PEAhind the Scenes, Part 10

Push the armature wire into the foam at the first marker. Carefully feed it through until it comes out at the second marker. It's not necessary, but you might want to get both holes started with an exacto knife. Pull the wire through until the first bead is snug against the foam.

B.A.R.K. Production Journal: Puppet eyes, Step 3

Just as I did for the puppet's irises, I'm going to trace and paint the pupils. Rather than centering the pupils on the iris, I'm making them a little crossed. This will make the eyes feel more focused.

B.A.R.K. Production Journal: Puppet eyes, Step 2

Paint the puppet's irises with acrylic paint. This takes a careful eye and a steady hand so take your time and try to stay inside the line.

B.A.R.K. Production Journal: Puppet eyes, Step 1

Draw your desired iris shapes on paper. Cut the shapes out and use these to determine the proper iris placement. Their position and focus is important, because the eyes are the first things people look at. Make sure the eyes aren't too crossed, walleyed or uneven - unless of course that's the effect you're going for. I usually like to make the eyes slightly crossed, this makes them feel more focused. Take your time, move them around and try different looks. Once you've found the proper placement, tape them to the puppet's eyeballs and trace them with a pencil.

B.A.R.K. Production Journal: Puppet Eyes, Step 3

Using a scrap of foam apply a layer of Barge Cement to one half of the puppets eye and the inside of the eye socket. Make sure you don't get any Barge on the part of the eye that will be visible.

B.A.R.K. Production Journal: Puppet Eyes, Step 2

Using a sharp exacto blade, cut out the eye holes. Please note that this step if very permanent, once the holes are cut, they are difficult to patch up. If you think that your puppets eyes should be removable, or replaceable, like the anything Muppets from Sesame Street, don't cut eye holes. Instead attach your eyes with double stick tape, Velcro, or pins. My puppets need to withstand up to three shows a day, so I use the most secure way to attach the eyes.

B.A.R.K. Production Journal: Puppet Eyes

Now it's time to give my cat puppet eyes. Puppet eyes can be made out of a variety of materials depending on the look you are going for. As I mentioned in a few previous posts, puppet eyes can be made from plastic spoons, ping pong balls, practice golf balls, beads, or plasticjewelss. For this puppet IÂ'll be using ping pong balls.

Before I cut holes for the puppets eyes, I need to find the proper placement. To find the right position cut out some paper pattern, and move them around until it looks good. Once you've found the proper spot pin the paper down and mark the eye hole with a pen.

Puppet Eyes: Plastic Jewels

If you are looking for a way to make your puppet's eyes sparkle, try using plastic jewels. They are available at most craft stores and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Use a large round or oval jewel for the eye, or add a glint of light by gluing a small silver jewels to the corner of the eyeball. The jewels can also be glued to plastic spoons, ping pong balls, or practice golf balls to create a unique and colorful pupil. For our puppet show B.A.R.K. the robot dog, we used plastic jewels for B.A.R.K.'s eyes to give him a more mechanical look.

Puppet Eyes: Practice Golf Balls

Puppeteer and puppet builder Nick Barone is brilliant at using materials in unusual ways. He developed the technique of making puppet eyes from practice golf balls. The balls are yellow and made from a dense foam, and they are available at Target and most sports stores. Using these for puppet eyes is easy. Simply cut them in half (or use them whole), and paint or draw on your eye balls. Here is a gallery of Nick's puppets - the big yellow eyes are made from practice golf balls. The Tyrannosaurus's Rex from Swazzle's puppet show, Harry and the Tyrannosaurs Rex also has eyes made from practice golf balls.

Puppet Eyes: Ping Pong Balls

Using ping pong balls for puppet eyes was popularized by the Muppets - even though they don't use them any more. Most of us have heard the story of the first Kermit the Frog being made from Jim Henson's mother's spring coat, and two halves of a ping pong ball. They really are ready made puppet eyes - round, white and light weight. Additionally, they are easy to come by - most sports stores sell them in packages of six or more. Use an indelible marker or paint to make eye balls, an exacto knife to cut them (or use them whole), and contact cement to glue them in place (don't use hot glue, they will melt). Ping pong balls were used to make eyes for a variety of puppets in the Swazzle puppet show, Prairie Dog Pete and the Magic Buffalo, including Jack Rabbit, Prairie Dog Pete, and the Buffalo.