The Model

        The main area of animation that I am interested in is stop motion, and in particular the creation of the detailed and charismatic puppets which lie at the heart of many stop motion films. So, now that we finally have the chance to work in the 3D workshops, building a character from the wire armature up, I feel in my comfort zone.

        Thus far, we have made simple wire armatures/skeletons, and begun adding form and structure to them using Milliput, which will also limit the armature's movement to the joint areas. One problem that I and a few other members of the group encountered already is the scale of the model. The brief requested a character around six inches high, which with my design resulted in a rather long and spindly armature, which may make modelling and sculpting any delicate/small features tricky, while it has also caused a slight issue with the wire; ideally, for such a delicate structure, I would have liked to work with thinner, more malleable wire. But this is all a steep learning curve, will offer me a challenge, and I will be able to draw on this experience and knowledge when creating models in the future.

While designing my basic character outline, I was bearing in mind the exaggerated womanly figures of many characters in Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. An unexpected benefit was that the shapely hips balanced the model nicely, preventing her from being top heavy and toppling over.

        Once the armature was complete, with the Milliput applied and drying (this putty, which starts off as malleable and clay like, becomes rock hard when fully dry) we were given the opportunity to experiment modelling with plasticine. I have horrible memories of wrestling with slimy clay and trying to persuade two separate elements to mould together, but the plasticine was pleasantly pliant and obedient, although perhaps more suited to a rounder more cartoonish style than how I usually work.

        This last image, of a quickly modelled zombie-like character reminds me of one of the undead elders of Laika's Paranorman. Not only are exaggerated and caricatured features more fun to work with, but often in terms of stop motion are easier to work with, as they provide ample opportunity for feature to be detached and replaced (different mouth shapes, eye expressions).