Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Please don't laugh if this is a obivious question.  I've made two bears and just stuffed the limbs and body and head and sewed them up and then together... without any joint things, just a bit loose with strong thread so the limbs could turn a bit.

What is the right order in assembly?  Do you sew all the pieces limbs to body before stuffing it and sewing the individual parts up?

Again, I've just winged it only with a simple one page jpeg picture I found on the net of the basic parts (well I increased the scale of the head and feet on the copy machine to have a sort of my version style)

I'm really glad that its impossible to make an ugly teddy bear because I can't sew well at all.  :redface:  But I was pretty proud of the two I made.     :dance:

:hug: Thank you wise teddy bear gurus for your replies!  I really am as low a basic skill and understanding at this as basic level goes down to hitting bottom.  I even am likely to run with the sissors!

I so totally enjoy seeing all the creations everyone makes.

Articile-Alan

Hi, I'm a non-professional bear maker. I've just made two for fun to give to friends. My question is what options do I have in making the joints?  In the ones I made I just used a very heavy thread and kept going from the body to the arm over and over, with just a tiny bit of play.  I want the arms and legs to move a bit... But I'm wondering if there is more of a homestyle version rather than the fancy commercial kind of the joint things.

What did the first teddy makers do for joints?

Are there tricks you can do with buttons to make them? 

Thanks for the replies!  A link with a picture would rock... or detialed explainations.  Like I said I just did two bears for fun.  I can't even sew neatly or know any fancy stiches.   :redface:   I hope to make a small bear next (around 4 inches sitting... it would be cooler to do something smaller than a beanie baby if I could pull it off) .  So far the two I made were about 10 inches sitting. 

Articicle- Alan

whoops,

sort of fell off the edge of the universe there for a while.  Now looking waaaay back in my flood of emails I see a flag for this thread and not only has someone made one at the deadline, but what a wonderful creation it was!!!

Now I got to get working on your card as I promised... it may take a bit as the universe and I are currently at war. 

great job again!!!

articicle

I think I agree with the idea that its just that the market is flooded.  People do and have loved bears, and stuffed animals in general... who doesn't remember the beanie baby craze?  Its like comic books back in the 90's.  They were a big hit, and tehn so many titles flooded in and comic book shops were everywhere...then well it collapsed in on itself.

I think leaving a teddy bear magazine at a doctors office, library, or laundramat is a great thing.  Also offering to teach a class or trying to organize shows in all general locations...

Trying to find your "mark" or style as an artist is key too. what ever you do thats a sucess is going to be copied 100 times over by other folk though who want to be on the moola bandwagon looking for a buck. 

I come at this from a more traditional artist background, doing bears for fun and perhaps to sell a few.  But I see it in all the art world.  Everyone is trying to learn graphic arts right now because thats where the money is as an artist.  I guess... well I hope that the real artists who do art as their lifes work... that quality and effort will show through.

Like I've done a few window murals for local shops... my toons have peoples shop logos incorperated in them, and they theme well or even try to show a story in action with little subtle detials... hopefully they stick out compaired to some of the complete waste of paint I've seen with some other people who do them. 

I guess my point is the flood shows success but it also forces those who are serious to even push harder... starving artists is not a misnomer.  Not only are you trying to refine and perfect your art, but you need to work at marketing, hunting down jobs, networking...  From my own line of work I am constantly trying to find new markets, and push in new areas.  I never thought working under my art master 8 years ago I'd be doing window murals... and I would never have if I didn't network and take the proactive effort to ask store owners and show my portfollio off. 

Its not an easy life, but if its your real passion to be an artist you got to keep fighting.  Those overnight success stories usually take like 15 years of knock down drag out fighting.     Any great artist who has really made a living making art has made their art their life...  It is a great effort.  its not just the act of the creation, but the creation interacting in the world.   Frankly sometimes its a nightmare.  I think my master said that 95% of people who train in art actually give up after 5 years and do something else.

If you want it,  If you really want this... get ready for the fight of your life.  But if its your soul, if its in your being... there is nothing else you can do that will sadisfy you otherwise... I'm an artist- even if that means living in a one room place and eating ramon noodles by the case. 

articicle

I like your creations, they have a lot of personalized character.  Moreover they tend to be large, in a teddy world that leans medium small.  I had a look at your pages... I like Boomer the roo a bunch.  congrats! 

articicle

my art master does art shows with her quilts.  Whistler's museum a few months back had a wild quilt show.  I saw a photo of one of the quilts and thought it was a painting.  I think modern quilting (beyond just geometric designs) is going to be very vogue, its seriously underrated as an art form right now.   I commend you on reaching out and not only that, but having great control of the new media.

articicle

If the high ups at teddy talk want to make some buttons, or for that matter, bumperstickers, coffee cups, calanders... there are places like "cafe press" that the logo can be downloaded into and printed on demand one at a time or more, of course with shipping it could get pricy.  not sure if anyone else mentioned it.  Computer printing press machines can print you one novel at a time if you really want to rather than print 'runs" of hundreds or thousands.

the ones that folks are making so far I think look great.  I like both the retangle and the round ones... too bad you cant squeeze a bear picture on the button though.

there are also button makers in craft stores if people really get into this.

articicle

I think the simple shapes would lend themselves well to needle felting.  maybe sculpting and fabric draping is the way to go here.  I just want that eggplant shape, and if I did do a neck off it like that... if its possible in one piece, its hard to convert to 2d in my mind. I'm downright tempted to disect a few beanie babies at this point to get an understanding of the whole thing.

articicle

(this is a neopet, their picture... I am not trying to steal or duplicate it exactly)

can someone show me how these basic shapes would look like in a pattern?  would it need like a orange wedge shaped body gosset running from its neck chest under?  how whould I pull off shapes in its muzzle and eyes?  Id like to make something inspired by it but *NOT* copy it... What I need to understand is how those basic shapes would look like in a pattern...

I'm still so new.  anyone care to try a sketch?  see my bear in my picture?  I wanted an eggplant shape in its body and got more of potato wedge.  what did I do wrong?

thanks

articicle

yeah, I love the moonlings.  They have a nice unique style that is their own... you just rock.  I really like them.  I like the doogle bears look too, even when Im not a dog guy.   Oh now I am going to get myself in trouble leaving out someones cool bears.  There is lots of nice styles people have made...

I like the felted one too that someone was imitating.  I dont know how I feel about it.  I dont think its right to just copy, but I guess we all pull inspiration from other creators.  I think they maybe should have tweeked a bit more to make it their own... but thats another thread.

articicle

those art cards rock!!!

coming not from a sewing background but from a  traditional arts background I got to say I'm really impressed with teddybear makers ATC's.  Being the vagabond artist, my friends who draw-paint-sculpt... those beatniks who are  really artsy should be ashamed.  I don't know what it is but the quote unquote traditional artists putting out atc's just don't seem as of general high quality... why?  I dont know if atc's are seen as an afterthought in my circles or people are flooding in just joking around with an index card and a crayon...

excellent points about how just in eyes you have beads, paints, glass eyes... then crochet needlefelt

I think I'd like to go neopet style for a bear, with exagerated simple curves and shapes next.  and tiny...

articicle

ANYONE CARE TO TALK OF THE CAPITAL "A" ART OF TEDDY DESIGN?

As an artist first, coming into bear making as fun, perhaps hobbie, maybe art... I just have to ask what is the full range of styles in teddybears?

*miniature
*classic... mohair, longer arms than legs
*anime (manga)
*anime? (like ty or neopets)
*ATC's

who is pushing the envelope in the "art" of teddies? 

someone had a great style with moon faieres bears...
I've seen some tiny teddys that can sit in a walnut....

 
articicle

wow, thats just like uber creepy scoob.  thats just some far out facts. 

iseeksoda

yes, draw from "reality", pictures are ok referance but anything is likely digitally remastered for contrast and brightness at least if not downright tinkered with... moreover what if you draw that ultimate work, and its from a copyrighted image?  pictures are good in their own level but reality rules.

the reason I say about working with just plain white spheres, cones and the like is to focus only on shading and comparitive proportion, and don't be afraid to extend your arm out and take measurements that ideed the ball is one and one half times the with of the cone at the bottom... then when that (your) high heel comes along you will give demention to your shoe, justice to each of its features in realation to one another  and that practiced eye will pick up tiny detials that the experienced hand adds on... making it a shoe for the ages.... women will swoon over it thinking of getting new high heels and men will flock to it thinking of who could be the owner of such a shoe... and the art will break all auction records... :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :dance:

articicle... ok, no more cola for me tonight?

your fighting all of society trying to market their wares unfortunately.  people want at all costs to make the buck and they have to be "new" and "better" kids are just getting hammered with the new world now... Its so different from even 20 years ago, no cell phones, no pagers, no laptops, no I pods, video games were in their infancy and really so were Personal computers... 

somehow we need to market the truth about nostalga.  Toy trains, tops, pocket watches, teddy bears, and reading bring real joy... IF you can push out all the junk and make some time for them.  Somehow we need to show them enjoying a quiet night is as good as the next blockbuster special effects non-plot movie to hit big screens. 

of course how?  gee I guess we need million dollar marketing campains and market anaylsts and test group studies, and interviews.... pilot programs.  um, sorry not much help am I?

Somehow we need to prove or remind that just because its not the new thing it still can be a very good thing.  I think you are actually tapping into a much larger problem of diving moral priorities and a hedonistic culture here to be frank. 

articicle

I'm hoping to have a mini in the works soon.  I'd like someday to own an alpca teddy, they must be soooooooo soft!  I think it would get hugged till the stuffing fell out... :redface:

Like I said get a feel for spheres, cones, cyllanders, with proper shading and then move on.  If you are going to draw a shoe, draw your shoe.  nothing beats real, you can move around a lamp to get shading just so, and away from the calander picture you will be away from photo retouches...  did you know some female models legs are made longer in photoediting for some "glamor"shots? 

articicle

When I was under my art master I used to love drawing tiny pictures from a postage stamp up to a postcard... she was always telling me two things, draw from reality and draw bigger.... the hoot is so much of my work now comes from wall sized murals. 

keep drawing!  Start with basic shapes, cones cylanders spheres then put them together to make you basic form

articicle

May God give you and your family strength is this tormultous time.  may the spirit touch your daughter to give her hope, power, and guidance... to her doctors wisdom choice in her best treatment...in Jesus name, Amen.

  :pray:

my thoughts and prayers are with you, your daughter and family.

Articicle.

I love the paws... and the face of the first reminds me of a pug dog... 

articicle

its not quite 10pm here in New Hampshire USA... Funny thing the world, how somewhere its already next year. 

:bday:  :bday:  :bday:  :cake:  :bday:  :dance:

HAPPY NEW YEAR  (belated if applicable)

Articicle

Good Luck!!!!  Articicle

Yeeeaaaay, something I can actually help with.  I've only made one bear so far... but thousands of Drawings.  Part of my real world work is in cartooning and graphic arts. 

I've been traditionally trained so likely my advice may seem somewhat old school, but I think it really works.  My master told me once,

"Learning to draw is learning to see."

That sounds silly right?  Everyone can see?  Nope.  That cartoon spoof of an artist holding out their thumb or brush and squinting is actually them taking visual measurments... that head in the background x number of the whatever in the foreground.

try  this.  have a friend hold out a piece of string vertically letting the end drop. now you point to the middle point.  let them grab it by that point and let it drop.  likely you gave way more than the middle down.  many frame jobs in pictures actually allow for this visual flaw in most peoples perception.  try it with your non-artist friends too.  its a hoot.

luckily being a bear maker you already have an attention to detial and a visual flair.

try a night class at a local tech college or high school adult education.  You really need someone who can give you constructive feedback on proportion mistakes, shading tricks and the like.

another thing I do, referance everything.  Even in cartooning I still am following the rules are breaking them in very specific ways.  You can see for the most part disney character's fat bellys still hang with gravity and jiggle when they walk... making a figure that its clothes drape unnaturally will get people seeing it scratching their heads even if they can't pin down an error in cast shadow or gravity.  My laptop has thousands of picture referances in files of people, babies, old, teddies, backgrounds, when I do a window mural for someone I likely grab another dozen shots.

books can do alot but a good master can walk you through so much, like even how too hold a pencil freely. be sure to ask specific questions too, like "i'm not happy with this.." isn't as good as "her face doesn't look symetrical".  Then whomever can help you focus.

its a bit like walking too. you have to stand before you sprint.   Don't expect wonderful landscapes before you can pencil sketch a pain old sphere with proper shadowing.         

there are tons of online drawing groups too.  Don't be afraid... after all as a tradional artist who draws daily, I came here to learn about teddy bear art. 

articicle

thats a keeper

Silly Dr. Phil...all that and no mention about faith.      its amazing how Christmas is supposed to be such a joyous time, the good news of the savior's birth... and somehow so many get caught in the whirlwind of stuff and got to dos that they need a break after their vacations. 

I've got some unfinished pipe tobaccoo that needs taking care of... :crackup:

articicle