How to Make Your Own Oriental Shadow Puppets
Shadow puppetry is where a translucent screen is placed in front of the audience and a light is shined from behind it. The puppets are just basic outlines of the characters and are projected onto the screen with the light as shadows. This type of theater was started in Asia using animal leather as the main material for the puppets. It is most commonly associated with Indonesia and Turkey, although the art form is believed to originate in China.
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Things You'll Need
- Cardboard
- Glue
- Wooden dowels
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Paper fasteners
- Paints
- Paint brushes
Instructions
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1
Trace the outline of the character on a piece of cardboard or thick paper. Draw the character's details, such as hair, fingers and clothing, with care. The head is commonly enlarged to make the character more recognizable. The optimum size for a shadow puppet is between 8 inches and 11 inches tall, but this is also dependent on the size of the screen being used.
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Draw the shadow puppet's limbs if the character is going to be jointed.
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3
Cut out the outline of the character using scissors or a craft knife.
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4
Punch a hole for the paper fasteners where movable limbs will be attached to the puppet. For example, if the puppet has a movable arm, make the hole near the shoulder.
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5
Attach the movable limbs using paper fasteners.
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Glue wooden dowels to the body and movable limbs. Bamboo kebab skewers work well. The main holding rod should be attached to the middle of the body and the moving rods to the upper part of the limbs.
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Paint the character in the appropriate colors. The key difference between Asian and other forms of shadow puppetry is that the screen is so thin the colors can be seen through it. These thin screens are made from a very fine weave cotton or even silk.
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Tips & Warnings
Sticky tape can be used to attach the wooden rods, and drinking straws can be used instead of wood.
The need for painting depends on the thickness of the screen. If using paper or a bed sheet, the colors will not be seen through it.
Do not let children use scissors or knives unsupervised.
References
- Photo Credit Henry Gan/Photodisc/Getty Images
