The Black dog of hergest

Designer and maker

This puppet was made as a walkabout, based off a local folk legend from Kington, Herefordshire, where the black dog haunts Hergest Court and surrounding areas.

It is puppeteered by three people, two on the legs which all move with a mechanism to create a realistic walking effect, and one person controls the head with glowing eyes.

I used the puppet in a short film telling the story of The Black Dog of Hergest as part of my Dissertation project, exploring puppetry and folklore and how it can strengthen our connection to the landscape.

It can also be used as a walkabout performance at events and festivals

The Black Dog of Hergest Film

Process

Ink drawing of hound

Hound design including puppeteers and mechs

  • I made the body from withies and yellow pipe. I later changed the axel on it for the legs to allow for better movement.

  • collage of initial drawings of hound.

  • Card maquette of leg

  • Cutting out legs from reclaimed ply

  • Legs stringed up and attached to body

  • Cut out shapes to make the legs lighter glued scraps of foam to create a rounder shape

  • clay sculpt of hound’s head.

  • Worbla sculpt over clay

  • LED lights in head to make eyes glow! Eyes made from plastic chocolate box tray with glue and red tissue paper.

  • fabric samples, Dyed muslin, dust sheet, calico, tulle.

  • Head rendered with dyed dust sheets, frayed the edges to create fur effect/ ears are faux leather with same fabric glued on. Nose and mouth are worbla with varnish.

  • Carved paws from plastazote foam.

  • Legs rendered in dyed muslins and dust sheet.

  • CAD drawing of axel support to be laser cut from 5mm ply

  • Withee body rendered tying scrappy fabric, leaving spcae for light to shine through to give ghostly effect.

  • First time seeing it all finished and together !

Next

Seagull