Transcripts
1. Introduction: hi, Everyone will come to my second skill share class. My name is Barbara. I'm a puppet maker and I specialize in making personalized Mirian. It's based on photos in my first class making a marinade. We went step by step through the whole process of making these simple puppet. And today I'm gonna show you how to create unique eyeglasses, especially for your own puppet. Dull or a toy. Glasses are a distinctive visual part of a person's style. They're probably the first thing people notice about the face. And if I want a mirin and to look like a particular person, glasses are really important. When I started to make personalized Mirian ants, I found it a little bit tricky to make glasses for them. I was struggling to find the right material, and I didn't know how to make them look realistic. But over time it's have been experimenting with materials. I have significantly improved my technique and the process of making them, and now I'd like to share that with you. In this class, we will create many puppet glasses together. First, l teach you how to create a custom glasses template that will fit exactly your puppets face . Then I'll show you what material to use to make the glasses, how to make an original glasses frame. And I have also created a bonus lesson for you on how to make sunglasses. Whether you're a puppet maker, dolor, toymaker or you just want to create a mini version of your own glasses for your dull, this class may help. You know pride or knowledge is necessary. I'm sure you'll be able to do this and create a beautiful, unique pair of glasses for your puppet. So thank you for joining me and let's get started.
2. Materials and Tools: When I started to make personalized marionettes, I had difficulty finding the right material for eyeglasses. I couldn't hear Israel glass, so I had to find something that would look like real glass. But at the same time, it would be workable, easy to bend and cut with scissors. Now, to make glasses for my marionettes, I mostly use this plastic material. It's a clear polycarbonate. This one is called macron. There is also Lex, Um, and these polycarbonate sheets come in various thicknesses. I use one millimeters thick polycarbonate. The thickness is important because we want the glasses to retain their shape, but at the same time, the material should be thin enough so it can be easily cut with scissors. The good thing about polycarbonate is that we can call for Mitt. It means we can easily bend the temple arms without having to heat them. This material is commonly used by aircraft modelers, for example, to make windshields, doors, etcetera. I have a friend who is an aircraft modeler, and he often provides me some polycarbonate remnants that would otherwise be thrown away. Off course. This material can be bought online. It also comes in a four sheets. This, for example, is a Lexan sheet I bought on eBay. But since puppet glasses are really tiny, all you need is a small piece of this material, something like this. But of course, it depends on how big your puppet iss eso. If you know any aircraft modelers or anybody who breaks with a polycarbonate, try to ask them for some smaller remnants. But there is also another option. You can look around and try to find some similar material at home. I don't recommend mineral water bottles because they're too thin and those bottles are also to around, and we need something that is rather flat. This is better option. It is a plastic bottle, but this one is thicker and it's not completely around. It has some flat areas here that could be used, So if you have something like this, a thick, flat bottle or an old plastic container before throwing it away, you can try to use it for puppet eyeglasses. So first we'll need a piece of material that is clear, transparent, rather flat thick enough to retain its shape. I recommend the thickness off one millimeter, and it should also be a material that can be bends without breaking and that can be cut with scissors. We're also going to need a ruler pencil, a piece of paper and a piece of carton or something paper to create a template. Then we'll need a permanent markers. It's raised the template onto the polycarbonate. We'll also need some Sezer's. I recommend some all Caesar's, because when cutting plastic materials, they become blunt very quickly, and some curve nails deserves a swell to cut these rounds areas. And once we have the glasses cut out of a polycarbonate will need around file in a sandpaper to smooth the edges a little bit. This one is a degree, and these pieces 100 80. But of course, the numbers can vary depending on the country. When sanding, I recommend using an old pain brush to get rid of dust particles, a piece of cloth to protect the glasses from scratching. And if you want, you can also use a paper tape to protect the lenses. While standing like this, I don't use it, but if you're afraid of scratching, the lens is this can be helpful and finally will need to create a frame and at some final details to make our glasses original and unique. So we'll need some acrylic panes, water, paintbrushes, especially thing Brush for painting the frame small, mixing both and tissues or paper tells, and we can also use a water based dispersion glue. I often use it as a protective film, but this can also be used if you want to make the frame look a little bit glossy. If you want to create sunglasses, then check out the bonus lesson. What I'll show you my technique of creating tinted lenses as well as materials that you'll need. You can also download the materials list in pdf from the project in the Resources section.
3. Template: So first, let's thing about the shape and design. What style of glasses you want your dole or a puppet to wear? Ah, when I make a personalized puppet, I always have some reference photos so I can see that particular person with the glasses on so you can use a reference photo A swell. You can just find inspiration on the Internet, or you can design your own glasses for my puppet. I have chosen thes glasses. I found the picture on the Internet. So this is gonna be my reference photo off course. I can customize them a little bit. Changed the color, etcetera. So now that we have decided on the design and shape, we need to create a template. Glasses for dolls or puppets are usually smaller than those for real people, so we need to make the template that will fit perfectly on our puppets face. So first thing we're going to do is to take a piece of paper and designed the shape off one glass or lens. So now I'm gonna take a ruler to measure the distance between the edge of the nose and the edge of the face just to know the approximate with of the lens and markets on the paper with a pencil, we can also mark the approximate height of the lands and start drawing this shape. Now, I'm not trying to be super exact, because if I'm not satisfied with it or if it does not fake my puppet, I can still change it or make some adjustments. Now, I'm just looking at the screen trying to copy that shape. But you can also print your reference picture out if you want. I said just drawing it a little bit bigger first, cut it out, put it on the I and then make adjustments. So now that I have one lens roughly sketched on paper, I'm gonna cut it out. Okay? I think it fits well, but I'm gonna cut a little bit from the top of the lens to make it more curved. Okay, now I like it better. So once we have one lens template prepared, we can use it to complete the entire template. I'm gonna show you how to do that. So now we'll need a piece of cartoon or you can use any think paper. This piece should be big and long enough so it can include the length of the front part and both sides a swell both temple arms. In my case, I want the temples to end somewhere here behind the ears. So I need at least four plus four centimeters plus the front part, which is approximately five centimeters. So, in my case, the total length of the carton should be at least 13 centimeters. But for the template, I always use a bit longer piece of carton, just in case. So first I'm gonna mark a center line. And now we should decide on the distance between both lenses, which is basically the width of the nose. But it depends on your puppets Anatomy. In my case, it's six millimeters. So its three millimeters to the left of the center line and three to the right. Okay, Now I'm gonna trace this lanced and played here. So this is the left lands, and I'm just gonna flip it over to draw the right one. And now it's time to draw the bridge, this middle part that connects both lenses. You don't have to strictly stick to the shape on the reference picture. I recommend that you designed a bridge, which is easy to cut with scissors. Okay. And now we can take a ruler, draw the temple arms and complete the template. You can also make the ends curve down if you want. Like this, but I'll make them straight. All right, Now I'm gonna cut this template out to see if it fits my puppets. Okay? I think it fits. Well. If you're not happy with your template, you can still trace it onto another piece of carton. You can redraw it and make some adjustments. I'm considering making the temples a bit longer. And then when your template feeds perfectly on your puppets face, you can trace it onto the polycarbonate.
4. Tracing and Cutting: Now I'm gonna use the permanent marker and trace the template onto the piece of fully carbon it all right, and now we can use scissors to kept the glasses out. And because this line has its own thickness, I will be cutting in from the other side of the line because if I cut it here, there would be too much material to remove with a scent paper to get the original size. So I'm going to start with ordinary old Sezer's, and when I get to these round areas, I'll use nail scissors. - You have to be really careful not to cut through the lands or through the temples. I recommend cutting it very slowly, and we also very careful not to scratch the surface with scissors. - It doesn't have to be perfect right now. Now I'm living it thicker here, and later I'll finish these parts using a file in the sandpaper
5. Corrections: Okay, Once the glasses are cut out, I'm gonna put the template on top of them to see all the mistakes that have to be fixed. So now we can use around, file in a sandpaper to smooth the edges and make some corrections to get this original shape. I always start with mediums in paper, and then I continue standing with a finer piece. Now I'm going to remove the protective film and plays the glasses on a piece of cloth because I don't want them to get scratched. And I'm going to make some final corrections. But now, when the protective film is removed, we have to be really careful not to scratch. The lens is okay . Now that I've made all the corrections, I'm gonna bend the temples and try the glasses on my puppet again to see if they fit. I'm also gonna dream the temple arms and now I can start sending the frame. But there is also another option. You can first send the frame, and after that you can bend these temple arms. Also, you're both sending techniques in the next video
6. Sanding the Frame: before we start painting the frame, we should roughen up the places where the pain will go for better adherence. Because we want the pain to Stig well on the surface so it won't peel off. So first, let's have a look at the reference photo to see what the frame looks like and that leads use the sandpaper again to roughing up that border. This will also help us see that border better, so we will know exactly what to apply the paint. So now I'm gonna take a piece of fine sandpaper folded and have because I find it easier to work with it when it's folded like this. And I'm having it angled obliquely to the edge because I want to create the border only I don't want to send people to such the center of the glasses and scratch them. So we have to be really careful. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna carefully create a thin border around the lenses. The thickness of this voter depends on the angle and on the pressure. So now it depends on what you want. How why do you want your frame to be? I recommend you take a small cat piece of the same material and practice on that piece first. And I would also like to show you another way of sanding the frame you can start sending before you bend the temples. In that case, you would just lay your glasses on a piece of cloth and send the frame this way. So it depends on what you find easier. I always been the temples. First try the glasses on my puppet and then I start sending the frame. That's just my personal preference, but it's totally up to you. - Okay , now we can very carefully send this middle area, - and I'm gonna continue standing here on the temples. I'm only sending the outer visible side of them because this material is transparent, so the pain will automatically be visible on the inner side as well.
7. Painting the Frame: Okay, Once the surface is roughened, it's prepared for applying the paint. I decided to make the frame dark blue, and because I need just small amount of paint, I'm gonna makes it in this small mixing bowl. I've also prepared a cup of clean water for diluting the paint and a tissue for wiping the brush. So first I'm going to makes my blue acrylic pane with a bit of black, and I'll also use the water to dilute the pains and to get the consistency that I need. This is the usual pain thickness I work with when making glasses frames. It should not be too thin or too runny, because if it's too thin, it doesn't cover the surface well. But if it's too thick, it makes big bumps and the frame is uneven. So I highly recommend that you practice on another piece first, and then when you gain some confidence in your happy with the pain consistency, you can start applying it on the glasses. So now I'm applying the pain exactly onto the sandy border and on the top of that border as well. Like this. - Okay , before we continue painting the bottom part of the glasses. We should let the pains fully dry because now we can't hold this part. So now I'm gonna leave it alone, let it dry, and then I'll finish painting. Okay? The upper side is fully dry. So now I can continue painting the rest of the frame and the temple arms as well. Sometimes it may happen that you go outside the frame with your brush. If this happens, you can just wipe the pain with a finger. But be careful not to scratch the lines with a nail. You can also use a cotton swab. - And now I'm gonna let it dry again. And then I'll apply another later on the temples to make sure they're fully covered with the paint. And I will also make some corrections. All right, now we can at some final details, you can use a different color and decorate your glasses, paint a lago, just whatever you want to make them unique. I'm gonna apply some light blue color on the temple arms, and then I'll paint some details with a metallic paint. Well, my glasses are finished. I applied the pain to the outer side only because the poet carbon. It is transparent, so the paint is automatically visible on the inner side to for the sample autumns. I use dark blue color as the base coat, so this color is visible on the inner side. And I applied a different color on the outer side in order to secret to color frame so you can really experiment with your glasses with the design colors, lands shape. There's so many things that you can do.
8. Alternative: Using a Plastic Bottle: now it also like to show you another pair of glasses. This time I'm gonna be making them out of this plastic bottle that I showed you earlier so that we can compare them and see the differences between both materials. So now it's gonna be the same processes before. But I'm gonna be using a different material and a different template first, which raise our template onto a piece of plastic material that we have. In my case, it's gonna be this flat shaped bottle. No. Then we cut the glasses out, sand the frame and painted with acrylics. The process is pretty much the same. So now I'm going to speed up the video, make the bottle eyeglasses, and then we will compare both finished pieces. - All right. And now here I have some water based dispersion glue, and I'm going to apply these glue to this small area here under the bridge because now the glue is white. But after drying it will create an invisible film so the red pains will not smudge puppets knows. Okay, I think these glasses are pretty good, even though they're much thinner. But on the other hand, this material is easier to cut. The disadvantage of bottles or plastic containers is that they usually have some scratches already when it comes to shape, these temple arms are a little curved, these air straight, but I don't think it's a big problem. So if you have any sake plastic bottle that is brother flat shaped. Or if you have any old plastic container, you can use it as an alternative material for your many puppet glasses.
9. Bonus Lesson: Sunglasses: in this lesson, I'm gonna show you how to create sunglasses or glasses that have tinted lenses off course. The easiest way to make such lands is is to use a polycarbonate that it's already dark, smoked into or color tinted. Then it would be the same process as I showed you in previous lessons. However, these colors into cheese may be harder to get. So now I'd like to show you how to make tinted lenses when using ordinary, clear polycarbonate. So in this lesson, I'm gonna be creating the most common type of sunglasses with lenses that are darker, like the smoked glass. To create this effect, I'm gonna use transparent smoke black foil, which is commonly used for cars to make the windows darker or to decorate the lights. It can be purchased online or in a car full store. They come in different colors. But I didn't buy this piece. I went to the store to buy it, But what? I told them that I needed this foil just for small puppet sunglasses. There were so kind and provided me some remnants for free. They gave me some pieces of a car foil that would otherwise be thrown away because they didn't need those pieces anymore. So again, since the puppet sunglasses are really, really small, you don't need to have much of this foil. You just need some small pieces so you can try it as well. You can go to the local Carter foil store and try to ask for some smaller remnants. Okay, so this is a template I'm gonna use now to create sunglasses. First is gonna be the same processes I showed you earlier, but before repaint the frame, we will apply The foil on the lions is okay. So now that we have the glasses cut out, we have made all the corrections, and we have also sanded the frame we can apply. The foil on the inner side of the lands is here. So now I'm having the glasses laid outer side down on this piece of cloth, and first I'm gonna cut a piece of the foil. These peas will be a bit bigger than these lands is area. And now it is recommended to clean the surface first and moisten it with soapy water. So here I have some water mixed with a bit of dish soap and first I'm going to clean the surface. And now that the surface of the glasses is clean, I'm gonna apply this solution on it again. And now it's time to take the foil. Remove the protective film so that we can lay the sticky side onto the surface. The soapy water still allows us to reposition it a little bit. Okay, now that I got it in the position I want, I'm gonna take another piece of cloth and start pushing the water out in order to remove any inner bubbles. All right, now, I recommend leaving it alone for several hours to let it fully dry. Now we can take a utility knife and cut away this success foil. I recommend using a cutting mat or something to protect your table from scratching. - Okay ? And now I'm going to paint the frame the same way as I showed you earlier. But now I decided to make 1/2 frame to make these glasses look a bit different.
10. Final Thoughts: So here I have all three pairs of puppet glasses I have completed. I think they often well Here, For example, I've poked two holes in the temples and tied a piece of elastic here and a small hook to keep the glasses from slipping down the head because this is a puppet and I'm moving a lot . But when it comes to Dole's, it is not necessary, because if the temples are bent like this towards the inside, on the glasses hold tightly against the head. So now it's your turn. I hope you have completed your glasses, and I hope you share some photos with me, whether they're normal standard glasses or sunglasses or maybe something super crazy, extravagant. I can't wait to see them in the project gallery. So thank you for taking this class. Uh, I hope it was useful for you and see you next time. By
Barbora Mihoková, Puppet Maker
