIcYfgFv1Me27WS_P8MrVt6ZKMbbdn9vQZ8wW5omsN47mS1t7Z1JG9DqGQPG7-vxQKiQ/s1890/spidermites%20klara%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="1890" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRfJCISKYqjLcAcVuqkLdnou0uR_-zng04ZushqkRjdxGOkpWLpfG4QYyAHB58egiZfrZJUHKL87YEboS71w0H6wDuht8TIuMbW-Ai3t9_sbQ54s3hXYiF6dIcYfgFv1Me27WS_P8MrVt6ZKMbbdn9vQZ8wW5omsN47mS1t7Z1JG9DqGQPG7-vxQKiQ/s320/spidermites%20klara%204.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafY5_nPvnrnvIzdtjm8AumrlXsKHlmVGIDG1SIxzn3HMQxDp5-weSlwBBsX7TPthPVpMGGeRulCIFhZidP39Q-8CrzcKMzBADlIqZ0t_l0C_TwxIfFFgSmvdB8KMwxK-a_uEvo1NzppJy1ruetdYH_f2p9FnmWwY-Qbt9yiC2atP-DffOhijijmXfug/s1890/spidermites%20klara%206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafY5_nPvnrnvIzdtjm8AumrlXsKHlmVGIDG1SIxzn3HMQxDp5-weSlwBBsX7TPthPVpMGGeRulCIFhZidP39Q-8CrzcKMzBADlIqZ0t_l0C_TwxIfFFgSmvdB8KMwxK-a_uEvo1NzppJy1ruetdYH_f2p9FnmWwY-Qbt9yiC2atP-DffOhijijmXfug/s320/spidermites%20klara%206.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4P1nwN0o9vlHF3vGm8RMQrQfrlpC4mHSDS8P4glwx8OyEtIqEGxzvJ1hFfF9xROdlomBOGct3uelENxnxMa727Iff7kCZkjiHwXQYatejX0zjY7hunsZ-arPEn3dzS_91jK1KDLR50gGIzL58d2YQSb5yAyxUBBpP8j0sjjuIPYn9MTKpQ-gQlpdYQ/s1890/spidermites%20klara%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1890" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4P1nwN0o9vlHF3vGm8RMQrQfrlpC4mHSDS8P4glwx8OyEtIqEGxzvJ1hFfF9xROdlomBOGct3uelENxnxMa727Iff7kCZkjiHwXQYatejX0zjY7hunsZ-arPEn3dzS_91jK1KDLR50gGIzL58d2YQSb5yAyxUBBpP8j0sjjuIPYn9MTKpQ-gQlpdYQ/s320/spidermites%20klara%205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The legs were dry brushed with a metallic waxes, mainly copper color. The teeth are snippets of tissue paper dipped in latex and shaped with my fingers. They're attached to the gums using liquid latex as a glue.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahalsvNAtgkWpnrhMYugZ7ewgid9rD_GpdXZN5_7AlFk6BCFu-_9EGsDrHJLI-NWPA1O3uItuk5hnOs8UxNneNs84upsxUYrz_WKuNJM2zfwxrwIbTUXs-KTl53Ng6P9NT1OeMKE6SG2RZKDplf3x9JxhyCaw2zL5Oaf8OMDbH58X36NAzAFr05y_Hw/s1890/mites1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahalsvNAtgkWpnrhMYugZ7ewgid9rD_GpdXZN5_7AlFk6BCFu-_9EGsDrHJLI-NWPA1O3uItuk5hnOs8UxNneNs84upsxUYrz_WKuNJM2zfwxrwIbTUXs-KTl53Ng6P9NT1OeMKE6SG2RZKDplf3x9JxhyCaw2zL5Oaf8OMDbH58X36NAzAFr05y_Hw/s320/mites1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The settings and backgrounds are a mix of photos and stock videos. The photos have been cut up and prepared in Photoshop so the puppets can move around in these 2D environments, sometimes in front of parts of them and sometimes behind. All shots were put together in After Effects, as I usually do.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnYRuR38FPeeLcc-2yjhHMhoBvBfgD7YLG9TCc3KmsxgXms3JOI7eaqctm-sbVJnHN_b_jJyiBa5BpKj0of3PRHdkCMDBS9f2gD5RlHc2e4ZFvWu5LbVODp4-LG3Iq1TQBo4AbHndTdwsCmFijD-1ly9JN9UKjMBVy4VCpcrp0ftsKAOwrDEUhy41_Q/s1890/mites3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnYRuR38FPeeLcc-2yjhHMhoBvBfgD7YLG9TCc3KmsxgXms3JOI7eaqctm-sbVJnHN_b_jJyiBa5BpKj0of3PRHdkCMDBS9f2gD5RlHc2e4ZFvWu5LbVODp4-LG3Iq1TQBo4AbHndTdwsCmFijD-1ly9JN9UKjMBVy4VCpcrp0ftsKAOwrDEUhy41_Q/s320/mites3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hannes Karlsson, who's now been in a few of my films, played a scared kid who gets visited by the Spider Mites. I shot the scene in the bedroom of my friend Andreas Pettersson (also a frequent actor in my projects). We used ordinary daylight, with some help from a floor lamp. the color temperature was changed in After Effects. Lastly, I added a stock video of an old projected film, with catches dust and all that stuff. I just thought it would go with the jangly, scrappy nature of the little monsters.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's quite possible I'll contact Max Scratchmann about adapting another of his works because this one was great fun to work on.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> </div></div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-85915001605433296852022-11-06T01:54:00.002-07:002022-11-06T01:54:33.284-07:00The End of the Quest<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8L_EJB66hCY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>This film has gotten a very good reception on YouTube, I'm happy to say. Quite a bit of work went into it. I tried to build up this little world with strange denizens and strange landscapes, but at the heart of it, it's a very traditional swashbuckling adventure story.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLFGdYIUSihof4gQ_ENa2CDe8iiMouSB6hKDw-PYpI3R1TELJLXpypItxHY12u-D_Ho70l2rVj0KkzYYBMGmI9LUl7TlGqsnuqAGmoFdhWU6q0Ns1A7QNBnQNicXlVFarITWl2kF2XBHs0jjYogB3G_7HPdWFkDqAtd1aVT_RBfgRg1zoRXnVoQgWFw/s1890/hero1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1689" data-original-width="1890" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLFGdYIUSihof4gQ_ENa2CDe8iiMouSB6hKDw-PYpI3R1TELJLXpypItxHY12u-D_Ho70l2rVj0KkzYYBMGmI9LUl7TlGqsnuqAGmoFdhWU6q0Ns1A7QNBnQNicXlVFarITWl2kF2XBHs0jjYogB3G_7HPdWFkDqAtd1aVT_RBfgRg1zoRXnVoQgWFw/s320/hero1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So let's start with our unusual hero. I wanted something alien, but also familiar, so I gave him a strange body with tentacle arms, but he's also got a cape and a sword, as well as patterns on his chest that are meant to remind the viewer of old uniforms. I sculpted the torso out of medium-grade Monster Clay and added a glass marble for an eye. My idea was to include this marble in the puppet and animate it to always be moving, making the bright patterns swirl around.<div><br /></div><div>And that's actually it regarding behind-the-scenes photos taken of this puppet. To my shame, I apparently took only these two snapshots and forgot about the rest.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPIW_Jp8HtSBkBKsbnaSLiACiSwfEii_WRgsP_VQZJQUoWj1__D6bd7hymE9yEdeHVmm_6b8cCMF3aVIrYQoTgwu67ZHPmXvXIMwtVPbKSAWI1e4eTcSp6pfX3sKNq8DAvPhJ_UaJ-dm6s7HTmoLREp1c148j7AbwQqi2yGABAXsXXP76CNcK1QTzIA/s1890/hero%20sword.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1890" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPIW_Jp8HtSBkBKsbnaSLiACiSwfEii_WRgsP_VQZJQUoWj1__D6bd7hymE9yEdeHVmm_6b8cCMF3aVIrYQoTgwu67ZHPmXvXIMwtVPbKSAWI1e4eTcSp6pfX3sKNq8DAvPhJ_UaJ-dm6s7HTmoLREp1c148j7AbwQqi2yGABAXsXXP76CNcK1QTzIA/s320/hero%20sword.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I did take this image of a decorative needle, with a filigree knob made out of some thin metal. I cut out half the knop and made it into the cup guard on the rapier. The blade of the rapier was a discarded airbrush needle, and the grip was simply some yarn wrapped around the needle and painted with hobby paint. a silvery plastic ball was added to the end of the grip.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZ7I3FQRpy_jI3UBudO0zH5Wj2buiC0mDfdMXAF07ZHChRp6W5emsFnLJJcpccsPeOBOm90hRtZTYDmf9rbs6MPJOTRxeZJUCDTtIdbfKzlfECkv9pcFsDfrkftXfHXp9AHPrrVDXi9zRAQIKE-pOb4QhQNVQheBRCNG5fqHwQfZG6rxnGRGQ2FZ9kg/s1890/hero%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1187" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZ7I3FQRpy_jI3UBudO0zH5Wj2buiC0mDfdMXAF07ZHChRp6W5emsFnLJJcpccsPeOBOm90hRtZTYDmf9rbs6MPJOTRxeZJUCDTtIdbfKzlfECkv9pcFsDfrkftXfHXp9AHPrrVDXi9zRAQIKE-pOb4QhQNVQheBRCNG5fqHwQfZG6rxnGRGQ2FZ9kg/s320/hero%20klar1.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-EXVoRTsaAJfHU0qtUWSG4fOBH1Quq6gB9w_g_QyzjFz6t_vh_2TJSsjnVVPIJ3lycx2TyyFTmtkdmhamzz5oKuw6rWrzoBqMa27wZimiNH_iE_rMnt-ibn2C2kIsQG87odXYYsPwUBld873j3GGshnKIwp5SX-Q0HteYRPhAfsQnVWPI3iO1ZuuWQ/s1890/hero%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-EXVoRTsaAJfHU0qtUWSG4fOBH1Quq6gB9w_g_QyzjFz6t_vh_2TJSsjnVVPIJ3lycx2TyyFTmtkdmhamzz5oKuw6rWrzoBqMa27wZimiNH_iE_rMnt-ibn2C2kIsQG87odXYYsPwUBld873j3GGshnKIwp5SX-Q0HteYRPhAfsQnVWPI3iO1ZuuWQ/s320/hero%20klar2.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0yJIXBWkOHJSusvxysYgPPJvg8z-hoWIW_7x_32akphDqASmkvHSy5Q83ruLJwHwNcLdoJOnMfIigR1u5kzfBTwPy8KgocNap70YJG8GPzHnneFM5Cm3lhHZoKQy6SZrAOPcpxlEdBsUxtEJj99aqnHFnxPvAV1f6pLEMQB1yibmNKCzr7ZlVubIlA/s1890/hero%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1861" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0yJIXBWkOHJSusvxysYgPPJvg8z-hoWIW_7x_32akphDqASmkvHSy5Q83ruLJwHwNcLdoJOnMfIigR1u5kzfBTwPy8KgocNap70YJG8GPzHnneFM5Cm3lhHZoKQy6SZrAOPcpxlEdBsUxtEJj99aqnHFnxPvAV1f6pLEMQB1yibmNKCzr7ZlVubIlA/s320/hero%20klar3.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's our finished adventurer. The marble rests in a dental silicone putty cradle behind the latex exterior of the puppet's torso. The scabbard for the sword is a drinking straw with some thermoplastic details added.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcq9wbPyAzXd0p3U9UYpelbKD44S-JPzqNOdv-4CNFDLVxNgvaxlfrIWyPgoqxbr3yZra98FRtfUT8ciUTOzGuT-V3JtU7B7m8JKqnfNZRBFza2DGZOXfWGW9hZ9zXfTdAd2XGTpZiQ7OIwe3M_UgmXD2Rhx8SnnYzh5uBPE31bnkhjHn2_Wc-dwpJA/s1890/hero%20klar4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1228" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcq9wbPyAzXd0p3U9UYpelbKD44S-JPzqNOdv-4CNFDLVxNgvaxlfrIWyPgoqxbr3yZra98FRtfUT8ciUTOzGuT-V3JtU7B7m8JKqnfNZRBFza2DGZOXfWGW9hZ9zXfTdAd2XGTpZiQ7OIwe3M_UgmXD2Rhx8SnnYzh5uBPE31bnkhjHn2_Wc-dwpJA/s320/hero%20klar4.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The cape is a single flat latex casting out of one of my texture molds. The edges are lined with a 1,5 mm aluminum wire, allowing me to make the cape billowing in the animation.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqslcOWIAthzFMjjgjKBRAhhiDPTJqDiBVzgu-TqCJ0jxBToEtOaq3enb35rqrgRgWXR2HFSFsuYGElWuXY4FHbbRKI8XHj1CY5dfPQp8LSmOK8ppvK3MRE31Nc1BW87A8QqASxL09EzJe9Y8D-Zqfsj197_kaI9-XqwtJtUX65JGOsFOUK4r3470Rw/s1890/lady1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1870" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqslcOWIAthzFMjjgjKBRAhhiDPTJqDiBVzgu-TqCJ0jxBToEtOaq3enb35rqrgRgWXR2HFSFsuYGElWuXY4FHbbRKI8XHj1CY5dfPQp8LSmOK8ppvK3MRE31Nc1BW87A8QqASxL09EzJe9Y8D-Zqfsj197_kaI9-XqwtJtUX65JGOsFOUK4r3470Rw/s320/lady1.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The lady the hero is searching for is documented better, however. Here's her very simple armature, with aluminum wires covered by soft yarn, dabbed with tinted latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6IDOvFYXXO1KGyKDT8xETybQuYKGwRifXdJuRgnrU0ABQAntgbOaa7wy0SPiWOkSMngeAiYjkdyB3ZomIUys7FDZDZlNZ_WA4Eo07Wf5aUS0s9BWcRBO6rdujAgrkCuLNLxASOeqHAKuiBuTL6ewLIgODZx85ECyEj3VaK7zEc_WjQi0XzLwsBZDaA/s1890/lady2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1217" data-original-width="1890" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6IDOvFYXXO1KGyKDT8xETybQuYKGwRifXdJuRgnrU0ABQAntgbOaa7wy0SPiWOkSMngeAiYjkdyB3ZomIUys7FDZDZlNZ_WA4Eo07Wf5aUS0s9BWcRBO6rdujAgrkCuLNLxASOeqHAKuiBuTL6ewLIgODZx85ECyEj3VaK7zEc_WjQi0XzLwsBZDaA/s320/lady2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A very simple wrapping of thin polyurethane foam outlines the shape of the body.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47szOWoPwOYEMBNowFqrNug0LaLxwn2B3GOWrsIVjYbCMKHBJxTifrakJBQn4u0o-gm_vioHp3c-LKWCiEOqeOEHruNU-4bzM6JXiV_2xmgjm69BhqHCUNhOubFNGbER6KO9AwI4JGQ5gFAuBiviLTd86K0eJfgSrAuOwKBHizqiT4QWZorDFOMpnow/s1890/lady3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="1890" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47szOWoPwOYEMBNowFqrNug0LaLxwn2B3GOWrsIVjYbCMKHBJxTifrakJBQn4u0o-gm_vioHp3c-LKWCiEOqeOEHruNU-4bzM6JXiV_2xmgjm69BhqHCUNhOubFNGbER6KO9AwI4JGQ5gFAuBiviLTd86K0eJfgSrAuOwKBHizqiT4QWZorDFOMpnow/s320/lady3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">More latex skin cast from a plaster skin texture mold is used to create her garments.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx5MpLebGa3OAuCrDDLfZ2TCFBViC2k1Z0TtL-8bRv-VuWlZuDM1plb8bJfFmHhC2P5OjYEXXCNqdHtYeWvLBwP0_0Ba9YX_YqNfMd6-TFS9iQbwbFTqCw8nBYM3wafNn2zA9VTGvsm5DLnsOX8Qr2BbwlEPtFPr7eU8m4Xn5CNoYueXa5ZSvW1meJg/s1890/lady%20klar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1890" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx5MpLebGa3OAuCrDDLfZ2TCFBViC2k1Z0TtL-8bRv-VuWlZuDM1plb8bJfFmHhC2P5OjYEXXCNqdHtYeWvLBwP0_0Ba9YX_YqNfMd6-TFS9iQbwbFTqCw8nBYM3wafNn2zA9VTGvsm5DLnsOX8Qr2BbwlEPtFPr7eU8m4Xn5CNoYueXa5ZSvW1meJg/s320/lady%20klar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the finished lady. Unlike the hero, she's got a "tiara" of small stems coming out of her forehead. The robe, like the rest of the puppet, is painted by applying tinted latex with a sponge. There's also a threaded bold at the base for attaching to the animation stage.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmVs1YYTxGLVkA2Nlmh04KGq_qQpeUPwzMoN1c34xBPBYNqnX-HeTb2N3djoAsD1-aEMopAueFy_GWPtwyp_9aRBl2Kmv07v8E__kqp-N08H7DzGrt0553jETt8O5MLLk0X7B2Jq2vxZG1TD_eQJMDUr8DupouwzsgluNe6g8tZHiVuQ7JY2PYQ0oWg/s1890/foureyes1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1503" data-original-width="1890" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmVs1YYTxGLVkA2Nlmh04KGq_qQpeUPwzMoN1c34xBPBYNqnX-HeTb2N3djoAsD1-aEMopAueFy_GWPtwyp_9aRBl2Kmv07v8E__kqp-N08H7DzGrt0553jETt8O5MLLk0X7B2Jq2vxZG1TD_eQJMDUr8DupouwzsgluNe6g8tZHiVuQ7JY2PYQ0oWg/s320/foureyes1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The first creature our hero encounters on his journey is a multi-eyed inspired by Sumerian clay sculptures (maybe they were visited by aliens?) I made the front of the head a sculpture.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_gCSACB-o-f-3zjnZa1wQHpshOjpvN8iwGhjQsg8CH6H8d8i2OnkZ1lrNDO1vixYLp6JICbW58Zug66-f4QgS2X1ppFZeS-ypgzWXKSatV21s8VvZwzp1pEDe0rdd2V0dPsZVXyTlkRyRAkpxzp-jRaDaTFgqrpzY7b0iIZBtPdM90gKCe--hC-QQw/s1890/foureyes2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1355" data-original-width="1890" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_gCSACB-o-f-3zjnZa1wQHpshOjpvN8iwGhjQsg8CH6H8d8i2OnkZ1lrNDO1vixYLp6JICbW58Zug66-f4QgS2X1ppFZeS-ypgzWXKSatV21s8VvZwzp1pEDe0rdd2V0dPsZVXyTlkRyRAkpxzp-jRaDaTFgqrpzY7b0iIZBtPdM90gKCe--hC-QQw/s320/foureyes2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wanted this very alien character to also have very alien eyes. They're plastic balls pulled from costume jewelry and decorated with Photoshop print-outs of strange irises. The top half of each ball is covered with UV resin and topped off with pupils made from shiny half-pearls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMy5HR9kdslGNR9d9vQWkx6aonGvbWQ0czqTxpFo6iogWpIx1GIqhrBEfKmnlrAtSCaYumnXruoeT58b2X_s_zF6hhIZjU2yATC0gspTyBkIh_0v79VmCAeq2gFC_xe1HoQMRemsgF4TkspdiB0348YOBIIyfRh21x_VtdxxxgkvjvA7ET4X_YIJ5PQ/s1890/foureyes%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1162" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMy5HR9kdslGNR9d9vQWkx6aonGvbWQ0czqTxpFo6iogWpIx1GIqhrBEfKmnlrAtSCaYumnXruoeT58b2X_s_zF6hhIZjU2yATC0gspTyBkIh_0v79VmCAeq2gFC_xe1HoQMRemsgF4TkspdiB0348YOBIIyfRh21x_VtdxxxgkvjvA7ET4X_YIJ5PQ/s320/foureyes%20klar3.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As you can see, this puppet has a super-simple armature. The wood section in the middle is one of those tongue depressors dentists use broken in half and joined together using hot melt glue. When I started out making my puppets way back when, large chunks of them were held together with hot melt glue and scraps of wood. The head has here been cast in latex with the eyes added to silicone sockets supported by a big blob of thermoplastic.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4Wq3UnSqblsXkCBhBqLwd2hcjpmVZZZzu6_yrfD7k_Tuipx62Nnh3z6HDFW8dzB51EJhAtcGbXU7Pc9z8liszvikHdQuXJWZi49sFGhIHBUiAx0-nUL12D4v1EhDIcPVQH_atAccv7ZsBcKMt1gPqcEvUFVhzhlhnBpdVlHjfwVkVqjlxae8n4zhqg/s1890/foureyes3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1627" data-original-width="1890" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4Wq3UnSqblsXkCBhBqLwd2hcjpmVZZZzu6_yrfD7k_Tuipx62Nnh3z6HDFW8dzB51EJhAtcGbXU7Pc9z8liszvikHdQuXJWZi49sFGhIHBUiAx0-nUL12D4v1EhDIcPVQH_atAccv7ZsBcKMt1gPqcEvUFVhzhlhnBpdVlHjfwVkVqjlxae8n4zhqg/s320/foureyes3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bulk of the body was created using two bits of dense cushion foam, padded with the green softer foam. The feet are adorned by two latex castings made for an elephant puppet many years ago.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtGhfSDCniAr4mTmVQsUeH6cTe8bJfHBuqqqDbC1t2oZ-1-3qBDcFulS-MlJ17_wbWO7pUW3a5mMlcb6tJbLlTl7Go-tpFoNJfWr_Ih-BVHxvgogFSTeB4_9zvxVCx-bIUfydQTrd6soLe8CvV2RfE1Pic6Twp8jtVJPCQPh-QpECAow2aP6xu0doOA/s1890/foureyes%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1198" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtGhfSDCniAr4mTmVQsUeH6cTe8bJfHBuqqqDbC1t2oZ-1-3qBDcFulS-MlJ17_wbWO7pUW3a5mMlcb6tJbLlTl7Go-tpFoNJfWr_Ih-BVHxvgogFSTeB4_9zvxVCx-bIUfydQTrd6soLe8CvV2RfE1Pic6Twp8jtVJPCQPh-QpECAow2aP6xu0doOA/s320/foureyes%20klar1.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5r14cNlCN5H-aNNG7sAg-3QfQSBmCse0OL9wchGkViNuemf7JjRZt8rBaWZsqsTIqyds2KwbbNcRiBATQkT4G8ufuOPD4LMF3bD1eeqEG8Yvh-cNLerzxLwJWihzZiiRZH4eRh5ZEggEy2zHOIgQcivPTVybcNP-cSKBMSZUqM_IE3OC6EmhkFnHIQ/s1890/foureyes%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="890" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5r14cNlCN5H-aNNG7sAg-3QfQSBmCse0OL9wchGkViNuemf7JjRZt8rBaWZsqsTIqyds2KwbbNcRiBATQkT4G8ufuOPD4LMF3bD1eeqEG8Yvh-cNLerzxLwJWihzZiiRZH4eRh5ZEggEy2zHOIgQcivPTVybcNP-cSKBMSZUqM_IE3OC6EmhkFnHIQ/s320/foureyes%20klar2.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppet is covered with a wrinkly latex skin, which has been dry brushed with tinted latex in thin layers.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkphZaf_uHP3FXkIW1Od_v-cx5_H_MLwk7qb5vty32tRkDfrNdHZqgTluGxltw6IC3zcMiBxNX13hcEEeRSmuH_RbYohuVrLX2joonqB-2E1tz1-dxvz1fUoYtgKS6T2pDNuPxipZr8n_pY6dwKBD7x0HP1YDec3A0PDX_f3NQuk99o0SKzE5TKQ8gw/s1890/hunter1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1693" data-original-width="1890" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkphZaf_uHP3FXkIW1Od_v-cx5_H_MLwk7qb5vty32tRkDfrNdHZqgTluGxltw6IC3zcMiBxNX13hcEEeRSmuH_RbYohuVrLX2joonqB-2E1tz1-dxvz1fUoYtgKS6T2pDNuPxipZr8n_pY6dwKBD7x0HP1YDec3A0PDX_f3NQuk99o0SKzE5TKQ8gw/s320/hunter1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wanted our brave hero to have a confrontation with some sort of monster, as heroic characters often do. This critter pops up a few times before actually engaging with the protagonist. The head was an original sculpture inspired by both birds and dinosaurs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorQq8MahwTALUqS5kis2xQFy6LA0zTqZ8AZCxXclfQSv5KlB90huQtdGRaeS23JOXfSrObNMpJgdn4lwKp6VLH_Yx0vnXLXsQ3wsTbLKEKC87A5Cv02RMNRRS3AIC6qU0qrqViHXOlLGQDYJGTooeqHDkmFOf5IVP-aDlhd0shIkSTWLyrw-oH58J4Q/s1575/hunter3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="1575" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorQq8MahwTALUqS5kis2xQFy6LA0zTqZ8AZCxXclfQSv5KlB90huQtdGRaeS23JOXfSrObNMpJgdn4lwKp6VLH_Yx0vnXLXsQ3wsTbLKEKC87A5Cv02RMNRRS3AIC6qU0qrqViHXOlLGQDYJGTooeqHDkmFOf5IVP-aDlhd0shIkSTWLyrw-oH58J4Q/s320/hunter3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I made a dental plaster mold over the sculpture and then cast a thick latex skin into the mold. As I usually do to add depth to the eventual paint job, I tinted the latex a dark color.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiduDcIbrsBjqLdWedJhQL7GavqbZAt4ZcEOMdDzir2DOW-wwBDotsSi7HuBwAMhqO9yPN4mApQ2qYqsK4RnmFcwOuxWHDTGHE_jZFUKB9sSKL2O1qKdbynSMY14ytvUlFlGVGpRFn7KjBkf0Z-XtETwlTIxSymSdbv7PEtGthxh_eOwuVXZtU5jCCQg/s1890/hunter2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="1890" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiduDcIbrsBjqLdWedJhQL7GavqbZAt4ZcEOMdDzir2DOW-wwBDotsSi7HuBwAMhqO9yPN4mApQ2qYqsK4RnmFcwOuxWHDTGHE_jZFUKB9sSKL2O1qKdbynSMY14ytvUlFlGVGpRFn7KjBkf0Z-XtETwlTIxSymSdbv7PEtGthxh_eOwuVXZtU5jCCQg/s320/hunter2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Another simple armature for this puppet. I used 3 mm aluminum wires for the whole puppet. The tail was wrapped in thick, soft yarn covered with latex.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVeABNht6UZ6BQ6MX6O610LLZhPS4ksKdrW9Ued7EbcNIxBuokZNXjqJFpFDv4kkVXatGiMMl1ZL6dLxretSrJB2IMeB3WN5Tn8ryW6HBG-qxWiUHD-UpIdoqMfLWt6Dig45JG_D94BIPxugDVtlKleTo0vE7GlbkwWfASY_RyhKg-GDeGzWminkb7g/s1890/hunter4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1890" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVeABNht6UZ6BQ6MX6O610LLZhPS4ksKdrW9Ued7EbcNIxBuokZNXjqJFpFDv4kkVXatGiMMl1ZL6dLxretSrJB2IMeB3WN5Tn8ryW6HBG-qxWiUHD-UpIdoqMfLWt6Dig45JG_D94BIPxugDVtlKleTo0vE7GlbkwWfASY_RyhKg-GDeGzWminkb7g/s320/hunter4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I added a block of dense cushion foam to the chest and then covered the puppet in patches of thin foam to make a smooth, bulky body. The spikes on the back are made from thin EVA foam.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz17y078TdvYW0luKMri7aFTRr0wXCPbVkHh5KMhWvvgb4Y9Jeja_1_rLN8dXUNkU497tccUjIyLmJm3ogmY9wGXx9X6pi7UrUE_UftXHolMgXVJGzfcwMKMfuoMWnk47kl-4bLzPFQkI7TsacTMEBzODor1KraGmY5INiTJTElpIWHi8V0sAbCoYs3Q/s1890/hunter5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="1890" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz17y078TdvYW0luKMri7aFTRr0wXCPbVkHh5KMhWvvgb4Y9Jeja_1_rLN8dXUNkU497tccUjIyLmJm3ogmY9wGXx9X6pi7UrUE_UftXHolMgXVJGzfcwMKMfuoMWnk47kl-4bLzPFQkI7TsacTMEBzODor1KraGmY5INiTJTElpIWHi8V0sAbCoYs3Q/s320/hunter5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I've cast small sections of wrinkly latex skin cast in texture molds and stuck those to the foam using liquid latex as glue. I've created bumps and warts by adding drops of latex to the skin. The eyes in the head are blobs of UV resin placed over print-outs of Photoshopped eye art.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAnfmsIjg4b7kEmr7Flw0ipkzCIIx5HqXFBI6n4eIjhcgpDlTx1J1041zCDQ6fpz4lggPMMfjduhKIUOz1r5GBSeCsom9lDMZ95aZZHDeXM_fVqdHQ_3-ZcxUbbqAnIs3jN41INf3WqYlALSQe3_MHCbilrAPW8OLBov1RFVdDy3KTZZ1G4Jf4_JheQ/s1890/hunter%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1890" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAnfmsIjg4b7kEmr7Flw0ipkzCIIx5HqXFBI6n4eIjhcgpDlTx1J1041zCDQ6fpz4lggPMMfjduhKIUOz1r5GBSeCsom9lDMZ95aZZHDeXM_fVqdHQ_3-ZcxUbbqAnIs3jN41INf3WqYlALSQe3_MHCbilrAPW8OLBov1RFVdDy3KTZZ1G4Jf4_JheQ/s320/hunter%20klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisl10p0tq9xloyTgdYhpdq_g49GzOD3iaxnePz5pn7EezTl-6TMimVfgQYCsauSX9FtCjA6zQd8mBTd_sibAaXWLGIXT_Mdpab4tcgMmYeIQxPRHkH6_gx-o0r7b84sI8Zier92jfcbSQww_GGeJzlu1gRT2dcocg5Yhwv9WhO0eUZNxK7e27yBxCzQ/s1890/hunter%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1871" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisl10p0tq9xloyTgdYhpdq_g49GzOD3iaxnePz5pn7EezTl-6TMimVfgQYCsauSX9FtCjA6zQd8mBTd_sibAaXWLGIXT_Mdpab4tcgMmYeIQxPRHkH6_gx-o0r7b84sI8Zier92jfcbSQww_GGeJzlu1gRT2dcocg5Yhwv9WhO0eUZNxK7e27yBxCzQ/s320/hunter%20klar2.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcM0N_u9uYlO4LVP-Xl6uQMDnNNfONCbP0_fVwq5jHa5gTv8Qi7sp8jbCaKRmjU10r03z-Rg3kzrhhy0WUz2TDp0yDwzPp2U7TNGN9IpUy3BdD2VzcuaUFdt98ktglFYgwWbMTnuBp1V75eLQVMdZPQGtTzt2Bi-T4TWMxmU4pn7YHm5VXHUJybVrtg/s1890/hunter%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="1890" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcM0N_u9uYlO4LVP-Xl6uQMDnNNfONCbP0_fVwq5jHa5gTv8Qi7sp8jbCaKRmjU10r03z-Rg3kzrhhy0WUz2TDp0yDwzPp2U7TNGN9IpUy3BdD2VzcuaUFdt98ktglFYgwWbMTnuBp1V75eLQVMdZPQGtTzt2Bi-T4TWMxmU4pn7YHm5VXHUJybVrtg/s320/hunter%20klar3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppet was painted with tinted latex, with colorful details added with acrylic airbrush colors. The teeth are tissue paper dipped in latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdNez5vuivUSmAnFImQYHetv2tXbGJu8V2_J99bSadd82Ghx0vFrPY-_MTByq0CnNvXYXo6HsrUjl5wYHgP8Q63M2A7LRw4aG5LP2P7OEdMYt-CsUPl4hSyyGScTNWgWbwVTjLEKWKPkgPvcZ9s5FzmGijdCi-aPJMVxCp5NXp4DYxh72iMxAu9xJAw/s1890/hunter%20runner%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1890" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdNez5vuivUSmAnFImQYHetv2tXbGJu8V2_J99bSadd82Ghx0vFrPY-_MTByq0CnNvXYXo6HsrUjl5wYHgP8Q63M2A7LRw4aG5LP2P7OEdMYt-CsUPl4hSyyGScTNWgWbwVTjLEKWKPkgPvcZ9s5FzmGijdCi-aPJMVxCp5NXp4DYxh72iMxAu9xJAw/s320/hunter%20runner%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuIe58_qp1yQzYE2_iL8eMqauN6OJiNaZEVuurgVyXvyLduXZZjvwr3kVeRGCXzEkzciXQkiVuxZLswkXJBWWp_dlucU_NJimqtBk9f4_DJpgMfMw7aUdA4qkhfz8kOaX4-Yc636O6U1txeti0wA-mUh1VEq0tgY4v5o-2gtLUWBxVFJmKOg-DJwnJw/s1890/hunter%20runner%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1890" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuIe58_qp1yQzYE2_iL8eMqauN6OJiNaZEVuurgVyXvyLduXZZjvwr3kVeRGCXzEkzciXQkiVuxZLswkXJBWWp_dlucU_NJimqtBk9f4_DJpgMfMw7aUdA4qkhfz8kOaX4-Yc636O6U1txeti0wA-mUh1VEq0tgY4v5o-2gtLUWBxVFJmKOg-DJwnJw/s320/hunter%20runner%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I simply called this monster "the hunter" for obvious reasons. Here he's successfully chased down and grabbed a "runner", so let's talk about that puppet now.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSX_TFzz3_chjc8-EgN4rzm6iSjPGysJe2_V6o9YeEUJeLyng772rg14mhxaM36CshNxIzvqOPPKxnVRDuy8h5kWpZo_WQfKf1hRfBm37poLpC70VA8hFboZYNI-9dLoi3uEwAXOTWyetnSGQ8KIPi0iF2wHLCAOJQA93Thip5daqtSHp2bVINJXYFg/s1890/runner1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1491" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSX_TFzz3_chjc8-EgN4rzm6iSjPGysJe2_V6o9YeEUJeLyng772rg14mhxaM36CshNxIzvqOPPKxnVRDuy8h5kWpZo_WQfKf1hRfBm37poLpC70VA8hFboZYNI-9dLoi3uEwAXOTWyetnSGQ8KIPi0iF2wHLCAOJQA93Thip5daqtSHp2bVINJXYFg/s320/runner1.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It seems all my puppets in this project have really simple armatures. Nothing bad in that, since they all worked beautifully. The legs only bend where they join the body. Again, the tail is covered with wrapped yarn dabbed with latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvNAx-8W1tzf8qeX96usO3QlzCWJbki47wHOkiMjMu1Ck1BKYzIt7VaLd5KiIiGpdAhtGpi85yJJZNoAzAYLACQg8S7LbFadYl1iUI4JfJAmhZw6s4vAoh7POEL_ql2xKRpT_f2ftopi7mm6Z3PjCNKg0h5as2_JJsXml_32hEMocZHALHkN7WSR2fQ/s1890/runner2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1131" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvNAx-8W1tzf8qeX96usO3QlzCWJbki47wHOkiMjMu1Ck1BKYzIt7VaLd5KiIiGpdAhtGpi85yJJZNoAzAYLACQg8S7LbFadYl1iUI4JfJAmhZw6s4vAoh7POEL_ql2xKRpT_f2ftopi7mm6Z3PjCNKg0h5as2_JJsXml_32hEMocZHALHkN7WSR2fQ/s320/runner2.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>A little bit of foam padding to this rather slim creature. The funnel-like head was built up with tissue paper and latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1QuPvDI6xBg3cHEmDqKdDgQuhMov8IdGkqS1Rapk_aOXa5n_gmR6p0CnUPClZqb5dMEM4_mpudvCokbj4qurV_GqCMeg1EeReOfw-NexCWM-qXCvqPxNFAz4_eolGJFmGRk6s7f5ms1ljowu9HpyY9im_1ohnm1JDvaPrUdc7ll6gscclHo4kr8anA/s1890/runner%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1412" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1QuPvDI6xBg3cHEmDqKdDgQuhMov8IdGkqS1Rapk_aOXa5n_gmR6p0CnUPClZqb5dMEM4_mpudvCokbj4qurV_GqCMeg1EeReOfw-NexCWM-qXCvqPxNFAz4_eolGJFmGRk6s7f5ms1ljowu9HpyY9im_1ohnm1JDvaPrUdc7ll6gscclHo4kr8anA/s320/runner%20klar1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrS8VSspz1VGS7Lt8dgaDja4_UjT4uh0E8MGvsslgVj6pT0ZzkXqK3vdoSdbM5esnVznE9-j3uyWFMD5vmcMAj2l-q_bSJLjRJB0dujMSBZJkRU6Bb8e23sBAOCOjG4Q53lEfIrCNDutAHLu2swTsNge43v7F8-PIMqmeBzJJ5I21TJGxBhLiS-L4Q6w/s1890/runner%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1219" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrS8VSspz1VGS7Lt8dgaDja4_UjT4uh0E8MGvsslgVj6pT0ZzkXqK3vdoSdbM5esnVznE9-j3uyWFMD5vmcMAj2l-q_bSJLjRJB0dujMSBZJkRU6Bb8e23sBAOCOjG4Q53lEfIrCNDutAHLu2swTsNge43v7F8-PIMqmeBzJJ5I21TJGxBhLiS-L4Q6w/s320/runner%20klar2.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdZfdzRfKv8LDXOr3W6okOshMfCFb0URORwkhVwrrb4eLmhX5Jadw1acRXjWX2HRpapgDZCX3ynfdKUn9OXH_fggMO3UwKP-tUUxgCIDrNdgEjOSlhV2lpoFZEQFh1WKR9QsO2WNch2TH2_3juPII0QNHVTREnyEibymmFHxBMu2hkGIRVJp3RNMQwA/s1890/runner%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdZfdzRfKv8LDXOr3W6okOshMfCFb0URORwkhVwrrb4eLmhX5Jadw1acRXjWX2HRpapgDZCX3ynfdKUn9OXH_fggMO3UwKP-tUUxgCIDrNdgEjOSlhV2lpoFZEQFh1WKR9QsO2WNch2TH2_3juPII0QNHVTREnyEibymmFHxBMu2hkGIRVJp3RNMQwA/s320/runner%20klar3.jpg" width="177" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5G_NSGKP3deM2QkruGft9JD4zFqZ5Qx_uTtgIzbThFDZfyXwbUjOz8s6Pu1ZNeRxravRC3tv4pMNBD4ILDtuZGPha5aS8ZbvYnYzwIjuAmo6kgnSnQMtl_PSqMx_0xCYZ1fGZA1lG7l8vlMlyssM0o8bziejr1RwlK_0B0RtcqqlzrZa4j1Re20oSA/s1890/runner%20klar4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1521" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5G_NSGKP3deM2QkruGft9JD4zFqZ5Qx_uTtgIzbThFDZfyXwbUjOz8s6Pu1ZNeRxravRC3tv4pMNBD4ILDtuZGPha5aS8ZbvYnYzwIjuAmo6kgnSnQMtl_PSqMx_0xCYZ1fGZA1lG7l8vlMlyssM0o8bziejr1RwlK_0B0RtcqqlzrZa4j1Re20oSA/s320/runner%20klar4.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Nothing on this puppet came from an original sculpture and castings. I only used latex castings from older molds, originally created for other puppets. The single eye is an acrylic dome covering another Photoshop print-out.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX50mn1uf_NQrqFAksEA0ZdFtlpVr6zDDXUeSSsZGCbbmMondV67meIj5HQpbYx0WSOTVGIhylMnLbRpuCD2-L6-NDxiMu352yC2X1J2IrwGocsVE5fNmNuS7qBbPFH7gt8KXFZoae538q9Too65gCUimkVaYIQ7IFNrVYiEG6sv2p-H2B6rnu6JRTuQ/s1575/brigand1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX50mn1uf_NQrqFAksEA0ZdFtlpVr6zDDXUeSSsZGCbbmMondV67meIj5HQpbYx0WSOTVGIhylMnLbRpuCD2-L6-NDxiMu352yC2X1J2IrwGocsVE5fNmNuS7qBbPFH7gt8KXFZoae538q9Too65gCUimkVaYIQ7IFNrVYiEG6sv2p-H2B6rnu6JRTuQ/s320/brigand1.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Up in the mountains the hero encounters, and defeats, a band of brigands. When we get into that part of the story he's knocked out the first two and is dealing with the last guy. The two villains lying on the ground are photos of older puppets posed like they were knocked out. The last guy standing was an original puppet, though. I was inspired by old African wood statues when making this character, especially the circular pattern on its body.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJlOwWuZTJSQ5NTW3l1eIOJ1r3yWJUZZ0Hr0cH3SGSYb5Uuvup7lcXQ_5e1j2xdWMnMzNvI4DkOZv_R4riOKZh6nAzZhiSTl1IoySK_zEf7Hwq1zcmwUaUL-5KgYUSzuFLlDtR-CSFP2zOr-1dFtXTYSLJPfqULN1Q9uc4KuTxj93UyCTrDoJYX3PRA/s1890/brigand2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1390" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJlOwWuZTJSQ5NTW3l1eIOJ1r3yWJUZZ0Hr0cH3SGSYb5Uuvup7lcXQ_5e1j2xdWMnMzNvI4DkOZv_R4riOKZh6nAzZhiSTl1IoySK_zEf7Hwq1zcmwUaUL-5KgYUSzuFLlDtR-CSFP2zOr-1dFtXTYSLJPfqULN1Q9uc4KuTxj93UyCTrDoJYX3PRA/s320/brigand2.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The circle pattern was created by punching down an old ballpoint pen into clay and applying plaster over that texture. The arms and legs are castings from older texture molds. The eyes are acrylic domes glued onto Photoshop art using scrapbooking plastic as glue.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmi0hzLxO5mAXuyJvC8Gp3Rnq8utUO9AiKUnGmEqU2j3WcC-3bHkdHq7z4JdGL7h3J9LYYI_VSwsJbwGcMbZtY0JuQdys5wzQytslSGLU5auV2riA78BCKX5L2C9xOFkyG8b973FaF-p8Pwj81bbosQrHL5VbcT_OijQ7O9sg8c_uTSv1FE0HcZUb_w/s1890/brigand3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1341" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmi0hzLxO5mAXuyJvC8Gp3Rnq8utUO9AiKUnGmEqU2j3WcC-3bHkdHq7z4JdGL7h3J9LYYI_VSwsJbwGcMbZtY0JuQdys5wzQytslSGLU5auV2riA78BCKX5L2C9xOFkyG8b973FaF-p8Pwj81bbosQrHL5VbcT_OijQ7O9sg8c_uTSv1FE0HcZUb_w/s320/brigand3.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGpd5ZuOH9MdnSnjfLDY2LbvAsgWRcztZEPD8AqELipxmEW0TUwDQeppp07SISXnaBkTgcHTY27ucKxLAaL4xymWMZKEd_ewDScT9p34V8X2zWW2aEI1sW8zvfdYvpHNFlPB_pqu3bVZHNm_yid_hetq2o6h0JYBhAtR4tuUt-psRLz2risefb53g9Q/s1890/brigand5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGpd5ZuOH9MdnSnjfLDY2LbvAsgWRcztZEPD8AqELipxmEW0TUwDQeppp07SISXnaBkTgcHTY27ucKxLAaL4xymWMZKEd_ewDScT9p34V8X2zWW2aEI1sW8zvfdYvpHNFlPB_pqu3bVZHNm_yid_hetq2o6h0JYBhAtR4tuUt-psRLz2risefb53g9Q/s320/brigand5.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPI8S_150kRYR44usW1q-Dw2FdasuKqtMpG3XIvcfWA0DG9mogfSANt7IyytcAvGFfulHTVzPKqtEL2kPXAcwCbnv8t_XAvLLF3Mm6wCkRHRBhf-3n2ArNPZn_D3Gh8RhQrqFs9WAZZrGGJUzhi4B06ffR8o6xtUe3SZb4Q3QKvajSZKmygOmXs1kKA/s1890/brigand6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1195" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPI8S_150kRYR44usW1q-Dw2FdasuKqtMpG3XIvcfWA0DG9mogfSANt7IyytcAvGFfulHTVzPKqtEL2kPXAcwCbnv8t_XAvLLF3Mm6wCkRHRBhf-3n2ArNPZn_D3Gh8RhQrqFs9WAZZrGGJUzhi4B06ffR8o6xtUe3SZb4Q3QKvajSZKmygOmXs1kKA/s320/brigand6.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTpWUVtgqXvqitR0rm8nq0V2R-S_GvyzULI5FQoiFq_rD-HNUilFmvL--_orbQNIdEvXk6nlHEYCqP1Z41DotdJPTvvWRlFy1-oz2Fkyf3hyOFXPWd_YbC7sTRvvXVvEwSjWGjwPb7eR0DEp1JQO0Ty2ALJhDP-ng0KIp5FBLwAgEdD9G0Biv_bX9qA/s1890/brigand4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1413" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTpWUVtgqXvqitR0rm8nq0V2R-S_GvyzULI5FQoiFq_rD-HNUilFmvL--_orbQNIdEvXk6nlHEYCqP1Z41DotdJPTvvWRlFy1-oz2Fkyf3hyOFXPWd_YbC7sTRvvXVvEwSjWGjwPb7eR0DEp1JQO0Ty2ALJhDP-ng0KIp5FBLwAgEdD9G0Biv_bX9qA/s320/brigand4.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The teeth and nails were tissue paper and latex. The sword is made from two thin steel rods glued together, with a hilt composed of two plastic jewelry details.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAENxcbSOeH1923CuVui67bGUx84A6GIPMkKxcvtAm8gNBPU6gqkhmmILWd7pE2xhuWV1lq7U_vtmRwG1a6NMocUpX2WJ_aswiKUyR9f8E6HbGDxYm1o7VXycMyCsINyz19IZrGtO8Mn8_qujhK2kAkbBokYkZhmHxeHYLju1_KkPwt2Dy3kTUua_Ig/s1575/strider1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAENxcbSOeH1923CuVui67bGUx84A6GIPMkKxcvtAm8gNBPU6gqkhmmILWd7pE2xhuWV1lq7U_vtmRwG1a6NMocUpX2WJ_aswiKUyR9f8E6HbGDxYm1o7VXycMyCsINyz19IZrGtO8Mn8_qujhK2kAkbBokYkZhmHxeHYLju1_KkPwt2Dy3kTUua_Ig/s320/strider1.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At one point the hero traverses a plain where he meets giant creatures that ignore him. They probably don't even notice him. The puppet representing these behemoths was built for another filmmaker's project; James Balsamo's "Alien Danger! With Raven van Slender." I've recycled that creature here as a flock of them. I started by making a fish-like head sculpture.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT35taZ6VLu3LibHKNPfZvv10tJDFQtYdkUAh6Vo4sFBf0aMiklipj7BOFZfI4u5YEqug3lXq2EY7lttPO7ixwJgKNO_Zgw3mewjMkH7oVapL14vqxTUNvMOUsP_hmT0ta0qVFlIzNtElVFv__TumK6kfKN3P0IYD49_a24rLj8I7ie7FfgVNQEAQNIA/s1890/strider2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT35taZ6VLu3LibHKNPfZvv10tJDFQtYdkUAh6Vo4sFBf0aMiklipj7BOFZfI4u5YEqug3lXq2EY7lttPO7ixwJgKNO_Zgw3mewjMkH7oVapL14vqxTUNvMOUsP_hmT0ta0qVFlIzNtElVFv__TumK6kfKN3P0IYD49_a24rLj8I7ie7FfgVNQEAQNIA/s320/strider2.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For the stilt-like legs, I used long knitting needles glued to 2 mm aluminum wires. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXv21cmLA6XhQMtjnJzjZJx9qp5ii8iVlmczLWS_CZsi_VHAzYMt4Oioq1rLRMQ0x8M1h31dCKusYNGnC9SZxSDI4370BZFu-N60jhbheZt_KodwLqTv5dTpvSnhWO2jU1jvdrcUhqx3QQHQaO6dcCedVTacoxdel79ihetI-NtldYzI0NNzWDSBFvEQ/s1890/strider3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="1890" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXv21cmLA6XhQMtjnJzjZJx9qp5ii8iVlmczLWS_CZsi_VHAzYMt4Oioq1rLRMQ0x8M1h31dCKusYNGnC9SZxSDI4370BZFu-N60jhbheZt_KodwLqTv5dTpvSnhWO2jU1jvdrcUhqx3QQHQaO6dcCedVTacoxdel79ihetI-NtldYzI0NNzWDSBFvEQ/s320/strider3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">More foam padding. I mainly use bits from old cushions and mattresses.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOf-xdfJxSJzlM4ypyryJwEPvD9HYXXWE0vp1MXPUK_dnBmGnJu_V65CwXA7kVE-_9X1dhRnGO4C-pX4LEUAZtDJ-z6LN8JivEUKy9zXJfmS-hMC02lTcrplg_QYuTml4-yfqCx53OK0uhd_Dsry_8rXJJ8OZ33Sn_qXDhwWWIxCeLCruKnB9u1Vuqw/s1890/strider4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1083" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOf-xdfJxSJzlM4ypyryJwEPvD9HYXXWE0vp1MXPUK_dnBmGnJu_V65CwXA7kVE-_9X1dhRnGO4C-pX4LEUAZtDJ-z6LN8JivEUKy9zXJfmS-hMC02lTcrplg_QYuTml4-yfqCx53OK0uhd_Dsry_8rXJJ8OZ33Sn_qXDhwWWIxCeLCruKnB9u1Vuqw/s320/strider4.jpg" width="183" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The flag-like outgrowths on the creature's back are made from latex and tissue paper and glued on using more latex. You can really do a lot with just latex and some kind of fibrous material, like tissue or cotton.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAJBIoX2H2D1pNUt5oJf3bkl2ggJohmyBLXx_PtKEkpwpE4YXALlu3LVMzwh_tEBwMa6WhiEX94_-OlLfHKxmq2F7JN9EmM_yIUYbPXCYXrnioz6I9BDtvcbzBTTk43waIvQ7ZeBOYBiA2spFyj5p1e_YzbGZjq9xsSxynhWyrjc2FxJS3dnErxgOqQ/s1890/strider5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1053" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAJBIoX2H2D1pNUt5oJf3bkl2ggJohmyBLXx_PtKEkpwpE4YXALlu3LVMzwh_tEBwMa6WhiEX94_-OlLfHKxmq2F7JN9EmM_yIUYbPXCYXrnioz6I9BDtvcbzBTTk43waIvQ7ZeBOYBiA2spFyj5p1e_YzbGZjq9xsSxynhWyrjc2FxJS3dnErxgOqQ/s320/strider5.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BmYiJ2z_2ocs8SOlQQBEVhybkcfBEu-eXn4U9wpwvgsgAsOXCHANzfb3UHQuWHzjqzv4oMYDLpr_OzdbHChOOvZtrLQnVEbodXv-CO14mQdth33cWrlLHjL3X-kAQZhHVVwvPWNTnILTeuEipPZKikMJk7PMoTcVlW6oshLmDCY7wMtw41o4-4ADSw/s1890/strider6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1246" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BmYiJ2z_2ocs8SOlQQBEVhybkcfBEu-eXn4U9wpwvgsgAsOXCHANzfb3UHQuWHzjqzv4oMYDLpr_OzdbHChOOvZtrLQnVEbodXv-CO14mQdth33cWrlLHjL3X-kAQZhHVVwvPWNTnILTeuEipPZKikMJk7PMoTcVlW6oshLmDCY7wMtw41o4-4ADSw/s320/strider6.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgWQVX-OKmH5nc6ngu6oOTQTgFzo0hMiKGbTCPpABhUUgtdQ0vMIeYBwh2KQ59Itmmi95PBSXtJgzqRY7WsD4ZXc969ypxUUme6L60w_8wfZ1F_Oi-_SbKWj8c_dW6rsN0zmGpXBpkr91TQWhmLMGnzkaRBoQe-XElFbEnsR-jPPuO0iVjZhlZRec3A/s1970/strider7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1970" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgWQVX-OKmH5nc6ngu6oOTQTgFzo0hMiKGbTCPpABhUUgtdQ0vMIeYBwh2KQ59Itmmi95PBSXtJgzqRY7WsD4ZXc969ypxUUme6L60w_8wfZ1F_Oi-_SbKWj8c_dW6rsN0zmGpXBpkr91TQWhmLMGnzkaRBoQe-XElFbEnsR-jPPuO0iVjZhlZRec3A/s320/strider7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppet has a basic paint job using tinted latex and detailing with acrylic airbrush colors. The teeth are tissue paper and latex. The small bits of skin between the back and the "flags" were made by placing flat bits of soft clay there and then painting on latex in the space. The eyes are covered with transparent air-drying scrapbooking plastic. Today I would've used UV resin instead, but at the time of making this puppet, I didn't realize that material existed. I also added a couple of long skin flaps on the jaw, to accentuate that fish look even more. Those are 1 mm aluminum wires covered with sewing string and latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1A9OLnkLL0pY264L2DFjxtx17R6QH2jFAp_oI0Azeqe7PoRX4YXOdp7lbS3p8VAlSsCM0vFNoZGRaQY4Tv_bxrkw4BQeSsEaUN3e_aJliF_BbVoTrBC4LQGXyYXsaxjrTk1qJCswHwMkEC0EDpT6ZFMoyT34F5u8QlKlT2R911sPVm8pZmnCcZBEgIw/s1890/ancient%20resting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1A9OLnkLL0pY264L2DFjxtx17R6QH2jFAp_oI0Azeqe7PoRX4YXOdp7lbS3p8VAlSsCM0vFNoZGRaQY4Tv_bxrkw4BQeSsEaUN3e_aJliF_BbVoTrBC4LQGXyYXsaxjrTk1qJCswHwMkEC0EDpT6ZFMoyT34F5u8QlKlT2R911sPVm8pZmnCcZBEgIw/s320/ancient%20resting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Our hero keeps asking about the way to his destination and finds this emaciated creature lying on his side in dunes of what looks like small piles of salt. My idea was that this is some very old god or titan who fell to the surface of this world. I used a zombie puppet I've used numerous times by now, and simply added a cut-out image of a stone statue to make it a new head. This head and face are all that's left of how the god might've looked in the beginning. The dunes of salt are actually a photo of snow covering the stones on a graveyard.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c3lE15PeQjXrsWJlk2W8kruDDSIhAAEfykTVIwWjxFuA6v_qOirhYrN6RtpzJ_Lm0NlFrkHD-ZQf_JT6I9kBFafLrkNcPHLQ0WZZVCa2N7MgIT2B8DIgdUjtrMgkaPxy0cvBZl6fVOfwO0bX8m0zA84jmXtfSw51DSleAMmxX9I2-Rfxtw8ZwMW3_w/s1890/stargazer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c3lE15PeQjXrsWJlk2W8kruDDSIhAAEfykTVIwWjxFuA6v_qOirhYrN6RtpzJ_Lm0NlFrkHD-ZQf_JT6I9kBFafLrkNcPHLQ0WZZVCa2N7MgIT2B8DIgdUjtrMgkaPxy0cvBZl6fVOfwO0bX8m0zA84jmXtfSw51DSleAMmxX9I2-Rfxtw8ZwMW3_w/s320/stargazer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Another friendly being the hero comes across is this stargazer. The big telescope is a Photoshop mash-up of various old camera -and binocular parts. The puppet was originally built for the film The Red Brain.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8C38IhCy9qW4KE3LeCRvloHjjHTX437B_nv8sCP0Fb89vYNdP_2lWhkRUc5kfKxLZDdeVU739P5YLTypV076Xz2YZs5xt-SqPP4T0uLXUZmGKfJDBIBWnjdrAXc6qn2dtCTDZ2zmW9ucsaE3z_t1iCPWM7bD2bVexnyEcPHOQ6Np1ToL-bLa__ndHoA/s5184/sea%20of%20hands.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8C38IhCy9qW4KE3LeCRvloHjjHTX437B_nv8sCP0Fb89vYNdP_2lWhkRUc5kfKxLZDdeVU739P5YLTypV076Xz2YZs5xt-SqPP4T0uLXUZmGKfJDBIBWnjdrAXc6qn2dtCTDZ2zmW9ucsaE3z_t1iCPWM7bD2bVexnyEcPHOQ6Np1ToL-bLa__ndHoA/s320/sea%20of%20hands.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This place, which I appropriately call The Sea of Hands, is another Photoshop mash-up. Two strange flying beings are rustled when the hero comes through. They're almost all digital, with a CG pineapple for a body and stock CG animation wings. The tail is a tentacle animation I did years ago, and I keep re-using it for various projects.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF_CRuKr3BjfvkiZnC4F1p-g50kKIHO-VAgz6MwyqxqOXhmFY2RqDXdw16csw6e6W1lbe2twJIs8w7jhETHU1JfCslFCO7LErPhroKG7gdlX1PGO3SZ2xb0uxZAwU2vCfBKJFLLS9hdoOtgIgOh0nEx7ATtl18IZ7K9I5rP14fqiACMzyqA6hxzx0Kw/s3543/Fields%20of%20Dancing%20Fungi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1993" data-original-width="3543" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF_CRuKr3BjfvkiZnC4F1p-g50kKIHO-VAgz6MwyqxqOXhmFY2RqDXdw16csw6e6W1lbe2twJIs8w7jhETHU1JfCslFCO7LErPhroKG7gdlX1PGO3SZ2xb0uxZAwU2vCfBKJFLLS9hdoOtgIgOh0nEx7ATtl18IZ7K9I5rP14fqiACMzyqA6hxzx0Kw/s320/Fields%20of%20Dancing%20Fungi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The protagonist walks across many plains on his journey. This one is populated by mushroom-like plants swaying about. The idea is that they move this way to catch various pollens and insects under their umbrellas. I built a single puppet and animated it a few times turned in various positions to get a little bit of variety in the animation. If I just used the one animation for all the plats it would've been painfully obvious.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdrCsyiNF_aLLZ2Gn6rBpI0AZNKpRS8XYP5Aj9v4Neg11Bt9TokHwx9loLAbwUta0JEpDSNxw58QfOj-OWWIY9epWnmF2phpzfIZF7gWzFxrqgZ6znm-tSiSSCrMVggKp96v_hJD6XquRTz6dUUHItc4PbZCDwRTxImAZZjxjI79guBi228dKKpxrbQ/s3543/Gnoxian%20striders.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2457" data-original-width="3543" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdrCsyiNF_aLLZ2Gn6rBpI0AZNKpRS8XYP5Aj9v4Neg11Bt9TokHwx9loLAbwUta0JEpDSNxw58QfOj-OWWIY9epWnmF2phpzfIZF7gWzFxrqgZ6znm-tSiSSCrMVggKp96v_hJD6XquRTz6dUUHItc4PbZCDwRTxImAZZjxjI79guBi228dKKpxrbQ/s320/Gnoxian%20striders.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Most of the backgrounds used in this film were found on Depositphotos.com. They're almost all of them CG images and used by me through a subscription license. I've added to them in various ways, either in Photoshop or After Effects. The shot above, for example, has a moving sky added.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Hm5WtSy4SnW36aJZq3vdtfIbqSj38y7NrjVFcqR0ek18ocYH6bdHEES8voDtpOwyD4hupU0atKndZ_c-f8lXYMAhErNlmifBSean-ZVFVQEAneVRV7MvRQpbl6hgxep8-u4q3UmmkvJ-T3406NimAG4JM7bYjnSAtuiOE3ZXKSXIoavWLRlPh2x0lw/s2205/monster%20fight.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1241" data-original-width="2205" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Hm5WtSy4SnW36aJZq3vdtfIbqSj38y7NrjVFcqR0ek18ocYH6bdHEES8voDtpOwyD4hupU0atKndZ_c-f8lXYMAhErNlmifBSean-ZVFVQEAneVRV7MvRQpbl6hgxep8-u4q3UmmkvJ-T3406NimAG4JM7bYjnSAtuiOE3ZXKSXIoavWLRlPh2x0lw/s320/monster%20fight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The hero's sword is electric and he uses it for self-defense a couple of times. In After Effects I added CG lightning animations overlaid on the animations in the finished shot compositions. Suitable sound effects completed the effect.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyValK3BMEuLwQyqgoKkGGkEk4O7oF4znl_ErsCZQb76ckPV9_5V7R5pVUg0OHy13MR_YwT7_UzJFZlYdntGMbUmYdnr5lE3PjbjIh07OudM7bXShGoMFWRZMnRp3CgurtD4NQoyKvW44dmP1131ZX0p20D8Y4c0YrQI0hqIeOK1seZceB09NIqGwCoQ/s1890/duel1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyValK3BMEuLwQyqgoKkGGkEk4O7oF4znl_ErsCZQb76ckPV9_5V7R5pVUg0OHy13MR_YwT7_UzJFZlYdntGMbUmYdnr5lE3PjbjIh07OudM7bXShGoMFWRZMnRp3CgurtD4NQoyKvW44dmP1131ZX0p20D8Y4c0YrQI0hqIeOK1seZceB09NIqGwCoQ/s320/duel1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I've had a few comments from people who enjoyed the sword fight scene. The hero and the last brigand exchange blows with their swords, and they do employ attacks, parries, and feigns that are used in foil and saber fencing. I've worked as a sword fight arranger for a number of stage productions, and I have an interest in historical fencing. The fight I put together for my puppets is a very basic one of the kind you can see in old swashbucklers and TV series like Disney's Zorro.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoriUnJKZ47octdg3L47nNVS4JQmtaSgSei3c9GuOpWqtNn9QrKUdsxCY2UdH29yIAi3TyDQEvZCnMh8qVJvQlFiU1Fvu3QNOpIUYRZRq-Uxic0uOpqIQTHDggU6XJQfD3s49TE2xDJ-6jn-5GVtQSqbty-h22_tW4wiKg8LoGZhZbJWXs24d90dmdSg/s1890/temple.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoriUnJKZ47octdg3L47nNVS4JQmtaSgSei3c9GuOpWqtNn9QrKUdsxCY2UdH29yIAi3TyDQEvZCnMh8qVJvQlFiU1Fvu3QNOpIUYRZRq-Uxic0uOpqIQTHDggU6XJQfD3s49TE2xDJ-6jn-5GVtQSqbty-h22_tW4wiKg8LoGZhZbJWXs24d90dmdSg/s320/temple.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The hero eventually reaches his goal which turns out to be a pyramid-shaped temple wherein lives his damsel. Again, this is a stock CG image with some Photoshop additions by me. Moving flames were also added in After Effects.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I said, I'm happy with how well this little epic has been received on YouTube. It's not inspired by any texts or art in particular. I just wanted to do a very weird-looking, but otherwise very traditional adventure story.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><p> </p></div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-69152064993574886192022-09-27T00:47:00.000-07:002022-09-27T00:47:57.038-07:00Changeling<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jeoYvtc4kiE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>This little film is an adaptation of Leah Bodine Drake's poem "Changeling", which was published in Wierd Tales, in September 1942. She's quite an interesting character, with an equally interesting family tree that includes Sir Francis Drake, Davy Crockett, and Jean Bodin. Drake was a poet, author, editor, and critic, and she's probably best known for her first book, published by Arkham House, "A Hornbook For Witches."</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNq8PLyioKTDzjAwWEbW8VVm6lfBcgLQp93gFR75U9TZF9866bhTTY_RYY3rBPufatmzXQoZ5glIIavkjl3LxsFgZ7QAFDRKiqRt3hY3G6BOejYMjIbblpFn9XvKGFoxLdeJQazISxk1OnMPF772McohbHtNRa85_LcJ0M4k3ym5Cjz2eN2_YS4X7ew/s499/513ZwUVz1iL._SX338_BO1,204,203,200_.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNq8PLyioKTDzjAwWEbW8VVm6lfBcgLQp93gFR75U9TZF9866bhTTY_RYY3rBPufatmzXQoZ5glIIavkjl3LxsFgZ7QAFDRKiqRt3hY3G6BOejYMjIbblpFn9XvKGFoxLdeJQazISxk1OnMPF772McohbHtNRa85_LcJ0M4k3ym5Cjz2eN2_YS4X7ew/s320/513ZwUVz1iL._SX338_BO1,204,203,200_.jpeg" width="218" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It seems the book didn't sell all that well when it was published. Now, of course, it's a valued collectible. Among the poems in the book is "Changeling."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gilH-MxkIyxSmSsepgR6zkrkriStiIidO_Vmla8aCnaZHOcfc66GqGhgB2QgwYKDf6yV8D0sPYtA5jyLQbEKf2YZL1-ycAGbgN69Zqd6fPid53nFuss6RGa7hwsM0rzcIFh_1r2MJCd5ejdEkbGUgxwo4HVG0wvs5NxqKKe9v1N0jBE2vK5ggyl75Q/s599/R-5337304-1479271945-9762.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="599" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gilH-MxkIyxSmSsepgR6zkrkriStiIidO_Vmla8aCnaZHOcfc66GqGhgB2QgwYKDf6yV8D0sPYtA5jyLQbEKf2YZL1-ycAGbgN69Zqd6fPid53nFuss6RGa7hwsM0rzcIFh_1r2MJCd5ejdEkbGUgxwo4HVG0wvs5NxqKKe9v1N0jBE2vK5ggyl75Q/s320/R-5337304-1479271945-9762.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Some of her poetry is probably better known for being included in the record "A Hornbook For Witches", narrated by Vincent Price. Even this item is becoming something of a collectible, but you can find the whole thing uploaded on YouTube. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs03fWd4Odcwi-lWnjTVzWpZlxTaZp0kHz54vcMjjuXxetAtjHCNKQaGwU_qnoUBn7VhgCTbzs9gEc6NqG03Otxhk8fq7Bc71bi_xJtEX3Ql0nFoWBiTuNyQ0SfA_VWp9BQXebuHC70SlXm1v4kA96GhBtQPseIkGSWJshSr89AFBgfe7rDkK_E_tuZg/s1890/change1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1890" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs03fWd4Odcwi-lWnjTVzWpZlxTaZp0kHz54vcMjjuXxetAtjHCNKQaGwU_qnoUBn7VhgCTbzs9gEc6NqG03Otxhk8fq7Bc71bi_xJtEX3Ql0nFoWBiTuNyQ0SfA_VWp9BQXebuHC70SlXm1v4kA96GhBtQPseIkGSWJshSr89AFBgfe7rDkK_E_tuZg/s320/change1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, what is actually a changeling? According to folklore, it's a fairy child placed in a human home. In my native Sweden it's the trolls who take a human newborn and replace it with one of their own babies. Why do they practice this custom? Nobody seems to know, but the general idea seems to be a lust for knowledge of human secrets, such as iron-making, butter-making, and similar things. The fairy or troll child is a kind of infiltrator, in other words. The changeling is mostly an unhappy creature, neither fairy nor human, which is something Drake touches on in her poem. My grandmother's uncle claimed he was a changeling.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My puppet changeling started life as a medium-grade Monster Clay sculpture. I made the head and the torso.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLtOYlFIl5rpaOKeHQOsz5AeWs1ShhMJQye0L2zRsHiZZRDvWg8XcD3iZ8mE7hZVSThYNuM41z1FpK1RjHI-xHUJv67fhJQvHGXsSKdxwB_96IZ8f42qQt2RhDd-wE7NM9H-o9a2X97OhCLT5ZIN05CtjRllbx-re94Ykid8K24p_sQnUg2kMGNcGtw/s1890/change2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLtOYlFIl5rpaOKeHQOsz5AeWs1ShhMJQye0L2zRsHiZZRDvWg8XcD3iZ8mE7hZVSThYNuM41z1FpK1RjHI-xHUJv67fhJQvHGXsSKdxwB_96IZ8f42qQt2RhDd-wE7NM9H-o9a2X97OhCLT5ZIN05CtjRllbx-re94Ykid8K24p_sQnUg2kMGNcGtw/s320/change2.jpg" width="177" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The sculpture was placed on a clay base and a dental plaster mold was built up around it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5x4G8IM6IkcVeDs7_WIv-SUbJSTaRUnBenp7AGYOaBl8ypU31aqZQAEPLFLCNV8XYmbx1_lB8LG7J_O9ADrcLNU4yexg2lHeOcCETAIMrMbxmkEIm-dm_eojVi9riD2CAjVpmDdBPexxD-hIa-a69iXbII0T8Bl1HRdgFO2_s8Ac1azkADiABAKpRQ/s1890/change3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1471" data-original-width="1890" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5x4G8IM6IkcVeDs7_WIv-SUbJSTaRUnBenp7AGYOaBl8ypU31aqZQAEPLFLCNV8XYmbx1_lB8LG7J_O9ADrcLNU4yexg2lHeOcCETAIMrMbxmkEIm-dm_eojVi9riD2CAjVpmDdBPexxD-hIa-a69iXbII0T8Bl1HRdgFO2_s8Ac1azkADiABAKpRQ/s320/change3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I added tinted latex to the plaster mold to create a sturdy skin. This forehead was reinforced with a mix of latex and cotton. Other parts of the head were padded with strips of polyurethane soaked in latex. The body was padded with layers of soft foam.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rxocBxaR08mKlRNizlEtOND0U-cceow9qKEelUqrlFCzVy_38dN10b_9HiZbblDhAfrz_xpsjL9OZ2PTwqGNsU_J8h2g1tiihySQIDUKePhOvvnfiR1Oyw_vzmT-I_cvWdbhtcL6SJzPBrOIX9rdhVdZmzKSlTUTB80CIbMO6ugy0vQ-UodbTVF5QQ/s1890/change4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1507" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rxocBxaR08mKlRNizlEtOND0U-cceow9qKEelUqrlFCzVy_38dN10b_9HiZbblDhAfrz_xpsjL9OZ2PTwqGNsU_J8h2g1tiihySQIDUKePhOvvnfiR1Oyw_vzmT-I_cvWdbhtcL6SJzPBrOIX9rdhVdZmzKSlTUTB80CIbMO6ugy0vQ-UodbTVF5QQ/s320/change4.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The armature for this character is very simple; a humanoid frame made with aluminum wires and Polymorph thermoplastic. I used very thin polyurethane foam wrapped around the armature to build up the shape of the body. The very thinnest foam is square bits you buy in large bulk packages from a drugstore. They're washcloths used in health care. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyOge_cWha5IJtHQSdcXB8cG37NxCe3d1d_9SOq7C5zYmRfxztcE1WQgXRF78w_VdJZbxBxv1DlMQ2Uos8RmMZi8gMv5lX8xKmQ-31O33I5pwdtWPL9hLoWQZ_lvKeFWINJuOTB2W3GCbOYAZbLSWqRihTkN4aJEYdWEGeWx2Vg05Z9apB3ovm1dhJQ/s1890/change5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1890" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyOge_cWha5IJtHQSdcXB8cG37NxCe3d1d_9SOq7C5zYmRfxztcE1WQgXRF78w_VdJZbxBxv1DlMQ2Uos8RmMZi8gMv5lX8xKmQ-31O33I5pwdtWPL9hLoWQZ_lvKeFWINJuOTB2W3GCbOYAZbLSWqRihTkN4aJEYdWEGeWx2Vg05Z9apB3ovm1dhJQ/s320/change5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The head was attached to the neck part of the armature with thermoplastic. The foam padding was glued down to the armature padding with contact cement. More padding was added to smooth out the transition between latex skin and foam.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwIaPc-xaBJ0rUvSmbstMVwx5WS9IQEk7KfOmDzkzyMp9JMP253YlbsZ1UK4iVuR6vgFbKr3Jt5ii82Dk-4oIjsJ0dQvykKr5R3U9ugkKoIdrRhcDIzTHXaJ5Nbgg1Q9nqJvuP0QpTqto-V6cCZpfzBCc6tavurTAkz3kkWzVX6Q4prjYx-GUqwbr1Q/s1890/changeling%20klar4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1032" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwIaPc-xaBJ0rUvSmbstMVwx5WS9IQEk7KfOmDzkzyMp9JMP253YlbsZ1UK4iVuR6vgFbKr3Jt5ii82Dk-4oIjsJ0dQvykKr5R3U9ugkKoIdrRhcDIzTHXaJ5Nbgg1Q9nqJvuP0QpTqto-V6cCZpfzBCc6tavurTAkz3kkWzVX6Q4prjYx-GUqwbr1Q/s320/changeling%20klar4.jpg" width="175" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiig1qNsuJ_vspQOMeYq79ZK6aBUnkF17jwu9ka4F1nAM3gDI0MbhO_K-9V_kGHFB4VjMS0M1sd4lVPMc86phA5cP5RKNHitMjYocVM-5LojdfWpJ9wMAUIpOn8wutEzdygNv9bfFRtPNFGuROE0IZSeWAWCiAJX7yy03Aib8o0pof-OiUF4VxhEbi2Q/s1890/changeling%20klar5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="882" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiig1qNsuJ_vspQOMeYq79ZK6aBUnkF17jwu9ka4F1nAM3gDI0MbhO_K-9V_kGHFB4VjMS0M1sd4lVPMc86phA5cP5RKNHitMjYocVM-5LojdfWpJ9wMAUIpOn8wutEzdygNv9bfFRtPNFGuROE0IZSeWAWCiAJX7yy03Aib8o0pof-OiUF4VxhEbi2Q/s320/changeling%20klar5.jpg" width="149" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's the little chap finished and ready for animation. His eyes are plastic pearls painted and placed in silicone eye sockets on the inside of the head latex skin. Thermoplastic holds the sockets in place. The hair is patches of crepé hair - tufts of dyed sheep's wool. His nappy or loincloth is simply made from kitchen tissue paper dabbed with latex. His skin is painted with tinted latex, using a foam sponge. His claw-like nails are copy -or printer's paper dabbed with latex and cut in shape with small scissors.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxaj_i-lb-6UsX8llbgVYmEE29PSNq_h1T0At8VM9Gj0a0Yqkfo8SgOStqOYAOB1CGExp30CUfIb3Wv3-zNDupd2yzw4j6bMbLh5LjJrk3Xfk26cXxu9G-0FX_act8s9sBRxccVcGgSob-gZ8vVcaCA5Y-P5irrEKj10sS4c3nzDZgbgJiKdgKuTp6Q/s1890/changeling%20klar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxaj_i-lb-6UsX8llbgVYmEE29PSNq_h1T0At8VM9Gj0a0Yqkfo8SgOStqOYAOB1CGExp30CUfIb3Wv3-zNDupd2yzw4j6bMbLh5LjJrk3Xfk26cXxu9G-0FX_act8s9sBRxccVcGgSob-gZ8vVcaCA5Y-P5irrEKj10sS4c3nzDZgbgJiKdgKuTp6Q/s320/changeling%20klar1.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1zc-Fcq3kHh4R1r1ljXQpfktGHGd9w-7PtpkmtgV2W1QbFA3Kh1Bw1b68f6jdZwT8g-2-B--zr7nRIwO_PDR0hfBEvqSbMT7tjDNT12bJCHAW1TF9GfzlEPCcuX26-Scz7PaHslSNd0-C9zZauWGsIlmO5sgiI1G9gQrzKqe1rR_Vibp0UtQoLaonQ/s1890/changeling%20klar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1zc-Fcq3kHh4R1r1ljXQpfktGHGd9w-7PtpkmtgV2W1QbFA3Kh1Bw1b68f6jdZwT8g-2-B--zr7nRIwO_PDR0hfBEvqSbMT7tjDNT12bJCHAW1TF9GfzlEPCcuX26-Scz7PaHslSNd0-C9zZauWGsIlmO5sgiI1G9gQrzKqe1rR_Vibp0UtQoLaonQ/s320/changeling%20klar2.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimf72yHavTJURM51rXxOG_nWhX5amHP6x52S70TbU2yypHCrsIIljrfub5QKSBSdMfuGNrYFKqWlsI2FaxaYqHDcqbvfKlfIFcbLiIcS-_3mGPnkBKg-qCyWHZFfmL4p5Fx2M5REcvy7QpM2UKprSJkDwIQrOa-m2_Zhq7RtiPvD-WRPgYYj6fNlVhhQ/s1890/changeling%20klar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1442" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimf72yHavTJURM51rXxOG_nWhX5amHP6x52S70TbU2yypHCrsIIljrfub5QKSBSdMfuGNrYFKqWlsI2FaxaYqHDcqbvfKlfIFcbLiIcS-_3mGPnkBKg-qCyWHZFfmL4p5Fx2M5REcvy7QpM2UKprSJkDwIQrOa-m2_Zhq7RtiPvD-WRPgYYj6fNlVhhQ/s320/changeling%20klar3.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The same night I finished him, I found the little blighter running around one of my bookshelves. Changelings, whatever their origin, are never up to any good!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC12UaXWANgyPYSHfNS2PRHW6M5OrCLQN8EZ0_IZ3oiSrbibZRDtJgyNZf60JI7KAULZzOGdXXUvUxANePMZ7uoSPSBGJZfimRUc9izLWgmpTTWlow2qKmoe1GE2VO7o_omkh1M6YoZXQWzulSv2vL9lC67MFlZ_opVZYaQLx0gRDBmA66KB8I6wRjKQ/s1890/changeling2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC12UaXWANgyPYSHfNS2PRHW6M5OrCLQN8EZ0_IZ3oiSrbibZRDtJgyNZf60JI7KAULZzOGdXXUvUxANePMZ7uoSPSBGJZfimRUc9izLWgmpTTWlow2qKmoe1GE2VO7o_omkh1M6YoZXQWzulSv2vL9lC67MFlZ_opVZYaQLx0gRDBmA66KB8I6wRjKQ/s320/changeling2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDxy3ewNJzAQYLEJz8-usj1OBb_3wZTArStm3VIe5YQjSWNvMx9BwI_SRIhtjAUMeu5UfYC1MBmp-q0X6e0UtKHWfIgGK020bJcEncIo-CgTjSlLr2gbwQJ0wmx-OMAVQEgCZISl5SYCcJsxYEc8IA5Qm-Fxr0wkx4B0dMC24zu11MzB-MLCOCHmWRQ/s1890/changeling3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDxy3ewNJzAQYLEJz8-usj1OBb_3wZTArStm3VIe5YQjSWNvMx9BwI_SRIhtjAUMeu5UfYC1MBmp-q0X6e0UtKHWfIgGK020bJcEncIo-CgTjSlLr2gbwQJ0wmx-OMAVQEgCZISl5SYCcJsxYEc8IA5Qm-Fxr0wkx4B0dMC24zu11MzB-MLCOCHmWRQ/s320/changeling3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In my film, you first see the changeling riding on a white owl. As I was a bit pressed for time finishing this film as a bonus for my Patreon supporters I didn't make an owl puppet, which would've taken a bit of time (longer than making the changeling). Instead, I found a couple of stock footage clips of a CG animated owl and stuck the changeling puppet on its back in After Effects. The background stormy clouds are two other stock clips I've used a number of times in my films.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwC_7GMjBYW2m312hgSZFWUesTwqjItlO8958aP8y-uZi7Trn0Cbb1ZmglyoivTZCTqQ_6p1w6WG7NLL25xOOxjseRgtw8lGfkXR9hxYBNWQewvROv5Cn8qBh-SsCJQmcKFSPY6H_sKRCjIet5ji8TeM2l92ZHYvgkuQYgzcgz2KV3V1iCgGooNU3Zg/s1890/changeling4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwC_7GMjBYW2m312hgSZFWUesTwqjItlO8958aP8y-uZi7Trn0Cbb1ZmglyoivTZCTqQ_6p1w6WG7NLL25xOOxjseRgtw8lGfkXR9hxYBNWQewvROv5Cn8qBh-SsCJQmcKFSPY6H_sKRCjIet5ji8TeM2l92ZHYvgkuQYgzcgz2KV3V1iCgGooNU3Zg/s320/changeling4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7fT0IvlQcmKUirLNfXnCV1Ck8E82upaX8hOoVMVeauUNEBuA5utyV5y-30bLphwTrIB0NwPTug7JQSk22QNokhYb8_6MmiKOTz28cjDy4ZEFF6MjaH2ZDlbkbvh0zJjij-NeVeunMcor7a2miy285IOcNYcMmiDVL4xhVoziGKdH16XUveyG9aUbsQ/s1890/changeling5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7fT0IvlQcmKUirLNfXnCV1Ck8E82upaX8hOoVMVeauUNEBuA5utyV5y-30bLphwTrIB0NwPTug7JQSk22QNokhYb8_6MmiKOTz28cjDy4ZEFF6MjaH2ZDlbkbvh0zJjij-NeVeunMcor7a2miy285IOcNYcMmiDVL4xhVoziGKdH16XUveyG9aUbsQ/s320/changeling5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The weasel and fox footage are also two stock video clips found on Videohive.com. Again, it's a bit of cheating, but all in the tradition of how movies have been put together through the ages.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2j_ICLZ2jKX0R9N83fwDVRndmNyaB7m7KTUrnXOebxjLIJOIRJT3zvB3hWLCVlFt-vrwdb5QIov42EgFkdVE7THXdMFzIXRv1J-_cHMp3T0D4QmJU0ikwSyt-05QbCquiPsZyECTs3Hp20ryX47Wngf9f8S_UxUPdA3wbi3sovj4xR3GfL6vmPA0Fg/s1890/changeling6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2j_ICLZ2jKX0R9N83fwDVRndmNyaB7m7KTUrnXOebxjLIJOIRJT3zvB3hWLCVlFt-vrwdb5QIov42EgFkdVE7THXdMFzIXRv1J-_cHMp3T0D4QmJU0ikwSyt-05QbCquiPsZyECTs3Hp20ryX47Wngf9f8S_UxUPdA3wbi3sovj4xR3GfL6vmPA0Fg/s320/changeling6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The backgrounds are, unless something's moving in them, still images downloaded from depsoitphotos.com. Smoke, fireflies, and similar ethereal substances are also stock clips, usually placed on black backgrounds, leaving it up to me to choose the right kind of transparency for the layers in which they are placed.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg3SPB-L4wR3BydUprJHoXVP4SNs9vFFwhVWUMKaQYQB4TmxYIAaM6ptCo4DaOIFVWWVGCANSxazqOSU8QXbUUBhsT94g3tS8FYrB38nGdraahgeXhiDQStahGh-j7pdM8YzzDNv-jzby15vLUj3apQtpkGZfaBc91hv9IEWg7wb9HH1NTBDx0vjlNQ/s1890/changeling1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg3SPB-L4wR3BydUprJHoXVP4SNs9vFFwhVWUMKaQYQB4TmxYIAaM6ptCo4DaOIFVWWVGCANSxazqOSU8QXbUUBhsT94g3tS8FYrB38nGdraahgeXhiDQStahGh-j7pdM8YzzDNv-jzby15vLUj3apQtpkGZfaBc91hv9IEWg7wb9HH1NTBDx0vjlNQ/s320/changeling1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I thought Leah Brody Drake's poignant poem was a good subject for a bit of animation. We all feel like outsiders at some point in our lives, and the changeling is one of those ultimate outsiders that human imagination has provided us with through storytelling, like characters such as Gollum or the Frankenstein monster. The poem also has a bit of nature romance to it, which I always enjoy indulging in.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-6618121670520257662022-08-31T14:47:00.001-07:002022-08-31T14:57:10.022-07:00Abandoned Places<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VAwMVaZkIqg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>The concept for this one is very simple and even seems to be a bit trendy at the moment: Making videos about creepy places where unexplained events have taken place or are taking place. I did one earlier called The Haunted Room, and this project is a development of that idea, you could say.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, I'll go through each scene and make some comments on it. I probably shouldn't, since it's really up to the viewer to make up his or her own mind about what has happened in those abandoned places. Most of the content in this film is cobbled together from still stock images and videos, but there is some animation here and there.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYnejFePG9ClXaTQQGMAnaCYOh6YSntvl_DCU5b-9dO2qz9X7XpcvdFm7bAnf4JZiEziO3KX9ryrXYgk3AbAFKDUDqO9ckar7eRjKUI9qYvr3MY1fGlMJlOBmDy32P3OSVtyjc2tpfJt8gIZ4m_7F2pFRgcqJHLYEzjlMlw-s3R68Pndt_JZOfnDtvA/s1890/places1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYnejFePG9ClXaTQQGMAnaCYOh6YSntvl_DCU5b-9dO2qz9X7XpcvdFm7bAnf4JZiEziO3KX9ryrXYgk3AbAFKDUDqO9ckar7eRjKUI9qYvr3MY1fGlMJlOBmDy32P3OSVtyjc2tpfJt8gIZ4m_7F2pFRgcqJHLYEzjlMlw-s3R68Pndt_JZOfnDtvA/s320/places1.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I've downloaded all my stock photos from Depositphotos, and then made a few tweaks to them in Photoshop. This old place is obviously haunted by a girl who seems to be stuck in a single window pane. the girl, like most of the stock videos used here, comes from Videoblocks.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7uDJc67RRz4yHGTn3v4H-IxdJDrCuL8m3z__xYGIRg190P4BqASx7sKw9bq5k3aFkNZFLqkCNyZQpcGWpEBpk9dN4SKmXptaAn5yigG2_7m42EccFAAYisy8uJTWF3x6-jOoPkVEKKitBWl-36IMFx2MVmFkSW48dTVjU1Aa8v3MI_xX1ooJ_pPgmg/s1890/places2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7uDJc67RRz4yHGTn3v4H-IxdJDrCuL8m3z__xYGIRg190P4BqASx7sKw9bq5k3aFkNZFLqkCNyZQpcGWpEBpk9dN4SKmXptaAn5yigG2_7m42EccFAAYisy8uJTWF3x6-jOoPkVEKKitBWl-36IMFx2MVmFkSW48dTVjU1Aa8v3MI_xX1ooJ_pPgmg/s320/places2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My idea here was that some government experiment went to heck and this energy sphere is still around causing havoc. Again, a blend of stock effects and animations.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC3cqW39QOnNZPG0lGzW_aghfHQokxBsXCkZSQ0w9-X7BV9JIxS4PtSNQs4NbZeshnU2F0OMlyECKC2RHX8UocCpuI4K-cZGxe7iYX5uDt8TMvNBiEMtqG6h4YaO6PE7vpfyN95s57Z__sKxmQ7JDl6qybIc1imdTqsA8KGMo1ikqZNALXTdZ3cVxBQ/s1890/places3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC3cqW39QOnNZPG0lGzW_aghfHQokxBsXCkZSQ0w9-X7BV9JIxS4PtSNQs4NbZeshnU2F0OMlyECKC2RHX8UocCpuI4K-cZGxe7iYX5uDt8TMvNBiEMtqG6h4YaO6PE7vpfyN95s57Z__sKxmQ7JDl6qybIc1imdTqsA8KGMo1ikqZNALXTdZ3cVxBQ/s320/places3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>An old abandoned classrom with an unplugged TV that turns on anyway. A satanic ritual of some sort is displayed on the screen. the screaming noises I used are supposedly "real" sounds from Hell, picked up by drilling crews. It can't get more authentic than that!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgG27JURIZ7F0_TSofuzKVnzCArFthtVwPLpspci9ll8NiiEeUdWTAwliuDSJnDpYqQjrBJ8Z0Zg26FVebvd-X1JqicPPzoPiaCH6szE5qaL7mRZt0-DHtNe_jOzBMJmQFn2L5bjZkVqh6qtz7lJYphUxSmrKwP8glrK8O5Sog947zPsYwRyr33tiLg/s1890/places4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgG27JURIZ7F0_TSofuzKVnzCArFthtVwPLpspci9ll8NiiEeUdWTAwliuDSJnDpYqQjrBJ8Z0Zg26FVebvd-X1JqicPPzoPiaCH6szE5qaL7mRZt0-DHtNe_jOzBMJmQFn2L5bjZkVqh6qtz7lJYphUxSmrKwP8glrK8O5Sog947zPsYwRyr33tiLg/s320/places4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This shot is, of course, alluding to H P Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space." The crosses and the well were added in Photoshop and the green energy is a stock CGI effect tweaked in After Effects to look a bit more organic.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2BfWDXAU-21JAJLW087tcH17l8YcEXyrGa4Nz9mSrX_5ZPjgUjKYi_2n-5-Py8CE3n-zcdE1mAJHThBs8ILNvy4jhztWoAnvE00fqK4ZBCeZWDn-WhJG0WmWq-0F7_Plh14f1UvqfAWx8gcTiRjXInGMiDvg-tADk5-5w8hSOJhbKg5LBPVs7Dl9gg/s1890/places5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2BfWDXAU-21JAJLW087tcH17l8YcEXyrGa4Nz9mSrX_5ZPjgUjKYi_2n-5-Py8CE3n-zcdE1mAJHThBs8ILNvy4jhztWoAnvE00fqK4ZBCeZWDn-WhJG0WmWq-0F7_Plh14f1UvqfAWx8gcTiRjXInGMiDvg-tADk5-5w8hSOJhbKg5LBPVs7Dl9gg/s320/places5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The abandoned asylum is a must, and I found a very nice stock CGI zombie girl which I stuck into the dark doorway.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRWN-yuk9crrHBgO2jfxI9L1iFFbaYMmIxUMejZNF0TbNINaS9DbCuQda2ElMjcQVL1KtPO9-Hva3issYXjl7eedREJK0h5dK46eb1SAomO0tDskkg4nMLQwGd8hmFYvtFwDyj_41BNNv-OhqIWFT5ncHrmgMga-Hr327-j9l69S0wqOxA7xzhGb_6w/s1890/places6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRWN-yuk9crrHBgO2jfxI9L1iFFbaYMmIxUMejZNF0TbNINaS9DbCuQda2ElMjcQVL1KtPO9-Hva3issYXjl7eedREJK0h5dK46eb1SAomO0tDskkg4nMLQwGd8hmFYvtFwDyj_41BNNv-OhqIWFT5ncHrmgMga-Hr327-j9l69S0wqOxA7xzhGb_6w/s320/places6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This field is a stock video -you can see the grass moving slightly which I thought was nice. I replaced the original, very blue and calm sky with a CGI cloud vortex. The writing on the silo was there in the original stock footage,</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5Oda7xZJ_pSkXfDJaO_FQa0joCHhuzfiIKiYLy78GMIVX8uiInimOMjWMyrwimqFnys1aZZMbVQk-QiOBRlDnTrp-YXp4Gt-vAMv8-Z4dhP1S8UqZi36OigK2c_6mxVushV3bFKeS60O8AHivepo-H5SAPcjQG5QPoS50B5pvEFL1ttrIlthqOtv6A/s1890/bat%20thing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="1890" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5Oda7xZJ_pSkXfDJaO_FQa0joCHhuzfiIKiYLy78GMIVX8uiInimOMjWMyrwimqFnys1aZZMbVQk-QiOBRlDnTrp-YXp4Gt-vAMv8-Z4dhP1S8UqZi36OigK2c_6mxVushV3bFKeS60O8AHivepo-H5SAPcjQG5QPoS50B5pvEFL1ttrIlthqOtv6A/s320/bat%20thing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The two bat-like creatures circling the cloud funnel are a single puppet once built and animated for my film "Azathoth." It was pressed back into action here.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCP6PzrHkFMtS66cFEMtSEgOjzU5yI2hWQebcsfwfgZ8iD-BTViWVgxDmJ__WcstbcZ-mUt9pJT1N1hEg5w9015gTNsRzc6tNSl-eLrl20mY4BCDRQJ9iWRzjEEE7B4FVVOU-UU-Q6M8OCXuy3VZ0L5Zq36TCstg7aIdQfUMumOw_FD8sX2RrwSWc5fA/s1890/places7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCP6PzrHkFMtS66cFEMtSEgOjzU5yI2hWQebcsfwfgZ8iD-BTViWVgxDmJ__WcstbcZ-mUt9pJT1N1hEg5w9015gTNsRzc6tNSl-eLrl20mY4BCDRQJ9iWRzjEEE7B4FVVOU-UU-Q6M8OCXuy3VZ0L5Zq36TCstg7aIdQfUMumOw_FD8sX2RrwSWc5fA/s320/places7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>A once-nice drawing room invaded by giant slugs. I thought about having dead people sitting on the furniture, but decided against it, as the place would look more abandoned without them.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQat0_l6drihzpiW1gqcoLYJa1XtPGSPQPeqBw1QxugFOYj2MkodkQaCr1n-NO4nIF6ec5O4EI6hbJT9ReJ01y31qRwKSnHEfugC4Z1D6udHsuGhLVx_SWaVSKiqDZ7JCqlElB7stZXsmk1O63lJd0tXK5sD9Lb7UpU72fkWab4i-1boMIo1duJf7lAQ/s442/slug2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="442" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQat0_l6drihzpiW1gqcoLYJa1XtPGSPQPeqBw1QxugFOYj2MkodkQaCr1n-NO4nIF6ec5O4EI6hbJT9ReJ01y31qRwKSnHEfugC4Z1D6udHsuGhLVx_SWaVSKiqDZ7JCqlElB7stZXsmk1O63lJd0tXK5sD9Lb7UpU72fkWab4i-1boMIo1duJf7lAQ/s320/slug2.png" width="320" /></a></div>The giant slugs were simple photos of the brown "Spanish" garden slug. My garden is, unfortunately, full of the pests. I moved them about in After Effects using the Puppet tool.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmW0ZuqdZPeeN4TQERsGebyoX7_7555twoqjnavwlHoPtoM8saMwjVFI7N_ntYd8p2m9TDMPPkkuPNjTAYTNBaH37OixGclQnSFLdB-QBjyEa-9tz3H-2K9O29haD9WBwkrQn-Qq1QxCghSRIDE1ngu91cHu4KUaUlDXTUqNTYLr0Egv_ynjZniN8dA/s1890/places8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmW0ZuqdZPeeN4TQERsGebyoX7_7555twoqjnavwlHoPtoM8saMwjVFI7N_ntYd8p2m9TDMPPkkuPNjTAYTNBaH37OixGclQnSFLdB-QBjyEa-9tz3H-2K9O29haD9WBwkrQn-Qq1QxCghSRIDE1ngu91cHu4KUaUlDXTUqNTYLr0Egv_ynjZniN8dA/s320/places8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The scene of some industrial accident, though it might have occult overtones, as you can glimpse gigantic tentacles looming out of the mists behind the buildings. I re-used old animations of a tentacle prop.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg71QlPkP79pzFzC-uH62zUtYl4UJNW0h_Eg48Jp7iHWIVcdWxSnXLFLrk_P5fS9Uh3oGjkM_gX-nBTJMwrJWPNOMly55LImv1BUrC7Buhti8cNcqBiuEby3HsIzcMP6TSQn59ATqD2DiQUJ64Yoe2Q3nX5aaN69CJt3bPBzNn_Ua5ncr4z9K3R2ZGKw/s1890/places9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg71QlPkP79pzFzC-uH62zUtYl4UJNW0h_Eg48Jp7iHWIVcdWxSnXLFLrk_P5fS9Uh3oGjkM_gX-nBTJMwrJWPNOMly55LImv1BUrC7Buhti8cNcqBiuEby3HsIzcMP6TSQn59ATqD2DiQUJ64Yoe2Q3nX5aaN69CJt3bPBzNn_Ua5ncr4z9K3R2ZGKw/s320/places9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A farmhouse afflicted by some sort of pulsating alien fungi. Again, a bit of Lovecraftian overtones. The fungi are actually some sort of ocean anemone creature.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7d_EXrvGxS6JXcltL2MtGKA04hPkOuDJxo7V_uCUZtQaoSoNpBarmiDHn4L0SMOzLfBSzaeXf08_IgzupTJ9PZhD2FII9KRza_tBRsoWHhPRFUZDERkgxiifcLKHTRPYTJDF6uyW2rBsgdX0nYM4lmJL5YTRbppbFTzmL-DnMQaks8U7LMGvQP6CoA/s1890/places10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7d_EXrvGxS6JXcltL2MtGKA04hPkOuDJxo7V_uCUZtQaoSoNpBarmiDHn4L0SMOzLfBSzaeXf08_IgzupTJ9PZhD2FII9KRza_tBRsoWHhPRFUZDERkgxiifcLKHTRPYTJDF6uyW2rBsgdX0nYM4lmJL5YTRbppbFTzmL-DnMQaks8U7LMGvQP6CoA/s320/places10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some sort of stately building where a zombie-like creature sits on a ceiling corner and then scuttles off into a hole. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimNm5UMe-VuBXvrr0nRxS2R9OkAcBMOvuvRPJrksJBTHPgC0-lVcE3xzgi6dCh3KQVrFK4Ddwtk4yiNttydnhF2gdbFf13DWuMGx7SlshuswBtuRl0jFljq-_0jUNSEWvI3GwR0Po1Og4IUwiTLKx5IQEN8_cRcijb-iRqEv5ewOgfiXl-4zTYOO4PA/s1890/zombie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1890" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimNm5UMe-VuBXvrr0nRxS2R9OkAcBMOvuvRPJrksJBTHPgC0-lVcE3xzgi6dCh3KQVrFK4Ddwtk4yiNttydnhF2gdbFf13DWuMGx7SlshuswBtuRl0jFljq-_0jUNSEWvI3GwR0Po1Og4IUwiTLKx5IQEN8_cRcijb-iRqEv5ewOgfiXl-4zTYOO4PA/s320/zombie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The creature is a zombie puppet I've used a few times over the years. It was actually animated upside down since that was easier for me, and then flipped in After Effects.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERwAjBuCzJXrmWd2yzli0jdtQAQy5GRrsO6tvF37Ru5tWiBmZKe9LH2BlWuPqFoSRXnnSh5hTovdcQnsdGpWvy0xUEAH3t9B6SwTuv0-jfhks_Dl4aVLP0GW8F4SpCQE2Aqvn43XJaq6lWcQ_Q2v9RdOv6lOAoIDC6pPUUMJBVZHBkwMQUw9oWlx49w/s1890/places11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="1890" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERwAjBuCzJXrmWd2yzli0jdtQAQy5GRrsO6tvF37Ru5tWiBmZKe9LH2BlWuPqFoSRXnnSh5hTovdcQnsdGpWvy0xUEAH3t9B6SwTuv0-jfhks_Dl4aVLP0GW8F4SpCQE2Aqvn43XJaq6lWcQ_Q2v9RdOv6lOAoIDC6pPUUMJBVZHBkwMQUw9oWlx49w/s320/places11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This shot is actually a complete stock footage clip, so kudos to whoever came up with it.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPz7uxaKPrCJk07nzz7Tz9tl2NcSq91AGITOQ7Py9x2tBHslmH8jXiYwsEVN38ahjOf_EGhyfakbLKSAH7yMBcuTD6wbdgb-oHhxP5Lwr76fJha4FwfZc7SJi6Nyg_2p202T2aSdEyQ7lrBZdfi1WS8bJbKLUs2w8jMrpn6csDx4M-yf2WQgg7b2N5w/s1890/places12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPz7uxaKPrCJk07nzz7Tz9tl2NcSq91AGITOQ7Py9x2tBHslmH8jXiYwsEVN38ahjOf_EGhyfakbLKSAH7yMBcuTD6wbdgb-oHhxP5Lwr76fJha4FwfZc7SJi6Nyg_2p202T2aSdEyQ7lrBZdfi1WS8bJbKLUs2w8jMrpn6csDx4M-yf2WQgg7b2N5w/s320/places12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Of course, you need some creepy toys when doing a video about haunted places. I re-used a couple older puppets that still held up quite well despite being over ten years old by now.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb68BIdWdBvzeBzC3-v91zMSSV3uHXDS5OVqiJoAGVEch-exBFlElacG3-IWk5leK6Ygdl-FoDVgQSKHCkhjYsTh1Oio1OHgmDLIehXPeOJqXaiYdF9jdfLdIyzDi6ToXN4jpGqy6syumDxkXA7E3vm93d2VqqOKfbFvbQRJuf0h0VsrCSfkL_j_8MFg/s1890/monkey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1261" data-original-width="1890" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb68BIdWdBvzeBzC3-v91zMSSV3uHXDS5OVqiJoAGVEch-exBFlElacG3-IWk5leK6Ygdl-FoDVgQSKHCkhjYsTh1Oio1OHgmDLIehXPeOJqXaiYdF9jdfLdIyzDi6ToXN4jpGqy6syumDxkXA7E3vm93d2VqqOKfbFvbQRJuf0h0VsrCSfkL_j_8MFg/s320/monkey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>A commentator on YouTube noted that it was obvious that the cymbal monkey would come to life, and he's right -why put it in there and not have it bang its cymbals?</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5lo7OhRLCIM5d44SCUxRGDNjd6O0HbuSd__4L5h5JPTAeXx3f9Ur2gtxvfLjndDj1YmEaQZPI-TXZCvb_7zr5uP-SIM6GElfUhjhAgjgAhyY2VLi9Lv79Dh04nyjiVYkArE7W1tTKb1-kKmkvF2VAZ1CyJxwxMp-nAHFKOxf47VqFjUn2iejeQcsGQ/s1894/clown.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1265" data-original-width="1894" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5lo7OhRLCIM5d44SCUxRGDNjd6O0HbuSd__4L5h5JPTAeXx3f9Ur2gtxvfLjndDj1YmEaQZPI-TXZCvb_7zr5uP-SIM6GElfUhjhAgjgAhyY2VLi9Lv79Dh04nyjiVYkArE7W1tTKb1-kKmkvF2VAZ1CyJxwxMp-nAHFKOxf47VqFjUn2iejeQcsGQ/s320/clown.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The clown puppet might've been a better surprise, but a clown puppet is a rather obvious addition to a cast of haunted toys, right?</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHfN3fZosvyh1L2glujopSJiGrNnW1wU2Ul3vhXxGezjZjAS-lTt8gTkhdOuz0rVeaHjNcIH7BRJm4pBrY65NCAg9AMO0XByB-0l0Ks4ZM56cO7MLSi1Mgfg939jITasAqaOB8j8CyxRbEFaEaiYGl0tQB8w7aGLf2qxGLeZc_0g2IVqPdLMdNaGNkw/s1890/places13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHfN3fZosvyh1L2glujopSJiGrNnW1wU2Ul3vhXxGezjZjAS-lTt8gTkhdOuz0rVeaHjNcIH7BRJm4pBrY65NCAg9AMO0XByB-0l0Ks4ZM56cO7MLSi1Mgfg939jITasAqaOB8j8CyxRbEFaEaiYGl0tQB8w7aGLf2qxGLeZc_0g2IVqPdLMdNaGNkw/s320/places13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In this shot, I added the jars and bottles with freaky contents. The beating heart is a stock animation placed inside its jar with some After Effects trickery.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghn_6AE2Q7WckX4SaL39VhIAJIf8RZW3jqsDyFxBG9XvuCfAICC71beIBTEUjIT-Qs3L7Vt7PcZ4D5LVgDn0ItijmMeBqt8jPD-xVkLZwP0-BCzhvH1Q5lV_B2WIEdAw7jxe2AY8t2Cg5shXCJOx3xPhe3bp_y0RwlA6aRKeSGBcz4mkFw3KJsV5YzoA/s1890/places14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghn_6AE2Q7WckX4SaL39VhIAJIf8RZW3jqsDyFxBG9XvuCfAICC71beIBTEUjIT-Qs3L7Vt7PcZ4D5LVgDn0ItijmMeBqt8jPD-xVkLZwP0-BCzhvH1Q5lV_B2WIEdAw7jxe2AY8t2Cg5shXCJOx3xPhe3bp_y0RwlA6aRKeSGBcz4mkFw3KJsV5YzoA/s320/places14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I thought the last shot would be a bit humorous, with a hairy arm grabbing a bug scuttling by on the floor.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpEzyiSEbqektNCpdaN9dF3gECB5Y1nZDct7u7x0TZ9XkwuJiJI2KNCFppAmu5WyOUTIUim_xBc0v7R3Mpl8KeZ52S1wrwTOGoa1rFm1xeSjJD_AGbKouA96KaRCeOCjGDCUjqSdZneoj3GCFmyA_o8kuKj2zdHsfhwg5cebml0cwQr9DHRBOg9V55Q/s1890/devil.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="1890" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpEzyiSEbqektNCpdaN9dF3gECB5Y1nZDct7u7x0TZ9XkwuJiJI2KNCFppAmu5WyOUTIUim_xBc0v7R3Mpl8KeZ52S1wrwTOGoa1rFm1xeSjJD_AGbKouA96KaRCeOCjGDCUjqSdZneoj3GCFmyA_o8kuKj2zdHsfhwg5cebml0cwQr9DHRBOg9V55Q/s320/devil.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The arm came from another old puppet, a devil puppet that has popped up here and there in my films. Again, despite being over a decade old, he's held up quite well.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This film was another little experiment in creating mood. I'm quite pleased with it, but it's not something I can do too often or the idea will wear very thin indeed. I might return to it eventually.</div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-71387138630402784182022-06-30T14:29:00.003-07:002022-06-30T14:29:47.075-07:00Nemesis<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gr-4l9J3j7U" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p> </p><p>Someone in my YouTube comment section described this little short as "Metal Hurlant meets Lovecraft", and I think that's pretty apt. The French sci-fi comics magazine (better known in the US as Heavy Metal) had a lot of crazy content, and I certainly read the magazine and I'm sure I've been influenced by it. The Lovecraft part is the fact that I decided to join bits of his poems "Nemesis" and "Psychopompos: A Tale In Rhyme", which, in themselves are good, but I had my favorite parts and thought they'd go together very well. What I ended up with was, basically, a revenge tale of a single warrior taking out a planet-destroying giant monster.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtxUd3f__wem6E3sZYCU-9WmWYZ9-keX0Syc5gRGG9WQ_TZMZObzuDa89fRg4M1ZTCdbAMqPchXDnnXmRuBYUJg-BPEB9ingNCEqcJmvnETV8c9Mi8UqB9zSFjoGl1ewyEf1pNhUhT-ZNeyJC4eWvOe_KtAKfpxWgO3KQnd-0TIkQiBH2JhZpltRUmA/s1890/skull1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1890" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtxUd3f__wem6E3sZYCU-9WmWYZ9-keX0Syc5gRGG9WQ_TZMZObzuDa89fRg4M1ZTCdbAMqPchXDnnXmRuBYUJg-BPEB9ingNCEqcJmvnETV8c9Mi8UqB9zSFjoGl1ewyEf1pNhUhT-ZNeyJC4eWvOe_KtAKfpxWgO3KQnd-0TIkQiBH2JhZpltRUmA/s320/skull1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>So, let's start with the monster, as I usually do. My idea was to make a tentacled skull with a distinctly evil look. I started with a rough clay sculpture of a slightly cartoony and scowling skull. The skull and the jaw were made as two separate pieces.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjU8Q7lwGGF-xsSecxDdI4D0gYgUIrwuUQIOfUgGJzrAGoubEYYawfdazTWKHlrzp_3ELtdz52i9gkH51LH_W67k4ljhnNCw1X-ZzG_NBzuutME3_oLILjBytCwf_VerSS_n0wAMzn6K1fdKFLmqmjB4fJbYkccjillnpwOYklp1swajLVm0_OjOZTFw/s1890/skull2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="1890" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjU8Q7lwGGF-xsSecxDdI4D0gYgUIrwuUQIOfUgGJzrAGoubEYYawfdazTWKHlrzp_3ELtdz52i9gkH51LH_W67k4ljhnNCw1X-ZzG_NBzuutME3_oLILjBytCwf_VerSS_n0wAMzn6K1fdKFLmqmjB4fJbYkccjillnpwOYklp1swajLVm0_OjOZTFw/s320/skull2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>However, I didn't make a plaster mold around the sculpture as I usually do, but I instead built up a skin over the clay using cotton and latex. I just addad one thick layer, and allowed to dry slowly.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLDO4qt0G-Kg4IbyFMJ2aMWFkG59NRH7arnbdD9DN7WARgUwOe_9va1zxViDSFkPYtLvH-Iz12NyvsSWNdj7R-aHccEEJGgdpN59C1u0LWqBDAlip2y5Be9N3A8Z80xTdPGqMrYv2KRwSrkxCL1j8KirLJmqoo7dIOBkZ-dAFz_7eFERPMLZCslp9xw/s1575/skull3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLDO4qt0G-Kg4IbyFMJ2aMWFkG59NRH7arnbdD9DN7WARgUwOe_9va1zxViDSFkPYtLvH-Iz12NyvsSWNdj7R-aHccEEJGgdpN59C1u0LWqBDAlip2y5Be9N3A8Z80xTdPGqMrYv2KRwSrkxCL1j8KirLJmqoo7dIOBkZ-dAFz_7eFERPMLZCslp9xw/s320/skull3.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The eyes were two glass blobs with flat undersides glued to a paper printout of photoshopped blood veins. I used transparent scrapbooking glue.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-6wetoAjN_NYl5CRh6fJoR45k8SHILP_E3LGdAxY3_zxv5sBVuKZ5M4FKl5kLWFg3Q-v-TZoIg0RNwK5B6x7Zzw8wS5UfxD06N_NRfqdf0hOhKn0uYZ3MoEcYprEDqKG6XiKwOpEY4otzr4wzShdsE31xCokf8xzoGFLfo1Y0pf7CazaVtO1z0A31Q/s1890/skull4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1616" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-6wetoAjN_NYl5CRh6fJoR45k8SHILP_E3LGdAxY3_zxv5sBVuKZ5M4FKl5kLWFg3Q-v-TZoIg0RNwK5B6x7Zzw8wS5UfxD06N_NRfqdf0hOhKn0uYZ3MoEcYprEDqKG6XiKwOpEY4otzr4wzShdsE31xCokf8xzoGFLfo1Y0pf7CazaVtO1z0A31Q/s320/skull4.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I wanted some very big, gross-looking veins protruding from the skull, and used macramé yarn soaked in tinted latex to achieve the effect.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v9mMUauzl4zqqrdqwq46dVzM1WD74S9_ms0p8d-wxjIOQZadrRmBBO6ZqPbRydKtP6W136CLblW7FzyCdWKINTnfTYfeWLEXJQt8J-IU3Jo5YHQt1Du1bf5j8UdjV9fc6dUXdIggBdBq03uVCOvUJo10SJdYfni6pRT6Gxe8_7e91_56_ISuLa9VKg/s1890/skull5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="1890" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v9mMUauzl4zqqrdqwq46dVzM1WD74S9_ms0p8d-wxjIOQZadrRmBBO6ZqPbRydKtP6W136CLblW7FzyCdWKINTnfTYfeWLEXJQt8J-IU3Jo5YHQt1Du1bf5j8UdjV9fc6dUXdIggBdBq03uVCOvUJo10SJdYfni6pRT6Gxe8_7e91_56_ISuLa9VKg/s320/skull5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNX5VpW1sW8f1tpKgsEB-VEtdHSo0fJuZZdVfjWHBZ_Q1PAhbhRa8o3fJvYy3q7ury1L4GPoD8SfsTaDXZ95jUCjfrMR2xyheGfW13iU-iuKKNRhL7o3tOaiNErNgDqqUFHSfJ021bgBNK4W4J-gD9dC_Ot1_DMtR9NM6pioWD8DcOm8sunSn3zYa8Q/s1889/skull6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="1889" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNX5VpW1sW8f1tpKgsEB-VEtdHSo0fJuZZdVfjWHBZ_Q1PAhbhRa8o3fJvYy3q7ury1L4GPoD8SfsTaDXZ95jUCjfrMR2xyheGfW13iU-iuKKNRhL7o3tOaiNErNgDqqUFHSfJ021bgBNK4W4J-gD9dC_Ot1_DMtR9NM6pioWD8DcOm8sunSn3zYa8Q/s320/skull6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To make the skull and jaw sturdier, I mixed up some Rhino plastic, a fast-setting resin that I use for many things, and simply poured it into the hollow skull and jaw skins, slushing around the plastic to make it cover all spots. Tentacles made from aluminum wires covered with soft yarn soaked in tinted latex were attached by drilling holes in the skull and inserting the ends of each tentacle, attaching them with thermoplastic. I also made a bunch of horn-like protuberances by wrapping yarn around the tip of a pencil and painting tinted latex over the yarn. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4E_5jq-VAApXEa0FwPRCmNQmFhC60k4FiPdZcR-pgMk14aAFd8oHQH078Fhlvc8wPL4EVO3gJl4ig42PIE7OMpDJEQfRXBOwQVmwNrP9y-2HUtuVOfwrTbrvA2giI7btB0-xBaU6AvR56Kr0B85_9JbIFCfdo-Bxbn6PVr0W8skw97WJU3AtGMLvl7A/s1890/skull7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1691" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4E_5jq-VAApXEa0FwPRCmNQmFhC60k4FiPdZcR-pgMk14aAFd8oHQH078Fhlvc8wPL4EVO3gJl4ig42PIE7OMpDJEQfRXBOwQVmwNrP9y-2HUtuVOfwrTbrvA2giI7btB0-xBaU6AvR56Kr0B85_9JbIFCfdo-Bxbn6PVr0W8skw97WJU3AtGMLvl7A/s320/skull7.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I added teeth made from cotton dipped in latex, using liquid latex as a glue.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGS8S702w6ZVy5zEI7ujnsQMjeuhZw-N-ESHK0jSPiY62BULmNYwCK80w4Ip2LUz4fSPINMAJwPPSg8RePz2jsvyIMTJHDt2-ncNXi6IV7VhiW1PC6N_KvhdvIi5vcZqWLO-utKWAzdSOJRqqlfYUwv4O55N8qdg2b0rBbpIdidFdAi8FSiLSdml6QeQ/s1890/skull8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1890" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGS8S702w6ZVy5zEI7ujnsQMjeuhZw-N-ESHK0jSPiY62BULmNYwCK80w4Ip2LUz4fSPINMAJwPPSg8RePz2jsvyIMTJHDt2-ncNXi6IV7VhiW1PC6N_KvhdvIi5vcZqWLO-utKWAzdSOJRqqlfYUwv4O55N8qdg2b0rBbpIdidFdAi8FSiLSdml6QeQ/s320/skull8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The eyes were stuck to the eye sockets with dabs of hot melt glue.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxFfGwYtNtAv5FqEHil_2UDo9eeVykgtP44sTv1nvMsfWqQ8vR3oosblnOskFAEcOZFI_ytdqNw5zPhRYy-zGvl13sVGcM9DCWsKPWrBov640aigLlw3bXUjJdkl3VptlUyCr6ettB3dVSHwzhdJDVnWNiFX0XyA1I3fv_WAIsyc8OpVTs3SY_BtCsA/s1890/skull9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="1890" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxFfGwYtNtAv5FqEHil_2UDo9eeVykgtP44sTv1nvMsfWqQ8vR3oosblnOskFAEcOZFI_ytdqNw5zPhRYy-zGvl13sVGcM9DCWsKPWrBov640aigLlw3bXUjJdkl3VptlUyCr6ettB3dVSHwzhdJDVnWNiFX0XyA1I3fv_WAIsyc8OpVTs3SY_BtCsA/s320/skull9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Patches of textured latex skin were cast in texture molds and attached to the puppet.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAny1B_XrINPVn8p3FgQVP1tiog4c1NDkRuUwNEELqHYT5C19R0J-I2Av_aYPzc89da0HJOlpPMDDOiuYaDqMBspiKwLRQ9jK1SjhzJ4JW9RMNUf15-DdVtlg8nmpy6pFsbIxtOT9QCWFBBueUkM7XPvN8CU1O3_l6PLxczzZTpBPlzaya1z7B1GUYQ/s1890/skull%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAny1B_XrINPVn8p3FgQVP1tiog4c1NDkRuUwNEELqHYT5C19R0J-I2Av_aYPzc89da0HJOlpPMDDOiuYaDqMBspiKwLRQ9jK1SjhzJ4JW9RMNUf15-DdVtlg8nmpy6pFsbIxtOT9QCWFBBueUkM7XPvN8CU1O3_l6PLxczzZTpBPlzaya1z7B1GUYQ/s320/skull%20klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy4WLShgaakPuMTytkC2Mvsx26Iyh0Ole_2p7TOqwsmatbREDfip9OL32Dpv9CPKMCtt-w-FTCt9UNniyW_MIKEqIgV80xD1N9VoYGWqSmSUMG1IDq6LgkIzccSuRuAGfBADepeERggG7bhTEtIbyv2LnH2K7MR2c1CYiXjJV28BjGUsH3SxsAjoYQw/s1890/skull%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="1890" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy4WLShgaakPuMTytkC2Mvsx26Iyh0Ole_2p7TOqwsmatbREDfip9OL32Dpv9CPKMCtt-w-FTCt9UNniyW_MIKEqIgV80xD1N9VoYGWqSmSUMG1IDq6LgkIzccSuRuAGfBADepeERggG7bhTEtIbyv2LnH2K7MR2c1CYiXjJV28BjGUsH3SxsAjoYQw/s320/skull%20klar2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCmkQWPq1Sbpu5gdVm0HvmkN6Fa2D0chv_NV9X-BglGVPtGRPzyzR2u_op1d-uwLhFUgvK7MzB8LZkjNDbCgxhdek6nKRvooi2AFZaEj6RAa4YGWkymw0b7A42thfyFwIU7TP4gAMfC9YaUVCnwfhlkNICL0DchV22uQ_Keu--9jYKbqdQ-MU6IZH3Q/s1890/skull%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCmkQWPq1Sbpu5gdVm0HvmkN6Fa2D0chv_NV9X-BglGVPtGRPzyzR2u_op1d-uwLhFUgvK7MzB8LZkjNDbCgxhdek6nKRvooi2AFZaEj6RAa4YGWkymw0b7A42thfyFwIU7TP4gAMfC9YaUVCnwfhlkNICL0DchV22uQ_Keu--9jYKbqdQ-MU6IZH3Q/s320/skull%20klar3.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIOIztKGyOKHUP4xtJd57lvBuOL8u_GYHoyZFOAZlAxdZIGXvSWpkY36lsAA64kXZJE_dxBoH-JUE20CUQI0SofJF-34BQUuPyUdo9YFKtk-v1XaEVprDh3vc3pwh2JfW8fQyykuRLRbtV0chBD7FV7stfFDpuWwbxW5l10KTIYjVpyXLYoMB-hAOog/s3268/skull%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2526" data-original-width="3268" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIOIztKGyOKHUP4xtJd57lvBuOL8u_GYHoyZFOAZlAxdZIGXvSWpkY36lsAA64kXZJE_dxBoH-JUE20CUQI0SofJF-34BQUuPyUdo9YFKtk-v1XaEVprDh3vc3pwh2JfW8fQyykuRLRbtV0chBD7FV7stfFDpuWwbxW5l10KTIYjVpyXLYoMB-hAOog/s320/skull%20klar4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The finished puppet was painted with tinted latex and acrylic airbrush colors. A support rod was made from two thick aluminum wires wrapped in chroma key tape.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU16KhNkGArg4QRZUp6zyP6fwRFehOE-4EMvj9kw6hsjQah-CvyfT6MoYskCI5_CkvEF14qmdPqo06WAknjD8Ea4S-ysa4Jiku4ic_critpJ8qdAm1OQmAI7KVog7sRnXnRMv7P1Bdb8icX3aQIMtYuXpXITD8QObYQ9Jt4EpNZ5V1dEVKaa2kHKy-7w/s1890/skepp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU16KhNkGArg4QRZUp6zyP6fwRFehOE-4EMvj9kw6hsjQah-CvyfT6MoYskCI5_CkvEF14qmdPqo06WAknjD8Ea4S-ysa4Jiku4ic_critpJ8qdAm1OQmAI7KVog7sRnXnRMv7P1Bdb8icX3aQIMtYuXpXITD8QObYQ9Jt4EpNZ5V1dEVKaa2kHKy-7w/s320/skepp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ship seen in the film was a CGI stock footage animation downloaded from Videoblocks. In the clip I used various angles and movements were provided.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyaRIFrhlwbQ_DgXQ4qivvvckVH4iwnYaho7G9HbpLZppfQJQqt2HNOfWF7qw3evocFeyp37xwPpCVL--i_J626ZthtLyfY-jz30RLcaJs0b2rSNYJTzOzp_2b_y41LlasCmw_GJppRzJjuIBnNzoVxkWCdC-F8lm6wvMEIJZQ9UmxHNjUPI_83y5Qg/s1890/skepp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyaRIFrhlwbQ_DgXQ4qivvvckVH4iwnYaho7G9HbpLZppfQJQqt2HNOfWF7qw3evocFeyp37xwPpCVL--i_J626ZthtLyfY-jz30RLcaJs0b2rSNYJTzOzp_2b_y41LlasCmw_GJppRzJjuIBnNzoVxkWCdC-F8lm6wvMEIJZQ9UmxHNjUPI_83y5Qg/s320/skepp2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In After Effects I added the ship to various space backgrounds that were either Photoshopped or also downloaded from Videoblocks.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuvbwGlQtZHOoeEdU3SGh3z1udv-6ulsGRxiqujoB5l2rUxMiHm9GF4z-cqKwhWndFBLnLV_bFK7XBmgtaVjjzpQMj2yPHWgrav5fNw2wk_JM8AXuKSkLK5v5OtFvViRFpu22RKMdZXr2WwHNEoxjoR2-wjZNgr9aTCCZv-6DFsSfjZXh3x69mBn-Nw/s1890/pilot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuvbwGlQtZHOoeEdU3SGh3z1udv-6ulsGRxiqujoB5l2rUxMiHm9GF4z-cqKwhWndFBLnLV_bFK7XBmgtaVjjzpQMj2yPHWgrav5fNw2wk_JM8AXuKSkLK5v5OtFvViRFpu22RKMdZXr2WwHNEoxjoR2-wjZNgr9aTCCZv-6DFsSfjZXh3x69mBn-Nw/s320/pilot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The vengeful pilot was an even bigger cheat. I simply used two still images of a dressed up person, found at stock image provider Depositphotos, and placed that guy in spaceship interior backgrounds, also a mix of stock photos and Photoshopped details.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure my interpretation of Lovecrafts poetry differs wildly from the intent of the old guy himself, but as it is, I had fun doing this film. It was a quick and creative project.<br /><p><br /></p></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-13225384695240451822022-05-15T11:46:00.003-07:002022-05-15T11:46:37.514-07:00The Haunted Room<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x_QjnK5Nk0Q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>I can't recall who came up with the idea, but I'm sure someone suggested to me, at some point, that I should do a video where we observe fantastic things happening without any cuts. I like a book by Edward Gorey called "The Untitled Book", where every page is an illustration of a garden where first very little happens, then all sorts of strange things start to happen.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLmAEgqR4nKkfBTCjSOWR3jS_6HyrV30kz6a8P9JX6vpZvglRDDGJ75JFcgvPdtQi2dnJm1l7z9ALZIUhErpgfjHcnSe7NyvGrIEnB3vcpsilYp5TTdNyiGHvL0Fm1aE3Bq91dHIq9hAeImUDLrwNKbtSPNUmaE-Kry1nYAHJayPznjX8gyQBvW7E5g/s1917/ub3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1917" data-original-width="1145" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLmAEgqR4nKkfBTCjSOWR3jS_6HyrV30kz6a8P9JX6vpZvglRDDGJ75JFcgvPdtQi2dnJm1l7z9ALZIUhErpgfjHcnSe7NyvGrIEnB3vcpsilYp5TTdNyiGHvL0Fm1aE3Bq91dHIq9hAeImUDLrwNKbtSPNUmaE-Kry1nYAHJayPznjX8gyQBvW7E5g/s320/ub3.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Another Gorey book, "The West Wing" is probably also an inspiration. The reader walks through a stately but empty house, sometimes seeing bits of weirdness.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFY_MXxJ4zo9P_2rifoju8IQPkuun121RrNrnm_9jA2lNJ6Ia9O-vMPvwJy6Bd_JTjM8rfHp2AY--f_PorQosYX2fdH5gXxEGti96LPiMx_01zCiHif7BbGd0OG_upRPgw3izfOwd5V3ugzQwkkYdeHyUdq33w7MU7TAqvZG_zqEqRoazaH6YSNeryw/s500/west%20wing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="500" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFY_MXxJ4zo9P_2rifoju8IQPkuun121RrNrnm_9jA2lNJ6Ia9O-vMPvwJy6Bd_JTjM8rfHp2AY--f_PorQosYX2fdH5gXxEGti96LPiMx_01zCiHif7BbGd0OG_upRPgw3izfOwd5V3ugzQwkkYdeHyUdq33w7MU7TAqvZG_zqEqRoazaH6YSNeryw/s320/west%20wing2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The room in my film is inspired by a room in my grandmother's old country house, a guest room that was seldom used with an old carpet and old wallpaper. It is, however, not haunted in the slightest. I furnished my haunted room with various props that I could animate during the brief running time. The grandfather clock has a time-lapsed dial, which speeds up, and then stops to start going backward. There's a ball and a rocking horse moving on their own accord, a bloody handprint, and a CGI spider crawling down the wall. The one thing happening throughout the video, though very slowly, is the framed portrait of the young man. He turns from a handsome chap into a decomposing corpse.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5xz3BuY0KTddL_Eqpaa6JdrHRyNNHpioS0OaGkfKzj-jZPbmTRf4UqUWT0amls2HyRXCHfm6aorO8TK2gN7_u-eV4skhbFux_B8k51p-R-qHPHLmtWPWergQCi9uNHSo8sOzP-0jtDohvKvchY8TWmLDfnDx8e_jBjw8mIIWaVNBvtZ7fqV-MFKWZQ/s1417/ghost%20portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="1417" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5xz3BuY0KTddL_Eqpaa6JdrHRyNNHpioS0OaGkfKzj-jZPbmTRf4UqUWT0amls2HyRXCHfm6aorO8TK2gN7_u-eV4skhbFux_B8k51p-R-qHPHLmtWPWergQCi9uNHSo8sOzP-0jtDohvKvchY8TWmLDfnDx8e_jBjw8mIIWaVNBvtZ7fqV-MFKWZQ/s320/ghost%20portrait.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>This was very easily made by having the original photo dissolve into a Photoshopped corpse version. Inbetween frames I also added bits of distortion to make the hairline recede and his mouth frown up a bit. It's not a perfect morphing effect, but I think it did the trick.</div><div><br /></div><div>The video ends with a small demon crawling out from behind the clock and invading the rest of the house, indicating that the haunting has now spread.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYxbdWpOj5cx64vNpK54VpFNlUOrxC-5bIxqijx2RgjnD6qyqqd1fwzSTWkzlrin22iA8NU_xkEGF3W7SV_462c6EDBp4NST2EhOIFWCNWok94ETfoJ-vIS_DCxcpAOC4XCRtaBp1aPL03G51l9uKSoW17-NlrjRgZpe_F_5CAG09k3WxalpX93FePg/s1890/demon%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1357" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYxbdWpOj5cx64vNpK54VpFNlUOrxC-5bIxqijx2RgjnD6qyqqd1fwzSTWkzlrin22iA8NU_xkEGF3W7SV_462c6EDBp4NST2EhOIFWCNWok94ETfoJ-vIS_DCxcpAOC4XCRtaBp1aPL03G51l9uKSoW17-NlrjRgZpe_F_5CAG09k3WxalpX93FePg/s320/demon%20klar1.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I actually built this puppet so quickly that I didn't snap any photos of the making of it, but it's basically the same basic puppet I make when no extra bells or whistles are necessary.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFm8zIZSAKh4BYlEtFArOaVlG-ST6iln1chegTRW7ouRXAFuFFzJotAu-yc8nMDjLaAgYic9jB7_ytgqESEiLXyiE7Sf8DZeDsYonMlKPB4XXJ87lu7elLR7--glv3jXwlwcqsn5QNk_2gpMTXkKFK3UNefjcQynhY6YdGkLrY6CLCDNHLwpP1lT6Sag/s1890/demon%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1619" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFm8zIZSAKh4BYlEtFArOaVlG-ST6iln1chegTRW7ouRXAFuFFzJotAu-yc8nMDjLaAgYic9jB7_ytgqESEiLXyiE7Sf8DZeDsYonMlKPB4XXJ87lu7elLR7--glv3jXwlwcqsn5QNk_2gpMTXkKFK3UNefjcQynhY6YdGkLrY6CLCDNHLwpP1lT6Sag/s320/demon%20klar3.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdySDW4bqx1u-GifkZ3j5IjnXbACxaGciYPuCLT8OKUJJogyqHM_gdJhLPN0HCDcEI3xX_qnxlPlsqVkz4jrYKhbniHdvp8g-nlyzoCjle2upvF2P8boZB75bVETr1wOdgsQBgIr9jC54bSQ7vRe0HvmEkATUrVD7uCOOsnsZmSjanjC_rn26-qq74Jg/s1890/demon%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1346" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdySDW4bqx1u-GifkZ3j5IjnXbACxaGciYPuCLT8OKUJJogyqHM_gdJhLPN0HCDcEI3xX_qnxlPlsqVkz4jrYKhbniHdvp8g-nlyzoCjle2upvF2P8boZB75bVETr1wOdgsQBgIr9jC54bSQ7vRe0HvmEkATUrVD7uCOOsnsZmSjanjC_rn26-qq74Jg/s320/demon%20klar4.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br /><div>The critter is about eight inches tall, so a fairly small puppet. I sculpted the head, neck, and torso in medium-grade Monster Clay and cast a latex piece from a dental plaster mold built up over the sculpture. The rest of the body was built up with foam, cotton, tissue paper, and latex over an aluminum wire skeleton. I added tie-downs both to the feet and the palms since the demon would briefly walk on all fours. Bits of crepé hair was attached to the body using liquid latex as an adhesive. The teeth and the horn are tissue paper mixed with latex, and the eyes are small scrapbooking pearls.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was a fun experiment, and I sort of made a more elaborate variation of it a bit further down the road. But more about that later.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-66009579841007010612022-04-14T00:34:00.003-07:002022-04-14T00:34:56.921-07:00Rawhead and and Bloody Bones<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bLsCUqBZQ5A" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>If you're a horror fan you're probably acquainted with the monstrous character of Clive Barker's "Rawhead Rex", either from his original Books of Blood story or from the flawed 1986 movie adaptation of that story. Either way, Barker's Rawhead is a primal creature with a penchant for biting some people's heads off and baptizing others by pissing on them. Without a doubt, Barker was inspired by the folkloric character of Rawhead and Bloody Bones, a very nasty boogeyman from Great Britain who appears in a variety of guises, as well as a monster in North American folklore. Generally speaking, Rawhead and Bloody Bones eats kids and has googly eyes, big teeth, and big claws. His origin and physiognomy vary depending on from where a particular story comes. For my adaptation, I chose to use an English nursery rhyme, adding a verse of my own to make it slightly longer for my video.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sorsv0r6HupuBsPamKODsIrhYXFeQZKmd72lQni7uVMdYT_9UqduZ7H1k_ubTXJkiMXuzGtWJQys3ENZF2dnLdqRODg7bGBnZb7eWLht6HDSxGh9MsY-YxykTHsNIjD7DVAgtMGxcFmKzt9g0uemqbYrEkgy3vUsg76tR_ttPIaShiG7PF6KrQuJGw/s1890/rawhead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="1890" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sorsv0r6HupuBsPamKODsIrhYXFeQZKmd72lQni7uVMdYT_9UqduZ7H1k_ubTXJkiMXuzGtWJQys3ENZF2dnLdqRODg7bGBnZb7eWLht6HDSxGh9MsY-YxykTHsNIjD7DVAgtMGxcFmKzt9g0uemqbYrEkgy3vUsg76tR_ttPIaShiG7PF6KrQuJGw/s320/rawhead1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My design of Rawhead's head was a mix of various animalistic features. I looked at skulls from horses, dogs, and apes, and this is what I ended up with. The crest on top of the head comes from the gorilla, an anatomical feature to which the jaw muscles are attached for extra chomping power. Bigfoot, by the way, is also said to have this crest. All sculptures were made in my preferred medium of medium-grade Monster Clay. I used two plastic pearls for the eyes.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGz9QXAxqppKX5E535WyXtosETezO0PCz_t92kN_bLmhD51GKxkDVYSnnbu16ESer-xeF3EeeN_OpP4QUjFTYlMJKMawa3826yRK872JLiv5XWwnEHDhSvgCLHRf2W06z4_8_iKDXeeu45v8NBn2hXcsv51hCN-7cwV7yRoTtz0bg3pl-PHoiecZUJlw/s1890/rawhead2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGz9QXAxqppKX5E535WyXtosETezO0PCz_t92kN_bLmhD51GKxkDVYSnnbu16ESer-xeF3EeeN_OpP4QUjFTYlMJKMawa3826yRK872JLiv5XWwnEHDhSvgCLHRf2W06z4_8_iKDXeeu45v8NBn2hXcsv51hCN-7cwV7yRoTtz0bg3pl-PHoiecZUJlw/s320/rawhead2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I sculpted the torso as looking like it was both powerful but decaying or flayed. I don't really know where I was going with that one, but I like how it turned out.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMqmg6nuddxm2oR2eOATLY5ze_aSZcZWk5D6WU7g1Gf80I52Mb-Stg6YKWMzYxytUdCb_YoJOVhfMDgj0L8rLUtxIb54kjyxL9Q0o_WDgN8-cz5EJBsqRXCOQDVcl6fMccMKEN8MGc-odOAMMxvuLdIOB3ECrsk2rAkauWb9XYHl4tFZCQwENG_YpNQ/s1890/rawhead3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMqmg6nuddxm2oR2eOATLY5ze_aSZcZWk5D6WU7g1Gf80I52Mb-Stg6YKWMzYxytUdCb_YoJOVhfMDgj0L8rLUtxIb54kjyxL9Q0o_WDgN8-cz5EJBsqRXCOQDVcl6fMccMKEN8MGc-odOAMMxvuLdIOB3ECrsk2rAkauWb9XYHl4tFZCQwENG_YpNQ/s320/rawhead3.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I cast the head in tinted latex, adding teeth made from cotton dipped in latex. The two red pearls have now been finished as eyes with blue irises, covered by a lens of UV resin. They're placed in sockets made from silicone clay. The armature was very simple. It doesn't really show in this picture, but the forearms are split into two bones, like on a real skeleton. I wanted that feature to be visible in the finished puppet to make the character look a bit zombie-like.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtEU4W64XHo3d9dPcIs0MYx9GH-BleQkPQazVDE_vCHmSRfrRD9Y_HzYo6Hib2ixq8v5HJXtccDnheJRvo4Op9fRzaMQIpSgYihhoLKxv1XXB-5p_e2pK6O3Kah9l-Y2thlsz3ofcOqb5cX0sP67_yNoyl4oUrFYFavVKZ8KprDUG04sn_sbMaTpnJg/s1890/rawhead4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtEU4W64XHo3d9dPcIs0MYx9GH-BleQkPQazVDE_vCHmSRfrRD9Y_HzYo6Hib2ixq8v5HJXtccDnheJRvo4Op9fRzaMQIpSgYihhoLKxv1XXB-5p_e2pK6O3Kah9l-Y2thlsz3ofcOqb5cX0sP67_yNoyl4oUrFYFavVKZ8KprDUG04sn_sbMaTpnJg/s320/rawhead4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicA9BSxzFpurq-X_zG6kMQ5MhMYZPkfqGOpRhXd3LPynqGqkvnlRCBtttPFeS57CSDyCyeUVzYrLnzvt5JkfYB7s7NLMTj1q1M-U7r7sKFFEBwMcrhmbck28u75IXtZb62hCUAMoP8ihIMMNRIcwDWT4pAOngWnDzxhDEJJAJuwWXsWX_KnBaTWbKovw/s1890/rawhead5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicA9BSxzFpurq-X_zG6kMQ5MhMYZPkfqGOpRhXd3LPynqGqkvnlRCBtttPFeS57CSDyCyeUVzYrLnzvt5JkfYB7s7NLMTj1q1M-U7r7sKFFEBwMcrhmbck28u75IXtZb62hCUAMoP8ihIMMNRIcwDWT4pAOngWnDzxhDEJJAJuwWXsWX_KnBaTWbKovw/s320/rawhead5.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><div><br /></div>You can see that split forearm better here. The muscles on the arms were a mix of thin polyurethane foam soaked in latex and a cotton-latex mix. The rest of the body was padded with layers of soft foam. I didn't bother with adding detail to the legs as they would be covered with fur.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAteXVlCUSMS542ROHV5F9opplnGb68T-4LhqQwUpTlTwvtGgNbgdlAn7LpxnEshVqgqqdU5O9C56x3e-FjLq-H0QQJblYE5f8rT8dFwq4-YGq9ifueBpBMy9kNaFGXTfqdXRuDUq6-DgmJ0AHZ6WjER2MGo43fpZw3MVUEBIScJj_plN0oaZVacN_ug/s2008/rawhead%20klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="1456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAteXVlCUSMS542ROHV5F9opplnGb68T-4LhqQwUpTlTwvtGgNbgdlAn7LpxnEshVqgqqdU5O9C56x3e-FjLq-H0QQJblYE5f8rT8dFwq4-YGq9ifueBpBMy9kNaFGXTfqdXRuDUq6-DgmJ0AHZ6WjER2MGo43fpZw3MVUEBIScJj_plN0oaZVacN_ug/s320/rawhead%20klar1.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwOXlITTy7tvFlfimFwME5OZxIup0GVMWGdoB25l6F_ElmFnx1Zg-UUnWnyPBTtMcPmcFPtiif3b2J21mnrITt2rUqN0_RM6pnNwHbvUBGUWL_oJ2XJRnq3ahlR4nB0U69lIY8waXOkcV8bcutXxjUii-AwswDDoRme9oif3UXecSpKQnEJOZqoy4vA/s2008/rawhead%20klar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="1680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwOXlITTy7tvFlfimFwME5OZxIup0GVMWGdoB25l6F_ElmFnx1Zg-UUnWnyPBTtMcPmcFPtiif3b2J21mnrITt2rUqN0_RM6pnNwHbvUBGUWL_oJ2XJRnq3ahlR4nB0U69lIY8waXOkcV8bcutXxjUii-AwswDDoRme9oif3UXecSpKQnEJOZqoy4vA/s320/rawhead%20klar2.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7c2xEtRQtx3CFNB4KvtM913BvjghMXQNE-tPKFIPgdHJvY_YU0wM7reBgtNIHKDGfQ5rCgiSqiRfWPSqAESr5LNQTzmZ0Z_gSWEq2fIb7yS-ZxzMoNfFPrMJ2HBMBCBMLUMFJsmD_ioOWjrVLbYwvdZ4__EW1pNwcpWt0fAUSezWOUsoUIK5hTdAHjg/s2008/rawhead%20klar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="1550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7c2xEtRQtx3CFNB4KvtM913BvjghMXQNE-tPKFIPgdHJvY_YU0wM7reBgtNIHKDGfQ5rCgiSqiRfWPSqAESr5LNQTzmZ0Z_gSWEq2fIb7yS-ZxzMoNfFPrMJ2HBMBCBMLUMFJsmD_ioOWjrVLbYwvdZ4__EW1pNwcpWt0fAUSezWOUsoUIK5hTdAHjg/s320/rawhead%20klar3.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1i3GFeri9AUMknkmz5UodwCKWME91uv7poofczPaO7wk2dMN9XgkGUa07txNM3DDYbaSfM3sgQF0SBumobh3RGXybjn4QdKCKZTWm1rdkl8JdTOL-kWeBSOSRE0JP5IJwoH3O0P0i-bVz7EPvfRgrHOMx-HbzC4uRKqTDMUOSKYyrKp7TC41Awb03Q/s2008/rawhead%20klar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="1636" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1i3GFeri9AUMknkmz5UodwCKWME91uv7poofczPaO7wk2dMN9XgkGUa07txNM3DDYbaSfM3sgQF0SBumobh3RGXybjn4QdKCKZTWm1rdkl8JdTOL-kWeBSOSRE0JP5IJwoH3O0P0i-bVz7EPvfRgrHOMx-HbzC4uRKqTDMUOSKYyrKp7TC41Awb03Q/s320/rawhead%20klar4.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0GGaiV4s_xqa9WhyehwlFZOAiopjnCbB4fW5rqDkvPTMHfyX9qSIHOsvcT0jS6h_BZNb-utcURyEVaE9mk40jNn5-8Zs-gKS4DD3JuChcTXWs1GaHPgtcuvK4TM98i_U8IFY4uun_n4ifjYYUAA5RoQl3P7huSSyPcG5ehmcTNJiCeY2g67bwzdyiw/s2008/rawhead%20klar5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="1506" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0GGaiV4s_xqa9WhyehwlFZOAiopjnCbB4fW5rqDkvPTMHfyX9qSIHOsvcT0jS6h_BZNb-utcURyEVaE9mk40jNn5-8Zs-gKS4DD3JuChcTXWs1GaHPgtcuvK4TM98i_U8IFY4uun_n4ifjYYUAA5RoQl3P7huSSyPcG5ehmcTNJiCeY2g67bwzdyiw/s320/rawhead%20klar5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImvvrXnPYaHDUlRKj6bGlEfGNd70DA7KLmgasgfogf6e9Q4_9MOSisYH-qIU8MuV3rnKUWrPy9cTqzhmSVfAfPmgB-lp4BNO2jMOrt39OznRyMaCo9YxoQCkYxUJ4qKUvwX9la4zWy9Na5bxpf_PD4j_JhtFA_2Q4vgVMHYnvCP6TuvuKhfs7BFb0Kg/s2008/rawhead%20klar6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="1351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImvvrXnPYaHDUlRKj6bGlEfGNd70DA7KLmgasgfogf6e9Q4_9MOSisYH-qIU8MuV3rnKUWrPy9cTqzhmSVfAfPmgB-lp4BNO2jMOrt39OznRyMaCo9YxoQCkYxUJ4qKUvwX9la4zWy9Na5bxpf_PD4j_JhtFA_2Q4vgVMHYnvCP6TuvuKhfs7BFb0Kg/s320/rawhead%20klar6.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br /><div>The finished Rawhead has a latex skin, in parts cast from old skin texture molds. The body was painted with a mix of dry brushing on tinted latex and then adding details using acrylic airbrush colors. The fur on the legs comes from an old winter hat. The straggly bits of skin covering the back and the arms were made with the "chunks ó flesh" method, where tinted latex is stippled with a bit of foam onto a flat surface and then scratched apart with my fingernails and pulled off the surface into chunky organic-looking bits.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hVMlzXHzQjsWIU1UVvQxAyDZ8pMTJTSAGt27kF3AvQwljI24HAr3V07mgJvpPV2afgtlkcq6TSxjnCWDGl1Uw3g0Vw96y8GBCY8UXghgb191bCsjrKstVQKxVnAzESzhqyxeR4lJsBF96GfVsY4Rcs-7YvsO-OkJQS43ChyULYPkClQ_UahWHEEhdw/s1885/girl%20in%20room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1885" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hVMlzXHzQjsWIU1UVvQxAyDZ8pMTJTSAGt27kF3AvQwljI24HAr3V07mgJvpPV2afgtlkcq6TSxjnCWDGl1Uw3g0Vw96y8GBCY8UXghgb191bCsjrKstVQKxVnAzESzhqyxeR4lJsBF96GfVsY4Rcs-7YvsO-OkJQS43ChyULYPkClQ_UahWHEEhdw/s320/girl%20in%20room.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I get both praise and critique for my "collage" method of creating shots in my films. Some really like the look of it, others find it fake and distracting. It's the way I make my films and I'll keep making them like that. I used a couple of stock footage shots featuring people in this film. One is a scared man in bed, and the other is this good girl diligently doing her homework. Apparently, and according to the nursery rhyme, Rawhead has no interest in good kids, so she's in no danger. This composition is made up of the following twelve layers in After Effects: A stock photo of a wintry garden outside the window, an animation of Rawhead, the steam on the window, the wallpaper, the bookshelf, the window with curtains, the floor, the cat, the shadow under the cat, the girl at the table, the shadow under the table, and lastly an adjustment layer which adds a unifying color grading.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplr_Zfd0ei2iENY4hNWqS12iagNoFCkrZUf2FBoXRn8GvzvpHNeQ5vQHkMAcodWp9OPTe97I9yC3NLlpiy-LR_qoWEm02xmHvJQNszqZ8f6uKFjhv3UxNsZlMIAF_F6f3iwf0pN1AmwU5pZJC-dcx8hlMOtv87W5opNtMwhb0RaE_QI1QjocZeWAe3w/s1890/hannes%20rawhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="1890" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplr_Zfd0ei2iENY4hNWqS12iagNoFCkrZUf2FBoXRn8GvzvpHNeQ5vQHkMAcodWp9OPTe97I9yC3NLlpiy-LR_qoWEm02xmHvJQNszqZ8f6uKFjhv3UxNsZlMIAF_F6f3iwf0pN1AmwU5pZJC-dcx8hlMOtv87W5opNtMwhb0RaE_QI1QjocZeWAe3w/s320/hannes%20rawhead.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Hannes Karlsson, who gets eaten by Krampus in my Krampus film, and fights the two-headed monster in that video returns as a nasty kid here. I simply re-used a take from Krampus.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTIbGJjrQv5nm01i9oYA9mCXXz_vo27VvrWmExeFXkcyovaDIg0Ym7YSxjaexzLjOkIhUK9CntyTJXHJtuKaTAt18JEycsRAKyzNKOMOxeY4Yo7nSKlPm-7UtWOokqByx21z5HoF1k8t3C7QEn97N89FLbH_6TQWbxi_b3zBNqWvHe8FvjMa9rC-LJw/s1339/rawhead%20insta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1339" data-original-width="1339" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTIbGJjrQv5nm01i9oYA9mCXXz_vo27VvrWmExeFXkcyovaDIg0Ym7YSxjaexzLjOkIhUK9CntyTJXHJtuKaTAt18JEycsRAKyzNKOMOxeY4Yo7nSKlPm-7UtWOokqByx21z5HoF1k8t3C7QEn97N89FLbH_6TQWbxi_b3zBNqWvHe8FvjMa9rC-LJw/s320/rawhead%20insta.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I like doing projects inspired by folklore, but my YouTube audience seems a bit divided in their opinions. I try to diversify as a content creator and, most important of all, follow my own desires, making what interests me personally. And how else can I create good films if I don't do that? So much of folklore borders on horror, if not being straight-up horror, and the subject also offers endless possibilities for creating moody, atmospheric shots showing "real" places like the countryside, with old buildings, bogs, and forests. I say "real", because most of it will still be still images and stock videos composed in Photoshop and After Effects to create my ideal environments.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's a big chance that old Rawhead will return and star in a feature-length film produced by my maverick movie buddy James Balsamo.</div><p> </p>
</div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-65723508807029284432022-03-07T04:28:00.000-08:002022-03-07T04:28:18.961-08:00Night Land<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dEp4LfZ3NvM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>For ages and ages, I've been planning to do an adaptation of William Hope Hodgson's epic novel "The Night Land." There's nothing like it before or since in pop culture. It's teeming with weird monsters and it's copyright free -perfect for my purposes. Also, it's mostly about just a single character wandering like a knight errant through a wild wasteland, just waiting to be Photoshopped together using various strange textures. So, why haven't I gotten around to adapting it? Well, mostly it's about boiling down 584 pages of verbose narrative and archaic prose to something that could be told in around 20 minutes. But there is actually a solution for that because there's a shorter version of the novel, which I'll get back to shortly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh55dFekoun8iVU4pX_Y0RIUF7BcMGhl-H1n8HBLgSsB_mpBHNvcdcxyZR-IxjIxOvjXYAEv3jbXqqr49kfhhdQ7f83kB218oLwYmR2Q7kST6yZsH2ywnALB8z9dnSWtB_wvIkwnn8WwbfuAoeuvOOEKrM91jpq16xeQ3_CPMpo8F3wB4MmuXtX6fMBRw=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="726" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh55dFekoun8iVU4pX_Y0RIUF7BcMGhl-H1n8HBLgSsB_mpBHNvcdcxyZR-IxjIxOvjXYAEv3jbXqqr49kfhhdQ7f83kB218oLwYmR2Q7kST6yZsH2ywnALB8z9dnSWtB_wvIkwnn8WwbfuAoeuvOOEKrM91jpq16xeQ3_CPMpo8F3wB4MmuXtX6fMBRw=s320" width="227" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let's talk briefly about the background of the book. It was the last work written by hunky Victorian fantasy author Hodgson, who had been a sailor in his early years and was one of the first bodybuilders in the UK, but the first of his books that were published. Hodgson would go on to join WW1 and eventually be blown to smithereens by an artillery shell at Ypres, cutting a career of completely original horror fantasy tales tragically short.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYTpxjgCsS79l5ACqoUyCvy4e_d7nw_xr2vURdcdV1JvYFvEAlnoS5ibWLWzQL7UlxE0A3munfbW3WX2wyzw-0MPcbM_q8Co_ecVfl2shRCwQl2t1oASWq6hooiOM2TLQ4A2FReBmEtyQXYGUrBgCZwNPIX2jQM1rDLjA_L6vXc3WsXUSpZB9Q8OdisQ=s787" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="787" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYTpxjgCsS79l5ACqoUyCvy4e_d7nw_xr2vURdcdV1JvYFvEAlnoS5ibWLWzQL7UlxE0A3munfbW3WX2wyzw-0MPcbM_q8Co_ecVfl2shRCwQl2t1oASWq6hooiOM2TLQ4A2FReBmEtyQXYGUrBgCZwNPIX2jQM1rDLjA_L6vXc3WsXUSpZB9Q8OdisQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Above is my edition of The Night Land, published in the 1970s by Ballantine books in their Adult Fantasy series (edited by Lin Carter). They split it up in two volumes, as you can see. To protect copyrights in the US, Hodgson boiled down his 200 000+ word epic to a shortened 20 000-word novelette, published in the USA as The Dream of X, thus establishing, kind of, his novel as having a copyright status and protecting it against pirate publishers. However, the risk of someone stealing and publishing the enormous The Night Land was slim indeed, but there you have it. I actually read The Dream of X in a Swedish translation before I could get my hands on The Night Land. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-_BMZOF4wzMufm3Xx-Ip5cvTlb3FCk8eyflsdvMrCUgEwpdulRm9_-wIQrjusISmg_58-YgVqlPacYJwqqIUkcT-PZ6O9Q_norYrMnWa7MbGLau_wmiJKG_CUhRyaHTF783PfJ9yYzhd5eC-itGpgozDh08APaSK2suVl-xUK6ekyG4oWVECYuFyvmQ=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-_BMZOF4wzMufm3Xx-Ip5cvTlb3FCk8eyflsdvMrCUgEwpdulRm9_-wIQrjusISmg_58-YgVqlPacYJwqqIUkcT-PZ6O9Q_norYrMnWa7MbGLau_wmiJKG_CUhRyaHTF783PfJ9yYzhd5eC-itGpgozDh08APaSK2suVl-xUK6ekyG4oWVECYuFyvmQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>In short, the premise of The Night Land is that the story is set on Earth millions of years in the future. The sun has died but the desolate landscape is partially illuminated with fire and lava from the ground and from mysterious lights sometimes appearing. The remnants of humanity are huddled together in a gigantic pyramid called The Last Redoubt. Around this fortress is the Night Land shrouded in perpetual darkness, but teeming with monstrous lifeforms. Some are huge as mountains and loom threateningly along the horizon. Others are man-sized and quite human-like. A blue flame of mystical earth currents surrounds the pyramid and keeps the nightmarish vermin at bay. Futuristic knights each armed with a "diskos", a sort of spear ending with an electrically charged razor-sharp rotating disc, guard the refuge. </div><div>However, one such man receives a telepathic distress call from a Lesser Redoubt, that nobody in the great pyramid has heard of. Our hero sets out alone to rescue the inhabitants of The Lesser Redoubt, since their earth current is failing, and travels across the bizarre world of the Night Land, encountering mysteries and fighting monsters.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Dream of X tells the same story but pretty much snips out almost all of the travel bits. There's also a bizarre framing story set in the 1600s concerning a narrator who dreams the whole tale but is convinced it is a true vision of the future. This narrative device is enthusiastically presented at the beginning, even providing a romance for the narrator, but it's all soon forgotten when we leap millions of years ahead in the story.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmsmUkOjdZo3ZFKoNl6ClS5J1c6ZNbyrS_azS5Ekb_0HxYAaFUn4MPOK_nfdb_ZeFdI0QboVXxbXQ8EjV0xjPq8l1RX31f3UQfRVSmbyKuMd7zH3M5w4wSJ7kuo9Fxi82TeXB6difsSnuJVkatt8u0Sn5FdAWwhpWVipsxgVRSb3c7Ejjb1-dU3Soy9A=s1575" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1185" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmsmUkOjdZo3ZFKoNl6ClS5J1c6ZNbyrS_azS5Ekb_0HxYAaFUn4MPOK_nfdb_ZeFdI0QboVXxbXQ8EjV0xjPq8l1RX31f3UQfRVSmbyKuMd7zH3M5w4wSJ7kuo9Fxi82TeXB6difsSnuJVkatt8u0Sn5FdAWwhpWVipsxgVRSb3c7Ejjb1-dU3Soy9A=s320" width="241" /></a></div><br /><div>For a few years, I've been contributing illustrations to Graeme Philips' excellent fanzine Cyäegha, but he's also published other collections pertaining to the "Lovecraft Circle" of writers, as well as peripheral authors. Included in the collection Forbidden Dreams is The Carpathian Codex, written by Cardinal Cox. It's a collection of poems inspired by the writings of Lovecraft and others. Among these poems is Night Land, a text summarizing the set-up for the plot and concept of Hodgson's The Night Land. I figured that would be a fun way of tackling the world of the Night Land and doing a very compact meditation on the subject rather than tackling that big project just yet. I got permission from Cox to adapt his poem, and off I went.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-IHo_qb8RrqdqV5g4VV5ok9LDfdq8HMgXi51oOdKBKoWLEwytXR0hHUnG0aVo64OUsliVlwkwKwHkJLTD5fv1bklWRN7dTN5ggOH4JMyAxhKyuAXPFtHTyKQujA5Nuc6ZFE_JsY0cW4lA8Z7c7yN92Ydg_veihWAH6yVNCU6kVefCeGa6OfrnL3cnoA=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-IHo_qb8RrqdqV5g4VV5ok9LDfdq8HMgXi51oOdKBKoWLEwytXR0hHUnG0aVo64OUsliVlwkwKwHkJLTD5fv1bklWRN7dTN5ggOH4JMyAxhKyuAXPFtHTyKQujA5Nuc6ZFE_JsY0cW4lA8Z7c7yN92Ydg_veihWAH6yVNCU6kVefCeGa6OfrnL3cnoA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you've followed my YouTube videos the past few years you know that my preferred filmmaking style is to use still images, adapt them in Photoshop, and use those as backgrounds/foregrounds. For the Night Land landscape, I used images of lava fields from Iceland. Digital effects like animated smoke, fire, and lightning were pulled from various open-source CGI clips.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCuuXCp7y3ymjAiKssFWczLMeXs9_qgdcdXy3PLS3woSV5JEXS-jlviEhcmnCecapQqlXmJ3_IugoUyLNtfd3Wda_T_ejamypvn9gbKq9YVIR7_66ldZZIU8aWP0aex9MX6juaOvmznqQnLkPi-s-rJwsf0ersTDP3VEWxlhsXqGuOcgJmdVs7o7i6fw=s2704" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2084" data-original-width="2704" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCuuXCp7y3ymjAiKssFWczLMeXs9_qgdcdXy3PLS3woSV5JEXS-jlviEhcmnCecapQqlXmJ3_IugoUyLNtfd3Wda_T_ejamypvn9gbKq9YVIR7_66ldZZIU8aWP0aex9MX6juaOvmznqQnLkPi-s-rJwsf0ersTDP3VEWxlhsXqGuOcgJmdVs7o7i6fw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The Great Redoubt pyramid was made from a single stock CG image found at Depositphotos.com duplicated many times and arranged as two sides of the pyramid. I wanted a tile-like texture, inferring that the pyramid is a patchwork of generations worth of repairs. The small pinpoints of light were added in Photoshop with the drawing tool.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFl6vzrEiBQ8RBkrpDylHhQfzF0X6xUHkFdux_42lHH7_auzun8ys5KqCSWY1y9gnoCOBnTrDmH5S5plzlyeoQSz5fC3q0WTDve3yQD7mvhzgcMVK4NeY2jIyzclBNiL6JyzDqYNEXHtefFqmSFK1omyenfH4a_HigDMTzLROZ2TqmO4BZ-rEKs4SiIA=s3600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="3600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFl6vzrEiBQ8RBkrpDylHhQfzF0X6xUHkFdux_42lHH7_auzun8ys5KqCSWY1y9gnoCOBnTrDmH5S5plzlyeoQSz5fC3q0WTDve3yQD7mvhzgcMVK4NeY2jIyzclBNiL6JyzDqYNEXHtefFqmSFK1omyenfH4a_HigDMTzLROZ2TqmO4BZ-rEKs4SiIA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The skies were made from more stock images of CG clouds, animated with distortion tools in After Effects, and also with altered colors.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC0AJ2BOkBUDllPXEAFS-sbpv7H1IOBirF_lb2TEk_CxitIQwtZYhvOioV4spCt5GHr8a31R0w4mPLMpnQFRDb-FbgxSSCQ1YIyfUuTgeFBRwMKm-67KU1fi0tCfBI4Z-8Y9upYgsk3Zk7hOJ8DlNjYumWcmS6EFl1JbFAHFSSXucIcUggpX-cWO6a6A=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC0AJ2BOkBUDllPXEAFS-sbpv7H1IOBirF_lb2TEk_CxitIQwtZYhvOioV4spCt5GHr8a31R0w4mPLMpnQFRDb-FbgxSSCQ1YIyfUuTgeFBRwMKm-67KU1fi0tCfBI4Z-8Y9upYgsk3Zk7hOJ8DlNjYumWcmS6EFl1JbFAHFSSXucIcUggpX-cWO6a6A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The monsters of the original novel are too numerous to give a due appearance in a short video, but I picked a couple of favorites. "The Yellow Thing" is a four-armed humanoid creature the hero encounters and fights at one point when he's lit a campfire. "The Humped Men" are a race of squat creatures that seem to be very populous, so I figured I'd better include one of those too. I included a scene where a Yellow Thing tries to catch a Humped Man.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNNEm0u_k18oRcFLqjD1Vl8IXHK45g48zHA1TwKGfn9nmY0a5s2sTgtSUPTtO123ss4tHfsAKNjp_MGCRcFY7GQ_oZs_OpU3DEaFrC2o0a-b5wnCojz7Zj4lYsHd6dfprQBbVx7LQV47OMLyyFSEc5bTCy_PW5J4hrqKdaZb0Yga2Od7qA9C4I3KUDVQ=s2183" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="2183" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNNEm0u_k18oRcFLqjD1Vl8IXHK45g48zHA1TwKGfn9nmY0a5s2sTgtSUPTtO123ss4tHfsAKNjp_MGCRcFY7GQ_oZs_OpU3DEaFrC2o0a-b5wnCojz7Zj4lYsHd6dfprQBbVx7LQV47OMLyyFSEc5bTCy_PW5J4hrqKdaZb0Yga2Od7qA9C4I3KUDVQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I usually do I sculpted the head and torso as a single piece in medium grade Monster Clay, adding a couple of plastic pearls for the eyes.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDn-_9CLmMZBeT5SMwuLx0DQAUDzFx7d_NaN_0x6XnHOccVRWxabR6wR-WhEn8ArBtuUKobXQhx3WQ2YTBbNSxss43BRAUzE9vAK9nNebfxcpT3cLGYMnL7EBgtzGNNrIXqVKNGCdhsVXZlvY6lsTIeOx-Za23zFRFLb6qh1i-_n0bU3yUrYs1Rzcsiw=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1503" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDn-_9CLmMZBeT5SMwuLx0DQAUDzFx7d_NaN_0x6XnHOccVRWxabR6wR-WhEn8ArBtuUKobXQhx3WQ2YTBbNSxss43BRAUzE9vAK9nNebfxcpT3cLGYMnL7EBgtzGNNrIXqVKNGCdhsVXZlvY6lsTIeOx-Za23zFRFLb6qh1i-_n0bU3yUrYs1Rzcsiw=s320" width="254" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I made the puppet's armature slightly disproportionate and irregular. I wanted to imply that the Yellow Thing is some kind of mutant abomination, not something that evolved with a symmetrical body.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjlOB41oqFXz8as-_9Pry5wXVxpwxK7y-6cLbAioQd3orTA0hQDYlQ08dCgvXe2RUXoQv5uP7RPSGHv7vlRqjewNIqnuct9i8aqHvUyPsgOaYHL0R2foEf_9wslyF9IdEUDZOASN239nDGH2oYmhZI63mPcv746cKcB8IsPlISoyMKZ4aCA4I5k2T8jw=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="1890" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjlOB41oqFXz8as-_9Pry5wXVxpwxK7y-6cLbAioQd3orTA0hQDYlQ08dCgvXe2RUXoQv5uP7RPSGHv7vlRqjewNIqnuct9i8aqHvUyPsgOaYHL0R2foEf_9wslyF9IdEUDZOASN239nDGH2oYmhZI63mPcv746cKcB8IsPlISoyMKZ4aCA4I5k2T8jw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For the arms and legs, I used exclusively cotton dipped in latex and thin polyurethane soaked in latex to shape very sinewy muscles.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJUIYj1KXbv2fuPn03elvqv56OsQvaQ0cOlOvM2PO7KTNKeHduhODpsYyhUlE6QWbJU9t_NiE484ZhAoHUVTeQwZRVvnkvT8YZd7xjsEf3JzbR8pSYfgX0JPwW0o5jdjazgaJIw2wj04gpIrfxgu_2029Mxp7_7F1_b9TeCR6ENuUjYHMpTOxsQcm14w=s1886" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1740" data-original-width="1886" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJUIYj1KXbv2fuPn03elvqv56OsQvaQ0cOlOvM2PO7KTNKeHduhODpsYyhUlE6QWbJU9t_NiE484ZhAoHUVTeQwZRVvnkvT8YZd7xjsEf3JzbR8pSYfgX0JPwW0o5jdjazgaJIw2wj04gpIrfxgu_2029Mxp7_7F1_b9TeCR6ENuUjYHMpTOxsQcm14w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The rest of the body was padded with thin polyurethane foam to achieve a knotted, but softer muscle look.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSRa3-jjQQpMxBHfkK-qOXYcCL0iwWIuRDtGxDRXevJRQ7CCv0E35GzB8qYId8xWf3D9HKOZOrPmuPSrRXwS65_kUuwj_AW5ovAOdjF3vzyOzJlA696zbREYagG05gECs8_N3Tx6xxp5M3mqL1xNXYh_2YyZxagtKMwApfUgnuOgbJHF5W-fyp6AHSLQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1757" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSRa3-jjQQpMxBHfkK-qOXYcCL0iwWIuRDtGxDRXevJRQ7CCv0E35GzB8qYId8xWf3D9HKOZOrPmuPSrRXwS65_kUuwj_AW5ovAOdjF3vzyOzJlA696zbREYagG05gECs8_N3Tx6xxp5M3mqL1xNXYh_2YyZxagtKMwApfUgnuOgbJHF5W-fyp6AHSLQ=s320" width="297" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiINpOSfvcgVojdZoLnRIRozXH9EAY4logCQczEtaKXs2gRSEll4WKzf72yJoUVtG6KYEUkblrxGJQhKxERiwH7JLjPkP-2P7B3_Rs8FnOf8ACauOeu2CHO-1EN_MTXm9h7zCwBHE7uURC-Vn3gjQ5hbx_ST-zbYSulj0kkckO_Bvt_wdJGm_oyant-oQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1570" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiINpOSfvcgVojdZoLnRIRozXH9EAY4logCQczEtaKXs2gRSEll4WKzf72yJoUVtG6KYEUkblrxGJQhKxERiwH7JLjPkP-2P7B3_Rs8FnOf8ACauOeu2CHO-1EN_MTXm9h7zCwBHE7uURC-Vn3gjQ5hbx_ST-zbYSulj0kkckO_Bvt_wdJGm_oyant-oQ=s320" width="266" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I cast patches of latex skin from a variety of old plaster skin texture molds, again to try and achieve a varied, deformed look to the body.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtnYj0nIAfsLCwW3aTwk0h_In1AfBxz1gVa8WBOSUuGnJ1QbYB6BrjgmyH_KvrQxXq-DdJNmVbiNKPGRd7z20srsNn7ONb-PDo9HLPIdPmVV4g8EuJxearkM399nUU_216iN11W0hFfJVXBBN9tDrVJBBa71f5ArpuA3GtyGoO9SPyr2a7QemF0edLEQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="1890" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtnYj0nIAfsLCwW3aTwk0h_In1AfBxz1gVa8WBOSUuGnJ1QbYB6BrjgmyH_KvrQxXq-DdJNmVbiNKPGRd7z20srsNn7ONb-PDo9HLPIdPmVV4g8EuJxearkM399nUU_216iN11W0hFfJVXBBN9tDrVJBBa71f5ArpuA3GtyGoO9SPyr2a7QemF0edLEQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-ZvY_JhtUEbDHj1he0FszoEG1r4sUKsbugs7OIwfczfIApbY9Q870gd-NYkMJT3ro-DUAWeYZObPXdoZ9wJAIC3m3HDfkCZvOKB39QEYLVTcP21FoRCokM4KMRPB29c4qwBtH3hgTRdBbHcPEUr3oooIDRDsDeTAZnXVghJTdtAbAugdbb7HoUwhXCA=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-ZvY_JhtUEbDHj1he0FszoEG1r4sUKsbugs7OIwfczfIApbY9Q870gd-NYkMJT3ro-DUAWeYZObPXdoZ9wJAIC3m3HDfkCZvOKB39QEYLVTcP21FoRCokM4KMRPB29c4qwBtH3hgTRdBbHcPEUr3oooIDRDsDeTAZnXVghJTdtAbAugdbb7HoUwhXCA=s320" width="245" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvHpfsqwGkBVBm23i9OLxOwHz15566kpfrf4VQkqouEK70e04MrxHbZFX8L0NbBqYoT6a9waOle6aN3HqaF_IGaQOkSYAniXiecACWk1jRDOSIx3kEKAfwazXBtiNmqFm4DtWjucIWcHVWBC6riuun6MK0bZ7A19VUf6v75NWEmvpf-LDoBa9pDIpLZQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvHpfsqwGkBVBm23i9OLxOwHz15566kpfrf4VQkqouEK70e04MrxHbZFX8L0NbBqYoT6a9waOle6aN3HqaF_IGaQOkSYAniXiecACWk1jRDOSIx3kEKAfwazXBtiNmqFm4DtWjucIWcHVWBC6riuun6MK0bZ7A19VUf6v75NWEmvpf-LDoBa9pDIpLZQ=s320" width="209" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSrDJeF2EcpYquINJTiJdEpbaopeEGR0h9fUlMZ5aN_reFRIjmgXPglcAuERsBh7piWAo0vMBjAQ9WA6xeLQPvudNxLiiWZOqAcYaB5agDc5pRcfbkwEUoLrxmxNj-jE6_Y5_0MG-uiowuBnMuhX88QP7kqC1LFHGt_BdiGJZFAQjh8YSWuZqp_NpQ-A=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1445" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSrDJeF2EcpYquINJTiJdEpbaopeEGR0h9fUlMZ5aN_reFRIjmgXPglcAuERsBh7piWAo0vMBjAQ9WA6xeLQPvudNxLiiWZOqAcYaB5agDc5pRcfbkwEUoLrxmxNj-jE6_Y5_0MG-uiowuBnMuhX88QP7kqC1LFHGt_BdiGJZFAQjh8YSWuZqp_NpQ-A=s320" width="245" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8xwLWCKqolGo8GnthSv1AsuisZvPJYSgLdeY-9pSzOLn789kHhaTpW-NaF4fT6NyNu0DRSCkOyl2vlDHsVJm02lRSji9rc1TCTeAALEP5u8Ji8d9rDO0b7IzQ5ls9lriSVEZmwXtfUyJln4EEuyEn5oqLoiVWtiteuiDf9HQGq8PAQ_H60Cckt2aijg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1405" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8xwLWCKqolGo8GnthSv1AsuisZvPJYSgLdeY-9pSzOLn789kHhaTpW-NaF4fT6NyNu0DRSCkOyl2vlDHsVJm02lRSji9rc1TCTeAALEP5u8Ji8d9rDO0b7IzQ5ls9lriSVEZmwXtfUyJln4EEuyEn5oqLoiVWtiteuiDf9HQGq8PAQ_H60Cckt2aijg=s320" width="238" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The head only has a single aluminum wire loop for the mouth. I retained the pearls from the sculpture as eyes. The skin was painted in a dirty yellow using tinted latex and touched up with numerous passes of airbrush colors. The teeth were tissue paper dipped in latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmiNMKPGwOahfYZRsIefsBC-eS6i3YLIlN8NqCmp4qXB40QvhFvc4JzWcsSFAUFIlFHXjzgOtRqU6NDgyPh0TZin7nURodk1briXEkfU8n13j4MxnpN7U6lWIo6K4nFY5eEQpvMmcdVjNqfeN4EM5b_7Y5YXvLcBqu9cSxo0IXNgP0oFa1tVQfFM9Usw=s1887" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1658" data-original-width="1887" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmiNMKPGwOahfYZRsIefsBC-eS6i3YLIlN8NqCmp4qXB40QvhFvc4JzWcsSFAUFIlFHXjzgOtRqU6NDgyPh0TZin7nURodk1briXEkfU8n13j4MxnpN7U6lWIo6K4nFY5eEQpvMmcdVjNqfeN4EM5b_7Y5YXvLcBqu9cSxo0IXNgP0oFa1tVQfFM9Usw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I decided the Humped Man would be symmetrical, but anatomically different from humans in many ways. It sort of came out looking a bit like a hairless Ewok.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMZqe81n6GtDGN3hw3Yqe2xdDkqFnc84AxAuJRSUDPRVekLqNwFqPQcso4pUz3g5YfqGf6JVGWvA-oy8JRiQAdc2ZSH0nOv08Oc7_RufCvnT6r3edmFlhp4uO5bO1dLDaPISbRCOb5PueaHAC3_PKPlSpPFK2QmfJ1EKWO6EGs4HASN-nyB5qtZgWv4A=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1513" data-original-width="1890" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMZqe81n6GtDGN3hw3Yqe2xdDkqFnc84AxAuJRSUDPRVekLqNwFqPQcso4pUz3g5YfqGf6JVGWvA-oy8JRiQAdc2ZSH0nOv08Oc7_RufCvnT6r3edmFlhp4uO5bO1dLDaPISbRCOb5PueaHAC3_PKPlSpPFK2QmfJ1EKWO6EGs4HASN-nyB5qtZgWv4A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Very simple padding on this puppet. I wanted a softer, chubbier look to the body.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihHz9_VaMIbi52fc63gBbYKG7RHVkyYKyTVIECN69rsyAiZyUeG7LhZ_CP4G7RbSjFt3IXSkeMj7LsxuKBBpXCnBrNWLqpTRoa64YFr7RNSSF4MDJdBvVD8cRr5TiBUPCj52pBbjkaqt6qU9JeUtbyFabVCUa_y4NqiQxAXrujrxoQ_qhwko499iyJEg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihHz9_VaMIbi52fc63gBbYKG7RHVkyYKyTVIECN69rsyAiZyUeG7LhZ_CP4G7RbSjFt3IXSkeMj7LsxuKBBpXCnBrNWLqpTRoa64YFr7RNSSF4MDJdBvVD8cRr5TiBUPCj52pBbjkaqt6qU9JeUtbyFabVCUa_y4NqiQxAXrujrxoQ_qhwko499iyJEg=s320" width="227" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-RF_E3LWWw212nEbTKsCuj91PZikniIQ1IaHUKhQXI6knkxUH9pEN7FC3WWoIRgDK__eJQ4-bRTgMZBNWFTM7MzFjbxO8XOaGnGc24SUBaRLoH99pA4EoP4Xvr1ucaHTm5DI7TCdc3-ACsND_pV2xvIKIelWcFChM57IKTxIB-K7lH60vimf73amoQg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="910" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-RF_E3LWWw212nEbTKsCuj91PZikniIQ1IaHUKhQXI6knkxUH9pEN7FC3WWoIRgDK__eJQ4-bRTgMZBNWFTM7MzFjbxO8XOaGnGc24SUBaRLoH99pA4EoP4Xvr1ucaHTm5DI7TCdc3-ACsND_pV2xvIKIelWcFChM57IKTxIB-K7lH60vimf73amoQg=s320" width="154" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiwqM_GX395O_5mLHLry6ocxid2-2EDcOcz9cvstS63D7rDWtlK5dFBjkJeVTeiDTVqrJlxA2K46pHg0c7g54SdYXrdJf3CdeOkZ5L_edVug4pHa3ZYQ8C-ZoqMiXoY04X6Rudzrs-m0ADgTvOkCrgWc1VToDGTLxwN7XIDKluF8zt31ss9eL1r4QoJQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="907" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiwqM_GX395O_5mLHLry6ocxid2-2EDcOcz9cvstS63D7rDWtlK5dFBjkJeVTeiDTVqrJlxA2K46pHg0c7g54SdYXrdJf3CdeOkZ5L_edVug4pHa3ZYQ8C-ZoqMiXoY04X6Rudzrs-m0ADgTvOkCrgWc1VToDGTLxwN7XIDKluF8zt31ss9eL1r4QoJQ=s320" width="154" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQZJT8JekfKYyDCc3XMwamzJYXZ2ZFBKYmhoDz3tX7DS6Fymu5bIYfC9aewTNvhjmG1K260Z5WxaWF40XGrunpB18bZmpdwbftZET-PNxLc03220lU2XcMOoAfjz6Z6GogjJ7-oqV19HmwVpEqHVmhmdkNfVeAbS-UZB4sJYgQYfPwmgoAW4LMg2v3mw=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1017" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQZJT8JekfKYyDCc3XMwamzJYXZ2ZFBKYmhoDz3tX7DS6Fymu5bIYfC9aewTNvhjmG1K260Z5WxaWF40XGrunpB18bZmpdwbftZET-PNxLc03220lU2XcMOoAfjz6Z6GogjJ7-oqV19HmwVpEqHVmhmdkNfVeAbS-UZB4sJYgQYfPwmgoAW4LMg2v3mw=s320" width="172" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For some reason, most of the photos taken with my phone turned out blurry, but hopefully, you can see some details. Like the Yellow Thing, the Humped Man only has articulation in the jaw regarding the face. Both these puppets make very quick appearances and weren't required to do much. The Humped Man was only painted with tinted latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTPeC33xbsFpQagpv553MVPPmTGr2vT8oUm7hsi1euko3lNSd3SpOu0oDv9SFltJLY71zRZGcYQBeZYU-BnWd-v8fNt3uDy1eU_Fjn_tX_2SHk1ebt69LE2c78ExRd2Vu0U83B0cCg7IaWip7wZTonCUdAExIBYqYFnue31eEhcW_VN1HckZCfqV0lCQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1825" data-original-width="1890" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTPeC33xbsFpQagpv553MVPPmTGr2vT8oUm7hsi1euko3lNSd3SpOu0oDv9SFltJLY71zRZGcYQBeZYU-BnWd-v8fNt3uDy1eU_Fjn_tX_2SHk1ebt69LE2c78ExRd2Vu0U83B0cCg7IaWip7wZTonCUdAExIBYqYFnue31eEhcW_VN1HckZCfqV0lCQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I'll talk a bit about my plans for making a longer Night Land adaptation at the end of this post, and if that comes to fruition I'll re-design these monsters and make puppets with more articulation.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6N6OYOpMRuhbHZ0mD3kz_XbVFlNi4-qgERYrbmqNoCvnV02-g8W-t1wby3uSGg5c6AUB1I8WQDB30SUrPENrFai_s7GMTNNk9oMNv0XZZF58uSmri7ZH6AzV1eAZU-5DH0_f5zB_VH4Hh8AMeMUC2wOvh_cs4pgxsaFZpmafo8D2veulW7B7FG2I2kg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6N6OYOpMRuhbHZ0mD3kz_XbVFlNi4-qgERYrbmqNoCvnV02-g8W-t1wby3uSGg5c6AUB1I8WQDB30SUrPENrFai_s7GMTNNk9oMNv0XZZF58uSmri7ZH6AzV1eAZU-5DH0_f5zB_VH4Hh8AMeMUC2wOvh_cs4pgxsaFZpmafo8D2veulW7B7FG2I2kg=s320" width="183" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I also built a puppet that doesn't have a direct analog in the book. I just wanted to include a creepy monster with humanoid features, and this is what I came up with. I wanted the critter's eyes to be grown shut and the neck to have a tumorous texture.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQQFsr8PoOuW_r45p6shknbeZXPbdEbl7-BcWe6VJ3kfI5BhCesLZH8-i_wqFI4hadhq9659oBpxuv1IJpIOzRyNQtrbA5LW3yyLjsOLx3rKwsTsHkyqU4i92nvfK0EZ3hpRu7VQFK3kzSFWlt6WbwSYeZXy2VBiVpfwsuz-T8mTQdoY9rFpNZ3820Lg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1886" data-original-width="1890" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQQFsr8PoOuW_r45p6shknbeZXPbdEbl7-BcWe6VJ3kfI5BhCesLZH8-i_wqFI4hadhq9659oBpxuv1IJpIOzRyNQtrbA5LW3yyLjsOLx3rKwsTsHkyqU4i92nvfK0EZ3hpRu7VQFK3kzSFWlt6WbwSYeZXy2VBiVpfwsuz-T8mTQdoY9rFpNZ3820Lg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Basically, this creature has the look of a human spider or insect, so the legs were made to be long and spindly. Cotton dipped in latex was used to shape muscles and tendons.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyFPo8BUHSJ1J24MHOLt5msPLMkbUYf_MFv8ONbRwKTuaLgZUKjxMw3h9zO0wqDbw7jXQnFlcSk7uVZrviQT5ApOBUCmEFMWJR4fFGnW09zg0wlixV-zNEkvjgfE9vfWqLlChC3pZvDqh5syw6reJfg9qlZVf0VBN1kOEh8YUIfDD1PDZmQ0VGs_r79g=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="1890" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyFPo8BUHSJ1J24MHOLt5msPLMkbUYf_MFv8ONbRwKTuaLgZUKjxMw3h9zO0wqDbw7jXQnFlcSk7uVZrviQT5ApOBUCmEFMWJR4fFGnW09zg0wlixV-zNEkvjgfE9vfWqLlChC3pZvDqh5syw6reJfg9qlZVf0VBN1kOEh8YUIfDD1PDZmQ0VGs_r79g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidbstGtQI72W84J0koYW_6iz4kJ9QL0S680RXSRUwUnos2ui30kxuQXljmRGGn7ch5A2ap6d2AjoWAZy2qecszlKklcvM6TdSubgRmIUzv1SBaGOhM3GdQIBrJYDIXev-1H2LkVtyVnCUuz__kEwSMfBe4T4TuDNBKN1wUjcckVPNEXuRJ9DasT9umJA=s1887" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="1887" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidbstGtQI72W84J0koYW_6iz4kJ9QL0S680RXSRUwUnos2ui30kxuQXljmRGGn7ch5A2ap6d2AjoWAZy2qecszlKklcvM6TdSubgRmIUzv1SBaGOhM3GdQIBrJYDIXev-1H2LkVtyVnCUuz__kEwSMfBe4T4TuDNBKN1wUjcckVPNEXuRJ9DasT9umJA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The latex head was attached to a long neck made from a single aluminum wire wrapped in soft yarn. I used a paper ball dipped in latex to prop up the back of the head. The snaking tongue is just a very thin aluminum wire wrapped in sewing yarn and painted with tinted latex. A couple of nails joined together with thermoplastic make up the center of the body.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiF_FT-RtZxtTqB8gWq7a5zN8_foxGjo0RkY_OVi26_zQ_xR-mg47TOlJci8nphqSwzaOl1v7i1dwfhYw1z-cu7CzSSLaMmmH92uZ1kSi2mLRp8qWQkuPbRWDqFQykXye7tFlh0mA_j1aPcTun66MEAr6sG5jeCcVpb8geEdjeqpMgdshCXTube2hsdiQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1764" data-original-width="1890" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiF_FT-RtZxtTqB8gWq7a5zN8_foxGjo0RkY_OVi26_zQ_xR-mg47TOlJci8nphqSwzaOl1v7i1dwfhYw1z-cu7CzSSLaMmmH92uZ1kSi2mLRp8qWQkuPbRWDqFQykXye7tFlh0mA_j1aPcTun66MEAr6sG5jeCcVpb8geEdjeqpMgdshCXTube2hsdiQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh008z_HWT_b8iYcXRgaBmpKmETk-BXi_OAjPBA7q0D8EDa2_O3Eudic0bFKNHYgKD-ahQfvFEm3NPNWxusY4dZzDJu5eoDFouZ-HmhhSjTN1ShRmegWpt6EGWRvrQ1EQdyhfwdqYICBnEiAlVLYUl5aJ_lP3lB2IgtHLenlNRVCVmIblKX_slWZbyfsA=s1884" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1884" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh008z_HWT_b8iYcXRgaBmpKmETk-BXi_OAjPBA7q0D8EDa2_O3Eudic0bFKNHYgKD-ahQfvFEm3NPNWxusY4dZzDJu5eoDFouZ-HmhhSjTN1ShRmegWpt6EGWRvrQ1EQdyhfwdqYICBnEiAlVLYUl5aJ_lP3lB2IgtHLenlNRVCVmIblKX_slWZbyfsA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The bulk of the body was shaped with two pieces of dense foam plucked from a package I got a while ago. Whenever I get useful package material it goes into the handy-to-have-some-day box.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-zRGFJ3DreSJkyQRixosrsVoo-Vj_bH2LOCgz5B2smTMfSN5zV3SIm7agouLUym1j8NWaQkJfhFhLbz_3-G0F-JYoRaMkKoa7hstc-H7G912L8AJKjrVifNb__F8mHYcxqO65J37COSsP0wX2HFgeEFwFFqnEpIenadeQfmd9iwDwGVS9bMtUYr9fAw=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1451" data-original-width="1890" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-zRGFJ3DreSJkyQRixosrsVoo-Vj_bH2LOCgz5B2smTMfSN5zV3SIm7agouLUym1j8NWaQkJfhFhLbz_3-G0F-JYoRaMkKoa7hstc-H7G912L8AJKjrVifNb__F8mHYcxqO65J37COSsP0wX2HFgeEFwFFqnEpIenadeQfmd9iwDwGVS9bMtUYr9fAw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH7xGUjUs8Yv4HXAtfRtf2v6kCG-ondgXu29JwlyHyXoaY1tf4A9Tw8ApKss5qAqaTQm9UC3O1KnwVuDtaeVdeAkBdTXuNt8ziixRSQgTFwk2NZ7ji-JiAfN83q-gIv06aKKaFr3V-eLuuegxNrKmdUiqkumPM5WQQYbSH_4FpnD1OPoIxJaYPE2uV0Q=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1399" data-original-width="1890" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH7xGUjUs8Yv4HXAtfRtf2v6kCG-ondgXu29JwlyHyXoaY1tf4A9Tw8ApKss5qAqaTQm9UC3O1KnwVuDtaeVdeAkBdTXuNt8ziixRSQgTFwk2NZ7ji-JiAfN83q-gIv06aKKaFr3V-eLuuegxNrKmdUiqkumPM5WQQYbSH_4FpnD1OPoIxJaYPE2uV0Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjgDs0OeR9XuK2I_xDEPhG3WcmuuCLyqCy2hSYzKL3XR2tFhCzbeMEtirPmVlnAxFYMKE3q3JyzLXlaXENm9AClmlbKa4CtmWW2dLDXNB6ficZgI3_6lmnfGoPjvMKIZnNqzkyz_ss1QJMa1HETiphCvz-D_luwpCQuMArnovyDHUb7Jx14npU5cem8g=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1715" data-original-width="1890" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjgDs0OeR9XuK2I_xDEPhG3WcmuuCLyqCy2hSYzKL3XR2tFhCzbeMEtirPmVlnAxFYMKE3q3JyzLXlaXENm9AClmlbKa4CtmWW2dLDXNB6ficZgI3_6lmnfGoPjvMKIZnNqzkyz_ss1QJMa1HETiphCvz-D_luwpCQuMArnovyDHUb7Jx14npU5cem8g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif7GYfG2KjYaJgelXqLuPKlMlHRxn-j1yUgRfod7wRGaR6woEhjbtWttk7uym2bOOEYiGQEJvYZzn2qQPNJrWs_ZTAI27flLIh3BfJlWPvBZSKlQ5OBhwpmfM9FU_xKU2kePkQ9NeCWQ1TBydbv0rgM7AVaNSK6uYDt5WUDY1GMxnbTNYCXi5pGAUQYA=s1961" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1961" data-original-width="1442" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif7GYfG2KjYaJgelXqLuPKlMlHRxn-j1yUgRfod7wRGaR6woEhjbtWttk7uym2bOOEYiGQEJvYZzn2qQPNJrWs_ZTAI27flLIh3BfJlWPvBZSKlQ5OBhwpmfM9FU_xKU2kePkQ9NeCWQ1TBydbv0rgM7AVaNSK6uYDt5WUDY1GMxnbTNYCXi5pGAUQYA=s320" width="235" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfoXkUa6qV_UjZdsYEdIHPq3dJo5DYlEd9jGAVrs5lKu79zBTbPtd_QXeacqThvPvk1XkBR3ROPSQGgho9eWzxKZYGnbDYiPh0DOHAQ-4Xj4nysmx6JIoEAiQOyUCC3jueQV5RKjbnngm3cC3CQlMtxliM46Sph8AQIw9JH5cD0HIduZ4pNRZslOtNYw=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfoXkUa6qV_UjZdsYEdIHPq3dJo5DYlEd9jGAVrs5lKu79zBTbPtd_QXeacqThvPvk1XkBR3ROPSQGgho9eWzxKZYGnbDYiPh0DOHAQ-4Xj4nysmx6JIoEAiQOyUCC3jueQV5RKjbnngm3cC3CQlMtxliM46Sph8AQIw9JH5cD0HIduZ4pNRZslOtNYw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhj93nTf_GPpH3Ukkg9P1QLdrvR2uTVc8mrXuAYIg0onIs3GIqqMa0m3mgk-e63snZZICUbkZh_Pwm59fOCZJ01h1OHA2c0qm-7AzPQZ1PtlHhsGL2LuErogFjJBWPZ3OOntlx39MUrxSa37oUtjbskOpWa91-qmeOfcznVggk-eK58llSVCW-mqBIMXg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1562" data-original-width="1890" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhj93nTf_GPpH3Ukkg9P1QLdrvR2uTVc8mrXuAYIg0onIs3GIqqMa0m3mgk-e63snZZICUbkZh_Pwm59fOCZJ01h1OHA2c0qm-7AzPQZ1PtlHhsGL2LuErogFjJBWPZ3OOntlx39MUrxSa37oUtjbskOpWa91-qmeOfcznVggk-eK58llSVCW-mqBIMXg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The finished puppet was dry brushed with tinted latex, with mottled effects being applied using a toothbrush and acrylic airbrush paints. The wispy hair is simply a tuft of crepé hair (sheep's wool) glued on with a few drops of liquid latex.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUIWjhz4yx9KQ-f_D-snORYQN3xvnBH7u9PUVWaPVEvjL_Lesm9lvzkDfgwZohfW7S6Rqdm0EekxgHF0f7WZH0Zt9v5VvutwOrxY2waiu5m13lbGsThnIJ5Q-ObCsrq207pu2JgFr5ALwA4OA_dU5kPijvuXrgz9MrYlq6Mu1V6zVDgWz3_hbSAuQI6Q=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUIWjhz4yx9KQ-f_D-snORYQN3xvnBH7u9PUVWaPVEvjL_Lesm9lvzkDfgwZohfW7S6Rqdm0EekxgHF0f7WZH0Zt9v5VvutwOrxY2waiu5m13lbGsThnIJ5Q-ObCsrq207pu2JgFr5ALwA4OA_dU5kPijvuXrgz9MrYlq6Mu1V6zVDgWz3_hbSAuQI6Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A prominent monster character in The Night Land is The Silent Ones, so I felt I had to include those. They are a group of hooded beings who emerge from The House of Silence and travel on the few roads still remaining. It's very bad luck to encounter a silent one. It's never really revealed who or what they are, but the reader gets the feeling that they are among the top power players in the Night Land. For my Silent Ones I found a stock image of four hooded capes. I cut them out in Photoshop and added a few other changes before importing the images into After Effects and keyframe animated them to glide over the crusty ground. I added a CG animation of a wiggling squirmy shape in a layer under each cape, so you can just see something nasty peeking out under the cloth.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGZh9f-eKxh0wvuz72ZTv9UTdwFyaCIgnenXj63D7LqZ1WLZp0Q9NOIF3xF9wWY95FnbSIUyshZVUZ6k9EVjlWe32QjrG-rk973IKRsvExq49SnXmFCOWh4FW7gR6G-m5n9gSyaHw7NHVo4csi8EeMaiKQTvjOc8JMHLqVz2l-ww6XCxvQXDLSlBXFfg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGZh9f-eKxh0wvuz72ZTv9UTdwFyaCIgnenXj63D7LqZ1WLZp0Q9NOIF3xF9wWY95FnbSIUyshZVUZ6k9EVjlWe32QjrG-rk973IKRsvExq49SnXmFCOWh4FW7gR6G-m5n9gSyaHw7NHVo4csi8EeMaiKQTvjOc8JMHLqVz2l-ww6XCxvQXDLSlBXFfg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I wanted to focus on the actual Night Land landscape, following the text of Cox's poem, so the people of the pyramid are only glimpsed briefly. There is a version of an old Italian "peplum" or sword & sandal movie called The Giant of Metropolis, which is in the public domain. I used still shots from the movie where people are dressed in various retro-futuristic costumes, cutting out the people and adding them in layers in After Effects. The raging thunderstorm outside the pyramid is CG stock footage and the inside pyramid "set" is a modified stock image from Depositphotos. I made it a keyframed tracking shot, having the various elements in layers move a bit as the "camera" tracked in.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih29brS347D4yXrT0BPRM1flnAAIt1cgGXlgFk0lbZoKEZoCxjWfNEddwb_G2e-FzteHxGmBpkLoZuXU6POoqpNaY5HLGyejuPOpx4OVEhnuZONttHB6VygFMUAnAp2yCAXjpOyx8pmd4RB_I6jAF68IFFmBswI7_zJF-GhoQfRiKF036VlRMZDshnrQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih29brS347D4yXrT0BPRM1flnAAIt1cgGXlgFk0lbZoKEZoCxjWfNEddwb_G2e-FzteHxGmBpkLoZuXU6POoqpNaY5HLGyejuPOpx4OVEhnuZONttHB6VygFMUAnAp2yCAXjpOyx8pmd4RB_I6jAF68IFFmBswI7_zJF-GhoQfRiKF036VlRMZDshnrQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzcounQQeiT9aufMzudzBL5AEFyynpWY-J6d0R1DcOSzQwPVHbtINMOsgSr78yII1HGUD_wODiBVV6MAH-GDa8VG-COsSuOnZ8y2uJiZY_hboPiQYumkseqwtvUD1koyYZeHB9FZTk_8Ody_K5H66u2lIv6X7uO6_v8l2hQa2RoWUw8sWNCBk4FFWIEg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzcounQQeiT9aufMzudzBL5AEFyynpWY-J6d0R1DcOSzQwPVHbtINMOsgSr78yII1HGUD_wODiBVV6MAH-GDa8VG-COsSuOnZ8y2uJiZY_hboPiQYumkseqwtvUD1koyYZeHB9FZTk_8Ody_K5H66u2lIv6X7uO6_v8l2hQa2RoWUw8sWNCBk4FFWIEg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There is a bunch of so-called watchers in the Night Land; huge mountain-like monsters that move so slowly that the observers of the phenomena need millennia and generations to track any movement at all. One thing is certain, though -they're all moving towards the Last Redoubt. I use two old puppets to portray a couple of the watchers, each with its own characteristics. I took two photos of the puppets and 2D animated them. My idea was to show the monsters finally bearing down on the pyramid, making -for them- very quick movements.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9OgrNc2UBUrcVS7EDNcBlLlV4TMubpkm_Jd4Fq1pEXVbKm2Ijs99UVxDEV51Jkm3NcS6sFIsy9HVDvbHi35FqWsflTYn1tu5ZpnbNYCawUSEQolI3yHtrhvozlS1rU5Ynj-ItRqG95Kqqehe2TmLXsR78ADqG2MlJjtlsPhqU4hF_Je1N9sILzxzLfQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9OgrNc2UBUrcVS7EDNcBlLlV4TMubpkm_Jd4Fq1pEXVbKm2Ijs99UVxDEV51Jkm3NcS6sFIsy9HVDvbHi35FqWsflTYn1tu5ZpnbNYCawUSEQolI3yHtrhvozlS1rU5Ynj-ItRqG95Kqqehe2TmLXsR78ADqG2MlJjtlsPhqU4hF_Je1N9sILzxzLfQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Even the brave knights of the pyramid were still images. Again, I found useful material on Depositphotos and created the spinning diskos using a Photoshopped image of a glowing wheel with lots of spokes, animated to rotate very fast.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw64-fVy4bcabqUUduaTshk9p--NXIjJ3Vni0-U-aiw8rO7-DJqI_NZABvXkCN1dE_ImR3w7Ov6HbZV8HUxxYpau3uYuMvB4D_rAtJDMKdrPdGCrGnifxaRIYhDZTxMh43mr7AgrdkRyS3QMSVxbuRgvqoExPRABk1f-UtlqOgds07D3M6hPQgs-dO5w=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw64-fVy4bcabqUUduaTshk9p--NXIjJ3Vni0-U-aiw8rO7-DJqI_NZABvXkCN1dE_ImR3w7Ov6HbZV8HUxxYpau3uYuMvB4D_rAtJDMKdrPdGCrGnifxaRIYhDZTxMh43mr7AgrdkRyS3QMSVxbuRgvqoExPRABk1f-UtlqOgds07D3M6hPQgs-dO5w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>And that's about it for my Night Land video. I did the narration myself and used music by YouTube composer Sir Cubworth, who offers a collection of his work among the free YouTube resources.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Will I do another version? Yes, that is the plan. I want to basically do The Dream of X, but with more monster encounters, so it'll be a mix of the two versions of the story. When I'll be able to do it is up in the air for the time being. </div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-50461637321927191612022-02-10T10:23:00.000-08:002022-02-10T10:23:04.532-08:00Go Down the Woods Today..<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bRcQOteffhI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>For quite some time I've been thinking about doing stop-motion recreations -of sorts- of weird creatures people claim to have met; cryptids, aliens, etc. I finally got around to it sometime around last September, when I decided to take on one of the very strangest encounters.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVUYYA3nyTgpMStFpi0kwqjz5MSaNxdNGYdgbL9aKLy0aiRCVBqnKpXRlm12NCPfoJl2WE-3apTztd3IZ_ju0ARroCNumXCgvmmt9EJ_x3xLtXG_p6u-VQRfITvSEUggjsK8qWsyJi8PKdWGR3t9rJzNQQE_M3qoMLbvSQm-g5JTKceNQJgGGUYHkR0Q=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="716" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVUYYA3nyTgpMStFpi0kwqjz5MSaNxdNGYdgbL9aKLy0aiRCVBqnKpXRlm12NCPfoJl2WE-3apTztd3IZ_ju0ARroCNumXCgvmmt9EJ_x3xLtXG_p6u-VQRfITvSEUggjsK8qWsyJi8PKdWGR3t9rJzNQQE_M3qoMLbvSQm-g5JTKceNQJgGGUYHkR0Q=s320" width="143" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioAcCA203J4K_WBScMNpaSLSFZxeLluiu3e3g2IWEAYtsx9_qaGfTxYs_qDRLz4FE_4armCrSZn8W1_mMwR7LX1T7MnRjqN0RsxGF6B60uu0be4LKVKaQzKtudzpv-ligE_9iaIDfA4bgTgYyX1oZzgWeghRNkaBwQZ6COdwEsIIonvjKA2_SHq4N57g=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1526" data-original-width="1600" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioAcCA203J4K_WBScMNpaSLSFZxeLluiu3e3g2IWEAYtsx9_qaGfTxYs_qDRLz4FE_4armCrSZn8W1_mMwR7LX1T7MnRjqN0RsxGF6B60uu0be4LKVKaQzKtudzpv-ligE_9iaIDfA4bgTgYyX1oZzgWeghRNkaBwQZ6COdwEsIIonvjKA2_SHq4N57g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">The above two</span> sketches are reconstructions of what bow hunter Jennings Frederick says he encountered in 1968 during a stroll in the woods of Fairmont, West Virginia. According to Frederick he suddenly heard a strange grating sound and felt a painful sting in his neck. A strange, green spindly entity was standing next to him, poking him in the neck with its finger. A voice (maybe in Frederick's head) told him: <span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; text-size-adjust: auto;">"</span><i style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline;">YOU NEED NOT FEAR ME. I WISH TO </i><i style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline;">COMMUNICATE</i><i style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline;">. I COME AS A FRIEND. WE KNOW OF YOU ALL. I COME IN PEACE. I WISH MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. I NEED YOUR HELP."</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #3a3a3a;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58);"><span style="font-family: times;">After</span><span style="font-family: rubik, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: times;">this short ordeal Frederick's was apparently let go and the creature disappeared into the woods. The flabbergasted hunter noticed that a line of blood trickled down his neck and he concluded that was what the alien stranger accosted him for. He then heard a strange sound which he surmised was coming from the creature's craft, whatever that may be. This very strange story has become something of an odd favorite among people interested inthe unexplained.</span></span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis5JpdUXlPypCJ7adHuH0QodVWKKztwPa_x1o19kxVzAkdygjMDPPbZI1j0uqF-KFJoXv2eJw8836X6MR6ZwlhHrtCXUTzliI62G8wEzJeweumZm5ApN85c_LnorXadLO0zd-YD3EjhY8RvcbVTuIraU2gGzYS4dEVTIwm-wHZh73fN_vWFDGvEw2Q-Q=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1649" data-original-width="1890" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis5JpdUXlPypCJ7adHuH0QodVWKKztwPa_x1o19kxVzAkdygjMDPPbZI1j0uqF-KFJoXv2eJw8836X6MR6ZwlhHrtCXUTzliI62G8wEzJeweumZm5ApN85c_LnorXadLO0zd-YD3EjhY8RvcbVTuIraU2gGzYS4dEVTIwm-wHZh73fN_vWFDGvEw2Q-Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To make my vegetable man puppet I sculpted two pieces in clay and cast them in latex from dental plaster molds. The first was the head, or, more precisely, the face.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjp6IvlN6TaGyZkx5sP64ddSEFBeKTtMrnJehdTBlym1jrJJYFuExHK1j03YFlg6vvTBxw1YSmSglvtIKbJC0BtMyp_qw9CzH52zYP-kT5w1pLLpwbEc_jzXnjYxo0dn28FQKFY_j4WqxN7nMurMEyWGB46w57b96mSURvfwTB9rJWPL8FzjJ5QAb2b7A=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="790" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjp6IvlN6TaGyZkx5sP64ddSEFBeKTtMrnJehdTBlym1jrJJYFuExHK1j03YFlg6vvTBxw1YSmSglvtIKbJC0BtMyp_qw9CzH52zYP-kT5w1pLLpwbEc_jzXnjYxo0dn28FQKFY_j4WqxN7nMurMEyWGB46w57b96mSURvfwTB9rJWPL8FzjJ5QAb2b7A=s320" width="134" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The second piece was a bit of bark-like skin texture, from which I could cast the bits of skin that would cover the puppet.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimeujuG8Ii0J9hOdJwowb504C8-2G3w94VWTpDyucwstDZTaW6DPm4qjgA8aB0yFrkwDv1ZdOxKkx-5zqEX5a9-zHEciPDIvdAmRmM0JZoOYHobpaz1abC49O5saTlwICz4uR7ggys3dXRt0TmeIRCwYjdotybum_ZJaGv-1LN3dd2y6AKO6MLVmWYKQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="891" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimeujuG8Ii0J9hOdJwowb504C8-2G3w94VWTpDyucwstDZTaW6DPm4qjgA8aB0yFrkwDv1ZdOxKkx-5zqEX5a9-zHEciPDIvdAmRmM0JZoOYHobpaz1abC49O5saTlwICz4uR7ggys3dXRt0TmeIRCwYjdotybum_ZJaGv-1LN3dd2y6AKO6MLVmWYKQ=s320" width="151" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I made this pupper large, almost 40 cm tall, so I could make the limbs really thin. I used 1,5 mm aluminum wires reinforced with thin, but rigid, metal rods for the hard skeletal parts between each joint. A tight wrapping of crochet yarn soaked with latex held everything in place with the help of some Polymorph thermoplastic.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT4IkdWkwGYSfL1MYW-4Fmn7mLfamlVFUT6gmAQHUY2uXpu_ANeHu7JFAtPpvb25glL8jdeJ5xF-ah_k9shYWn2m6djQ9uJT8dnouYiAoNYcImphNev74MuIIn8-AMfUr12D_gdcNWteiw8KnDbufxdJq5pC5It3fvq1_Ar6ifw-kYSDS8c8Bh8FDsAQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT4IkdWkwGYSfL1MYW-4Fmn7mLfamlVFUT6gmAQHUY2uXpu_ANeHu7JFAtPpvb25glL8jdeJ5xF-ah_k9shYWn2m6djQ9uJT8dnouYiAoNYcImphNev74MuIIn8-AMfUr12D_gdcNWteiw8KnDbufxdJq5pC5It3fvq1_Ar6ifw-kYSDS8c8Bh8FDsAQ=s320" width="160" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Though the creature was supposed to be very stick-like I still added a few spots of muscular detailing by soaking thin bits of polyurethane foam in latex and pressing those onto the body.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLgW2sOrPsYEYjIuL-SvM4Ss4q2xRmR0uzV6rRAPdS-LuW7E7indg3due9UuoSXYplqpDqPmaYuzJYKSTaejM-lMje1L1vRhFbpTbaijv9x1RlIFq9QixvspH9_L6hXAqBhC11J-63rqu1vT4zufXkzNTEzfSOc2omBPlCZhycWiJo4YJBmWUFwZwz6g=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLgW2sOrPsYEYjIuL-SvM4Ss4q2xRmR0uzV6rRAPdS-LuW7E7indg3due9UuoSXYplqpDqPmaYuzJYKSTaejM-lMje1L1vRhFbpTbaijv9x1RlIFq9QixvspH9_L6hXAqBhC11J-63rqu1vT4zufXkzNTEzfSOc2omBPlCZhycWiJo4YJBmWUFwZwz6g=s320" width="222" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFTRT_Cyqjh5S48OYmm72E6k8iOH5FBG9LqNaq7_iknnZUSZTjskCZs5ObLVuGt5kRdZEPFZfhDFIEPDY5902IPM3MeFPm0DuidARpc1Gxax3zo6TdtIDUI1DNv9twBoqJUhU8MU2bAlX9gN8AH-ItCraLP0wy2ajVr8wqrf8vV9FLwzXn6ILS8gRhWA=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1849" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFTRT_Cyqjh5S48OYmm72E6k8iOH5FBG9LqNaq7_iknnZUSZTjskCZs5ObLVuGt5kRdZEPFZfhDFIEPDY5902IPM3MeFPm0DuidARpc1Gxax3zo6TdtIDUI1DNv9twBoqJUhU8MU2bAlX9gN8AH-ItCraLP0wy2ajVr8wqrf8vV9FLwzXn6ILS8gRhWA=s320" width="313" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYJOpp7s4q225GDtSqnE5N86SEDLz_vU7ivTESTjK0EBvGm-QJzoXA1lmYT7t74okHmkQpoWPsjtqVomcg8P00P8nDIWdj9u3Di87NykzfpHWBDWDovftozP8wyR2GC7x7hXm6lTXHBwppA6rWVwiWIHx3IGZXkoLqRtxz9YVl8UmjGowwtLdtcr1Iaw=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1348" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYJOpp7s4q225GDtSqnE5N86SEDLz_vU7ivTESTjK0EBvGm-QJzoXA1lmYT7t74okHmkQpoWPsjtqVomcg8P00P8nDIWdj9u3Di87NykzfpHWBDWDovftozP8wyR2GC7x7hXm6lTXHBwppA6rWVwiWIHx3IGZXkoLqRtxz9YVl8UmjGowwtLdtcr1Iaw=s320" width="228" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVuO32CnjHaQOrHzTlTh1T5vhKhGPZ6QBMrCziy4_RrRp2WtCTo28BGPc0ACse1UUp1ixJ2gkPrOoBut_gUQ4c_FTaHEAGCKebv8lIBnqqvCINbPwquzpKpX142aDzePRdW4XOwmxVzjdk0uuR1ky0ZuBK63V9ezNGBIEQsHlYgNxKIsRD2MVyH_lENA=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVuO32CnjHaQOrHzTlTh1T5vhKhGPZ6QBMrCziy4_RrRp2WtCTo28BGPc0ACse1UUp1ixJ2gkPrOoBut_gUQ4c_FTaHEAGCKebv8lIBnqqvCINbPwquzpKpX142aDzePRdW4XOwmxVzjdk0uuR1ky0ZuBK63V9ezNGBIEQsHlYgNxKIsRD2MVyH_lENA=s320" width="110" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In the report, the creature is a dull green, but since I'm shooting against a green screen I painted the finished puppet red. The eyes were kept a chroma key green, so I could key those out and add animated eyes instead.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8ETM-Gms1dUibsRB8SdbuB19ijjm1v6fuLSVIo8gCFkvf9pB_yKmTa8qNAsJl8rn4vu2M7I28vRN7fXjlsJkMuIH7iHPFH2U04xaqaD20k5NYzvmfXV29myrXB6G9Xm_slHNEoz0kQ2P0ECgdSkV-EBNDJQM26fi3RomyXlz81f5Edg2FutvaNXgOgA=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8ETM-Gms1dUibsRB8SdbuB19ijjm1v6fuLSVIo8gCFkvf9pB_yKmTa8qNAsJl8rn4vu2M7I28vRN7fXjlsJkMuIH7iHPFH2U04xaqaD20k5NYzvmfXV29myrXB6G9Xm_slHNEoz0kQ2P0ECgdSkV-EBNDJQM26fi3RomyXlz81f5Edg2FutvaNXgOgA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZWgHsyfrZhv_-3DV57faJOawZZddUF4WSafqCItJf3W7r-gdTBnFSV8Kzy84Jhk2QRZ3eNCcgu_BrK_2hI_UwQvBOrnBYxLl8lNusw3kiyQ53zh6krhxnomwFWwwd3flNrcBW_N38aL2tQu7AmvRF_moOKzOtGLyRZuE-jeWRcvbocVsnwPV4xIBpAQ=s1917" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1917" data-original-width="1844" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZWgHsyfrZhv_-3DV57faJOawZZddUF4WSafqCItJf3W7r-gdTBnFSV8Kzy84Jhk2QRZ3eNCcgu_BrK_2hI_UwQvBOrnBYxLl8lNusw3kiyQ53zh6krhxnomwFWwwd3flNrcBW_N38aL2tQu7AmvRF_moOKzOtGLyRZuE-jeWRcvbocVsnwPV4xIBpAQ=s320" width="308" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In After Effects I could then change the color of the puppet into green and also remove the eyes.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2eSq7Qpr2QW14o4cjhn96UvwggLgFU2RPEunzoH6SmbQ3pU9twWWzS0421_OsrsqeMBsOQc7S9CJxUsCUYQGVLCU7t3Z3IJefQ2srY6DUu_AfwdbeoiTjtxalvqOTwBmZOnitQrLEzWPQTM5Z2KHC2kpX_5S-_eTLc2HWxxuuexmswln_mKJEJdAeNg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2eSq7Qpr2QW14o4cjhn96UvwggLgFU2RPEunzoH6SmbQ3pU9twWWzS0421_OsrsqeMBsOQc7S9CJxUsCUYQGVLCU7t3Z3IJefQ2srY6DUu_AfwdbeoiTjtxalvqOTwBmZOnitQrLEzWPQTM5Z2KHC2kpX_5S-_eTLc2HWxxuuexmswln_mKJEJdAeNg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I used a caleidoscopic CG animation stock footage clip for each eye, which I think created a nice hypnotic effect.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm-6YC-IdcXt1ARBU8dxrzRt64SNS1zh3gaYHbLzl-KFH29hnAZnAopMp1HVpAoB-a4F0uOE527zmge8SMkkPVOi75yggQk6v0-X6WAhXrkda0v5bbodpuQvlf4NLKU5-LupPdtH4qljPmgUMs7mGtSK-OfmE_6KzikjfUyAnZFHLfmo8ZgP7flhPgpg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm-6YC-IdcXt1ARBU8dxrzRt64SNS1zh3gaYHbLzl-KFH29hnAZnAopMp1HVpAoB-a4F0uOE527zmge8SMkkPVOi75yggQk6v0-X6WAhXrkda0v5bbodpuQvlf4NLKU5-LupPdtH4qljPmgUMs7mGtSK-OfmE_6KzikjfUyAnZFHLfmo8ZgP7flhPgpg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The film was shot at a forest about 20 minutes walk from where I live. It was absolutely pouring down this day and both I and my single actor were soaked through after a while.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1R9t8OqoND2QQ90nUf5MACdOtJ9fyIUUjqxO-a9qfdY2QMqmhRwH0xth28xpUVtMG4OEQDB8wKOFvNrxUMiwFilUOcysCoCCDd3LHqSWF_4WtpoRBbUuhwTHcm09YmaFVErAR9XgEsBX_WXyowl0EgfWjkQtwPPtr6lV6CQcKSyPT_efODP3K6T-glA=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1R9t8OqoND2QQ90nUf5MACdOtJ9fyIUUjqxO-a9qfdY2QMqmhRwH0xth28xpUVtMG4OEQDB8wKOFvNrxUMiwFilUOcysCoCCDd3LHqSWF_4WtpoRBbUuhwTHcm09YmaFVErAR9XgEsBX_WXyowl0EgfWjkQtwPPtr6lV6CQcKSyPT_efODP3K6T-glA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This actor, by the way, is Leif Hult, who is also quite an accomplished singer. He suffered through the gloomy afternoon and even dropped to the ground in the wet moss in one scene. The puppet was animated to interact with his movements. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw823DXcIzmZWVn73OHsHEg-3hDCWxLi_AJcaLh_OCIqCCUFmIoghx6S28mUkHs_3kNZc1UWPkFd9bCkpgL36ulI0Xjclzgr0AtUUMhwPXW-VUluEKo-sdfMTMH42sTVTjY5jBmWK-AgC6SRJklHrXG1NFi1vQVXhTMdJxbOjUj9uCz0BE1ghzb4bIVQ=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="1890" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw823DXcIzmZWVn73OHsHEg-3hDCWxLi_AJcaLh_OCIqCCUFmIoghx6S28mUkHs_3kNZc1UWPkFd9bCkpgL36ulI0Xjclzgr0AtUUMhwPXW-VUluEKo-sdfMTMH42sTVTjY5jBmWK-AgC6SRJklHrXG1NFi1vQVXhTMdJxbOjUj9uCz0BE1ghzb4bIVQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>At the end of the film it's revealed that the creature is actually an alien, and Leif watches it take off in a flying saucer above the trees. I tried to film the tree tops without having the rain completely soak my camera. The UFO is another CG animation downloaded from Storyblocks.com as a green screen shot. I composited it into the sky above the forest by creating a matte from the trees. I used a contrast tool to make the trees completely black and the sky completely white. After Effects then allows you to place your original footage in a layer above the contrasted footage and using it as a matte, which makes the trees a layer without the sky. A third layer with the sky is then dropped under both these layers. It sounds a bit complicated, but it really isn't. It's actually a very old effect that's been used since the silent movie era. Back in the day it was a chemical process created with an optical printer, or by reversing the shot in camera and running the footage twice through the camera gate. Doing it digitally is, of course, much, much easier.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZCO1r-V4VqEy3GAjjUMHnRnrXLMCkEze2BqO4KZaimXTgl5VaVFzqKN_c7tNohR9ZFBZjF8LEf3rg6ewAfhsOehENQYP9K27hGjXjXVPLlFy3KQsWy361TwL77GavX-_wlhh74JUFoNMzA_1fz967EY4FDku6IabEXo7pxgjF67kOiqfWWKYo5Ft3Rg=s1890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZCO1r-V4VqEy3GAjjUMHnRnrXLMCkEze2BqO4KZaimXTgl5VaVFzqKN_c7tNohR9ZFBZjF8LEf3rg6ewAfhsOehENQYP9K27hGjXjXVPLlFy3KQsWy361TwL77GavX-_wlhh74JUFoNMzA_1fz967EY4FDku6IabEXo7pxgjF67kOiqfWWKYo5Ft3Rg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>As you saw in my version of the story, Leif isn't a bow hunter. He's just a guy out for a stroll in the woods and happens to encounter this creature. I did, however, use what the creature said verbatim. It seems this film was quite appreciated by my YouTube audience, and I was encouraged to do more projects of this kind. Since there are almost countless similar weird encounter stories from all over the world to pick from I will get back to the subject eventually.</div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-90740636923918070192021-12-16T04:07:00.004-08:002021-12-18T02:12:25.011-08:00Swamp Feeder<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/73F_iic6aV4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>So, here's the story behind "Swamp Feeder." For years and years, I had been peering at the tiny blurry photos of Clark Ashton Smith's various sculptures, that could be found on the internet. As far as I know, they were all scanned from a single book, "The Fantastic Art of Clark Ashton Smith" (1973) which now fetches prices around $200 or so. A more recent book featuring his sculptures, carvings, drawings, and paintings; "In the Realms of Mystery and Wonder" (2017), is already incredibly expensive. Hence what I knew of his figurative carvings had to be gleaned from those small, blurry images.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjm0rblAozgX0Qj9VvNXmeobn37c2IFGYYqonnQkiWQ0WzsE8x8pUwqHXsW6GdZCYaniWUUPDdqUppohhzcIcBM-iaLyI07HGMr3S7SiaHPu4Hqqq5rLLOxzCovRcq6PeNwsRVUdw6gN8my3kd_MRhmmyZh7_WOKYcwJlkU8xLJAoW0ih5YrvRg3UjOEw=s699" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="699" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjm0rblAozgX0Qj9VvNXmeobn37c2IFGYYqonnQkiWQ0WzsE8x8pUwqHXsW6GdZCYaniWUUPDdqUppohhzcIcBM-iaLyI07HGMr3S7SiaHPu4Hqqq5rLLOxzCovRcq6PeNwsRVUdw6gN8my3kd_MRhmmyZh7_WOKYcwJlkU8xLJAoW0ih5YrvRg3UjOEw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Most of his sculptures were carved out of soapstone, and other soft minerals found in the Californian hills where Smith lived. All his work has the look and atmosphere of ancient artifacts. There was especially one piece that tickled my imagination, an elephantine monster named "swamp feeder." I always thought that the little creature could translate into a very effective stop-motion beastie, and the name would make a great title for a film. This idea was the simple foundation for the whole project. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlxlTivSGiEpRvatAkBskouiNy8bQRH5p-1--OUbT4Bm3X8wAdIQTt8_3h6vtK4x1yOrcKYmxuZ-v5TB0on8J7NIF13TKdN8FOl2S8u0SY5trYSExC7K354oYj-kZl8ISLBR0mDTidu4oV4DwvU8zYWWATnTVF5FxtJsnQKt4PUFwBljMBXKi_2GsWdw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlxlTivSGiEpRvatAkBskouiNy8bQRH5p-1--OUbT4Bm3X8wAdIQTt8_3h6vtK4x1yOrcKYmxuZ-v5TB0on8J7NIF13TKdN8FOl2S8u0SY5trYSExC7K354oYj-kZl8ISLBR0mDTidu4oV4DwvU8zYWWATnTVF5FxtJsnQKt4PUFwBljMBXKi_2GsWdw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My first idea was to use a main character who was also a stop-motion puppet, but I changed my mind when I thought about my quirky pal Andreas Pettersson. If you've been following my YouTube videos the latest four years or so you'll recognize him. Andreas has a number of physical and mental afflictions, among them an almost blind eye, epilepsy, ADHD, and cerebral paresis. Still, he blasts through life with greater gusto than most perfectly healthy people I know. He's also not averse to heavy make-up jobs, so he agreed to play the apeman hero of the film.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7Vbnf0ESct_HxJzI2nbix9747JsOfShraqwona_lzrm_sE71UkSKuGCfJh6zYzYzgxCmhq0PpolLeoJ2IV1S2LqDma3_G1mdOmLHxSQxcO8oWaqmqGq1m_xZTC0m29FatSRChCkg-Eg_A0X7i9Iv0_kND_319HKhnNqnQW7QTYkxUsO95JUuA0mQPRA=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1890" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7Vbnf0ESct_HxJzI2nbix9747JsOfShraqwona_lzrm_sE71UkSKuGCfJh6zYzYzgxCmhq0PpolLeoJ2IV1S2LqDma3_G1mdOmLHxSQxcO8oWaqmqGq1m_xZTC0m29FatSRChCkg-Eg_A0X7i9Iv0_kND_319HKhnNqnQW7QTYkxUsO95JUuA0mQPRA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made a clay sculpture for the face, and also a jaw (not pictured) that was slightly comical, with an upturned nose. Over this, I made a dental plaster mold and in it, I cast the latex mask used in the film.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLpuk01lLZ5BHddHhCRZ-QzDZ0TG5UKODQFEKKnNc9b6_pG036r3zzSq8A2y2DF6gmyjRirK2ZfaYamTIIbE0pO2WM9pUpTFvODKPo2Cv65eIqOcbXS4JM7mVovhBoONO4FNbBoCMAGe78_Q7qioBt1ez1igoeJZXZ7afILWEYkiHgrYO-5RwCsUByhg=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLpuk01lLZ5BHddHhCRZ-QzDZ0TG5UKODQFEKKnNc9b6_pG036r3zzSq8A2y2DF6gmyjRirK2ZfaYamTIIbE0pO2WM9pUpTFvODKPo2Cv65eIqOcbXS4JM7mVovhBoONO4FNbBoCMAGe78_Q7qioBt1ez1igoeJZXZ7afILWEYkiHgrYO-5RwCsUByhg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I filmed all of Andreas' scenes in his apartment, using a green screen. I made him up in his kitchen, where he stripped down to his underwear. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYX2IMRRgfpw3_-LryOnO4KJ0chIuGfxPMilqN_nl6iHoJZPlA5lSmRAXpQWaLzXBpcyLp_7v7KdLsaA57PwcwxV_oOxL8KgjWv8gyHfXwHdq-9FrtCQXTqHB9sc6IHjdtwGk3jMG-2Us8CcbiJJR8WbJkvq2-CPNCeLPLISsp2-XBEtp79hfSwJa5Pw=s1575" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="1575" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYX2IMRRgfpw3_-LryOnO4KJ0chIuGfxPMilqN_nl6iHoJZPlA5lSmRAXpQWaLzXBpcyLp_7v7KdLsaA57PwcwxV_oOxL8KgjWv8gyHfXwHdq-9FrtCQXTqHB9sc6IHjdtwGk3jMG-2Us8CcbiJJR8WbJkvq2-CPNCeLPLISsp2-XBEtp79hfSwJa5Pw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I had a pair of old latex Orc ears I made years ago for a friend into live-action fantasy role-playing. Over those, I built a pair of big chimpanzee ears using tinted latex and cotton. Not my best work, but I think it did the trick. They were glued on over Andreas' own ears using Telesis 6, a very powerful but also very expensive adhesive. I think it's the preferred adhesive of most make-up people working in film and TV today, as it's specifically formulated to work with silicone prosthetics. The white stuff you can see on the ears is Prosaide adhesive mixed with Cabosil to produce a paste that is applied over the edges of the latex ears. This helps cover the rather obvious break between latex and skin.</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsm89HHHGaCvNdu-2pwXd7yuhjfLHP1M5p0imTcXxyG9dTtOMeMiFhnl9Nh-nnDdK75hWpLT8NKHX86AkNsklMc8A4v8-mhVHDAajkqDczbZvBD1STRKc673I2QiVZT0vShzQ9z0bjOUcxk2ak5ZEXlqRocrtnaZjIT-nN8TqFILIGv952O75Nt-zA6w=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1523" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsm89HHHGaCvNdu-2pwXd7yuhjfLHP1M5p0imTcXxyG9dTtOMeMiFhnl9Nh-nnDdK75hWpLT8NKHX86AkNsklMc8A4v8-mhVHDAajkqDczbZvBD1STRKc673I2QiVZT0vShzQ9z0bjOUcxk2ak5ZEXlqRocrtnaZjIT-nN8TqFILIGv952O75Nt-zA6w=s320" width="258" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The same paste was also used over the edges of the face mask. The mask is painted a dark fleshy red using tinted latex to create a base color, and the teeth are made from tissue paper and latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuH6A4v7bkDSM6gGoqNlaZCBSisyHqmsgK0uDRM_W5E6YXk8ctmtUiiORJ4VedyjUtu5FQbwTI5aXLtV4mhwjjh2WHFCXNuhbpL3S5VFRgdVK_OiRa6t6KoRS3x2QFq8hyfhGw1TzBgM5biyVyENpAUPHujav_tn8EKf7F2TdGxz6LAPTLYDwg925ZZw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuH6A4v7bkDSM6gGoqNlaZCBSisyHqmsgK0uDRM_W5E6YXk8ctmtUiiORJ4VedyjUtu5FQbwTI5aXLtV4mhwjjh2WHFCXNuhbpL3S5VFRgdVK_OiRa6t6KoRS3x2QFq8hyfhGw1TzBgM5biyVyENpAUPHujav_tn8EKf7F2TdGxz6LAPTLYDwg925ZZw=s320" width="242" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I use rubber mask grease paints applied with a sponge and transparent fixing powder to color the mask. The mix between the grease paint and the red base color blended in a rather nice mottled look.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9j64CzGXbbzNgTHTfs-eEL-p1xQBkHHLuHkdi0DKs1s1dxPEOxgn_5QK9I7x-mz5jMNTXpUgQbWrDt6IzQg_XOcAq8PfyjT0gnE8ntoJJ5z6b7nBoExbJAoKdLXLxdd-H79u1HvyVVZHabrQugUM0RDaiMpDlTYu_HtEl32jynCO5fwJs4QZxvcQ6Uw=s1575" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1563" data-original-width="1575" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9j64CzGXbbzNgTHTfs-eEL-p1xQBkHHLuHkdi0DKs1s1dxPEOxgn_5QK9I7x-mz5jMNTXpUgQbWrDt6IzQg_XOcAq8PfyjT0gnE8ntoJJ5z6b7nBoExbJAoKdLXLxdd-H79u1HvyVVZHabrQugUM0RDaiMpDlTYu_HtEl32jynCO5fwJs4QZxvcQ6Uw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFBoQVWhSVuxlKjeN7BgNNwZZDqR29KG2B49WT2g96JnhFjms17ESNp5VEz13Oh_vvAZDVEk26ERv0Buy0ZAL7RDXlS2eiFP3icOhKNI-e8NDh6LTjL6Oy4zXkBBw1yHzw-ptCBLLRrpSczCUzCQf0t4clP6mF2ZQigEkkdlINTct6PkZq16FoP2KVVw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1610" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFBoQVWhSVuxlKjeN7BgNNwZZDqR29KG2B49WT2g96JnhFjms17ESNp5VEz13Oh_vvAZDVEk26ERv0Buy0ZAL7RDXlS2eiFP3icOhKNI-e8NDh6LTjL6Oy4zXkBBw1yHzw-ptCBLLRrpSczCUzCQf0t4clP6mF2ZQigEkkdlINTct6PkZq16FoP2KVVw=s320" width="273" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Crepé hair was applied along the cheeks, again using Telesis 6. I also added some on his shoulders and arms, though Andreas is already quite furry.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifDj4UTnkaP5d_z-idVZ9EDbwL4Vm255VVfXyIdY9losaV4NZpBFTALdGpTaxL6zQBA24SdA6KeuXTV6LN6z-1x_0-n-d3Mm9DDapxdJS-gibhU2BSpJX1UaLQaS8CfY7CQdGb_HyRlJtY2Uw1-fLB8Nb4wi6FQo1eS7W7HrINPp9c7SAz2Ey-WMENWQ=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1217" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifDj4UTnkaP5d_z-idVZ9EDbwL4Vm255VVfXyIdY9losaV4NZpBFTALdGpTaxL6zQBA24SdA6KeuXTV6LN6z-1x_0-n-d3Mm9DDapxdJS-gibhU2BSpJX1UaLQaS8CfY7CQdGb_HyRlJtY2Uw1-fLB8Nb4wi6FQo1eS7W7HrINPp9c7SAz2Ey-WMENWQ=s320" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsmfmXCoOYp4dQEiNPDTWbI-1iToz2UG6gQv0PAv1IPbqHPwMyM7pv98BaEkjgNRIacSi-EwbwbHDY-_d1pJzVsJVcgiKTeZu8wcxQRkBhigSNCvM838aDqEm6LwBg18L-e3yueWZT0nBcS-RNCWTIEZXqzPYDo01w488AX9lBgOnx_EW23hKd13OepA=s1766" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1766" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsmfmXCoOYp4dQEiNPDTWbI-1iToz2UG6gQv0PAv1IPbqHPwMyM7pv98BaEkjgNRIacSi-EwbwbHDY-_d1pJzVsJVcgiKTeZu8wcxQRkBhigSNCvM838aDqEm6LwBg18L-e3yueWZT0nBcS-RNCWTIEZXqzPYDo01w488AX9lBgOnx_EW23hKd13OepA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDB1KVjXd6SyS0bLIs2wR21hKahjOxYN57eBTLzu9oWd7JKQmCzckJlteWOIVsxCYKSsTFZFF3w53jjpriN-yCSyv8XEvCMayuWFSbCwJ6A1tRvS2IgqdL2gQHQo1AeDvJex2anaezrScgCwVkWQxSYnZUDx9NlTQXLPTmMn1bWKPu5KGsyItPNALi9g=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDB1KVjXd6SyS0bLIs2wR21hKahjOxYN57eBTLzu9oWd7JKQmCzckJlteWOIVsxCYKSsTFZFF3w53jjpriN-yCSyv8XEvCMayuWFSbCwJ6A1tRvS2IgqdL2gQHQo1AeDvJex2anaezrScgCwVkWQxSYnZUDx9NlTQXLPTmMn1bWKPu5KGsyItPNALi9g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A Janis Joplin-like wig gilds the lily along with a cluster of stone-age jewelry. </div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEyE-SjWR0-C-B5VzYq9sqgV97dgOshx6YsfNq6XWdqc-iguT4sRDF-NJmNlKYYV-_81_NxJL0MyQB6NOXAUNK0cGYZEOv3kMPt-aw5en7bv0_TP5Lci4eIOnMsWrEC4lHcE8B4yDnzn-gTzsmg1RdvLKSAtQvA3iTIh3HkR6Xsk_SnUaTxEnlAdsE_w=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEyE-SjWR0-C-B5VzYq9sqgV97dgOshx6YsfNq6XWdqc-iguT4sRDF-NJmNlKYYV-_81_NxJL0MyQB6NOXAUNK0cGYZEOv3kMPt-aw5en7bv0_TP5Lci4eIOnMsWrEC4lHcE8B4yDnzn-gTzsmg1RdvLKSAtQvA3iTIh3HkR6Xsk_SnUaTxEnlAdsE_w=s320" width="222" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj58mH5_OH7PS0nKgchM8te9UG1vhJwjEVTmBfjlldwLyecoW_ZVcaxLamQ1a9no7f81hnjdxwvfqzfbVhn4MNs38G9giFfln3YkyeC64PjRW6gtfTKhHrFuFWyqEh111IeCA-GHMBvAXFTL8xpQFQ3Slr09RKkkJkJS47HEX9fF8YYU9C74ah4PVCy3g=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1812" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj58mH5_OH7PS0nKgchM8te9UG1vhJwjEVTmBfjlldwLyecoW_ZVcaxLamQ1a9no7f81hnjdxwvfqzfbVhn4MNs38G9giFfln3YkyeC64PjRW6gtfTKhHrFuFWyqEh111IeCA-GHMBvAXFTL8xpQFQ3Slr09RKkkJkJS47HEX9fF8YYU9C74ah4PVCy3g=s320" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The shaft of the spear was made from the remnants of a cut down brush in my garden. The harpoon-like spiky bits were cardboard covered with latex and cotton. Strips of scaly latex skin were cast in old plaster skin texture molds. The same goes for his loincloth, which was simply tucked into Andreas' underwear, and miraculously stayed in place for the whole shooting. When we filmed this in Juli it was blazing hot, and the jaw appliance kept coming loose. Apart from that, the whole ensemble held up very well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihMB4s7R48Iq1G8fNlqcpXUKjMmGiyJbSDQQeL26IeZQspyLQF0Fnw00a7uX62ODyjK5VImdnU_j3JiH2ixmQk7at4Pa4qflJdC2-p9eLLYXC-R2MNX7s6Hmwy8EO8GgY8w6zgjyX5KQ8Q3MFCyS-nCKTjBOFJNKumTEiBh7-HxYeqBelDZ91fGSwtNA=s1575" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="1575" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihMB4s7R48Iq1G8fNlqcpXUKjMmGiyJbSDQQeL26IeZQspyLQF0Fnw00a7uX62ODyjK5VImdnU_j3JiH2ixmQk7at4Pa4qflJdC2-p9eLLYXC-R2MNX7s6Hmwy8EO8GgY8w6zgjyX5KQ8Q3MFCyS-nCKTjBOFJNKumTEiBh7-HxYeqBelDZ91fGSwtNA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyvoUH-MpTg-3sJ8lS4kCBwFAZKq3wPu4iVHi2BeGyvSEfasibE8i4RhOHxtfSkoCWF2LPIQAzMq-6lRWvrBuDnQXEwshO0D-t49vmHVunbs6SZFEgoOcCx3Ggd4fWH1C60QcMs6x5t6rHp26U-HQ55CVEnmlU3ZCrpDrBuiU5phswHdstzajUrQNaJA=s1575" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyvoUH-MpTg-3sJ8lS4kCBwFAZKq3wPu4iVHi2BeGyvSEfasibE8i4RhOHxtfSkoCWF2LPIQAzMq-6lRWvrBuDnQXEwshO0D-t49vmHVunbs6SZFEgoOcCx3Ggd4fWH1C60QcMs6x5t6rHp26U-HQ55CVEnmlU3ZCrpDrBuiU5phswHdstzajUrQNaJA=s320" width="267" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As for the puppets populating the world of the hunter, let's start with the actual swamp feeder itself. The only new sculpture I made for this puppet was the head, which I made in medium-grade Monster Clay. As you can see, I only did the base of the trunk.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlWltElndHqHTi29xbcdGvBelClYzvLRcWP9aNKLRr6UIhN2kz_qTSFsW8wNrGU_WtesUfzEcGxBJFeYlyrWiOJvILNPSQX4wxLLXJ4OsOJ6y5SyBTpLGYGK1a3EAs_Ly5Bh18Wk7hlr9o2J_lTfxpTEcpEWGCfKQOJ2jD5GRY5uGRGAiLaSrA_VnZ1w=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1091" data-original-width="1890" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlWltElndHqHTi29xbcdGvBelClYzvLRcWP9aNKLRr6UIhN2kz_qTSFsW8wNrGU_WtesUfzEcGxBJFeYlyrWiOJvILNPSQX4wxLLXJ4OsOJ6y5SyBTpLGYGK1a3EAs_Ly5Bh18Wk7hlr9o2J_lTfxpTEcpEWGCfKQOJ2jD5GRY5uGRGAiLaSrA_VnZ1w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted really big and expressive eyes for the puppet, and made them out of two wooden balls, adding photoshopped irises, paint, and UV resin over them. The eyes were then placed in silicone sockets.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL-LV04PP8b7kUmaw6opyTJLt6eAIPUliJxTESlt1WHQCEBqZ4mTsjUl2JQgbGIhTIvq1ZkU-Rl1CEjnldOJy0LBy9EP90T7npPQGhEfCwfOOQK_eg34emMOdayIVxX7IpQgVgdtTjgH2lsB5Sdg_D_1tq-FNa4WAM1erBm5QN5bTwm39gJwxfgQ5dXg=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="1890" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL-LV04PP8b7kUmaw6opyTJLt6eAIPUliJxTESlt1WHQCEBqZ4mTsjUl2JQgbGIhTIvq1ZkU-Rl1CEjnldOJy0LBy9EP90T7npPQGhEfCwfOOQK_eg34emMOdayIVxX7IpQgVgdtTjgH2lsB5Sdg_D_1tq-FNa4WAM1erBm5QN5bTwm39gJwxfgQ5dXg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFbt1Nr5T_8QjnPFq3PfGMdvox_VOycZDXp5dpldLw8JmB4a19Ze4rg-RxR8YGdvYm1OhTjtnzOaKrEF-iN2guZ6gcznt3rj6BKC4OIDleqxDC1smqozWF_nmVlmB_TPWDB1W_i2JRI1LGJkoiJeqIMgWqPQzNOwQLG51PmInEvFexWWyItchGRy9SHQ=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1590" data-original-width="1890" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFbt1Nr5T_8QjnPFq3PfGMdvox_VOycZDXp5dpldLw8JmB4a19Ze4rg-RxR8YGdvYm1OhTjtnzOaKrEF-iN2guZ6gcznt3rj6BKC4OIDleqxDC1smqozWF_nmVlmB_TPWDB1W_i2JRI1LGJkoiJeqIMgWqPQzNOwQLG51PmInEvFexWWyItchGRy9SHQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The body is padded with thin strips of polyurethane foam, wrapped around the aluminum wire armature, and used as rudimentary muscles. The trunk is also padded aluminum wires, then covered with patches of latex skin.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikeIiD5NrzJ0cR0KAK-gJkSpojh-jONNh2QW4NaukO19Mn383mjWgzE6OELL3bhKF1tdy9oaq2zRz10aSGX2EXdvuA--iC1KEMjqVpORxbz9tQU3powfXHDnLzkDGnYEvgFzbV1BBVVpB6H7svPm-IbwmZ89ryyL4PIvuOV4fKMCv4FmwOOVR18D-0BA=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1890" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikeIiD5NrzJ0cR0KAK-gJkSpojh-jONNh2QW4NaukO19Mn383mjWgzE6OELL3bhKF1tdy9oaq2zRz10aSGX2EXdvuA--iC1KEMjqVpORxbz9tQU3powfXHDnLzkDGnYEvgFzbV1BBVVpB6H7svPm-IbwmZ89ryyL4PIvuOV4fKMCv4FmwOOVR18D-0BA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This very blurry photo still, hopefully, conveys the look of the puppet covered with textured latex skin right before it's painted.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjRXA2KG936uHnNL_g5pcv0a1PnYiDFSiRh3PIW2YNM5ZWZ9lrAi5tZOHKXOAlxLqSHZVqeCjzZbtpkUvpje-4TOXaKWLJNm5Guej4qQu_BTH-mQviPI4xd-OaUhZM3hO4TWvjiOfi5ukQMCtyuX1F6a2FgKqSQSMrAfA15PlF_u5n6LCF9GYyZXaEKA=s850" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="850" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjRXA2KG936uHnNL_g5pcv0a1PnYiDFSiRh3PIW2YNM5ZWZ9lrAi5tZOHKXOAlxLqSHZVqeCjzZbtpkUvpje-4TOXaKWLJNm5Guej4qQu_BTH-mQviPI4xd-OaUhZM3hO4TWvjiOfi5ukQMCtyuX1F6a2FgKqSQSMrAfA15PlF_u5n6LCF9GYyZXaEKA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc6KZBJq2O-0gr37h54OqeRWvH1Uh3qVYqGjLQ0ZEUidvFRiTDolg1vQZWKfWHpXQnOj0aR9O_bFCZMCmWXChD9P1CyImiBSkSjSCaDC2bSXT9pPCpwqqrStJX2e6j79LXloZ-zPiCqaUEw-dxt2sLjbKBMRXFz1hqLW2wUGcxUDMGMnlj7rOGZp4xZA=s1948" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1948" data-original-width="1359" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc6KZBJq2O-0gr37h54OqeRWvH1Uh3qVYqGjLQ0ZEUidvFRiTDolg1vQZWKfWHpXQnOj0aR9O_bFCZMCmWXChD9P1CyImiBSkSjSCaDC2bSXT9pPCpwqqrStJX2e6j79LXloZ-zPiCqaUEw-dxt2sLjbKBMRXFz1hqLW2wUGcxUDMGMnlj7rOGZp4xZA=s320" width="223" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjm7Bttd3D-j8JsAOgiOVXXkKib9neTnPOUdxa1cO_506yJrDgf4N5a2YxobrHcDCYmQf4RqtAHBCXFqwm2LRv6Dgc6XylXD-ApZrHNzG5lKDxO1BTM3vzHSgJp0NJc1-FJP8MQvGvJhcRIjI_uFKYFSZ0mLH0dTd8--IkNNBk_jiCBKXmTrt4eZnJww=s1914" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1914" data-original-width="1890" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjm7Bttd3D-j8JsAOgiOVXXkKib9neTnPOUdxa1cO_506yJrDgf4N5a2YxobrHcDCYmQf4RqtAHBCXFqwm2LRv6Dgc6XylXD-ApZrHNzG5lKDxO1BTM3vzHSgJp0NJc1-FJP8MQvGvJhcRIjI_uFKYFSZ0mLH0dTd8--IkNNBk_jiCBKXmTrt4eZnJww=s320" width="316" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjk6Wwhx1eLDSoWwz2Lx2uVs9cX0shllgvu-TNRvIYqlJQQcFFInYjLVr4_YQ7MRfnH2H9MUfGrhfUFJq5mx6aIwZn0PD4gva4GUF0TyXJrmohfj5rCNUBf3XuOxBdUzX45wtsswCRygcIfJwbPdeqPO3fhRxf22f_OyUYWs7_VxoR9pFoQWa7uI06OAA=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjk6Wwhx1eLDSoWwz2Lx2uVs9cX0shllgvu-TNRvIYqlJQQcFFInYjLVr4_YQ7MRfnH2H9MUfGrhfUFJq5mx6aIwZn0PD4gva4GUF0TyXJrmohfj5rCNUBf3XuOxBdUzX45wtsswCRygcIfJwbPdeqPO3fhRxf22f_OyUYWs7_VxoR9pFoQWa7uI06OAA=s320" width="255" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final puppet was painted with tinted latex. The teeth are tissue paper and latex. The feet are cast in latex from an old mold made for an older puppet project.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC5MauEJb4HJHKCQV_8cqutXKt0SF6q8XsUTDZhQLK_8-0fQnO_uZslO-Dxjur2KJOvACX8gWQ79KeUBo83zElRzOw6mfvHdSjKUpdedI5K-PW1WGmR-GjOQkdFj0ZdrggLzg9Qph5KvWbwaohKitDK86lGNM3RB02qyIsqsc9diXFFJsb2iH1jFLzmw=s1575" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1575" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC5MauEJb4HJHKCQV_8cqutXKt0SF6q8XsUTDZhQLK_8-0fQnO_uZslO-Dxjur2KJOvACX8gWQ79KeUBo83zElRzOw6mfvHdSjKUpdedI5K-PW1WGmR-GjOQkdFj0ZdrggLzg9Qph5KvWbwaohKitDK86lGNM3RB02qyIsqsc9diXFFJsb2iH1jFLzmw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>However, the first creature the hunter encounters in the film is the "prickleback", as I named it. It's a huge, slow dinosaur-like creature with a spiky backplate. I sculpted the head and a bit of the neck being inspired by the look of soft-shelled tortoises. Some of them have an elongated snout, which they use as a snorkel. I also added a crest which in the final puppet would extend into long, thin shafts, similar to the lures seen on deep-sea fish.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPitYEPicW0IMd-PgGgLm4E8R8VyCoIgiA2t2J6asxfpbiPfub4SMpK-oZjGSBxzdhp1L_5guzUVESMVECCTtTi8osTgHLWB6746KNROpzXQKT54aR8U9Rn1-YdaWq_GC5Fc8QUndDmO70xP1MXebdYta-0K1tVxYJS_psVDNgpNhM7zkTrM7CtgRVBw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="1890" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPitYEPicW0IMd-PgGgLm4E8R8VyCoIgiA2t2J6asxfpbiPfub4SMpK-oZjGSBxzdhp1L_5guzUVESMVECCTtTi8osTgHLWB6746KNROpzXQKT54aR8U9Rn1-YdaWq_GC5Fc8QUndDmO70xP1MXebdYta-0K1tVxYJS_psVDNgpNhM7zkTrM7CtgRVBw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The armature was very plain, with a center section held together by wood tongue depressors and thermoplastic.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj36laL9ctZ8hEhF1mPtrW2P-2E3GR03EFoj0ZiISq47BX9_4VHp_tJDJfwSuRDqO9pl2CAciZkZkJ1IQOgXeDdzXCL9UWU0R1nmIPYFn3mLX-25CMypKFXlR-ms0XoUEnNACumzD3o6Vcd35PC3uWF08-9-NGIdMoHcoQkLaKyCWSU8oDTFw_iKrQeYg=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1890" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj36laL9ctZ8hEhF1mPtrW2P-2E3GR03EFoj0ZiISq47BX9_4VHp_tJDJfwSuRDqO9pl2CAciZkZkJ1IQOgXeDdzXCL9UWU0R1nmIPYFn3mLX-25CMypKFXlR-ms0XoUEnNACumzD3o6Vcd35PC3uWF08-9-NGIdMoHcoQkLaKyCWSU8oDTFw_iKrQeYg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Here's another blurry photo, but I hope you'll get an idea about how the foam padding was structured over the armature. The white foam making out the back is denser than the rest.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjE4qezhXUVUzXxtn5Tmv418FncAAe2em8rCgl7oiYmgJoZZJ346U1pDuA9kSjJ_2fPpnd31V-mnno2ae8e6JbFdd5GwOnqdch5skOvhwL0MvUJIDEu9YBOFZHDq_1RgYUxf3FEI6ODKk3zDDLAxla1R-pbOm-R6-YDt0CfXZj_cAd2grp6fRjVmed9NA=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1890" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjE4qezhXUVUzXxtn5Tmv418FncAAe2em8rCgl7oiYmgJoZZJ346U1pDuA9kSjJ_2fPpnd31V-mnno2ae8e6JbFdd5GwOnqdch5skOvhwL0MvUJIDEu9YBOFZHDq_1RgYUxf3FEI6ODKk3zDDLAxla1R-pbOm-R6-YDt0CfXZj_cAd2grp6fRjVmed9NA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I used latex skin patches cast in old texture molds, but to give the skin a more prominent look I added drops of latex to the skin to create an alligator-like appearence. Almost all of the puppet was given this treatment, so it took a while to get it all done. The shell on the back is a latex cast, backed with latex-soaked cotton, which came out of a plaster mold I made in the early 2000s. It was originally a coral used in a film that a friend made.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKtpYjhsamDzHEmrHRNaTIKViqVKh3YJ3du9Pjqp4ljImsas75Q4eeMC5-3yrSIGWhHeQkmxWkgGaAhTOURuCQyJbaLDYPpGrgLy2-9p9R09WfZSB2kIF7QH_sLm8-xVbnn_RpK_PLDzSM83XF0H68zFbK8oZ05ThY5oNZIA-3soyaGhC5h7N9-2xkEQ=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="1890" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKtpYjhsamDzHEmrHRNaTIKViqVKh3YJ3du9Pjqp4ljImsas75Q4eeMC5-3yrSIGWhHeQkmxWkgGaAhTOURuCQyJbaLDYPpGrgLy2-9p9R09WfZSB2kIF7QH_sLm8-xVbnn_RpK_PLDzSM83XF0H68zFbK8oZ05ThY5oNZIA-3soyaGhC5h7N9-2xkEQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjPYpbGpIShsbCp6MMw0LX-BHqYaRtina3o7HNI4-RzqWVZKH3hC5le0kCGrcMEyEfVwXKpmdPvEPcT1kFPncV02Cl9E5Lzp1s2fqmurcXvttVUcG4Po17cCiSY_C0UWuAUuBRlK0GBG08Cxr79kI5YJ_G8dyrIrGo4vll6Yl0b3fbgFdHKORZYqycGg=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1691" data-original-width="1890" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjPYpbGpIShsbCp6MMw0LX-BHqYaRtina3o7HNI4-RzqWVZKH3hC5le0kCGrcMEyEfVwXKpmdPvEPcT1kFPncV02Cl9E5Lzp1s2fqmurcXvttVUcG4Po17cCiSY_C0UWuAUuBRlK0GBG08Cxr79kI5YJ_G8dyrIrGo4vll6Yl0b3fbgFdHKORZYqycGg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLI25WH8EMqb1H5ygCdF-g6ecUABRxlBENDUBkIY4REjVXn65cID3WwjOiA9c0INSzo313MAO-N_iIhHU6vEjTU64up5bsf_KbxEwlvOliiCekBZwJ3ms6P9xlKROtMENkDyB7pf1tNoQ-p4dTrwlC8zx3WidIRD2V86FzBsCuRTim5EpBVFp0aFRkAw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="1890" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLI25WH8EMqb1H5ygCdF-g6ecUABRxlBENDUBkIY4REjVXn65cID3WwjOiA9c0INSzo313MAO-N_iIhHU6vEjTU64up5bsf_KbxEwlvOliiCekBZwJ3ms6P9xlKROtMENkDyB7pf1tNoQ-p4dTrwlC8zx3WidIRD2V86FzBsCuRTim5EpBVFp0aFRkAw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHaU8Q0wPMk5uRE5PjapTyC7JjnpHxpyDsXiv6wE-5it-032gA_yjq7GiyzpU37PawX0zGc9fMAwtPBPloPEheVtp7Hn6amr8E8fmMkklqyN3ovFUBabuXJBXOBibahbBOJzVInCkvSLUqaIniNi2L6ACSIh59e_cd0bi95nmDQ26LzUvgkfOOJFshbw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1291" data-original-width="1890" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHaU8Q0wPMk5uRE5PjapTyC7JjnpHxpyDsXiv6wE-5it-032gA_yjq7GiyzpU37PawX0zGc9fMAwtPBPloPEheVtp7Hn6amr8E8fmMkklqyN3ovFUBabuXJBXOBibahbBOJzVInCkvSLUqaIniNi2L6ACSIh59e_cd0bi95nmDQ26LzUvgkfOOJFshbw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>All the spikes as well as the toes, the teeth, and the hook claw hands were made from tissue paper and latex. The crest on the head was made from aluminum wires covered with sewing thread and latex. The whole thing was painted with a sponge and tinted latex. The eyes were a couple of shiny fake pearls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0lQ0FEPO8G6R9YgVXZT2rXpxH6LGgNsDUPd0otLZ1OJxL2L29H8PKoZmSrkNoo0G9vTwRHj3DOXIMlIk6COqNEoHVYPCbOCYJtOYjG96eh5Uy08zr0mYSwJdpPPcQRjZJfmayN4Yt4ZQpSG7o4fV_noGSV6Z00opmToVrLTKt0147_yZ71AsQTHkS1A=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0lQ0FEPO8G6R9YgVXZT2rXpxH6LGgNsDUPd0otLZ1OJxL2L29H8PKoZmSrkNoo0G9vTwRHj3DOXIMlIk6COqNEoHVYPCbOCYJtOYjG96eh5Uy08zr0mYSwJdpPPcQRjZJfmayN4Yt4ZQpSG7o4fV_noGSV6Z00opmToVrLTKt0147_yZ71AsQTHkS1A=s320" width="195" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Our intrepid hero also encounters a bird of sorts. It's very brief, but I had fun making the eccentric puppet. This one was also based on a work by Clark Ashton Smith, a sketch made with graphite pen.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjF5y-he3_6XdKzs-_uHtDFd-mD9p4n80j1Frx9VwDRFYYgNfvEBbevF0aNY13KmX1kNeAfp9quh2I8fmzDWmmGfPQbVRPAizFLwp0IpKohLd2pYPpe0QPwsq9ePlx9jXH9AillYLBQzIHwkA7SJO3Ux-EYUOcvIC7TQQhkKWlrYItEYoNmSTVNVxdZcw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1416" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjF5y-he3_6XdKzs-_uHtDFd-mD9p4n80j1Frx9VwDRFYYgNfvEBbevF0aNY13KmX1kNeAfp9quh2I8fmzDWmmGfPQbVRPAizFLwp0IpKohLd2pYPpe0QPwsq9ePlx9jXH9AillYLBQzIHwkA7SJO3Ux-EYUOcvIC7TQQhkKWlrYItEYoNmSTVNVxdZcw=s320" width="240" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't take a photo of the bird's armature, so you'll have to take my word for it being brilliantly simplistic. I also didn't take any photos of the one new sculpture I made for the puppet, which is the head. This piece was sculpted in two separate parts; upper and lower. The pointy ears were cast in an older puppet mold. I padded the body with a blend of thin polyurethane foam (the green parts) and foam soaked in latex (the yellow bits.) The wings were actually lying around from some discarded project I can't remember anymore. They're thin latex skins draped between aluminum wires wrapped in soft yarn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhD4XCfmBaAJZDuLpTFRwZqsA3hINqN6LNC0yxYd6CgPxcmEbhlY6GIj91dzgBhsEM6a3KfpwgwJ1_2RmQC3k7tYS1JYqR_XQqJhX2NqKAqJ_F3YiP_s8DclIRTa_4JnUgIsx2cnZ5emSXuYl0xTjYvMymoh20J5QCfoyNy_fgezFpFS1znpjWL_g8OEQ=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1415" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhD4XCfmBaAJZDuLpTFRwZqsA3hINqN6LNC0yxYd6CgPxcmEbhlY6GIj91dzgBhsEM6a3KfpwgwJ1_2RmQC3k7tYS1JYqR_XQqJhX2NqKAqJ_F3YiP_s8DclIRTa_4JnUgIsx2cnZ5emSXuYl0xTjYvMymoh20J5QCfoyNy_fgezFpFS1znpjWL_g8OEQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As usual, I grabbed a couple of old plaster skin texture molds and cast the bits of skin I needed to cover up the padding.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8WNdReNs8-6WpTF9FRua2BfnDf0CefhoSgOtrW14kVJR20Pur9tI8d_gEmfSkDQ1zr5BeEQ7c3ooQRy5ro8Gvw9DJh5Mj1FC1w5yU7H3E29V_PUsjx84-DSxau0KmJcm2m69EotICEAOwhd4B_rEv0hVKL6CijyNRt9W8ugL_znWTI2aUUoLi8_u70g=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1346" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8WNdReNs8-6WpTF9FRua2BfnDf0CefhoSgOtrW14kVJR20Pur9tI8d_gEmfSkDQ1zr5BeEQ7c3ooQRy5ro8Gvw9DJh5Mj1FC1w5yU7H3E29V_PUsjx84-DSxau0KmJcm2m69EotICEAOwhd4B_rEv0hVKL6CijyNRt9W8ugL_znWTI2aUUoLi8_u70g=s320" width="228" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihlEABYxHjnmp6CvmoV-rD7rR9vLp5-uiFDNep9B35KWu8e2AueWYW52Gd1xixyajyTHlWQ9YO2_Wakxf71x_HeQFSiYP5YlrojGXvjEF5gZg8ZgpHmyybCWO5c4W7Rfx_UkhEHWVxiFjuG722O-bs9GT3uUxwyKh1P9DfeuYqz-waGNl0UpHnXzYgBw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1154" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihlEABYxHjnmp6CvmoV-rD7rR9vLp5-uiFDNep9B35KWu8e2AueWYW52Gd1xixyajyTHlWQ9YO2_Wakxf71x_HeQFSiYP5YlrojGXvjEF5gZg8ZgpHmyybCWO5c4W7Rfx_UkhEHWVxiFjuG722O-bs9GT3uUxwyKh1P9DfeuYqz-waGNl0UpHnXzYgBw=s320" width="195" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQpzhXOIpqiOgd8_Q9xWzstkPi4ODvtLn4xLgzZLscx8ltsRMobxAl4EHB2bHGeVBDDoIDybv0cN_t69h7-czbxo465dNTsHIGMreuSzPxzqbSzs6g-ttA4y2WR6azxvMTyOGa60zgrR8L4hNN35kCxgni4deB-A-01DFCLbwOCTlh8myLXXIMWOUV5Q=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQpzhXOIpqiOgd8_Q9xWzstkPi4ODvtLn4xLgzZLscx8ltsRMobxAl4EHB2bHGeVBDDoIDybv0cN_t69h7-czbxo465dNTsHIGMreuSzPxzqbSzs6g-ttA4y2WR6azxvMTyOGa60zgrR8L4hNN35kCxgni4deB-A-01DFCLbwOCTlh8myLXXIMWOUV5Q=s320" width="224" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihKRq7_oARvdHUgP1zY2HeWQIEN_RaMNWNRZe4k6aAlpi5_VKVP73zdh1rG8eN15LI9FNRngw3-Mm29BeB_4MFrE4FiCx9fwbbxe6VrLuPZZN7a9eymugrIfKyJV-WRVIEP9Rnn1FT1-RywMBaiRgJaQH58L0LlSNS0KsWrdti6EWnpiXpzCY91YKmtw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1353" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihKRq7_oARvdHUgP1zY2HeWQIEN_RaMNWNRZe4k6aAlpi5_VKVP73zdh1rG8eN15LI9FNRngw3-Mm29BeB_4MFrE4FiCx9fwbbxe6VrLuPZZN7a9eymugrIfKyJV-WRVIEP9Rnn1FT1-RywMBaiRgJaQH58L0LlSNS0KsWrdti6EWnpiXpzCY91YKmtw=s320" width="229" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The finished puppet was drybrushed with tinted latex. I used a couple of glass bird's eyes from a taxidermy shop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMoyffzBanqkLazGy4_wosDYyS9mwNnxeLhCbuPETUo6JHLZsMaRnENPpckzJ9rzA2nWN3YkPGw0XrVRpAm46vYoQ-pZazDoM-JuOrR6LRacaCkgDqsgZthQvdf1fw63WXI5U_gJi4lFRgrKrMuxDsGJtV4ePlqBgVGo6v_0_tPRFY08XwDKRIC5dU8A=s577" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="577" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMoyffzBanqkLazGy4_wosDYyS9mwNnxeLhCbuPETUo6JHLZsMaRnENPpckzJ9rzA2nWN3YkPGw0XrVRpAm46vYoQ-pZazDoM-JuOrR6LRacaCkgDqsgZthQvdf1fw63WXI5U_gJi4lFRgrKrMuxDsGJtV4ePlqBgVGo6v_0_tPRFY08XwDKRIC5dU8A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found another CAS sketch that was inspiring. I decided to make a slug-like creature and thought this weirdo with its tendrils would fit the bill.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-DM5RGAiyfdyidAfaSL_7ZGH3dMyEolQGjMRg3WxpwnBfj27jKyqqFG_eE2hE0P8RGLbuh05OGtrtNbg_TdHj-Qn_a0FRhl_R_d1LkYq4SH87d9gPy4sTlo8UpN9XGAkK0LOXKMqrl8n-FDfG9WAQbmzx9x3YG1BCaHO4pb9axYeISOxzt0xx0_HkCQ=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1532" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-DM5RGAiyfdyidAfaSL_7ZGH3dMyEolQGjMRg3WxpwnBfj27jKyqqFG_eE2hE0P8RGLbuh05OGtrtNbg_TdHj-Qn_a0FRhl_R_d1LkYq4SH87d9gPy4sTlo8UpN9XGAkK0LOXKMqrl8n-FDfG9WAQbmzx9x3YG1BCaHO4pb9axYeISOxzt0xx0_HkCQ=s320" width="259" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I made a pretty detailed Monster Clay sculpture for the better part of the head. I used two big plastic toy jewelry beads for the eyes.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDq-p_rVKlkTLV2RMm9HvmgIfywm_8fvPlUmlpyXLJIL7UCcsUwmk6nUxPxjY5dkypxkSI2uqHTggXegi_6m25QrDm39tYoTQ_I9eqS82l7qyxo4QPIG7aWRAFtVRcE4d08OA64zv9xDwv6jALFjwaIGkvNbEblaCciAJniuysULSwZ0uRFEAGjDLZZA=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1890" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDq-p_rVKlkTLV2RMm9HvmgIfywm_8fvPlUmlpyXLJIL7UCcsUwmk6nUxPxjY5dkypxkSI2uqHTggXegi_6m25QrDm39tYoTQ_I9eqS82l7qyxo4QPIG7aWRAFtVRcE4d08OA64zv9xDwv6jALFjwaIGkvNbEblaCciAJniuysULSwZ0uRFEAGjDLZZA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The head was cast in tinted latex, with the tendrils being single aluminum wires covered with soft crochet yarn and latex. The eyes were painted with bright hobby paints, and covered with UV resin to create a basic lens effect over the eyes. I also added a thicker single aluminum wire around the inside edges of the slit-like mouth.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirTJOnKWMQB--cdcPR3BuAvM-F3z8zTA0laCEezWPFffTHPD_WOLwCgNB06NXEX4Ae4vTVsqClKIbgDGv89I8nTzPPV5_jFKC559eNqB_kc_gPohVRk58bSj8OOzfsYdnwV0YF_TKQdOH7qopv_zU79zlfTZC6ukwzaxCAttY5KYTUlWp8__VTHsOiJw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1726" data-original-width="1890" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirTJOnKWMQB--cdcPR3BuAvM-F3z8zTA0laCEezWPFffTHPD_WOLwCgNB06NXEX4Ae4vTVsqClKIbgDGv89I8nTzPPV5_jFKC559eNqB_kc_gPohVRk58bSj8OOzfsYdnwV0YF_TKQdOH7qopv_zU79zlfTZC6ukwzaxCAttY5KYTUlWp8__VTHsOiJw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the very simple armature. I included 4 mm threaded nuts in the two feet. These were the only tie-down points on the puppet.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi64FUgAWPnyBuc81A1-FiaCOeA9ibugmvonUQAAoUMdvjX_-YiQHiRNYcLINmX54LQhGsEhkKWS2620SecEP_EoLnuzkOA1UzQmKGh8YUClJUP4SDtPKUqYwq6JSdp6-O4Ir2J4pucX65Vs883jcFdsee5fB-2Vw7ZfCK5JSA4xi2lxc7K79Wscl7tVA=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi64FUgAWPnyBuc81A1-FiaCOeA9ibugmvonUQAAoUMdvjX_-YiQHiRNYcLINmX54LQhGsEhkKWS2620SecEP_EoLnuzkOA1UzQmKGh8YUClJUP4SDtPKUqYwq6JSdp6-O4Ir2J4pucX65Vs883jcFdsee5fB-2Vw7ZfCK5JSA4xi2lxc7K79Wscl7tVA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhl0-Frm8KD98oEvzZnjmybOCreQdUVwd7d9na42LVncaDKM0czb7PVLVRLwW55WSP0a4iYfnZPweVZfky9es7RgoMX05uQzgWdrhgnL-mUNzaACqNllaWzw0zWA25Kt205sXBPK3AZqo_Ozo788IFVgEggM1042NR6HoOsPE9pFOx0Jqnbh-Na4i9Q-g=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="1890" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhl0-Frm8KD98oEvzZnjmybOCreQdUVwd7d9na42LVncaDKM0czb7PVLVRLwW55WSP0a4iYfnZPweVZfky9es7RgoMX05uQzgWdrhgnL-mUNzaACqNllaWzw0zWA25Kt205sXBPK3AZqo_Ozo788IFVgEggM1042NR6HoOsPE9pFOx0Jqnbh-Na4i9Q-g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The back of the head was built up with dense foam covered with latex and cotton. The body had a very simple padding, using foam with various densities.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7KQ_W3clXPZQUFfAqhzZ0ZUj5Pcy0Ph-xrax9ITfQ23Y-rNDcr4py3pAPMDREYLfqI1sFbfm2IA2u2Px5IjJCbvt9jjEeLwMv5zfR9Uf9TNd8UCpceNjlg_ULOKysBnPj9ELAGvsDsZnnuHECPoy7LKAH04kUZxWu_ORCBAHxvaH0jz8_53kff5rZug=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="1890" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7KQ_W3clXPZQUFfAqhzZ0ZUj5Pcy0Ph-xrax9ITfQ23Y-rNDcr4py3pAPMDREYLfqI1sFbfm2IA2u2Px5IjJCbvt9jjEeLwMv5zfR9Uf9TNd8UCpceNjlg_ULOKysBnPj9ELAGvsDsZnnuHECPoy7LKAH04kUZxWu_ORCBAHxvaH0jz8_53kff5rZug=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3rmn6cnmZYVBPrRv6Npttg05TiL6VWlS1utqAq7rmzfVyivKPnvnzF0PBBdKCWfglIFcPo3UWlURlOjwedueP2eROtisN14fbjkIMhyL8pDNlWpcOBEv3frtcfzjpJvUcvEjI2IogAIO7kILS1yjhQCPLdINRXND_-l_eKxi2_buqUCREsRHDtSUPtg=s1887" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1596" data-original-width="1887" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3rmn6cnmZYVBPrRv6Npttg05TiL6VWlS1utqAq7rmzfVyivKPnvnzF0PBBdKCWfglIFcPo3UWlURlOjwedueP2eROtisN14fbjkIMhyL8pDNlWpcOBEv3frtcfzjpJvUcvEjI2IogAIO7kILS1yjhQCPLdINRXND_-l_eKxi2_buqUCREsRHDtSUPtg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>An old often used skin texture mold provided the latex skin for the puppet. The big claws are also latex, cast in plaster molds going all the way back to the early 2000s.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRvzCx_gD9QaNnWdwr2CN6uvY8kVifE_kjqq172WzzskgIZywsYMgc0OoV6u0OF5VfuZ0hETIlWSOgpjNV9ds7jozNsVcsjIP3FpiRWFFx_s3bCoMkBzQz5-jKJU2QH-l-78o0W6SrXt5RHp35hOfraDlr_k8l0Z-m0yQ82rZ3UEPSLuTKNfyzrBhi-g=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="1890" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRvzCx_gD9QaNnWdwr2CN6uvY8kVifE_kjqq172WzzskgIZywsYMgc0OoV6u0OF5VfuZ0hETIlWSOgpjNV9ds7jozNsVcsjIP3FpiRWFFx_s3bCoMkBzQz5-jKJU2QH-l-78o0W6SrXt5RHp35hOfraDlr_k8l0Z-m0yQ82rZ3UEPSLuTKNfyzrBhi-g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5WZKuQmXj5LTewWobsVomy0zXXL5fNEca6FohFJxXomPJaeFDLyH4iM8NwCXM-LXkRVSmVkwayIfdknc5b6f9VPIou2wHp5KPhoSwjE_325g2YZB66xrA_j00XyQEZRmSszIBOPx31W2kYnIJ4cq1-n1Q48UIXyNWwVi2yYVsr-3hv9N_-2wCnxwmsg=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="1890" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5WZKuQmXj5LTewWobsVomy0zXXL5fNEca6FohFJxXomPJaeFDLyH4iM8NwCXM-LXkRVSmVkwayIfdknc5b6f9VPIou2wHp5KPhoSwjE_325g2YZB66xrA_j00XyQEZRmSszIBOPx31W2kYnIJ4cq1-n1Q48UIXyNWwVi2yYVsr-3hv9N_-2wCnxwmsg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOTMT9ppDg0qDCta0VMtVLPFOYE8F3fdBby8FniobiJrNRCQKEWCoP6wMGtltRGo_8VneHYDt3hgzTz8YzyOuVc1efueFqLTdmwpgyNM1EoTB5hF5qRxetatykDRZ5_TfCRghi24IPsIcB064xLvVwRWIhrnNLKhbrsWDo6kNDnSBHeEYu4yljSCXgXg=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1491" data-original-width="1890" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOTMT9ppDg0qDCta0VMtVLPFOYE8F3fdBby8FniobiJrNRCQKEWCoP6wMGtltRGo_8VneHYDt3hgzTz8YzyOuVc1efueFqLTdmwpgyNM1EoTB5hF5qRxetatykDRZ5_TfCRghi24IPsIcB064xLvVwRWIhrnNLKhbrsWDo6kNDnSBHeEYu4yljSCXgXg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Also this puppet was drybrushed with tinted latex. I added some Glossy Accents scrapbooking plastic around the mouth to make it look moist.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaL2l2q9FMEjjXquJlyEMi4kOC8Uxn6Jy7RoPQHw_-dej8yb8b1umSx7UPlKDrUmEnd_y4FXNadNtVbI4GEMfOxsuCY8d4Jm8ODpnPVSvdwmocP0cUVoJUS9m9ad71dKjEuqd7udoXQrraTleid56BCDp7DHC8TbkmSTGiWDSCTrPnhKjXOMoo3mUcNw=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaL2l2q9FMEjjXquJlyEMi4kOC8Uxn6Jy7RoPQHw_-dej8yb8b1umSx7UPlKDrUmEnd_y4FXNadNtVbI4GEMfOxsuCY8d4Jm8ODpnPVSvdwmocP0cUVoJUS9m9ad71dKjEuqd7udoXQrraTleid56BCDp7DHC8TbkmSTGiWDSCTrPnhKjXOMoo3mUcNw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Briefly, a flying creature goes past the "camera". Ever since the Dagobah scenes in "The Empire Strikes Back" it's kind of obligatory to have a strange winged, squawking critter flying past the camera in an alien swamp setting, so I had to have one too. However, I cheated with this one. I didn't build a new puppet for this single shot. Instead, I used a still image of a puppet I built for my US filmmaking buddy James Balsamo earlier this year.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj14D_FhPjiadabps2jsWAizStqOqkij8iEFaam53m6JuTHrHD7Ze8imf45HcYUqFG96z7XWKCvZkaX5GC8PSh2vevG2BB9crtwhShB3sDemcHGmB40WYLaL5yOkNnIoLnCRPjeHYEVDq2wdvJwwwF3aaQvelwEfXdEP8wqpxhNCzZA-hNve99UfhQQGQ=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj14D_FhPjiadabps2jsWAizStqOqkij8iEFaam53m6JuTHrHD7Ze8imf45HcYUqFG96z7XWKCvZkaX5GC8PSh2vevG2BB9crtwhShB3sDemcHGmB40WYLaL5yOkNnIoLnCRPjeHYEVDq2wdvJwwwF3aaQvelwEfXdEP8wqpxhNCzZA-hNve99UfhQQGQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>These long-legged fish-like critters are called "seatars" in Balsamo's movie "Raven Slender: Alien Danger", where they're a background feature, again, like in the original Star Wars movies. I'll do a post specifically about my work on that project. I simply removed the legs in Photoshop and added a couple of stock footage CG wings in After Effects.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIs4CXm5dJNgoQBDXuuxH0z8q96Eeya8lFgOEl2UQ15cIoylej3fF5v6J6Rc-GKsVXX_M6rT8i12bHTfGUAt-h-AVxVtN-Ywl8q6QemxPsqNKj1wLPboo5Mhxlpwg81b8Znl2_YXgc3W3l-uuSTEaSnGFI-SxDAN4NvgikzYdv7IHHTUClGPWtNPTlng=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIs4CXm5dJNgoQBDXuuxH0z8q96Eeya8lFgOEl2UQ15cIoylej3fF5v6J6Rc-GKsVXX_M6rT8i12bHTfGUAt-h-AVxVtN-Ywl8q6QemxPsqNKj1wLPboo5Mhxlpwg81b8Znl2_YXgc3W3l-uuSTEaSnGFI-SxDAN4NvgikzYdv7IHHTUClGPWtNPTlng=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>So, what about the actual swamp of the Swamp Dweller? It looks nice and dense but is actually made up of only three models, plus a few close-up photos of lichen and mosses.<br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXDqjG-Ww8U5f9deAHpef2weKXGjWG8wJETle3wVYmzzROGcpQXYcU6HcbwznYz5clLvMfE6Nlht9I4U9qiA_Y40ksh1M036QVlfUTbO2j5rU1cP-YKeSE_ZytuPBfc9qiwx5vIgW3j6l68QBeVoAJNNxUFkXd8FYJNgPU_s2OQCaKyfNgNCMHR-xDbA=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1412" data-original-width="1890" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXDqjG-Ww8U5f9deAHpef2weKXGjWG8wJETle3wVYmzzROGcpQXYcU6HcbwznYz5clLvMfE6Nlht9I4U9qiA_Y40ksh1M036QVlfUTbO2j5rU1cP-YKeSE_ZytuPBfc9qiwx5vIgW3j6l68QBeVoAJNNxUFkXd8FYJNgPU_s2OQCaKyfNgNCMHR-xDbA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I wanted a forest of huge strange-looking plants dominating the environment. So I built a single model which was very detailed and allowed for close-quarter shots. This model had a simple armature made from thick aluminum wires and steel wires attached to an empty paint jar, using thermoplastic to fix everything in place. I also made a bunch of tentacles -steel wires wrapped in thick yarn- and stuck them to the paint jar base.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsLaxmJhSTltWKGOjF9GC9_EeASg7m_VWfa0JbY97YdFiiMRT8kuj1_EVBPyKU6tU0H6xQhwZyF_-6g7KEw2qQX0fZYAHIz8wtsvpnQO2dwAX9gwXpkGHWNj0TTkbrDh_SV7nm8D24RfrZU1XFOFfeu_088ZMEPtz5X1dxHd2e8Nqp2-2FQ_-Bgm1O3w=s2097" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2097" data-original-width="2043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsLaxmJhSTltWKGOjF9GC9_EeASg7m_VWfa0JbY97YdFiiMRT8kuj1_EVBPyKU6tU0H6xQhwZyF_-6g7KEw2qQX0fZYAHIz8wtsvpnQO2dwAX9gwXpkGHWNj0TTkbrDh_SV7nm8D24RfrZU1XFOFfeu_088ZMEPtz5X1dxHd2e8Nqp2-2FQ_-Bgm1O3w=s320" width="312" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The huge roots were padded just like I pad my puppets, with strips of polyurethane foam wrapped around the metal wires.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaEk8ufZLrczoUvcy-LEY4Y9wMEFBevk25UsKln477OVgWIq_m7ZLq832OD3kgixDVskeeI6_zAy1FWm-bedAxNLW1PlFTkwZiiRRgrIMne2eRILy9NQiQohrtq_mi2pvTWrFMgE1EiWlRYtyIIpbZZfcdQ5IrE0S2m6YwivCfIUvpxpkv-EIJyI0MlQ=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="1890" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaEk8ufZLrczoUvcy-LEY4Y9wMEFBevk25UsKln477OVgWIq_m7ZLq832OD3kgixDVskeeI6_zAy1FWm-bedAxNLW1PlFTkwZiiRRgrIMne2eRILy9NQiQohrtq_mi2pvTWrFMgE1EiWlRYtyIIpbZZfcdQ5IrE0S2m6YwivCfIUvpxpkv-EIJyI0MlQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished model has a covering of very detailed latex skins, again pulled from older skin texture molds. Tinted latex was sponged on and then I applied dots of glitter glue here and there to add shiny spots of beauty to the otherwise grotesque model. Hanging from the underside of the trunk are "air roots" made from "chunks o flesh", basically a thin surface of tinted latex scrunged up. This technique produces lovely organic-looking shapes, and I've used it many times on my puppets.</div><div><br /></div><div> Both the roots and the branches can be positioned in endless ways, so that's exactly what I did -I bent the various parts, took a photo, re-positioned the parts, turned the model a bit, and took another photo. Eventually, I had a bunch of photos of these alien trees that I could layer in After Effects to make a dense forest.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikX3MDebx-Dm6xbh7qHb-t41ty9ln70YH9WpclI0VgrWg19HjdUmrT2cpJtbnBeoGvdZT1UExEvK2iBcqUHIMVSw7Qlq8lv58d6fy-fCDCFPi6vABCuSpBeG0jMX5axYD51AcUzBCECpcdPhFSH3994uk3IBN63R6wNo1vQl_m_9J99355sz0LBEHdQQ=s1889" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1889" data-original-width="985" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikX3MDebx-Dm6xbh7qHb-t41ty9ln70YH9WpclI0VgrWg19HjdUmrT2cpJtbnBeoGvdZT1UExEvK2iBcqUHIMVSw7Qlq8lv58d6fy-fCDCFPi6vABCuSpBeG0jMX5axYD51AcUzBCECpcdPhFSH3994uk3IBN63R6wNo1vQl_m_9J99355sz0LBEHdQQ=s320" width="167" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I also made this fungus for the swamp. The stem is a plastic tube, actually a effervescent vitamin tablet dispenser, covered with a thick latex cast from another texture mold. The top is another prop made for the same project from which I took the back shell for the prickleback. I had it lying around my workshop for many years, and eventually it ended up here.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6xn0q5r0K9ozwQjSpnqqNfWblvEzzd3lUe9aayk-k7jXXfiGRo2EGdnXf9R7TxkNX91dmDGiIO4YwrSXA4zvU_NpBA1ZQdERc0xdbcvwSlnQqmCgNAujJWY8fJXEgK1v3xxxLxp0zH3cFQmgBKAm6FWe54ktZ_xflfhIdP-0zpv0vMcSpWVZjz42TAg=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="1890" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6xn0q5r0K9ozwQjSpnqqNfWblvEzzd3lUe9aayk-k7jXXfiGRo2EGdnXf9R7TxkNX91dmDGiIO4YwrSXA4zvU_NpBA1ZQdERc0xdbcvwSlnQqmCgNAujJWY8fJXEgK1v3xxxLxp0zH3cFQmgBKAm6FWe54ktZ_xflfhIdP-0zpv0vMcSpWVZjz42TAg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This strange plant was built in a similar very quick way. The trunk is another empty paint jar covered with "chunck o flesh" and spike outgrowths made from cotton soaked in tinted latex. Both this prop and the fungus were photographed multipal times from various angles and cut out in Photoshop to be added to layers in After Effects.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLybdrdQm1Uxu6OcR7cPfc2qeFHs-iIb5Q0259CBgTKUmr3LV9oSf65YBpBQTlKbb_NfXkbVEvcElUirsVTdghWPcoFP4wJF-e0Ij-C4xqzFu6YtbHr4Cnbu1n7LXXSP3Gj4EEvQfOaDW1Tqt93_A66jxnmylBb6Gn8E5tY2UtuVi230eAnYHNDcQqRg=s1890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLybdrdQm1Uxu6OcR7cPfc2qeFHs-iIb5Q0259CBgTKUmr3LV9oSf65YBpBQTlKbb_NfXkbVEvcElUirsVTdghWPcoFP4wJF-e0Ij-C4xqzFu6YtbHr4Cnbu1n7LXXSP3Gj4EEvQfOaDW1Tqt93_A66jxnmylBb6Gn8E5tY2UtuVi230eAnYHNDcQqRg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>"Swamp Feeder" was entirely inspired by the image art of Clark Ashton Smith, and it was a fun project to do. Andreas who played the hunter also had fun, though he went through a very demanding make-up process. I'll most likely do similar projects, where I'm more inspired by imagery rather than a story that's already written by someone else.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The music was especially composed by my italian friend Marco Zanelli, who produced it in record-breaking time. I'm glad I have so many talented collaborators!</div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-72875971847960889712021-11-28T10:59:00.001-08:002021-11-28T10:59:47.869-08:00Sonnets of the Midnight Hours: A Vision of the Future<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oK51nwejuAA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">I've started adapting Donald Wandrei's poetry sequence "Sonnets of the Midnight Hours" from Weird Tales. It'll be a somewhat irregular series on my YouTube channel. Wandrei was, of course, one of H. P. Lovecraft's buddies and a regular contributor to the seminal Weird Tales magazine.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bbpJ4tTyPL7MykDaB0eddgdNLXOmajTJ7CqroFYs6DQSXYJ5hRCUBQdPdpGKLAw4mzUkRMSgIQxhq09V5bMMZXR54DxPvQonCNqITYwpH62dNesD-8yILU-5Zv_Cx6oZZES7OnHTzD49/s1890/Sonnets+intro+and+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1708" data-original-width="1890" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bbpJ4tTyPL7MykDaB0eddgdNLXOmajTJ7CqroFYs6DQSXYJ5hRCUBQdPdpGKLAw4mzUkRMSgIQxhq09V5bMMZXR54DxPvQonCNqITYwpH62dNesD-8yILU-5Zv_Cx6oZZES7OnHTzD49/s320/Sonnets+intro+and+art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: times;">Each installment of Wandrei's sonnet collection had a heading drawn by Hugh Rankin, a very busy illustrator who, among other things, illustrated Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. </span>The heading shows a nude woman sitting opposite an ape-like demonic creature. I thought it would be fun to try and recreate that image on film.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSit9c_5tTwS0x4SvxctnfUOlWtPM7PB73NPsIuB2Ro2VHSwB280_oBQLu5ymrK9IdjCWUCnnLvIVx8_je0zEJjo4ml_Vux_DT5SvFjORYREPUnx9fes4YfXz0XegkH_gDKfcMZVhIzB0o/s2048/manape1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSit9c_5tTwS0x4SvxctnfUOlWtPM7PB73NPsIuB2Ro2VHSwB280_oBQLu5ymrK9IdjCWUCnnLvIVx8_je0zEJjo4ml_Vux_DT5SvFjORYREPUnx9fes4YfXz0XegkH_gDKfcMZVhIzB0o/s320/manape1.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I didn't bother with making a new puppet for this very short clip, so I resorted to re-using an ape-man I built for my film "Memory", coincidentally adapted from a Lovecraft prose poem. You can read all about the making of this puppet right <a href="https://loneanimator.blogspot.com/2017/09/h-p-lovecrafts-memory-apes.html">HERE.</a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrzwtQ6HkZwzNinsa-6BeVx-EuAXLVLH_snKoyVR3Nhg545l2XCte1U2YRKNb84t4QE_fI9V077A_TV_d6NbVXKOIiR65lelVyqGMVDIXX2bCj3exG2rmyR_8U638LoxfZboTxEnX1R-Y/s1890/ape+mandolin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="1890" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrzwtQ6HkZwzNinsa-6BeVx-EuAXLVLH_snKoyVR3Nhg545l2XCte1U2YRKNb84t4QE_fI9V077A_TV_d6NbVXKOIiR65lelVyqGMVDIXX2bCj3exG2rmyR_8U638LoxfZboTxEnX1R-Y/s320/ape+mandolin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Way back in the 1990s, when I was just getting into animation using a digital camera I bought a bunch of miniature props meant for various projects I'd dream up, but I never really used any of them. The lute was one of these. It's actually made from wood and nicely detailed. I animated the ape puppet plucking at the strings, hopefully matching the tune I was eventually going to add to the finished footage, but I didn't do any timed animation to any music. I just hoped it'd look fine in the end, and it did. The ape was supposed to sit down on a rock. I didn't bother with a miniature rock, so I just had the puppet crouching down a bit.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhzQ1szefxk4pHwDQBY0hNrjnCrZCno8MlfUBX92Uia0iJ1e34-bHuR_b-IVf5dYDjLnLYp8Z1FFiVQCWIG4cfXHjLJhtYTYpgRdm2GeVzoAeGmKhMBY85zvsbE1vMNi_KNuEscGhsWu4/s1890/girl+on+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhzQ1szefxk4pHwDQBY0hNrjnCrZCno8MlfUBX92Uia0iJ1e34-bHuR_b-IVf5dYDjLnLYp8Z1FFiVQCWIG4cfXHjLJhtYTYpgRdm2GeVzoAeGmKhMBY85zvsbE1vMNi_KNuEscGhsWu4/s320/girl+on+beach.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>For the nude girl, I found a stock footage clip at, if I recall correctly, Pond5.com. She's sitting on a pebble beach with the sky and sea in the background. I was able to remove that background by pumping up the saturation in After Effects, making the blue sea and sky very blue; blue enough to key it out using the Keylight plug-in. I could then return the saturation to a more natural look. The pebbled beach became the ground the characters are sitting on. And, of course, a campfire was also added using a stock footage clip of a fire shot against a black background. The mountains and the double-mooned sky in the background is a stock digital illustration found at Depositphotos.com.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFR4WBhSqmCm0stfAfcJFK183XlqLnVau5Rc8W3oKBcR7zSM40JmLtcW_nkcFRQweSFTwxTYBB8O7CdkHfXMCrJPJbMeulbFflj0XP-DinHUv6HFDgwl_5Oek0EmlljBZreE-jzxTIhyphenhyphen_a/s1371/botten2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1371" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFR4WBhSqmCm0stfAfcJFK183XlqLnVau5Rc8W3oKBcR7zSM40JmLtcW_nkcFRQweSFTwxTYBB8O7CdkHfXMCrJPJbMeulbFflj0XP-DinHUv6HFDgwl_5Oek0EmlljBZreE-jzxTIhyphenhyphen_a/s320/botten2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENWtDPEhBnu8NEHxbmkShJCF6DS_xj-a4efbN7LxOY9cjxUYoIHs_-a9-JuN8jcylpyVfygvthUAvvgnG0dOviDA-bvcoz1qRNjuTrNRyImSFbRCNJyf0a7rxMZs9ORzePn0ZsdyESJ-f/s2048/mud+flat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENWtDPEhBnu8NEHxbmkShJCF6DS_xj-a4efbN7LxOY9cjxUYoIHs_-a9-JuN8jcylpyVfygvthUAvvgnG0dOviDA-bvcoz1qRNjuTrNRyImSFbRCNJyf0a7rxMZs9ORzePn0ZsdyESJ-f/s320/mud+flat1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wandrei's poem paints an apocalyptic vision of our planet's future where the oceans have been emptied of their water. The creatures of the deep lie floundering and dying, and all the uncovered secrets of the sea are covered with slime. To create that look I downloaded stock images of rocks covered with seaweed and added the "Plastic Wrap" Photoshop filter over them. This gave the textures in the photos a very slimy look. I also re-used lots of Photoshopped beached sea creatures from my <a href="https://loneanimator.blogspot.com/2019/05/h-p-lovecrafts-dagon.html">Dagon film.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNl4ic_X98n8R4Qp5-5X6KDdWXVuhvZYWOPdWMYLM6yHL_DfgboBjhuSZQ2vOXWunhR_k43x0xO0l3IG5tAY2efKl0C0GCDMqP1-8pcgcofyVoaqoqQ7m6RtzOy7_V8HGGJqvxIhVnQgoh/s4496/frog_a12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4496" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNl4ic_X98n8R4Qp5-5X6KDdWXVuhvZYWOPdWMYLM6yHL_DfgboBjhuSZQ2vOXWunhR_k43x0xO0l3IG5tAY2efKl0C0GCDMqP1-8pcgcofyVoaqoqQ7m6RtzOy7_V8HGGJqvxIhVnQgoh/s320/frog_a12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We do get a brief glimpse of a sea-dwelling race, which might now become the new masters of the world. Many years ago a built a bunch of puppets for a Lovecraft-inspired online game called "The Talisman." I honestly have no idea what became of it, but I spent quite some time building a bunch of creatures for it. One of these was representing a "deep one", a mix between fish, amphibians, and humans dreamt up by Lovecraft for many of his tales and also used by other authors. I simply took one of the photos of this puppet and 2D-animated it in After Effects using the puppet tool.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoJ7dLsH0m-inO__pcaZyeJns21xIewnYx8UrPH_5sZClVRRFwC7QGDvHgqCAgQWM2WWnxh6GA6qa0LevRT-pZGUR9Rw_XAw9Ylhvo7hXF9dSFltbojW5Y-hWkh2l8f02H5_R7WHSxOet/s1890/hand+puppet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoJ7dLsH0m-inO__pcaZyeJns21xIewnYx8UrPH_5sZClVRRFwC7QGDvHgqCAgQWM2WWnxh6GA6qa0LevRT-pZGUR9Rw_XAw9Ylhvo7hXF9dSFltbojW5Y-hWkh2l8f02H5_R7WHSxOet/s320/hand+puppet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>At the end of the film, you see a mysterious slug-like white thing writhing about. Again I used an older puppet, a hand-puppet built some years ago for a short horror film (not featured on my YouTube page.) I shot it against my puppet stage green screen and added a few manipulations in After Effects to change its color and make it look bigger and broader.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's about it. As you can see this project held few innovations and no new puppets. But it was a fun exercise, and I'm planning to do a few more Sonnets of the Midnight Hours next year.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6575643820108813603.post-25771300751350127152021-09-30T03:56:00.001-07:002021-09-30T03:56:51.679-07:00The Conqueror Worm<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LFeQQlNStBY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYBgYViWKyLIbqTTAvQ_Hhd7N9T218wiaTshUAc93Sk2k9hSHCmo9ViPPx-95KlondkwJq0As8vKDVYjD11rXUFunBrDkvQ_fXP2utAlgdhYvT6lWnlsk_-xPpmJsORIR-oNGqHyMTMGG/s1200/poeportrait-croppedjpg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1200" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYBgYViWKyLIbqTTAvQ_Hhd7N9T218wiaTshUAc93Sk2k9hSHCmo9ViPPx-95KlondkwJq0As8vKDVYjD11rXUFunBrDkvQ_fXP2utAlgdhYvT6lWnlsk_-xPpmJsORIR-oNGqHyMTMGG/s320/poeportrait-croppedjpg.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>"The Conqueror Worm" was, of course, written by Edgar Allan Poe. It's a poem allowing for all sorts of interpretations, but an overall apocalyptic theme is certainly obvious. I've been planning on adapting Poe for quite a while and I actually made an adaptation of "The Facts In the Case of Mr. Waldemar" in high school, back in the very analog video days of the 1990s. I was Mr. Waldermar and melted at the end of the film, having custard running down my face.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEVub3Zal9JL6c4cVKnICZj15-06OOnk0sw9Kuw0Uewban207_ohv9oH4ZdE5tzUWFkcXanbmVYn1sGx3hqOq5uj2Z_zvJ6cYchcdamNQDZfIEI7EJcCHiqAYaka304CxIfJCeiTlcDqw/s932/cworm.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="932" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEVub3Zal9JL6c4cVKnICZj15-06OOnk0sw9Kuw0Uewban207_ohv9oH4ZdE5tzUWFkcXanbmVYn1sGx3hqOq5uj2Z_zvJ6cYchcdamNQDZfIEI7EJcCHiqAYaka304CxIfJCeiTlcDqw/s320/cworm.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And, as I'm sure you know, Poe movie adaptations have been around almost as long as cinema has existed. "The Conqueror Worm" has also had its adaptation, though it's a cheat of sorts. Michael Reeve's excellent "The Witchfinder General" (1968) was distributed in the US by AIP under the title "The Conqueror Worm" to include it in the AIP cycle of Poe films, mostly starring Vincent Price.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVI3mbZtrqkeA7bWgPYvEnFxRhDbSlatSIsn3TJwi8GQeH94q0tidQOGHK2Ht_As_E6Yre3tuLn4x6jfXaSxXUN4b1mUKSWcqXzLANl19TG-jYZ5FXxruRJjC86ejV9_s-WetDVY21aYze/s1890/a%25CC%2588nglar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVI3mbZtrqkeA7bWgPYvEnFxRhDbSlatSIsn3TJwi8GQeH94q0tidQOGHK2Ht_As_E6Yre3tuLn4x6jfXaSxXUN4b1mUKSWcqXzLANl19TG-jYZ5FXxruRJjC86ejV9_s-WetDVY21aYze/s320/a%25CC%2588nglar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To adapt something as symbolically themed as Poe's poem invited an opportunity to create surreal visuals of a kind I hadn't approached yet. A throng of angels watches the spectacle of humanity on a cosmic stage until the conqueror worm appears and at the end of the show is revealed to be the master of all. I plundered my usual resource, Depositphotos.com, for stock images I could revise in Photoshop. A couple of HD photos of a dilapidated theatre served as the playhouse where the angels gather. I cut holes here and there in the images so I could place CG animations of a swirling cosmos behind that layer in After Effects.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGSUpxp1X6eHpQERUxg1G5TJbfi25Cz_y6Z3WSCCi_2SKSntd-STWjplno56mfRJBUrpOrCoeGHWJ24bMWMH1TZTwd9ddCMovd_XHiCyNda1S4quaM-k269qi32Vn-2QWB6E1lNQnRIRx/s800/ancient-sculpture-crying-angel-concrete-ancient-sculpture-crying-angel-concrete-125935514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGSUpxp1X6eHpQERUxg1G5TJbfi25Cz_y6Z3WSCCi_2SKSntd-STWjplno56mfRJBUrpOrCoeGHWJ24bMWMH1TZTwd9ddCMovd_XHiCyNda1S4quaM-k269qi32Vn-2QWB6E1lNQnRIRx/s320/ancient-sculpture-crying-angel-concrete-ancient-sculpture-crying-angel-concrete-125935514.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jG8QWJd5q_1NOU1C-N_kxWdzxq1qRTqHRuaawvfFGhGWafhPNIzcvK1FUYm0w4XjUKLMzYeXskz5dVIv3HgTqjm4Nwc8uevf23YvH5uCSTaQwA2yNvdnAhVUk8bfkVGG5SGQrY3qphET/s800/veil1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jG8QWJd5q_1NOU1C-N_kxWdzxq1qRTqHRuaawvfFGhGWafhPNIzcvK1FUYm0w4XjUKLMzYeXskz5dVIv3HgTqjm4Nwc8uevf23YvH5uCSTaQwA2yNvdnAhVUk8bfkVGG5SGQrY3qphET/s320/veil1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The angels were represented by stone statues prepared in Photoshop. I also found stock images of veils shot against a black background. Those were added over the heads of the angels, with some tweaking with distortion tools in After Effects.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtUZ_GToIuEdHZIOptOBWS0_gng6PCv3D2SPsBGJXRqdpTlIyqDxcUAXSVRS18BfKBgjjCd6pTsMaYULruEByW8vogDsHcw2-lJVCUoXcPqJQ4E2lVWg-VIBN8f8RizdWhA3Gt_oBU90g/s1890/god.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtUZ_GToIuEdHZIOptOBWS0_gng6PCv3D2SPsBGJXRqdpTlIyqDxcUAXSVRS18BfKBgjjCd6pTsMaYULruEByW8vogDsHcw2-lJVCUoXcPqJQ4E2lVWg-VIBN8f8RizdWhA3Gt_oBU90g/s320/god.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">God was a mishmash of stock footage from Videoblocks.com: A cloudy background, smoke animations arranged to create a triangle, a close-up of a man's eye, and CD lightning bolts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkAkXTfdK8RMgLrWF7pUlCuOSIGBPVQmF0NYerM6b3gEi8HowEC4mmODDG-tsY9crqYPHV6lOjk9lz5vXUqqsOCe48_tithi6q7lxU1BR1iOEFEI2p0Sqh8GTvKCmw90v0Wd6LLHgrT5T/s320/mime.jpg" width="320" /></div><div><br /></div>Most shots are a collage of photos and stock footage from Videoblocks.com. In this shot, the mime is live-action stock footage, as is the animated background. The falling girl (along with other various things passing in and out of the shot) is a stock photo slightly animated with the AE puppet tool.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgriQ-dARc003NUzedB9H96R7x9r3bxz3_5LnoomEu10tuDKEabpEpiPnw1cjciaeXSIuUHTTLKt4WevWEph2tdc3b3X2L96Da6PNh_0L6-pKOXmlFvqvWcxIiffkZCa65d2OsBgSgdH7/s1890/gladiators.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1890" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgriQ-dARc003NUzedB9H96R7x9r3bxz3_5LnoomEu10tuDKEabpEpiPnw1cjciaeXSIuUHTTLKt4WevWEph2tdc3b3X2L96Da6PNh_0L6-pKOXmlFvqvWcxIiffkZCa65d2OsBgSgdH7/s320/gladiators.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The cavalcade of horrid things humanity is guilty of is represented by plain stock footage shots of various historical violent scenes. I only added a filter over them and had them transition into each other using black ink added in water as a matte.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_06WCEk5V1_kd3SnCf3XyQJZqDW_HS68QJkMTa8RRPbfXlWMyfuRxJByy-pfRkG-O5eU7Wb6ueA2rKXI3ejfAzI9VvNsxrmzni4mzTWHJYwcbHfmoi5CNrzdAXQL2XBpDqFzdGUsC7QiA/s1890/worm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_06WCEk5V1_kd3SnCf3XyQJZqDW_HS68QJkMTa8RRPbfXlWMyfuRxJByy-pfRkG-O5eU7Wb6ueA2rKXI3ejfAzI9VvNsxrmzni4mzTWHJYwcbHfmoi5CNrzdAXQL2XBpDqFzdGUsC7QiA/s320/worm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The very apocalyptic shots showing the appearance of the worm were, again, built using stock images. I found a few photos included in my stock photo collection showing behind-the-scenes shots from some zombie movie, where "dead" people were stacked upon each other. Perfect for my intentions.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7dffWJkwG5bBgxWf3KijHI-Is572OYGjPG2V9wkRmbgmHQCdi1qYFoWb3JtsDtkkGp3pYuMIfe9hhQeizpVKa2cNWh3ReA_TjerLJ8ZuW4JRBXRcDwEYodCTXo_WmYqgFe7xR7T5jCCy/s1890/a%25CC%2588nglar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1890" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7dffWJkwG5bBgxWf3KijHI-Is572OYGjPG2V9wkRmbgmHQCdi1qYFoWb3JtsDtkkGp3pYuMIfe9hhQeizpVKa2cNWh3ReA_TjerLJ8ZuW4JRBXRcDwEYodCTXo_WmYqgFe7xR7T5jCCy/s320/a%25CC%2588nglar2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The final shot of the angels shows one of them opening its eyes. That was simply made by using another stock shot of a woman opening her eyes, cutting out that section of her face in After Effects, and applying the footage over the face of the stone angel. The soft edges of the matte tool cut-out, some color grading and the veil in a layer over the angel hopefully helped sell the illusion. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Wef90NbmLdlXzMu6X76VDW4sFxSpbCLM5oOF_sZukPqOaGqDmmCO5bJBFH-x0TshyphenhyphenyB50qjh8byenACQzshDiCXJh6SJZ89PX19OGfzygqDlxajbZqMyjt1DsRguzU6fsdbZl2GGbsXo/s1890/cworm+klar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1890" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Wef90NbmLdlXzMu6X76VDW4sFxSpbCLM5oOF_sZukPqOaGqDmmCO5bJBFH-x0TshyphenhyphenyB50qjh8byenACQzshDiCXJh6SJZ89PX19OGfzygqDlxajbZqMyjt1DsRguzU6fsdbZl2GGbsXo/s320/cworm+klar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>So, now over to "our hero; the Conqueror Worm." I actually started planning this film last year and made a worm puppet, that I ended up not being happy with. I thought this lean beast didn't exactly represent the gorged monstrosity that fed on mankind. Instead, I included this puppet in my film "The Elder Pharos."</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteLMAW_iG22jMBpOse7Wc7tdsZu2yAMhtxZ_ycOohJXrTwqN-4rlc-bwO_bGH-qhqQOPTcfLQKsXHcMK0VOEIOC6Q6xRf0P0hdj199TLXEDnTd0uNzzoq9ajidUBfc2uGDiThok_ud-UI/s1890/worm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1412" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteLMAW_iG22jMBpOse7Wc7tdsZu2yAMhtxZ_ycOohJXrTwqN-4rlc-bwO_bGH-qhqQOPTcfLQKsXHcMK0VOEIOC6Q6xRf0P0hdj199TLXEDnTd0uNzzoq9ajidUBfc2uGDiThok_ud-UI/s320/worm1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div><br /></div>On to Conqueror Worm 2.0. I built this puppet pretty large, so I could animate it making very slow movements. As I wanted it to look like a fat maggot, I knew it needed lots of padding, something that always gets in the way of smooth and easy animation. I included a kind of rib cage in the armature to fill out the body of the puppet and create the desired bulk. The tiny legs were also attached to these ribs. I only made a section of the worm, needing just the part seen above the heaps of bones and bodies.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyiLw5v8zrSlJBWdTmLC8NuIR17LvU8oretaMmJX1yOD9sHOUi_iru0PFKxg3czITEKGIGk3LvMLa6-M_8xrBvqGBNMUhyphenhyphendKSrSSv0aivPcGajAkouTjzv5j8TN8H7T5CL7ls9VCaOZpP/s1892/worm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1892" data-original-width="1680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyiLw5v8zrSlJBWdTmLC8NuIR17LvU8oretaMmJX1yOD9sHOUi_iru0PFKxg3czITEKGIGk3LvMLa6-M_8xrBvqGBNMUhyphenhyphendKSrSSv0aivPcGajAkouTjzv5j8TN8H7T5CL7ls9VCaOZpP/s320/worm2.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I used very soft polyurethane foam to pad the worm's body. I put on layer after layer very loosely. Soft yarn was wrapped around the legs and covered with latex.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWJvol6vV0723tS18dseFZyWs_5Af28xZ47A_QdxmkLRzhsjCpdhgCne63FJNjqnmM4LgkmoePjj7_ELhh4ZwcZo5JILgOXavBsa31MXbA6c6NO468o3JcbgwRFhv4ZhwEznFLWD_ImZw/s1890/worm3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1382" data-original-width="1890" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWJvol6vV0723tS18dseFZyWs_5Af28xZ47A_QdxmkLRzhsjCpdhgCne63FJNjqnmM4LgkmoePjj7_ELhh4ZwcZo5JILgOXavBsa31MXbA6c6NO468o3JcbgwRFhv4ZhwEznFLWD_ImZw/s320/worm3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>To create a segmented look for the chubby body I simply wrapped yarn around the parts where I wanted to pull in the foam. Thin latex patches cast in a skin texture mold covered up the body.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uFSSJd2YZga0_jOcLsl3vc8Q9mGLu9g8sYpxThKMxnqTzplI7qMleXIxO7pOnjEOnXC6BFmirPYeC6aTR1iPO-xgGb29DYeOVU8cRg1NFF8iUhKbS6dYeeUxMvoSUh_NIbPsErHoIqTw/s1890/worm4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1614" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uFSSJd2YZga0_jOcLsl3vc8Q9mGLu9g8sYpxThKMxnqTzplI7qMleXIxO7pOnjEOnXC6BFmirPYeC6aTR1iPO-xgGb29DYeOVU8cRg1NFF8iUhKbS6dYeeUxMvoSUh_NIbPsErHoIqTw/s320/worm4.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPitDZdTMHVB9N9f_iIUjC1tIcu_k7ermqzk2CyFhpj99kWvPJ9idbITd2nN0KUZgrbz5XO1aNAsJnnolZYEa063RzGdnUJoUMDCWK7nzslssfX5FLlUfyhGQiNloLrRMHD1D5O613FTTl/s1890/worm5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPitDZdTMHVB9N9f_iIUjC1tIcu_k7ermqzk2CyFhpj99kWvPJ9idbITd2nN0KUZgrbz5XO1aNAsJnnolZYEa063RzGdnUJoUMDCWK7nzslssfX5FLlUfyhGQiNloLrRMHD1D5O613FTTl/s320/worm5.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqA7iVzYf61Q9XEQAVnkPmmqer1Cl-miEhUSV-8Oq0YO-gYGybPPSdmq6Mp5m6jm48QPULjnBONuE4cxM-RNXUZ8Q0WRfCnD4e2BppnrEJjgU7hzM_ro2Cct_Igxzc4NcCka03F6X2KwR/s1890/worm6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="885" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqA7iVzYf61Q9XEQAVnkPmmqer1Cl-miEhUSV-8Oq0YO-gYGybPPSdmq6Mp5m6jm48QPULjnBONuE4cxM-RNXUZ8Q0WRfCnD4e2BppnrEJjgU7hzM_ro2Cct_Igxzc4NcCka03F6X2KwR/s320/worm6.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The finished puppet was painted with tinted latex. The claws and teeth were made from tissue paper dipped in latex. A single t-nut stuck to the bottom of the armature secures the puppet to the animation stage.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPooGsFluqgruiD1yfuOwr8v48zkJ8pihKRBLBVQA18UMqVXewkkFUgp5U0Nxubgrl1NIs8N434CSd9It9mVTVrdL4C-GnNViZQANSD5hl6zcmIqLp8rT8jyUB8NgqFJFZfymiFolzbCBu/s960/john+hutch.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPooGsFluqgruiD1yfuOwr8v48zkJ8pihKRBLBVQA18UMqVXewkkFUgp5U0Nxubgrl1NIs8N434CSd9It9mVTVrdL4C-GnNViZQANSD5hl6zcmIqLp8rT8jyUB8NgqFJFZfymiFolzbCBu/s320/john+hutch.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Lastly, I have to mention my UK buddy John Hutch, who, like many times before, provided the narration. We've collaborated quite a few times by now, and will continue doing so for the forseeable future. I really wish he'd get a break as an actor. He's done bit parts here and there in various British TV shows including the fantasy series "Merlin" (where he gets knocked out by prince Arthur in one scene.) For now I'm planning on adapting Poe's "Dreamland" with John narrating.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do I have a Poe dream project? Yes; it's animating "The Raven" narrated by Nicholas Cage.<br /><div><br /><p> </p></div></div>Richard Svenssonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15379574381914082334noreply@blogger.com5