In The Details Part #2 : Casting Glances

      When building a character, I feel it is critically important to get the eyes right. It's usually the first detail anyone notices and you can convey a world of information through the eyes.In the past, I've used several different techniques to make eyes for my puppets. I've used polymer clay, ping pong balls -painted and coated with high gloss varnish, commercially made doll eyes and  even working L.E.D's to name just a few. Each of these works to good effect. Recently, though I discovered a simple and highly effective method for making resin cast eyes which has quickly become one of my favorite techniques. I'm going to show you two different variations of this method, partly so you can see the different results and partly because I'm not sure which approach will look better with my puppet.

     First you need some clear casting resin. this is available either in a two part variety, where you mix equal amounts of resin and hardener, or the kind where you add a small amount of catalyst into the resin. Either kind works fine. I'm using the two part type simply because it's what I happen to have on hand. whichever kind you use,measure and follow the mixing instructions EXACTLY as they are written. The batch I made before this one never hardened properly because I didn't stir the mixture enough.  Pay careful attention to the safety precautions and work in a well ventilated area while preparing the resin... or don't. Live your own lives, people!

 Once the mixture is ready, you can pour it into the round indentations of those cheap plastic circular palates that are available anywhere that sells art supplies. I'd suggest using new ones or having a set exclusively for this purpose. Casting resin will pick up anything it touches, so the cleaner your mold is, the better. Let the resin set for 24-48 hours (or whatever the instructions suggest). Once the resin hardens, you can crack it out, just like you would ice cubes. You'll wind up with a small pile of  nice round clear lenses. Select the ones with the fewest air bubbles and imperfections. Now the fun begins!

 Using acrylic paint, I first paint  the pupils onto the back (flat side) of the eye blanks. This process is a lot like painting on glass, you want to do the most visible details first. Notice that I've painted the pupils slightly off center. This males the eyes "cross" slightly, which gives the puppet a sharper focus. Size and shape of the pupils are also important. Our own pupils dilate when we see something or someone we like, which creates a subconscious sympathetic response in those around us. In practical character design terms, the larger the pupil, the more sympathetic the character appears. Conversely, smaller pupils make a character look more sinister and aggressive. Because I want my devil to be reasonably likable, I gave him fairly large pupils. I briefly considered giving him rectangular pupils like a goat's, but decided that round ones would be less eerie looking

I now paint the whites around the edges. this will give me a relatively clean edge around the iris. I like to let my eyes be a bit "painterly". I think it gives them a lot of personality and I don't have to worry about getting the edges perfectly round.

 Here's where I start to deviate methods. One pair of eyes will be painted entirely on  the back of the lens. this method looks sharper and usually works best for video or animals. The other pair will be painted on the curved part of another pair of lenses. When I finish, I will put the two pieces together, flat side to flat side. It creates depth and generally works great for human characters and live performance. Either way I start with my lightest color and accents. I painted a few highlights around the pupil to further help create depth. I'm going to male my irises a catlike greenish-yellow. This will stand out nicely against my devil's red skin. Incidentally, if were to paint the pupils to onto the back of the two-part eyes, the convex/concave relationship would make them appear to follow the viewer.

 After the first layer dries, I add a slightly darker yellow and light green. I find painting overlapping asterisks gives the iris a nice faceted texture.

 I add some darker accents into the empty spaces for contrast. Here I'm using a light blue to add variety to the color. I find that the more layered you make the iris, the more intelligent your character looks

 In order to fill in the remaining gaps, I paint on a golden brown-ish base coat. The eyes are starting to look a bit muddy from the back, but this doesn't matter. They will only ever be seen from the other side

 I found that the first base coat was more translucent than I wanted and that I would like more contrast, so I painted some dark brown accents.

 Finally, to fill in the remaining gaps, I add another layer of yellow ochre.

 Here are the finished results. The top pair are the one-part eyes and the bottom pair are the two-parters. Notice the difference? I attach the two pieces by either hot glue or super-glue around the edges

 I can now test them out on my puppet to see which ones work the best.

Stay tuned for the results! 

A Tutorial on Job hunting for the Professional Puppeteer

     In these tough economic times, finding work can be challenging for almost any professional.  For the creative professional, the search for employment presents special difficulties and requires a highly specialized skill set.  As a public service to my younger and less experienced colleagues, I have decided to leave detailed instructions on the process of searching for gainful employment as a puppeteer. I cannot guarantee success , of course, but this is the procedure I have always used. It has gotten me where I am today and… well, there’s just no arguing with results!

Part  1

Updating your Resume

 Realize that you haven’t updated your resume in quite some time now. Find a copy. If it is on software that has not yet gone obsolete, this is a plus. Review. Reassure yourself that the cavernous gaps in your employment history are perfectly normal and acceptable on the grounds that no prospective employer will care about your vast experience in retail or waiting tables. Add your most recent work experiences, taking care to frame them in the most impressive way possible.  Remember:  the more job titles and responsibilities you can attribute to yourself, the more impressed you future boss will be!  Edit your references, carefully making sure you have their correct contact information and that you still are on speaking terms. Erase anything under the heading “References” and replace with “Available upon Request”.   Read your “Special Skills” section. Realize how random and implausible it looks, in spite of the fact it’s all perfectly true. Update and refine this section before invariably editing it out for taking up too much space, and because ultimately no one will care whether or not you can juggle.

Pro Tip: Remember to save a copy with the “References” and “Skills” section intact. This will inevitably be the only copy that somehow survives. 

Part 2

The Hunt

    Go online. Open your search engine. Type in the phrase: “Puppetry Jobs”. Be astonished at the sheer number of results this produces. With a sense of hope and optimism begin scanning the listings of a major job search site. Notice about three pages in that most of these are for a software program called “Puppet” which you hadn’t previously heard of and don’t know how to operate. Swear. Change your search term to either “Puppetry “or “Puppeteer” Browse through the results. Eliminate any that include the words “Intern” or “Volunteer”. This should narrow your search down to about 3 listings. To any basic job posting there are three basic reactions. They are as follows:

1)      Amused Contempt:  Upon researching the company’s website, you are astonished by the bald faced incompetence of their puppet design, ugly website and cheesy show selection.  You decide instantly it isn’t worth your time to apply and marvel to yourself how such rank amateurs can possibly stay in business. This reaction will be appropriate for about 97% of what you’ll see.

2)      Mild Interest: After reviewing the company website, you are not blown away, but this company seems to have things relatively together.  Working for them would seem to be a distinct possibility. Then you read what they’re asking for. They want you to sing. They expect a minimum of 3 years in interpretive dance training. You must be ten years younger, seven inches shorter and probably the opposite gender. There is absolutely no creative input from the performers.  Preference in casting is given towards full blooded Fijian natives. You need to fly cross country on your own expense to attend the audition in two days. They pay 50 dollars per week. Moving on.

3)      Delight:  This listing might even be for a troop you’ve heard of. Their website looks really cool. The puppets are beautiful. Their shows are really interesting and innovative. You watch their videos and are genuinely impressed. You start to fantasize about working alongside these people who will doubtlessly be funny and cool and listen to your ideas. They are even based in a city you want to go to.  Also, the position was filled three months ago.  

Go to another Jobsite. Repeat process. Repeat process. Repeat process. Decide you’ve earned a break for a quick game of FreeCell. Two hours later, repeat process.  Look on a puppetry specific website. Realize that the listings are pretty much the same as what you’ve been looking at all along. Only this time, they're accompanied by idiotically chirpy and obvious pointers on how to find work.  Find another puppetry site.  Find out they’ve been defunct for several years. Check in on Facebook. Read the updates of your performer friends who are all happily employed and doing really fun projects. Decide that you now hate them. Open bottle of whiskey. Make yourself a drink (Pro tip: After this stage, it is vitally important that you do not contact any prospective employers. Trust me).  Go back to searching. Ten websites and two drinks later, notice that you’re looking at all the same websites over again. Look up that one troop you kind of liked on Youtube. Begin drinking straight from the bottle. Decide that the video you like reminds you of that amazing puppeteer who inspired you to follow your dream in the first place. Try to find that famous sketch of his. You know that hilarious one with the lobsters?  Spend the next hour obsessively trying to find it before remembering it was called “The Lobster Sketch”.  Watch it. Wonder why you can’t make something so utterly brilliant. Read the comments on the video. Become annoyed by one idiot who clearly doesn’t understand how good this is. Consider writing a scathing comment at him until you realize that even though you might be drunk, your judgment isn’t nearly impaired enough for a “Comments section “. Take another swig. Go to the bathroom. Catch sight of your own reflection. Notice your bald spot is bigger. Notice that you’ve gained weight. Notice the lines around your eyes.  Decide to start exercising and eating healthy. Order a bacon and onion pizza. While eating, get all maudlin and sentimental about your passing youth. Call an old dear friend in a distant city. Whine at them. Complain that the opportunities are all for younger people. Mention that you’re afraid of dying alone, obscure, and unloved.  Weep. Allow them to pacify you. Talk for hours until they point out that its two a.m. and they have to get up in the morning. Hang up. Put the empty bottle in the recycling.   Save the last slices for breakfast.  Go to bed. Wake up hung-over the next morning and start all over again. Continue this process until you actually find work or your remaining friends have staged yet another intervention.