We have over time explained that we try and do more detail in the puppets mouth because be attracting attention to the puppets mouth we can divert attention away from the Vents mouth on those (hopefully) very rare occasions when there might be some lip movement.
One way that JET has become more proficient at painting the mouths of her puppets is by studying the mouths of people when they move. Recently something stood out to her. She noticed that when she watched a performer speaking or singing on stage, that there was an increased level of reflectivity due to the fact that there is always moisture in the mouth and that was enhanced by the lights on stage.
Almost always you will see a “glisten” within the mouth of humans. That realization was the birth of yet the next evolutionary level of detail.
Lets walk you back through time. When we first started out making puppets we did the mouths much the same way as other soft sculpture makers.
Pretty plain stuff and not too attractive. Then as JET began to learn more airbrush techniques, she discarded the old way and began to do the more colorful mouths.
This was a marked improvement, but still something was missing. Thats when she noticed the reflectivity we spoke about earlier.
This shows the detail but in a way that does not represent it the way it would show to your audience. So, see the same picture not in close-up form
Now you can see what she saw. This is just another small improvement and reflects our constant search for new ways to make your new puppet look even more realistic by attracting attention to the puppets mouth and away from yours.
We appreciate all the comments and emails that you send. Keep em coming.
Until next time,
Steve and JET
Coming real soon we will be adding about another 25 new characters to the website – keep watching!!!
Another fine example of what sets these figures apart from other similar ones. Nice work Jet
Do you “re-do” tongues on wooden figures, from felt to air-brushed? I, too, like the realistic tongue better.
Nancy K
Hi Nancy,
At this time I would have to decline that opportunity based on the fact that we have never done something like that. We are primarily Soft Sculpture makers and there are potentially a wide variety of complexities that could arise when trying to paint over other types of paints and finishes. Somewhere down the road, we may get the time to experiment with several types of prefinished wood characters, but for right now we don’t want the responsibility of possibly doing more harm than good on someone else’s creation.
Doctors take an oath that says “Above all, do no harm” and until we have had adequate time and experimental procedures to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can achieve the desired result, we are better off not attempting something that could potentially not have the result you are wanting.
Thanks for asking, and we will try to post something if the day comes that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can complete your task without making “enemy’s” in the process.
Steve