[icemanfred]

what size are you using for the head???

I want to go the funkin route because I like the smooth realistic pumkin look.

So I have a couple options but they are far apart in size.
My first instinct is to go big with the small giant at 18x26

but going big has gotten me in trouble before.

next size is 14.5x11.5


without having one in hand yet. its hard to imagin how tall I can go with each option.

figure 8ft with the smaller head???
bigger head doesnt have as smooth a surface.
also wondering if anyone has pics of one of these as a pumpkinrot

 

[UnOrthodOx]

Um...You're going to have to define "pumpkinrot" a little more. Pumpkinrot is an artist that has made lots of things, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say you are talking about his sentinels.

My work in progress, more pumpkinrot inspired, not trying to copy exactly.

He's 7ft tall, and that head is literally mache over a basketball.

The question is not really HEIGHT to head size, though, it's BODY to head size. And that, you want your head as wide as the chest generally. So, I'd say cut you a couple cardboard body templates (case of soda/beer) at the listed widths and put them up on a stick and get the size/height combo you like best. Doesn't really matter how long of a pole you use.

 

[Gym Whourlfeld]

"Head" to "Body" dimensions can make for some unplanned for creatures.
I made my "Rambo Rabbit" costume,and the head was so big, that when photographed, I seemed to be a little kid about 3 foot tall.
This might have made it seem more "Kid-friendly"? Which was OK with me.
"Rambo Rabbit scared many adults later inside my house by the oldest "scare" ever invented, pretending to be a static prop .
A helper of mine wore the costume, stood there with one "Paw" hand extended, people would grab that hand to shake it,and would feel his hand clench their hand!
Scary coming from just a "Static Prop" believe it or not!

 

[Kyriotes]

http://pumpkinrot.blogspot.com/2009/06/pumpkin-sentinels.html

9's are what Rot uses. Not sure of head to height ratio or anything like that.

 

[icemanfred]

Yes the sentinels is what i meant
I see in the blog he mentions it is a funkin number 9.
Cant find that.
Read somwhere he used a small giant
But those dont look as smooth.

 

[Kyriotes]

I asked the sales rep at funkin last fall season and they said that they still had it, but it wasn't on their sales sheet.

 

[icemanfred]

I asked the sales rep at funkin last fall season and they said that they still had it, but it wasn't on their sales sheet.

Do you recall how big it is? How much they are?

 

[Kyriotes]

I don't have the email anymore, but I know that the cost was just north of $100. That's obviously not the ideal price what with people picking them up on sale for $70. I'm trying to remember where people were getting them on sale, since not having to pay shipping and handling is a preferred way of picking them up...Hobby Lobby maybe? The sales rep will be able to give you the exact height and possibly point you to where they are being sold. [email protected]

I noticed that they changed their site around to be less informative. Hopefully the email address still works.

 

[RCIAG]

"Head" to "Body" dimensions can make for some unplanned for creatures.
I made my "Rambo Rabbit" costume,and the head was so big, that when photographed, I seemed to be a little kid about 3 foot tall.
This might have made it seem more "Kid-friendly"? Which was OK with me.
"Rambo Rabbit scared many adults later inside my house by the oldest "scare" ever invented, pretending to be a static prop .
A helper of mine wore the costume, stood there with one "Paw" hand extended, people would grab that hand to shake it,and would feel his hand clench their hand!
Scary coming from just a "Static Prop" believe it or not!

I agree that there's something scarier about something that's juuuuust off about prop. Like a blown pupil, a head that's too big or too small, a jaw that's too long or off to one side too far, hands with extra joints, little things like that that may not be noticed right away but when you do notice them you're just creeped out even more than you would be by a so called full on "scary" prop.

Someone here was interested in those giant Funkins & they were kinda expensive. I'd suggest trying to mache over one of those punching balloons. I did that for a Jack Skellington head that actually became an "Audrey" plant instead because I blew it up too big & couldn't get my act together to get Jack together.

Just put a few coats of strip mache on it, then pop the balloon & keep adding layers of whatever your choice of mache happens to be. It will be lighter than a Funkin too.

 

[icemanfred]

I don't have the email anymore, but I know that the cost was just north of $100. That's obviously not the ideal price what with people picking them up on sale for $70. I'm trying to remember where people were getting them on sale, since not having to pay shipping and handling is a preferred way of picking them up...Hobby Lobby maybe? The sales rep will be able to give you the exact height and possibly point you to where they are being sold. [email protected]

I noticed that they changed their site around to be less informative. Hopefully the email address still works.

well, I e mailed funkins and they said there is a huge difference between the small giant and the number 9. they said the number nine was 10.5 x 10.5 x 10.71High. not only is that small but its round not oval.

I have seen a couple really nice sentinals by other board members. one said he used the "mac" ( 14.5"x11.5")
the other thread started with the small giant but i believe he switched to the mac.

dont want the paper mache . I want that realistic smooth texture.
It would have been nice to go big on this. but even the smal giant seems to be less smooth and realistic.
may have to go with the smaller mac

 

[UnOrthodOx]

dont want the paper mache . I want that realistic smooth texture.
It would have been nice to go big on this. but even the smal giant seems to be less smooth and realistic.
may have to go with the smaller mac

I've been raising pumpkins most my life. On a farm through my childhood and now at home. I've personally always found the funkins TOO smooth to be realistic, and happen to prefer mache for that reason. Not saying either of us is right or wrong, just find it amusing there are different views on "realistic" pumpkins. But, with so many pumpkin varieties on the market, both are probably valid views.

 

[SavageEye]

The pumpkin he uses is the "Short Giant" from Funkins. Retails around $100. The dimensions are 27" x 19". They don't show it on their website however last I checked into it, they still made it.

 

[DaveintheGrave]

I used a large plastic cauldron when I built my Pumpkinrot about 11years ago.
I also used the paper mache over it, but it did look smooth after I painted the dry mache. He's still holding up after all these years.

 

[icemanfred]

thats a cool idea dave. How big is that head?


savage eye
I am still riding the fence on the small giant.
I keep looking for tell tale signs that its the small giant.
it just seems that the ridges runing from the stem to the bottom are smoother on pupmkinrots.
the only pic I see of the small giant is that funkin stock pic. it almost seems cartoonish with less detail. maybe its just a bad pic.

that blog entry where he mentions its a 9, only complicates things. funkin has that listed as a much different pumpkin

 

[SavageEye]

I reached out to him a couple of years ago and I am almost certain that is what he told me. Contact Funkins and ask them about if they still sell the "Short Giant" and have them send you a picture. For some reason they do not post this pumpkin on their website. I will see if I can find the email thread that I had with Rot to confirm.

thats a cool idea dave. How big is that head?


savage eye
I am still riding the fence on the small giant.
I keep looking for tell tale signs that its the small giant.
it just seems that the ridges runing from the stem to the bottom are smoother on pupmkinrots.
the only pic I see of the small giant is that funkin stock pic. it almost seems cartoonish with less detail. maybe its just a bad pic.

that blog entry where he mentions its a 9, only complicates things. funkin has that listed as a much different pumpkin

 

[RCIAG]

I've been raising pumpkins most my life. On a farm through my childhood and now at home. I've personally always found the funkins TOO smooth to be realistic, and happen to prefer mache for that reason. Not saying either of us is right or wrong, just find it amusing there are different views on "realistic" pumpkins. But, with so many pumpkin varieties on the market, both are probably valid views.

I was going to ask icemanfred why smooth over bumpy is more "realistic" but then I realized there's a ton of varieties of pumpkins out there of all shapes & sizes so that's just a preference. I never think of pumpkins as being "smooth" since they have those ridges.

Personally, IMHO, I like the less perfect look, I don't want too smooth. I love all the new varieties you see of squashes & pumpkins that, as my husband says, look "diseased." Like they have a bad case of acne or elephantitis or worse.

Mache can be smooth too, especially if you use pulp mache. It can be sanded smooth so don't discount mache just yet.

If you're worried, I'm sure you could just ask Pumpkinrot himself either here or on his site.

 

[DaveintheGrave]

thats a cool idea dave. How big is that head?

It's roughly 22 inches horizontal and 12 inches vertical. And the cauldron I used had dimples all over it (like a golf ball) but the mache covered them very well.

 

[icemanfred]

I was going to ask icemanfred why smooth over bumpy is more "realistic" but then I realized there's a ton of varieties of pumpkins out there of all shapes & sizes so that's just a preference. I never think of pumpkins as being "smooth" since they have those ridges.

Personally, IMHO, I like the less perfect look, I don't want too smooth. I love all the new varieties you see of squashes & pumpkins that, as my husband says, look "diseased." Like they have a bad case of acne or elephantitis or worse.

Mache can be smooth too, especially if you use pulp mache. It can be sanded smooth so don't discount mache just yet.

If you're worried, I'm sure you could just ask Pumpkinrot himself either here or on his site.

its hard for me to explain...
but the look I am going for is smooth and bumpy. the small giant lacks those little minor bumps ridges and dents that make the makes the Mac funkin look realistic. when I look at rots sentinel i see those details, that I dont see on the pic of the small giant.
I wish there were other pics of the small giant.
mache is never going to capture those subtle details.

 

[icemanfred]

that was the mac.
here is the gaint




see how the giant has very pronounced ridges but none of the subtle details of the mac

 

[icemanfred]

and another look at pumpkinrots