Character Fabrication (Armature & Bodies)
Although I already had the initial Gemini-generated concept art, I needed a clearer reference for the Buggane’s proportions. I used the selected concept image to generate an additional front, side and rear view.
The generated turnaround was an approximate visual guide rather than a precise measured drawing. I imported it into Adobe Illustrator, resized it to the intended puppet height and used it to establish the broad proportions of the armature.
Once I had selected the reference image, I drew a rough armature guide in Illustrator and printed it at the intended scale.
I started with 3 mm aluminium wire, folding it back on itself three or four times to strengthen the arms, legs and backbone. The structure needed to support the later foam, fur and printed components while still remaining poseable.
I used 1 mm aluminium wire to wrap the overlapping sections and secure the main joints. Milliput epoxy putty was then applied to the sections that needed to remain rigid. Once cured, this created solid “bones” between the flexible wire joints.
This allowed the puppet to bend at selected anatomical points while reducing unwanted movement through the limbs and torso. You can see a sped-up video of the process below.
Once the Milliput had cured, I wrapped the armature in masking tape before building up the body using thin strips of foam.
I initially used craft mounting spray because I expected it to provide a flexible bond. In practice, it was messy and left several areas loose. I changed to a hot-glue gun, which gave me more control and held the foam much more securely.
I created cavities within the foam and filled these with toy-stuffing fibre. This allowed me to shape the chest, stomach, arms and back while keeping the body relatively lightweight. By the end of this stage, I had a complete Buggane body ready for its printed components and fur.
I used the same basic process to construct the three monk armatures. Gemini generated an additional proportion reference, which I printed beside the Buggane image to establish the intended difference in scale.
I used 3 mm wire for all three monk armatures, although fewer folded layers were needed because the bodies were smaller and would carry less weight.
Rather than drawing each skeleton digitally, I printed the three characters at the required scale and sketched the armature structures directly over the references. The video below shows how I formed each skeleton using the same wire and Milliput method.
By the end of this stage, I had produced four basic puppet bodies: one Buggane and three monks. The following stage would focus on developing their heads, hands and feet.
