Wooden Marionettes: Making Puppets from Scratch
A course by Luděk Burian , Wood Carver and Marionette Maker
Learn sculpting and woodcarving techniques to design, build, and paint characterful marionettes
“A marionette can accompany you for a lifetime. And one day, a child may inherit it, knowing their grandparents made it. Only a few toys can compete with that.”
Luděk Burian is a wood carver specializing in marionettes. For him, a wooden puppet can be a toy, a piece of decorative art, or even a storytelling tool. He showcases his work in exhibitions and via social media as well as creating custom pieces for private clients.
In this online course, Luděk teaches you carpentry and carving techniques to build a puppet from scratch. Learn how to transform a block of wood into a human character full of life. Discover the wonderful world of marionettes and create puppets that inspire stories for generations to come.
What will you learn in this online course?
19 lessons & 14 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (131)
- 6,377 students
- 19 lessons (4h 4m)
- 14 additional resources (1 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Design, carve, and paint your own wooden marionette from scratch.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone interested in making marionettes filled with personality.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required.
In terms of materials, you will need a block of linden wood, a basic set of gouges, a knife, and other materials specified by the teacher in the course.
Reviews
Luděk Burian
A course by Luděk Burian
Luděk Burian is a wood carver from The Czech Republic specializing in marionettes. He first taught himself how to carve as a hobby in 2010. After studying at construction school and working for several years in the industry, he realized it wasn’t the vocation for him and decided to turn his passion for puppetry into a career.
Since then, he has showcased his work in a solo exhibition at a puppet gallery in Prague alongside crafting custom pieces for private clients. Luděk also shares his woodenworks of art and creative process with over 30K followers on Instagram.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
The Basics of Puppetry
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Understanding the Marionette
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Tools and Materials
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From Sketch to Wood
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U3
Making the Puppet
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Rough Shapes
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How to Carve, Safety Tips, and Carving the Head 1
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How to Carve, Safety Tips, and Carving the Head 2
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How to Carve, Safety Tips, and Carving the Head 3
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How to Carve, Safety Tips, and Carving the Head 4
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Carving the Arms and Hands 1
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Carving the Arms and Hands 2
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Carving the Rest of the Puppet 1
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Carving the Rest of the Puppet 2
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Carving the Rest of the Puppet 3
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Painting 1
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Painting 2
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U4
The Last Steps and Beyond
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Assembling
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How to Use a Puppet
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FP
Final project
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Wooden Marionettes: Making Puppets from Scratch
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
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FAQs
What are Domestika's online courses?
Domestika courses are online classes that allow you to learn new skills and create incredible projects. All our courses include the opportunity to share your work with other students and/or teachers, creating an active learning community. We offer different formats:
Original Courses: Complete classes that combine videos, texts, and educational materials to complete a specific project from start to finish.
Basics Courses: Specialized training where you master specific software tools step by step.
Specialization Courses: Learning paths with various expert teachers on the same topic, perfect for becoming a specialist by learning from different approaches.
Guided Courses: Practical experiences ideal for directly acquiring specific skills.
Intensive Courses (Deep Dives): New creative processes based on artificial intelligence tools in an accessible format for in-depth and dynamic understanding.
When do the courses start and when do they finish?
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
What do Domestika's courses include?
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
Have you been given a course?
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
非常喜歡這個課程，講解精確，步驟清楚。
Ottimo corso, mi è piaciuto molto... i passaggi sono tutti molto chiari e spiegati bene.
hermoso!!! tu trabajo es muy bello y preciso, primero vi los videos para saber a que me voy a encontrar y ahora debo volver para taller con sus concejos. Gracias!!!
awesome course. I simply love it!
It was an absolutely wonderful course. I don't know if I could do it or not, but it was a lot of fun to watch. If one day I make a beautiful puppet, I owe it to you. Thank you for this wonderful course.