Puppet making Joey

[martinpunch]

Just thought I'd share the early progress on my Joey.
Bracing myself for all comments good and bad.

[Chris]

Remarkably good if that's your first attempt at carving.

[lesclarke]

Looks like it has a lot of potential for a good expressive Joey figure, with plenty of space to paint in big eyes , dramatic hair and clown make up etc.

If you put JOEY CLOWN PUPPET into Google image search, you see plenty of examples of how others have painted them, and then give it your own interpretation. Many stick to the tradition of giving him a similar design to Joseph Grimaldi, also worth Googling for images, and info.

[martinpunch]

I have to fess up that I am not the curver, I gave the instructions on this web site to an old boy locally to do. I think he is wonderful. This is based on the Joseph Grimaldi. I am now looking at painting and clothing him, I probably will get an art stuent to do the actual painting. I will make the clothes from the instructions. We have six mor blocks so Judy is up next.

[lesclarke]

Yes, always best to be totally clear about things like that Martin.
We don't want any 'misunderstandings.'
( h well, it had to be said.)

Anyway, I hope he is enjoying the carving. One of the challenges that faces those who make full sets is to get plenty of variation in the style of the head, perhaps supply him with lots of pics of other sets.

One thing worth considering is that the Joey head is very regular in shape, and it is symetrical, left side mirrors the right.

Some carvers have got a lot of expression in their heads by making them asymetrical, one eye bigger than the other, a twisted mouth etc. as with this Brian Clarke Doctor, who looks so alive on the playboard.

The best makers produce not just puppets, but characters, so consider what sort of character your Judy might be, meek and mild or aggressive pantomime dame.

[martinpunch]

Yes I apoligies although I did not write it in anyway claiming it was my carving, I won't do the painting either as I don't want to waste wood, time or effort on things I cannot achieve better than others, I will direct the design for the character I am trying to achieve. I want my joey to be a friendly, unclely Joey as apposed to the wild clown style. So I want colourful, but not scary, The Joseph Grimaldi style fits this very nicely.
I liked the comment that Les made "Looks like it has a lot of potential for a good expressive Joey figure, with plenty of space to paint in big eyes , dramatic hair and clown make up etc." As this is exactly what I want. As you say although the basic design is there it's intepretation is in the detail, Ron has captured that exactly in his carving, something I would not be able to do in fifty blocks of wood!
I won't be able to do the painting either as I am not able to do this well enough either.
I know ideally we should all be doing all the tasks ourselves but Ron's got a woodshop and everything
Anyway I will post a picture of the head after the painting and to be clear I am not doing it.