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shalonpalmer — Stop motion puppet armature
Published: 2006-06-06 16:20:34 +0000 UTC; Views: 25686; Favourites: 59; Downloads: 4137
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Stop motion puppet armature, 2006From bottom of foot to top of K&S head tube - 8 in.
Step one, the armature.
Created with 1/16" aluminum armature wire, various sized K&S brass tubing, M3 nuts, grub screws, and some steel plating.
Removable feet, hands and head.
Soon -
Step two, foam
Step three, clothing
Step four, head, hands and feet
I have to say, this was a whole lot of fun, and then a real pain in the ass to make!!! But, definitely a learning experience for what works and doesn't and what makes is stronger and what weakens it...
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Comments: 39
Thanks!! 
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Straight out of this book -
Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation
by Susannah Shaw
[link]
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Cool, a book for stop-motion animation.
I wish Ray wrote a book about it.
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:0
40 bucks! Maybe when I sign up for classes, I'll get that...
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wow. it definitely wasn't 40 when I bought it... i think it was around 20. maybe you could find it used for cheaper.... or at abebooks.com or such.
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thank you! I should ask for it for christmas or something. ^^
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i have that book too! ( if youve no idea what im talkign about its a massive co
incidence!)
i dont know where to get k&s tube things though
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yeah, I love that book! Well... for k&s tubing... the suppliers in the back of that book are mostly in the uk - but check a local hobby store. That's the only place that I can find it near me. Otherwise, you can always order it on line.....
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yea, ive looked online but the delivery is usually more than the tubing itself!I think il stick with wire an epoxy putty for a while
have you made any moulds? i really want to try it but im a bit scared =/
anyway, your sculpt+armature looks great!
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I've made various other molds - but nothing for stop motion: [link] [link] and [link] are for latex casts and [link] and [link] were for plaster casts and [link] and [link] were for resin casts. All I can say, is try it - make something simple and easy (that you haven't poured your soul into and love!!!) and just try it, that way you don't have that much to lose!!
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thanks for the advice 
also found someone on ebay that sells k+s tubing. yey!
what sizes did you use?
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I can't remember off the top of my head, and I'm currently at my desk at work..... I believe I just followed whatever the book claimed would be good for the different parts, but I can measure what I keep around when I get home. I still use the stuff for removeable parts of sculptures - it's really helpful.
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by what i can remember in the book it doesnt give any specific measurements. well if you can measure, thanks
yea, i bought an armature kit that has removable arms but the hips and chest are big blocks which makes it improssible to make skinny figures.
once i work out im going to buy a big bunch of sculpting materials; all i have at the mo is newplast (plasticine) which is annoying when you put in loadsa effort in a sculpture and it just gets squished
i better get good! hehe
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the book lists the tubing as being 5/32, 3/16, and 7/32. Not sure about the stuff that I used, but I'm sure it was close to this - or change it up for the size puppet you're making.
Good luck... stopmo and stopmo puppets have always been a love of mine, but I don't see myself going down that road... not having done a lot of work as an animator, I'm at a loss as to what really needs to be in a puppet - how exactly it will need to move and flow.
So, good luck and I can't wait to see what you make!
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great thanks! knowing me I've been looking in the wrong section !
Yea, stop motion allways seems so magical, I really hate (most) cgi because its all so samey and lifeless. But it seems that its what is popular so thats what the studios do. Im hoping there will a bit of a backlash back to more traditions methods.
Ive not actually done any(may have done a tiny bit) animating, ive made a few puppets and models but i get scared when t comes to animating :/, Im going to give it my all this time though!
I would love to do something to do with animation but, to be honest, I'v e not got much of an imagination (grr) so coming up with characters is allways a bit of a struggle.
i think il do a monkey, i entered a sculpting contest and made two pirate monkies and i've grew to love em!
might submit the picture if i can be bothered.
Il show you when i get it done
oh and im 16 so dont expect a masterpeice!, its effort that counts though!
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No problem! Any time.
Mmmmmm... monkeys.... monkeys always make really great characters!
As I've learned, doing is always best.... having the knowledge is helpful but getting out there and making is one of the best ways to learn. Having said that I'm going to direct you to some more resources that if you go look through them will eat up possible making time!!!!
But, they may be useful to you: [link] It's the last section at the bottom of the post. There's a few great forums, with tons of info. But beware stopmotionanimation.com the old guys there like to growl and yell at folks who don't read their handbook first before they ask questions. I don't know from experience, just from reading through postings. But, those old guys were the animators for Cosgrove Hall and Nightmare before Christmas and Aardman so they have the skills to back up their grumpy!!!!! Oh, and for more animation companies and a couple animators check out the animation section here: [link]
And no worries, the first go is never a masterpiece!!
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ooo. thanks!
had a glance through, they look really helpful
yea, agree with stomotionanimation.com, im a lurker on the forums and ive noticed the same, probably not the most welcoming place place for newbies!
uploaded my monkies (i would add a link but im being too lazy hehe)^_^
thanks for all the help, its allways good to get advice who knows more than me (which is allmost everyone!)
im watching you!(hehe stalker phrase)
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If you have any more questions - definitely ask away, can't say I'll have the right answers though!!!
Love the monkies! Definitely watching you back - don't want to miss any more great characters like those!
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cool, thanks! Il get thinking of new ones!
Im may animate a scooby doo figure for my cousins birthday. hes obsessed!
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scooby doo would probably be a whole lot of fun - that whole big floppy dog thing, especially when he's scared!!
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I've never actually used one of these. I haven't made a stop-mo film in the longest time, but have been plannin on renewing my profession. When I do, I think I may use one of these.
It's pretty cool you provide tips for people. I've been sculpting for almost 10 years and am now doing it professionally, but even I benefit from stuff like this.
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Sadly I have to admit I've never used one of these either!! At this point it's just hanging out - I haven't the time to try animating it at the moment.
I can't give great advice on how the nitty gritty would work out in animation, but any other question on construction and such - feel free to send them over.
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I believe I shall! I'm really climbing the ladder with my sculptures; some other outside advice would really help right now.
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ask anything you'd like. I'm more than happy to help.
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I've done simular frames myself but mild steel, as slothpaladin mentioned aluminum (tryed it and I broke it, but I couldn't replace it 
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At this point... I funked up the test head/hands/feet - I've taken pics but I'm going to go back and try a different way.
Also - I think I really just want to make puppets - and not animate them... I suppose I should find an animator who needs to let go of the fabricating half and just wants to worry about animating... then I can just make puppets!!!
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Ah, to live and learn! do you wanna know the best thing I've found for puppets? sounds sad, but I used a action man, (the pics will be on soon as its finished) well all the joints are there mulitple articulation points, also cheap and easy to get a hold of! no quite traditional but its working well! :fingercrossed: I hope you get it working ok soon!
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I could imagine that that would be one of the best and easiest solutions - I've seen a couple people do similar things. I also recently got some stikfas to play with...
I just really need to stick with the sculpture thing for a while though - I tried this armature out of the Susannah Shaw stop motion book more on a construction basis than actually to animate.
I'm thinking that I'll keep on with some character maquettes and do puppet stuff (both stop mo and theater) when asked... and start putting out portfolios to random studios - ya never know...
Thanks for the tips!!
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Yeah it is hard, I don't make any movies so I don't know animation that well but the puppetsI have made seemed to have worked ok, more trial and error....well mainly error. 
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Yeah - I think that for now, definitely going to dig into the sculpture half and screw the stop mo armatures!!! Need to work on details more...
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Well You can't go wrong with your sculpts, I just want to see more!
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That wire looks like it's twisted really tight, don't know if it will be problimatic or anything but I never twist is that tight. You should be able to save time by not using brass tubing for the bones and just making them out of epoxy, as you are using aluminum armature wire the replacable limbs is likely overkill unless you need to remove the limbs in animation (is that why you used the tubing) if you don't need to remember that amature wire is very hard to brake, and you could have saved time by making the hips and shoulders out of epoxy putty.
I have yet to do any foam latex stuff, but I plan on learning sooner or later.
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well - I haven't put too much motion stress on it, we'll see on the tightness - as for the tubing for bones, it was easier in a lot of ways, but epoxy may be a better idea - thanks. The removable limbs is for removal during animation, especially to be able to replace the parts in case they get too funked up.
Thanks a lot of looking and commenting.
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That's pretty awesome...! I will be following with interest to find out how the rest of the steps turn out.
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sadly - over the last few days, it hasn't been going all so well!!! but, I'll post the pictures of failure soon!!
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