Advanced Puppet Making with Tonya Huber

Join artist and puppet maker Tonya Huber for an advanced, hands-on exploration of puppet design and construction. This workshop goes beyond the basics and digs into the details that transform a collection of fabric, foam, thread, and miscellaneous bits into a character that feels like it has an actual personality.

Students will explore more advanced construction techniques while thinking about character design, shape, proportion, expression, movement, and finishing details. You’ll learn how seemingly small design choices can completely change the way a puppet looks, moves, and communicates, as well as how to troubleshoot when the creature in your head isn’t quite the creature sitting on your worktable.

Tonya will demonstrate techniques throughout the workshop and work individually with students as their characters develop. Rather than everyone creating an identical project, students are encouraged to experiment, make creative decisions, and develop a puppet that is uniquely their own.

Who is this class for?

Advanced Puppet Making is designed for people who already have some familiarity with making things with their hands. Previous puppet-making experience is helpful, especially if you’ve taken Tonya’s introductory Puppet Making workshop, but you don’t need to be a professional puppet builder.

Experience with sewing, upholstery, costuming, sculpture, crafting, prop making, or other forms of fabrication can also provide a great foundation for this class.

What You’ll Explore

Throughout the workshop, Tonya will introduce more advanced approaches to puppet construction and character development, including building and shaping forms, creating expressive features, developing dimensional characters, incorporating movement, refining construction techniques, and adding the finishing details that make a puppet feel complete.

This is a hands-on working class, so expect to spend your time designing, building, adjusting, experimenting, and learning by doing.

You’ll leave with new techniques you can apply to future puppet projects, a better understanding of how puppets are constructed and engineered, and of course, a new character to bring home.

Come with ideas or come with absolutely no idea what you’re making. Either works.

Sometimes the best puppets introduce themselves somewhere along the way.