Anthropomorphic Figures for Halloween - Part 2

Legs start in profile to create shape.

Musculature is built up with foil and masking tape.

I am at the beginning of a new project: some anthropomorphic figures for Halloween.  My original inspiration was an old Halloween card with anthropomorphic figures.  Once I decided on a topic for my Halloween project, I began looking at a doll making books to decide what techniques I wanted to use to make the doll body.  What I found was a pattern for an anthropomorphic figure.  Synchronicity?  Most likely.  I find that if I am really supposed to make something, the Universe helps by bringing the things I need and places them in my path.  So I decided that not only would I make the doll I planned to make, but also the doll in this book.  So now I have two projects. 

  As I blogged last time, this will be a project creating the figures in cloth and in papier mache'.  The pattern for the cloth doll is called Tom Mato from a  book called Crafting Cloth Dolls by Miriam Christensen Gourley.  2002. Quilt Digest Press, a division of McGraw Hill.  I have made a fair amount of progress in the last few days.  So I'll get on with what has been done so far.

Arms and legs armatures are almost complete.

I started both the papier mache' and cloth doll projects.  I went through my fabric stash and did not find three coordinating fabrics in the colors I wanted, so I made a trip to the fabric store.  Before I was able to get out to the store I tried the pattern in some scrap muslin just to get a feel for how the project was going to work.  I find that it is worthwhile to try a test with scrap fabric first just so there are no surprises when you get to cutting the expensive fabric.  After making a scrap pattern I decided that I would increase the size of the pattern by a quarter of an inch by adding an eighth of an inch all the way around the pattern.  The reason for this
change was to make the small pieces easier to turn.  My fingers are not as nimble as they used to be.  Since the pattern is traced on the wrong side of the material, the pieces have to be turned right side out before the piece is stuffed.  The wrist area of the pattern is very narrow.  It was possible to turn it, but making the pattern a little larger made it much more comfortable to work with.   The head, which is a Styrofoam ball covered by papier mache' will remain the same size.

While waiting to get to the fabric store, I started on my papier mache' doll.  It will also be an anthropomorphic figure, but a pumpkin man this time.  I began by working on the arm and leg armatures.  The shaping of the leg armatures has been completed.  I am still working on the arm armatures.  One arm is longer than the other arm by an eighth on an inch.  I will have to correct that.  I also have to add the metal hooks from which the arms will hang.  When I was a child we had Halloween toys that moved the arms and legs when you pulled a string.  The arms and legs flew up as if the anthropomorphic pumpkin man had been startled.  I am trying to recreate that type of toy.

I began by shaping the leg armatures out of aluminum foil.  I began by making the leg in profile.  Once I had a satisfactory shape showing the contours of the thigh and calf I added more bits of foil and masking tape to make a three dimensional leg.  This takes some time.  The shape of the musculature is build up by little bits and pieces of foil and masking tape.  I estimate that I spent about forty-five minutes on each leg.  The leg is built up bit by bit until it looks as you want it to look.  The big challenge is to make the second leg look like the first leg.   (Note that the leg grows in length and width as more tape and foil is added.  Start smaller than your intended completed size.)

The second leg also started as a profile.  Then more aluminum foil and masking tape are used to build up the second leg.  To make the proportions of the legs accurate I measured around the top of the thigh, just above the knee, and the ankles.  I also measure down the length of the legs and work to make sure the lengths are the same between both legs.  When these proportions are the same on both dolls, the legs will be look like they should.  

It takes a fair amount of time to get this far.  It can be done faster, but taking the time at this point to get the proportions right at this point will save a lot of time and aggravation down the line.  It really depends on whether you want a more detailed doll or a quick craft project.  I hope to have a lot of detail in this doll. 

This is about as far as along as I have come on this project.  Check back on Thursday for more on constructing the anthropomorphic figures.