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Hey guys. I need to make a very specific Bear for a college class. I need to make him look like Theodore Roosevelt.
Now, I have an idea of how I can make his body and limbs, but his face is giving me an insane amount of problems as I'm not exactly an experienced Bear pattern maker. I sculpted out a small example of sort of what I want it to look like.
I plan on making it so his jaw can open and close to reveal teeth (I plan on doing this by making the extra fabric in the muzzle extra long so I can sew a wire into it. I'll also put an extra amount of fabric inside the mouth so that the teeth can fit in there.) and his mustache and hair will be real fur.
Also, I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but I really don't have enough time to take a full-blown online course right now. Also, all the amazing books that are listed in discussions pertaining to this topic all seem to be sold out or going for hundreds of dollars nowadays.... So yeah...
But anyways, I digress. I was hoping maybe you guys could give me some tips on how to make the pattern or something?
Any help at all is appreciated, really.
The model looks great, DDar, but I do have to say - You're going to have a busy day!
Are you set on making the whole pattern yourself? I ask because my advice would be to buy a pattern in the size you want (and with a nice, big schnozz) from eBay. The rest - and the features that will make the bear look like Teddy R. - will be up to you. There's a section in our library on Mouths, and you're going to need to figure out how to applique (or something) the fur to the head.
On the other hand, if you're intending to make a whole bear pattern by yourself, well - you're going to have a busy day! But maybe do a search on pattern draping. I don't know how to do it, but I know that's what you'd need to do with your sculpted model.
Becky
GJOYful BearsI personally would not make an open jaw for this design however he is your bear so you may do whatever you feel he is telling you he needs. I would make him in a long-pile fur of your choice, preferrably one that could withstand strong needle-sculpting, and make his head a realistic bear shaped head. To get the mustache kind of theme you have going on the front of his face I'd just scissor-sculpt the long fur to make them stand out more from the realistic head shape. Also if you choose a long fur you'll be able to get that parted hair look between his ears you have on your sculpt. You'll also be able to needle-sculpt the eyebrows and then just use bear glasses after he's finished. By the way, great sculpture that's a great way to see how you want your bear!
Also you mentioned you are not an experienced bear-maker ~ so I have to say you'd probably be better making this bear's pattern in a long plush fur you don't have much attachment too first to experiment on, and then maybe using mohair or whatever fur you plan to use for the finished result. I would go about it this way as then you would be able to know what mistakes you made first time around and change them on the "real" bear.
Good luck and I hope what I said was helpful and most of all made sense lol 
The model looks great, DDar, but I do have to say - You're going to have a busy day!
Are you set on making the whole pattern yourself? I ask because my advice would be to buy a pattern in the size you want (and with a nice, big schnozz) from eBay. The rest - and the features that will make the bear look like Teddy R. - will be up to you. There's a section in our library on Mouths, and you're going to need to figure out how to applique (or something) the fur to the head.
On the other hand, if you're intending to make a whole bear pattern by yourself, well - you're going to have a busy day! But maybe do a search on pattern draping. I don't know how to do it, but I know that's what you'd need to do with your sculpted model.
Becky
Well, I may buy the pattern for the body off e-Bay if I find a suitable example. I've got a pretty specific vision for this bear. I want him to have old-fashioned Teddy bear proportions, you know?
And thanks for the suggestion with draping. It sounds like this would be perfect for getting the face JUST right!
I personally would not make an open jaw for this design however he is your bear so you may do whatever you feel he is telling you he needs. I would make him in a long-pile fur of your choice, preferrably one that could withstand strong needle-sculpting, and make his head a realistic bear shaped head. To get the mustache kind of theme you have going on the front of his face I'd just scissor-sculpt the long fur to make them stand out more from the realistic head shape. Also if you choose a long fur you'll be able to get that parted hair look between his ears you have on your sculpt. You'll also be able to needle-sculpt the eyebrows and then just use bear glasses after he's finished. By the way, great sculpture that's a great way to see how you want your bear!
Also you mentioned you are not an experienced bear-maker ~ so I have to say you'd probably be better making this bear's pattern in a long plush fur you don't have much attachment too first to experiment on, and then maybe using mohair or whatever fur you plan to use for the finished result. I would go about it this way as then you would be able to know what mistakes you made first time around and change them on the "real" bear.
Good luck and I hope what I said was helpful and most of all made sense lol :)
What I was hoping to do was use mohair for the entire bear except for the hair on top and mustache. I want those to be real fur, I thought it'd be fitting.
And I don't want him to be open mouthed either. But I was challenged to give him teeth, so I'd like to make it so that he can open and close his mouth in a way that his teeth aren't visible unless you want them to be.
May I ask though, what exactly is needle sculpting? Is it things like using darts, or is it something else?
Also, I'm totally going to take the "make a prototype before the real thing" approach, since I want the final to be super nice and with a growler and everything.
GJOYful BearsThe finished bear will be super exciting can't wait to see it
Needle-sculpting is not the use of darts. Darts are darts, and add more depth and width to shapes of the bear. To needle-sculpt you take a long doll needle threaded with a single strand of very strong upholstery thread or sinew, take it up through the inside of the bear and exit and the point you'd like to start sculpting. You then take a TINY stitch and exit on, say, the other side of the muzzle if you were sculpting cheeks. You then take another tiny stitch on that side of the muzzle, and come back to the side you started on but slightly lower pulling the thread very tight as you go.
You just keep going back and forth like a figure 8 to sculpt a place for the eyes, or if you are creating eyebrows and cheeks you just go a bit further on the sides of the muzzle etc.
Needle-sculpting brings the area around the stitches you've made right in, making the area between the stitches stand out more. This is great for bringing in eye-sockets so you can set the eyes in nice and deep and very tight. The main thing with this is to keep the thread very tight as you go or nothing will happen - and you must use a super strong thread or it will snap.
I have never done pattern-draping but there are surely artists here who do/have so it will be interesting to hear their approach. You can only needle-sculpt a stuffed head by the way, obviously you cannot sculpt if underneath the fur is solid clay LOL Post pics when as you go I'd love to see the creation of this very unique bear!
WOW, what a challenge! I can't wait to see that bear...
Posts: 28You tend to use muslin material to pattern drape usual becourse its easy to drape over your form and you can then make a mock up pattern by pinning fabric directly on the form not sure how it would work on your sculpture you may have to judge by eye also make sure you allow for seam alowance on this or your flat pattern. you transfer the muslin outline and marking on to a paper pattern or use the muslin as the pattern and sew up as a prototype.hope this makes sense.not good at explaining.
I've got a question guys:
How do you get your ears to "cup"?
I can't accomplish it for the life of me...
I ladder stitch the opening of the ear and pull tight, it makes a nice cup! Good luck on your Teddy Roosevelt! I look forward to seeing pictures.
Janice
How do you get your ears to "cup"?
It helps me to mark a triangle with pins on the head before I attach the ear. The first pin goes where I want the topmost corner of the ear. The second pin goes down and back to where I want the deepest part of the cup to be. The third pin goes down and forward to where the lower corner of the ear will be.
Then I more or less follow those imaginary lines from pin to pin while attaching the ear.
Becky
desertmountainbearMe too, I do like Becky. But now I want to try like Janice.
Joanne
Becky, I have tried and tried that but I always wind up with the pins in me and not in the bear head when I start to sew! How do you keep them in?
I always wind up with the pins in me and not in the bear head when I start to sew!
That doesn't sound good! Do you mean that you pin the ear to the head and then try to sew it on? I just put the pins right in the head as guide posts. (They have a nice colored ball at the end so they show up in the fur.) I was never able to pin the ears in position and then attach them either.
Becky
GJOYful BearsSomething I've learnt with ears - ALWAYS sew the back of the ear on first or you get weird shapes happening
Alright! Well, after much planning and sewing I made a prototype for what the final will look like.
The final will have actual fur for the mustache though, and perhaps slightly longer arms.
What do you guys think?
I've yet to start making the shirt, vest and suit but I'm HOPING those won't take way too long...
desertmountainbearHe looks great, you definitely have the look. Both bears are wonderful.
Joanne
I see a definite resemblance! I like the small, high-on-the-head ears for Teddy.
Becky
Lookin good!
Yes Becky...I've been trying to pin the ear in place. I am going to try it your way next time!
