Debbie the Curlew
Puppet Designer, Maker, Puppeteer
Working in collaboration with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to create a life-sized and realistically moving Eurasian Curlew marionette to be used for a fundraising campaign surrounding the decline of the Curlew in the UK.
Debbie is completely hand-carved out of locally sourced lime and oak wood, hand-painted with water-based oil paints and has working wing mechanisms designed on AutoCAD and laser cut out of birch plywood and mountboard.
Since her creation, she has been used in primary school workshops as a visual aid for learning and is at the forefront of the GWCT’s current curlew campaign, traveling around fairs and festivals in the UK.
Video By Ted Cornish
Process
Scale drawing
Maquetting with corrugated cardboard. When carved, the block acted like wood so was ideal for working out movements and mechanisms
Mechanism and beak CAD drawings
CAD for the feathers. measurements taken from Featherbase
Maquette carved out of layered cardboard.
Wing mechanism. When opening, the secondary feathers move with the wing
Mechanisms all lasercut out of 3mm Ply
Red-oak legs and feet, ready to carve
Adjusting the feet size and height
Carving the head block out of Lime wood
Attaching the beak to the head so they could be blended together
Fully carved head, ready to paint
Testing leg movements before altering to ensure smooth fit
Painting the head. Using water-based oils to create a natural blend
Leg carving
Painting an drying the body
Painting top feathers on body
Finished head and body render. Ready to attach wings and neck
Pattern making for neck fabric
Maquetting wing fabric joint
Painting neck fabric pre-sewing
Ready to assemble!
First stringing test! Actual handle was not made yet
Painting underside of wings to blend the mechanism more naturalistically
CAD drawing for the handle
First handle test and walking!
