Mama Elephant: Puppet

I made the mother elephant using a wire armature, with foam padding, and a fabric skin. The fabric is sewn in a way that it allows for the movement of the puppet whilst mimicking the way an elephant's skin folds naturally. The tusks are made with paper mache and are patterned with a traditional blue floral china design to show just how precious the tusks are to not only the ivory trade but also how vulnerable it makes the elephants.

Faraji - the main character of the film (baby elephant) is made using a ball and socket armature which can be viewed in the images above and below, then follows the same process as the mother elephant.

The eyes of the elephants are made with a socket from hot glue (to allow smooth yet firm movement of the eye), painted with acrylic and then contained in a fabric pouch that is sewn to contain them. The eyelids are functional and slide up and down above the pouch which is attached to the fabric on the elephants face.