I dove right into making the fish, based on my full-scale drawings. I cut and bent a section of hardware cloth and tried to create the fish's shape on the fly. After a few hours of frustration, I decided I would never get the shape I was after.
I thought it would help to sculpt a small model out of foam and create a pattern from it's form. This made more sense. After creating a shape I was happy with, I made a small paper pattern, doubled it, and then blew it up on an opaque projector. I spray-mounted the full-sized pattern to the hardware cloth and proceeded to cut it out.
Cutting out the hardware cloth and stitching it back together proved to be very challenging - and painful. The sharp ends seemed to be constantly scratching and cutting my hands as I wrestled it into shape. Once that was done, I figured it would be simple to hot-glue on all the little bits of plastic paraphernalia. I underestimated the amount of stuff I needed to cover the surface and was constantly searching for more stuff to glue on. I thought it would take one day to glue all the pieces on and it ended up taking 2 and a half. I was so looking forward to painting it all one color and aging it down. Maybe I was impatient with the gluing, but it seemed to be an endless job.
Here are my in-progress pics, click them for a larger view........
The form of the anglerfish starts to take shape. I added a couple of pieces of wood to help hold the shape.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVceGHXmdhCTJOMYtaAV9YoQUrF1hITfJxDuoGuIFZULT8S57zbYv5j9zOUZp3QUFMMya9i5Scls9Dk1H13d7EiBLL0pkINOA6T3QmcDQlGXUjv0I-F6TDJUgOanlwM5pqKNADnEzPkg/s400/Mesh+1.jpg)
The top and bottom part of the mouth. You can also see the pink foam model I used to create the pattern.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3TUzQSWcA8JmrCsRVG_xiq7iRmdIULrW_6cwtg3wijKpHN5rf0HBwRiX3pU9Kh33Fi-gGaorFchWdLyc6IObZjJTkl_j4rpAmR8PUUyIBHp1eYc2HWfrtgLiOYicu9G67c34T1g1Dl8/s400/Mesh+3.jpg)
The small paper pattern I got off the model.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3KV99Txbqm5-tir7FTUwi-fxZvhNZvrSSnxzI4U3JNzeLwk5WeIxg5xSKKmF9771uoot6UV8-KEjzQxgEsrHUsg8mfQiVMAM-XG0Vsx6R3B9fJdNqZzTDK21xzzUQnAb5m7rWLyK8_I/s400/Pattern.jpg)
Starting to cover the fish with plastic pieces, which I used to add texture.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQDniZp8RpULyNxEPkZL4CYenJfeP6hgbR5hMgssN0HryWds0afW1jVl2Nv_5ZhSseXYXORVKQQlg_kpnnwn4dnYNTjOA20zhePKIuBYt8r5Hgql1s6Ix9YQ132XJodtuv3SuH6at32Q/s400/Mesh+4.jpg)
Almost done. There's a hinge for the mouth, and the eyes will move, and the fin will flap.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23k3ctOnmO2RoBo1Ppb0cXf-NLKqh1UZwZAce4qhkTigy4S81tCKGnavZZ77cmsLqIOVo777toDAaSPvZp-AUc6TnmWNTPbCIxnm0-nYzODYvWW7g3RZ8i7Mc229LtCGqHaF39dM0KDs/s400/Mesh+5.jpg)
All covered. I couldn't wait to cover all of this mess with one color. I figured out I used at least 500 buttons and I have no idea how many other pieces.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmumEFDWXfpakdYy8viah82Kx2epOhfsBU9ez4vTHrYBLY1jHKOrLBa7EsMNqs8zBvtwwHRFE4LbC6-dXM0lC1d_OFHNSLdWtRvSsnLV_SviCbVMV5uhvdOAZxGRadsoGvVLACbjuHbs/s400/Pieces+2.jpg)
A close up of some of the pieces.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekC4YlgtW00booT7bLcMSa1DMHNjLmjYbZQhQM7UyFhResSFpUMMR2hzkqz-iHeeByn77em4C7jKg43_vIESYvJnqsq2GtnyfLWW_fxO1RrkEtZS_K_azt4sLeQCFeNaIEp4tbkYTEW0/s400/Pieces.jpg)
A small test piece I made so I could play with the color and aging.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ywagTx9IIA3qNXmUMfP8iLcSZ-zvfshrtzMG0TA3GfpktavZA25yuAZWAfxJ9av-FCAvwI0-SxjqhD5F2wBrdJ_TIyGeHZGWA02tkm5Rjw_Uvxyd1bTiMe1qgaTeLXG4P4q_WSyVXQc/s400/Test.jpg)
The top piece painted. Here I'm adding the teeth which are made from a plastic milk bottle.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirvChU3TgOpJF7dxLHKNXF9W04OCL5DPPtSJqPz-xYdQuoEhO8COolDAwz_luEIdiJNUWi9bVxq7nIE-LGOVOcF2u_gJxlyczmmQ4l7FPXnxcvaJtBPmy8-PH7_vM69n_VGKRSYhUcXg/s400/Top.jpg)
The bottom, with the teeth added.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXplPxjE48Q5RBIgGDdpS3JQGnVNTqSGSjFbrtJ0HxRGr_IxgvVJRiAy0-v0-y3RwPFAUd8OxtfFStebAoEqRlU-pZrayoaYRYvU09us29AhBfJ_M5_1ZE722fdVjujksHDhDVFbOorqM/s400/Bottom.jpg)
The tongue, covered in a generic variety of Cheerios.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMzJ-jvCpYtYX_LaTLCxRvLUowgiqVwJRv9WleYq4muIiSmVbv_PBv7BZQww1wkDYJ0aT4JrqsM7l6JFvLzylIbNPeoDCIuub_uX2JPSNPJLgA6tbjFrSPAftl6X3Qlvf0r2EsdbYXDc/s400/Tongue.jpg)
Front view of the anglerfish.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNR0BvNUm10hB-wRx8-eh0eW1IpYNRwd8caKwWCp1Xka7a78RziB8JMXGwhM2jkmFHT00ImmNtrRNw1dmt8CqMUDcW9eEaACaQfSOeMgo7hMQovtqoBXR4JfX-ISUGPyY0ae5jRdjO0BA/s400/Fish3.jpg)
This is probably the view we'll see the anglerfish in the video.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgZYHUqX61qga1ea6o4QoGIJrkasnsEHLW4ly1ZeS2D9lFfQmjxzVvqQd7UTl-2pQJrFh5MU4OkE7Q7ZXdHJa3zjc3D8vVQmC_7B_ZgM6-tWlgrnIiQL9hs_wY9Xf6m19UAMJZiaId7I/s400/Fish2.jpg)
Another view. I still have to finish the eyes and add a light out front - it is an anglerfish after all.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCVx4e8qMKEUmrv7RTv9WKdHftoZOi6_K08d22H0fjHae-HYp9lmQDg_Bs6UmevMjtE1PdogttT_EFPiLr2i0udr9AXHa4YUVGyvZxA96_XT08mR3u51ykyiYa66YuaKuM7Hs8-sKdZc/s400/Fish1.jpg)
A close up of the pieces after painting and aging.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4qL1z0QO4gtKPfo9vIJAjzeugdnKKWCwuKyQDcBZqwkwA-zPm0EDJ3oq5Lemz7Mbhdi0IVJUtI4XGRe9vtLi1tJX7V2eAKkWARJQrMGmiittPfJRsT7SDlq3DW5wkPfCzdFQIVuo85w/s400/Pieces+3.jpg)
Now on to the tents and props for the Fortune Teller's scene.......