Murdoch The Seaman Puppet (Part 6)

Quick note: Morezmore is now on Instagram – morezmorestudio
Another quick note: We sell everything I use here. So if you see something useful, get it from Morezmore.

Continues from Part 5

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Third item from Murdoch’s care package for the Animators – a good knife.
Any murdoch needs a good knife, right? For pirates and stuff.
It is made out of a miniature sword, filed down and sharpened.
The handle is wrapped in leather, a stud on the end of handle

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How to Make a Miniature Antique Treasure / Pirate / Whaling / Adventure / Safari / Maritime / Steampunk / Battle Map.
It is simple but impressive – a low-hanging fruit, for sure.

 

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Gun
Bonus item #5 from Murdoch’s care package – Colt Peacemaker.
Murdoch got a gun and we got a sharpshooting lecture.
This one is easy, I just used a gun charm, painted and aged. More time was spent on identifying it on google, so that it would be somewhat close to the period. Thankfully, it is close. Colt Peacemaker revolver was created roughly mid-century 1800s.

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Bonus item #6 from Murdoch’s care package – a Ditty Bag.
Murdoch volunteered and I gladly agreed. He knows what he is doing.

FYI: Ditty Bag – a canvas and rope bag used by sailors for personal belongings. A classic maritime tradition, a ditty bags is made by hand and incorporates all the basic sewing and marlinespike techniques needed to make and repair sails by hand.

I found this royalty-free image of Medusa head and got it approved with the film-makers as a logo for the ship. The ship is called “Medusa”. This logo will go on Murdoch’s ditty bag.

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Ditty bag pattern from google search.
The fabric is thin stretch canvas-like, name: Telio Avellino Stretch Linen

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This latch hook was very helpful.

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Compass – again easy:

This cabochon tray, tiny printed image of a compass, 1mm bronze chain

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Lantern:
– oil board stencil cardstock – for the lantern body box
– miniature light on battery
– 2mm aluminum wire
– super glue
– wooden half-sphere from my junk drawer
– M2x12 screws
– piece of rope for decoration
– 1/16″ aluminum mesh
– 1mm bronze chain
– flatback pearls
– nylon washer
– Brush’n Leaf metallic paint in brass
– acrylic paint burnt umber for aging

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Fabric arrived for Murdoch’s coat. These are “classic wool tweeds” in miniature – nubby tweed, herringbone, houndstooth and windowpane. I read up about it, a little.

The fabric is not real tweed, as it would be too thick for this scale. They are tweed-printed flannels, search for “Woolies Flannel”.

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I am using the same pattern I made for the shirt, adding a few mm on each side.
The new NO SMOKING DURING FITTINGS Policy is effective in 30 seconds.

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Murdoch’s coat is done. It looked different just a while ago, but Murdoch thought it looks “too new”, so we aged it a little, then more and then kept on aging until it started to look like crap, to Murdoch’s utter satisfaction.

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About those functional buttons – it was not requested, I just wanted to see if I can make the coat animatable. The experiment was successful – the buttons work. So if dressing/undressing is a part of the story, it is possible. 4mm metal buttons in bronze, need tweezers to close them.
Two tips:
1. Paint the fabric (more on the back, a little on the front) with clear nail polish before cutting button holes so that they do not unravel.
2. Make the buttons with legs – see last image.

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good roomy functional pockets

Adjusting joint tension:

I just got a last minute idea how to make the lantern less bright and less electric.

It is time to say good bye.
Murdoch is leaving for Chicago where wizards from @workshedanimation will give him the gift of sight and make him a movie star.

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The end – as far as making of the puppet Murdoch goes.
But the story continues!
Follow workshedanimation and morezmorestudio on instagram to see animation tests, behind the scenes video and – eventually – the film.