Animation Toolkit is a Salford based company which specialises in supplying stop motion animation kits, parts and materials, as well as manufacturing bespoke armatures and providing support and advice to animators of all abilities. Wes Wood, who was representing Animation Toolkit at MAF, is a experienced animator who has worked with Cosgrove Hall, Mackinnon & Saunders, and has worked on animations for CITV and Channel 5.
The presentation at MAF was deeply informative, providing a step by step guide to the process of designing and constructing a stop motion puppet, and a review of the various techniques and materials which might be used. As I have discovered, working with armatures is expensive (a 'professional' kit can cost up to £100, and a custom built armature in excess of £150), so any advice and insider knowledge which can help prevent costly mistakes is a great help.
Beginnng with a scale drawing of the character is a great help, as it helps to be able to lay the pieces of the armature over the character when fathoming out the construction. Sketching turnarounds can also be helpful for when sculpting your character. Most characters begin life as a clay, or plasticine maquette, a sculpt to show the character in its 3D form. These often dont survive, as they are used to create the moulds which will then be used to cast the puppet in foam, silicone or another material.
The cheapest form of armature is a simple wire armature, which is quick and easy to make. Twisting two or more strands of wire together strengthens the armature and provides a back up if one strand snaps under the strain of manipulation (hands are particularly vulnerable). As wire comes in many gauges it is possible to use thicker, stronger wire for the legs, and also find much finer types suitable for fingers. However, a wire armature is unable to bear a great amount of weight, and the limbs may need reinforcing. This could be done using K & S telescopic tubing, which can provide a bone like casing over the wire, and prevent the wire bending at unwanted points. This tubing can also be used for removable hands, allowing replacements to easily slot in and out. Another feature of wire armatures is that they can be a bit springy, but this can be controlled by fleshing them out with a suitable material, such as foam.
Essentially, stop motion is just a series of problems to overcome. A problem which I encountered when constructing my puppet last year was that the wire fingers were liable to protrude from whatever covering was used on them. A handy tip is to top each digit with a blob of resin glue, which should mask any sharp points, and prevent damage (especially to expensive silicone) as well as creating a fingertip.
Silicone can be used for both moulds (although hard moulds made of resin and plaster are cheaper and easier to work with) and the puppets themselves. It is quite a temperamental material, being sensitive to temperature, so it is important to mix it correctly, paying attention to the manufacturers instructions. Also silicone can't be painted, as the only material that sticks to silicone is silicone, and even then only with the aid of a catalyst, but this can make the silicone brittle, something of a trade off. Silicone can be tinted, with an oil based paint, before being cast, but these colours may leech over time. There are companies which provide pigments especially for this purpose, but they only come in basic colours. If you require anything more exotic you must mix your own.
Before casting your 'proper' puppet, it is helpful to do a slip cast, which will clean out the mould, allow you to get used to the material, and check there are no troublesome air bubbles. If casting in silicone, the visible seams in the cast can be trimmed using curved nail scissors (to minimise the risk of cutting into the puppet) and then sanded with 120 grit we and dry paper, with a solution of water and fairly liquid, or even white spirit. Foam latex is somewhat outdated as a puppet making material now, Jacobson's Chemicals now provide a fast foam which is better suited to the job. Using a release such as J Wax is a good release can prolong the life of a silicone mould, but can be detrimental to foam.
Ball and socket armatures are more advanced than their wire counterparts. If working from a kit, all of the components should be cleaned with acetone to remove any greasy residue which might prevent the loctite from fixing the pieces firmly together. If using this method, the glue will need 12 to 24 hours to go off in a warm place. Last year I did not do this, and some of the ball joints came loose. Not a mistake I intend to make again. A better way of fixing the solid parts of an armature is through silver soldering, which creates s permanent, super strong join. Not all kits can be soldered, but Animation Toolkit's own products can be.
To flesh out the body of the puppet, fast foam is a good option for any nude skin, as it has a smooth finish, and other puppets (such as the Corpse Bride) have a thin silicone skin. However, for clothed or otherwise covered (fur?) areas can be sculpted with a car sponge or any other form of sponge. A great many densities are available, so it is a matter of selecting one which provides the best balance between supporting, but not restricting or fighting the movement of the armature. With practice, it is possible to achieve great results by sculpting and sponge, and it is also a very cheap and readily available material. One which I shall consider for my stop motion stag.
With all elements of building an armature, there are solutions and techniques to suit every budget. It is all a matter of cutting your cloth appropriately. As I am keen to work with a ball and socket armature, for the increased stability, and it superior articulation (which more closely resembles a jointed marionette), I will have to balance the cost by considering the use of cheaper materials elsewhere, such as a car sponge body. This would also eliminate the need to create moulds, reducing costs even further. This presentation will not only prove useful for my current project, but inform my creative practice for years to come.
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| Some of the finer armatures which Animation Toolkit brought along. The white dragon in particular was especially beautiful, with its delicate wing structure and incredibly articulate tail. |
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