Another great puppet maker has already given his tips on making papier mache, and I don’t think I could improve on it… not when that puppet maker is internationally reknown Ronnie Burkett. His recipe - and an article on using it - can be found at Proptology (at the bottom of the page), the online version of a props journal. A number of puppet makers use this recipe. UPDATE 7/10/09: Since talking to RB recently, I have learned that even he doesn’t use the recipe above, having improved upon it. I have not found out what exactly the changes are, but the recipe I think is probably still the best to use. Even if you’re not interested in papier mache, there are a number of other interesting articles online there, plus info on how to subscribe to the mag. In particular, the back issues are worth checking out. (Proptology is a Canadian mag, but they do take international subscriptions)

… Ah hell, I’ll add in some other thoughts anyway…

I’ve not used the above recipe before, but I have worked with papier mache. There are a number of things to remember:

1. A basic recipe is: newspaper and watered down Elmer’s Glue (PVA to us Aussies). You can also alternate with gauze… easily bought in bandage form from your local chemist
2. Use small pieces of newspaper for the fine detail (ie. noses, eyes, etc.) and larger pieces for cheeks, limbs, the back of the head, etc.
3. If using clay, always remember to smooth vaseline over it before coating with the papier mache. This makes the cast easier to remove later
4. Excellent tip: I learned this from my friend Jeany, and it never stops being useful. Do one layer of papier mache using coloured paper (ie. the pictures from a newspaper) and then a second layer from black and white. This makes it extremely easier to keep track of where you’ve done a previous layer, since each layer will be a different colour to the last.
5. Use pieces of cut up exposed film (from your camera; make sure the negs aren’t something you need!) to stick into the clay and ‘divide’ the papier mache mould in two; by doing this, you have an easy and quick way to remove both sides
6. Once you join the halves together, coat the whole thing with a few more layers of papier mache in order to secure the join… although when taking my bunraku masterclass, what we did was use PVA to join the two halves, and then burn the join together… obviously, don’t try this at home unless you know what you’re doing!

… That’s about all I can think of… As always, do check out the threads over at Puppets and Stuff for more ideas and tips.

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