Balloon twisting 201

Balloon
twisting 201
August learning events
Lizbeth Kohler
e-mail: Lkohler.zoominternet.net
BASIC & ADVANCED TWISTS
Here's the scoop on some of the twists used in balloon sculpture. By combining these
twists in various ways you can create thousands of figures from your balloons. More twists
will be added as the need arises.
Loop Twist(Fold Twist)
This is a lot like the ear twist, but it is done with a much longer bubble.
Just take a long bubble, fold it back on itself, and twist the two ends
together. This is good for large ears, hands or feet on multiple balloon
figures.
Lock Twist
Twist two bubbles, usually about the same size. Bring opposite ends
together so that the two bubbles are parrallel and touching each other.
Twist them together to lock in place. This is the most common method of
making legs and ears on simple figures.
Pinch Twist (Ear Twist)
Twist a 1 to 1.5 inch bubble, leaving it a little on the soft side.
Then twist the two ends of the same bubble together. This
makes an ear-shaped bubble that is good for ears, lips, or
sometimes to hold another bubble in place.
Toe Twist(Split Twist)
Begin with an ear twist. Grab the two sides of the bubble and
twist it in two, making two bubbles about 1/2" or less in
diameter. These are good for adding fine detail to faces or
hands and feet.
Another method of beginning the twist is to roll it so that the
center part attached to the adjacent bubbles splits the pinch
twist in two. Then wind the two bubbles in opposite directions to make it hold.
Pinch-pop Series
The pinch-pop series is used to separate two sections of a balloon. It
consists of three small bubbles in a row within a loop of bubbles.
Make a pinch twist in each of the outer bubbles in the series. Then
toe-twist each of the pinch twists to secure them. Both the pinch
twists and the toe twists should be given three full twists to ensure
that they will hold.
Now comes the 'Pop' part. You pop (break) the center bubble to allow
the rest of the loop to separate. The pinch twists and toe twists will
seal the ends and keep the balloon from deflating.
Bird Body (3-Bubble Roll-Through)
Twist three bubbles, usually about the same length. Twist the opposite
ends of two adjacent bubbles together to make a pair. Now take the
third bubble and carefully push it through the pair, rolling the outer two
bubbles around it, so that you have three bubbles all joined together at
both ends.
Apple Twist (Tulip Twist)
No, this is not a pastry. It is a technique used in round balloons to make an
apple shape. With long 2" balloons it is sometimes called a tulip twist. Push
the knot about 2" down into the balloon with your index finger. With the
other hand, pinch the outside of the balloon and grab the knot. Carefully
pull out your index finger and twist a bubble at the point where you
pinched the balloon on the knot.
Apple Link
This twist is done exactly like the apple twist, except that you hold the
knot of another balloon along side of the knot that is getting the apple
twist. When you grab the knot from the outside, grab both knots, and the
two balloons are linked together.
Hook Twist
The hook twist is similar to a very deep
apple twist. Push the knot as far into
the balloon as your finger will reach,
and grab it through the balloon with
the opposite hand. Instead of just
pulling your finger out, bend the finger and peel the balloon off from the outside of the
curve. This takes a bit of practice, but it allows you to make some unique figures.
S-Hook Twist
Once you have mastered the
hook twist, try the S hook. This
works the same way, except
that you bunch up the balloon to get your finger even deeper into the balloon. I think it
makes a terrific squirrel tail.
Z-Bend
To make a sharp bend in the middle of a balloon, fold it over and
squeeze the air out. Then pull the balloon out of your fist, and the
bend should remain. Repeat if necessary.
Spiral
Make a twist in the middle of a balloon and fold
the ends toward each other. Rotate both ends in
the same direction
FLOWER
This flower is the
opportunity to learn how
to combine multiple
balloons.
Fully blow up one 260,
but let some air go out of
the balloon in order to
soften it.
Tie a knot so that the
balloon becomes a large
loop.
Bring this knot close to the
center of the loop.
And twist to make two
equal new loops.
Now bring the two loops
together. (You can note if
one is bigger!). Then bring
the knot close to the center
of the two loops.
Here the knot is right
under the right hand's
thumb. Then twist again,
using both hands, and
make 4 loops this way.
Note that once you've
twisted, you'll have two
loops in each hands. Here
is the final expected result
of loop divisions.
Same job for a second 260
balloon.
Now combine the two
balloons as well as you
can. It might be a hard
time if the balloons where
too much inflated
Okay, now everything
becomes easy
The stem is a simple task :
inflate leaving a 2 inch tail
one loop as the first
feather ...
... then a second feather ...
The stem is already over,
just form a bubble at the
top of the stem ...
... like this ...... in order to
place it between the petals
PIG
(Tulip twist & Teddy Bear face)
Put your finger inside the
balloon and push the knot
inside as far as possible.
The goal is then to pinch
and hold the knot from the
outside with the right
hand.
Here is the result. It will
stay like that as long as the
knot is still in the right
bubble
... ear twists the ears!
What's new here?
-- the tulip bubble for a
realistic pig nose and the 3
bubble body
The knot will then be held
in the second bubble (the
rest of the balloon right
now) Once the knot is held,
you can remove your
finger from the inside of
the balloon.
Now do exactly as for the
teddy bear : form 7
bubbles for the pig's head
and lock the second one
with the last bubble and
put the nose inside the
newly formed loop
And here is the pig's head
finished, front view
rear view
Small neck, 2 bubbles with
a lock twist for the legs
and here is a pig coming
your way
To have a body with some
volume, make the 3 bubble
body. So form 3 bubbles,
leaving enough balloon for
the remaining legs
Lock twist the first 2
bubbles
And push the remaining
bubble in between...
... like this
and you then only have to
finish with the 2 legs in
order to get a real nice pig
Start with a small bubble
for the nose
MONKEY
(Advanced – uses pop twist)
Here is the result :
the monkey head
Then make this : ear twist
+ small bubble + ear twist.
Use one hand to maintain
the nose and the rest of the
balloon (here the left
hand).
Use the other hand to
grasp the 3 bubbles you've
just made and turn/twist
them
Now let's start the difficult part... the arms leave
a bubble for the neck, make a long bubble for
one arm, a small soft bubble for one hand,
another small bubble which will be removed
later, another small soft bubble for the other
hand and finally a long bubble for the second
arm. That's over now!!!
So first leave a short neck
and make a long bubble
followed with a soft ear
twist
You don't have to make them all
right now, you'll make them step
by step...
Now turn hands opposite
ways so that you split the
ear twist bubble into 2
parts. (Yes! you can do it if the
The expected result is
here!!!!! Turn again those
tiny bubbles together one
or twice (I mean both at
the same time) and you've
made a great tie
ear twist bubble is soft enough)
(you can let the neck and the arm
form only one bubble, you'll twist
it again later)
Make the central bubble
and make again that soft
ear twist and split it again.
You then have to make the
second arm and lock it at
the base of the neck
Leave a bubble for the
monkey body & make
repeat the same steps for
the arms
Now use whatever
you want to pop the
two central bubbles
You now have to divide
this ear twist into 2 equal
bubbles. Hold the two
parts as shown on the
photo
Once the arms are locked
together, you should
expect to have a monkey
like this one
And the arms are
now free and
should stay
inflated
Here is the final result!!!
Ray Gun
Start with a 3 or 4 inch bubble followed by two pinch twists or
bear ear twists, Figure 1. Make a loop just big enough for the
rest of the balloon to fit through, Figure 2. Twist a small bubble
followed by a second loop the same size as the first. Pull the
remainder of the balloon through the two loops, Figure 3. Kids are crazy about this gun.
You can put it into a shortened up version of the scabbard for a holster. Or use the full
length of balloon with a loop on either side of the kid's waist for a six-gun look.
UPSY DAISY
To make the Upsy Daisy inflate a 260 leaving a 2" tail. Tie the balloon, then squeeze the air
down until you have only a 3/4" tail left. Make an apple twist on the knot end. Fold the apple
twisted end down toward the opposite end and twist the two layers of balloon directly beneath
the apple twist about 5" from the end of the balloon. This
forms a large loop with a short tail left over, Figure 1.
Twist a loop about a third of the way down the big loop.
Fold the twists at either end of the large loop together
and twist, Figure 2. Squeeze the air in the tail until there
is a small bubble directly under the flower top, followed
by an uninflated section, then an oblong bubble.
This is a wonderful little flower to hand out. It's one balloon and has a nice wobbliness to it. But
wait, there's more! If you twist the flower top as though you were winding it up, then squeeze the
bottom bubble of the stem - it spins! It almost looks like one of those little hand-held fans.
Princess Crown
Step 1--Inflate 3 quarters of the balloon.
Step 2--Start at the beginning with the knot and twist a 1-inch bubble. Make sure you hang
on to both ends of balloon, otherwise it will untwist. Twist it around 2 or 3 times. Do not
worry; it will not break. Why didn't it break? There is space at the end of the balloon for
the extra air. That is why we only blow the balloon up half way.
Step 3--Take this 1-inch bubble and make a pinch twist.
Step 4--Make a 8 inch bubble and twist this into the newly made pinch
twist. Look at the picture. This will be the largest bubble or arch on the
crown.
Step 5--Twist a 4 to 5-inch long bubble, followed by a 1-inch bubble.
Step 6--This 1-inch bubble will become a pinch twist. Then make
another 1-inch bubble and pinch twist this bubble.
Step 7--Make a 6-inch bubble and twist this bubble into the
double pinch twist. This will make the second arch of the
crown.
Step 8--Inflate a second balloon three quarters
of the way. Make an 1-inch pinch twist at the
beginning.
Step 9--Twist the 1-inch pinch twist into the largest
arch on the first balloon.
Steps 11 & 12 are a repeating steps of 5-9
Step 11--Make a 4 to 5-inch bubble followed by a 1-inch
pinch twist.
Step 12--Make a second 1-inch pinch twist, followed by
a 6-inch bubble that is twisted back into the double
pinch twist. This will form the left arch of the princess
crown.
Step 13--Measure the head and twist the remaining balloons together to form a strap.
Remove an excess balloon
Step 14--The jewels of the crown are just broken balloons about 1 to 3-inches in sizes.
Using scraps or a new balloon inflate and wrap the balloons in between the arches.
Congratulations, you just made you first Princess Crown.
NOTES
BALLOON Books
Here is the selection of books on balloon sculpting.
Go to your local shops to find the one that better suits your level. But you can also
click on the covers below to have some comments from online shop customers.
This is the best book to learn balloon sculpting!
Not only will you find easy-to-follow drawings, but you'll also quickly create
multiple balloon sculptures.
Note that a second book exists "big book of Holiday balloon art" if you need some
more sculptures.
Two great books written by Marvin Hardy.
Might not be the best book for beginners but the black & white photos will help you to create the
sculptures. There are basic sculptures as well as new techniques which will help you become a great
ballooner
You love Disney's characters? Then this book is for you!
The balloon techniques are quickly explained before making big sculptures of well
known characters.
Instead of writing text instructions, the author preferred to use lots of color photos
with only a short comment (English + Italian).
BALLOON LINKS
Okay, you need more photos & more instructions to become a great balloon artist. Here is
some great web links:
BalloonHQ, The #1 reference in balloon sculpting.
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a complete guide on ballooning created from thousands of professional artists
messages
a discussion list where you'll be able to ask any questions on balloon sculpting
a huge photo section
www.balloonhq.com
Balloon Hat.com
See what happens when two guys travel to different places in the world to make
balloon hats for people and take photos of them. Great source for ideas.
www.balloonhat.com
Pam’s Place
Online pics and instructions for a variety if animals.
www.angelfire.com/hi3/PamsPlace/balloons/balloons.html
Magical Balloon-Dude Dale is a Master Balloonist
Features a Kids Stuff Section with instructions.
www.mbd2.com
Multihobbies – Marvelous Balloons
Where many of the photo instructions in this packet came from.
www.multihobbies.com
Twist-em-Up
"Creating custom aprons, bags, and accessories for Clowns, Twisters, and
Decorators..."
www.twistemup.com/product.htm
T. Myers Magic, Inc –
Specializes in balloons, pumps, supplies for face painting, and clowning.
www.tmyers.com