puppets in prague

General

• You must draw feet from en face and profile perspectives.
• The proportion of the feet and body is different than that of a human. Puppet feet are shorter so their tops do not pull the foot down and towards the back .
• If you must make long feet or shoes, put some extra weight in the heel.
• The foot can then hang in a vertical position.
• For better walking we do not recommend that you separate the foot at the ankle with a joint. That is appropriate only for very special puppets, such as dancers.
• The bottom part of your legs and feet are made in two parts and their connection is possible in two methods described below.
• Your puppet will be touching the floor in its heel. That part of feet/shoe must be flat.
• In order for the puppet to walk, the bottom front of the feet/shoe cannot be flat - they must be curved (on a circle) so that the motion of walking is imitated by the puppet.

How to draw feet

• Go to your profile drawing. Put the point of the compass at the pivotal part of the knees (where you will drill a hole to connect the upper and lower legs).
• Measure the distance to the bottom of the puppet along the center line. Draw a semicircle only towards the front of the foot.
• Do not continue the circle along the heel in the back of the foot. The shape of your foot must follow this circle so the puppet can walk properly.

Var 1

• This method is good for all types of marionettes
• The bottom part of the foot and feet are glued together from two pieces. The glueing is supported with the addition of a dowel 6 - 8 - 10 mm thick.
• Grains of wood for shoe/feet must be horizontal.
• The angle cannot be too thin, or the two parts of the foot will break apart when carved.
• While drawing the foot use a broken line ------- to show the dowel inside the foot.
• The hole for the dowel must have its center on the center line of the leg.

• Strong, unbreakable connection between the leg and foot. Appropriate for intricately carved marionettes or heavier puppets.
• This variation is also apporpriate for a puppet without a costume or one with thin legs which do not have space for a hole for a dowel.
• The foot is made from two pieces. One is made round on a lathe or with a chisel adn to the other is drilled a hole of the right size. After carving the shape of the feet and painting, glue the pieces together.
• Grain of wood part for shoe/feet must be horizontal.
• While drawing this, make a broken line ------- because the hole is inside the feet.
• The rounded part of the leg must have its center on the center line of leg.
• The hole MUST be on the vertical central line of the leg.