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majdle Oct 15, 2006

Hello!
I´ve got one burning question that probably won´t be that easy to answer. Since I don´t have access to books, I´m basically self-taught..you know, trial and error:-)) and what I know I know from TT..(THANKS!!!!).
Anyway, I´m tempted to try and open mouth, but I don´t have a clue how to go about it and no literature to learn from. :-( I tried to order some, but you wouldn´t believe how hard it is to find at least ONE that I can get shipped over here.
So I´m asking you...any tips how to go about it? What do I need to vhange on the head pattern? What´s the best material for inside of the mouth and the tongue?
Thank you very very very much.
Magda

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SunnieOne Oct 15, 2006

Hello Magda,
Making an open mouthed bear is both scarey and exciting. Scarey because a mistake can be expensive when you have to discard a ruined head. Exciting because they turn ouit so adorable when made right.  I would recommend one of Nancy Tillberg's online classes at Ebearz University.
http://www.kranbearys.com/EbearZ/index.htm
The courses are rather inexpensive and are wonderfully taught and you can work at your own pace. The materials can be printed out for reference later. I took the "Sunny" course and the bear turned out precious. But in looking at the new courses I would think the "SMILE" course would be very good as it shows 3 different techniques that you can use to make open mouth bears.  It is great to have a book to learn, but these courses are one better as you can ask all the questions you want and get one on one help. It is well worth the costs.
Hope that helps
Sonya

AndreaM Oct 27, 2006

I    doing open mouthed bears!  Even thought they can be time consuming they're worth it ( when they work out of course)
I also recommend the EZ bear university for this type of thing.
I tooka a course with Jennifer Laing on bear design a few years ago and she helped me with this very problem.  It was several years ago so I will have to dig out my note book to remember exactly what she said.....I do remember her saying that you need to have a muzzle with enough depth to accomidate the addition of the open mouth (that is trial and error).  Then you cut a straight line into the muzzle parallel to the nose approx. 2/3 of the way down and I think about the same distance in (I have to refresh my memory on that)  The mouth itself can be just as simple as an oval shape....or you can experiment with more 'mouth-like' shapes as well.
But definatly consider the EZ Bear University it's great!!!!!

MerBear Oct 27, 2006

Andrea...did you take that course with Jennifer with the TBOV show in Toronto? If so, a couple of good friends of mine also took and I attended the course on making chimps and apes! Maybe we met?

Marion

Donna Oct 27, 2006

I like to do an add on open mouth.  I make the chin part of the head with less depth and then add the depth back in with the open mouth.  The easiest way is to make a shape and size similiar to the ear. 
Donna

Pumpkin & Pickle Bears Oct 27, 2006

I'd LOVE to try an open mouth bear but I'm SO worried that it will end up looking like Chucky from Child's Play!!!!

Has anyone ever tried and failed?

AndreaM Oct 29, 2006

Hey Marion,
Yes I did take the course with Jennifer with the TBOV but I was only there on the Sunday for the design workshop..........I'm terrible at translating my ideas into bears, I know what I want, I just can't seem to make it happen.....sigh.  Did you go to that one too?  Or just the chimp one?

AndreaM

MerBear Oct 30, 2006

I didn't do the design course - just the monkeys..although a couple of my friends, Millie and Colleen, took the design course.

Marion

AndreaM Nov 1, 2006

Marion,

I wouldn't remember thier names......I don't remember what I did 5 minutes ago
But if they were there than I met them for sure!

AndreaM

majdle Nov 1, 2006

Thank you guys!!!! Verrrry helpful. Actually, I couldn´t wait and tried it myself and it worked OUT!!! Not perfect, but knowing it works is worth something!!!
I´ve also made my very first needle sculpted open mouth bear...he´s in the showcase (Vallachian couple)..I just had to try, because the whole couple should be as true to the tradition as they can. And when a couple wants to dance, the boy has to walk up to the band, start singing and then clap his hands. The girls then decide if they want to dance with him or not (depending on his singing and overall appearance) and if they do, they´d walk up to him after he claps. Then they´d get into the position as shown in my bear couple while the boy is still singing. Then the band starts playing and they can dance.
So I NEEDED and open mouth for this singing boy:-))