First time animating or making a puppet? then this thread will help:

1. When making a puppet, don't go straight into just good clay, build a steady armature from alluminan wire, though it breaks, it's usefull for beginers.

2. when building a puppets body and face ect., everyone should know this by their parents , take your time, theres no rush.

3.Use baby wipes on your hands if you are using different clay for a certain area. This makes sure the clay on your hands dosn't bleed.

4. If characters get dust, put them in a plastic food bag or clear foil (clear rap for you yanks) or dip your fingure in water and rub it on the puppet

5. When bending parts like joints in animations, you weaken the strength of the clay and underneath, so it's best to not do huge big fat movements then crying "MUMMY HAGGIS'S ARM FELL OFF I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IS THE END OF THE WORLD COMING and other crap. Small slow movements are good. You can edit it in software if you don't like the speed or how it turns out

6.If the puppet is no longer for use like these i made, for the love of god DON'T THROW THEM OUT, they are an important part of your personal archive and hitory. If its broken in a really bad way, edit it with mre clay till you're satisfied and put the on the shelf for show

Hey Spazi, that's a good point about keeping old puppets. Or at least if you are going to re-use the clay or give them to someone make sure you take lots of pictures.

Nice tutorial. Clear foil, I've never heard it that way before. I guess it proves that I am a "Yank".

Shame the puppets above broke and snapped during animation, still, they are good for display.