Mr Punch Head

The head was worked out form a plasticine model as shown in Figure 6.7,

then the large head was made of paper mache on a form of fine chicken wire, as shown in Figure 6.8.

Space was made for the sensors to be attached under the nose, using velcro so they could be removed. PVA was mixed to the glue to harden it and a layer of muslin soaked in paste laid over the surface and pushed to shape wrinkles and skin texture. It was painted using acrylic paints and the edges of the wire were padded with interfacing. The head was supported above the wearer, who looks out of the neck ruff, on a pole attached to an adapted backpack. We followed instructions on making a backpack support and attaching the head to it from the The Puppeteers' Cooperative website and there are other resources for making giant puppets online.

Figure 6.7: Mr. Punch Model

Figure 6.8: Mr. Punch Paper-Mache

Figure 6.9: Mr. Punch's painted face

Mr Punch's head also has a ponytail made from knitting wool cut into lengths laid like a curtain onto a strip on masking tape then sewn to a strip of interfacing and glued to the head.