Balloon Chat

Uncategorized Boards => Model Of The Month => Topic started by: Graham Lee on October 12, 2009, 08:32:39 AM

Title: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on October 12, 2009, 08:32:39 AM
The elephant is going to be this months model. These were made for a photoshoot last year for London fashion week, hence the unusual colours.

GL Admin I have added the new Elephant here to the first post as this is now explained step by step from page 3 on this thread. 30th July 2015.
The original elephant was posted here in Oct 2009. It's taken me all this time to put the instructions up.....ooops!
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: YvonneH on October 12, 2009, 11:33:15 AM
Is there any chance of a pic of the back of the head and perhaps a clearer pic of the body?  I have just had a bash and whilst the head looks okay the neck area is really bad and mine's body is not right as his legs stick out to make him look like he is laying down  :shock:
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on October 12, 2009, 02:17:37 PM
Unfortunately these are the only pictures I have till I make it again. I'm sure the neck has two pinch twists to help with placement and the body is 4 sections, two in the middle and one above and below which the legs snugly fit into.

If you post your one I can perhaps advise you.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: YvonneH on October 12, 2009, 03:09:42 PM
Okay but only if you promise not to laugh![attachment=0:3jlkevna][/attachment]Oct Balloon Chat Challenge v1.2.JPG[/attachment:3jlkevna]

I ended up using 3 260's to make this but I certainly had my measurements all skew whiff and I ended up with 5 lengths in the body because I attached my final balloon the wrong end  :oops:   Oh and I only had one pinch twist behind the neck so will def add another next try  ;)
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on October 12, 2009, 03:32:50 PM
If you ease the bottom belly bubble between both the front and back legs then I think he/she will stand up ok. You may need to make the bubble slightly longer to do this though?
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Martin on October 12, 2009, 09:27:13 PM
Here's my 1st attempt.

Not too shabby but the ears need to be bigger and I had to botch the skinny bit on the tail as I had too much air left.

[attachment=0:p0mnxjad][/attachment]Oct_moM.jpg[/attachment:p0mnxjad]
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: ade bamigbade on October 15, 2009, 09:34:39 AM
Here's my attempt of the model of the month.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: jordanogrady on October 15, 2009, 11:48:25 AM
(//http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs081.snc1/4876_102496809364_590709364_2813418_3392399_n.jpg)
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Dave on October 19, 2009, 08:16:45 AM
I was working on Tonya's Helicopter when I came up with this Elephant...
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on November 01, 2009, 04:48:45 PM
Thanks to Ade, Martin and Yvonne for having a go at the model of the month, will try and get the instructions up sometime this week.

Would be nice to see a few more joining in with this section  ;)  :D
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Dave on November 01, 2009, 08:51:30 PM
LOL I have just noticed it's Model of the Month, will give it a go please wait.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Dave on November 01, 2009, 09:40:12 PM
A white Elephant in every sense of the word  :)
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Kenny on November 04, 2009, 01:56:29 PM
Hi Graham.

A bit late but here is  my  attempt.

I am still working  on the DVD by the way. :roll:
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Tonya on November 04, 2009, 05:58:01 PM
Dave, your elephant is cute...looks like a baby elephant  :)

Here is my version...I used an undipped 321 for the trunk instead.
 [attachment=0:2brhunn2][/attachment]pink-elephant.jpg[/attachment:2brhunn2]
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: TwistTheBalloonguy on March 07, 2012, 06:10:21 PM
my own elephant

(not the best photo i know will put up better soon)
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: daisydoos on March 08, 2012, 05:55:03 PM
At that angle, I thought that elephant was a life-size one! Then I noticed the bag of balloons next to it and realised that it would have to be one almighty sized bag of balloons for it to be so big  :lol:  :lol:
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: funat60 on March 10, 2012, 11:51:26 PM
I am so glad that you guys pulled up this old post.  I love this elephant and am going to try it right away.  Best one I've seen.  Thank you!
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: YvonneH on March 12, 2012, 06:38:28 AM
You've just shattered my illusion!  I thought I had made up my own design of elephant but it turns out that I've been making this one all along  :roll: Oh well I couldn't make it at the time and now the kids love it. I do still want to try and find one with a smaller body so I can perhaps make larger ear as I find with me it can be hit and miss as I always make the head first.

However, everyone is always impressed with this little guy so total win/win.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: jokermarks on March 12, 2012, 08:34:13 PM
i use this as my one balloon elephant,  :oops:  :oops:
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: funat60 on April 02, 2012, 10:57:02 PM
Ok, so 2 1/2 years later, here is my effort. I'm still a wanna be balloon artist   :lol:
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on April 03, 2012, 08:02:28 AM
It's a good effort, congratulations. It's nice to see the model of the month section being used again  :D
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: uncannyjeff on April 26, 2012, 12:59:11 AM
Sorry for the lateness of this post but have been out of the loop for a while.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 27, 2015, 10:26:05 PM
I posted the pink elephant in 2009 and have just seen that I did not put the instructions up.
So the elephant has moved on a little so I will explain the one I make at the moment.
This is the latest version.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 12:31:48 PM
Here we go then with the instructions, You will need,
3 260 grey
1 160 grey
scrap 260 white

Inflate the 260 grey leaving 6/7 fingers un-inflated, make two 4 finger bubbles and a 1 finger pinch twist, tie the knot end of the balloon into the pinch twist.

You then need a small 1 finger spacer bubble and another 1 finger pinch twist.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 12:35:04 PM
Make a 4 finger bubble in the 260 and place over the centre twist of the two 4 finger bubbles made earlier, picture 4.

I then move the air along the 260 and twist the un-inflated section around the first pinch twist that was made in the 260, picture 5.

Tie the rest of the 260 into the same pinch twist, this loop will become both ears for the elephant.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 12:40:03 PM
Twist the loop in half and attach the middle section to the top pinch twist, you need to shock/friction twist the ears for shaping. Details about this can be found here, friction-twist-shaping-t1092.html (http://balloonchat.co.uk/friction-twist-shaping-t1092.html)

Inflate a 160 grey to about half way, you will only use part of this balloon. The 160 would probably make two trunks.
Make a 2 finger tulip/apple twist.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 12:44:07 PM
Followed by two 1 finger pinch twists, I left a 5/6 finger bubble for the trunk and then made three 1 finger pinch twists, you could use just two pinch twists but I prefer three.

I normally make two pinch twists, picture 11 followed by a single pinch twist.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 12:49:08 PM
Attach the trunk to the head of the elephant, I push all three pinch twists through the three 4 finger bubbles and twist the trunk around the pinch twists to secure tightly.
Shock twist and shape the trunk a little, the link above explains this idea for the elephants ears.

Inflate another 260 grey to 6/7 fingers un-inflated, you may want to pre stretch this balloon to get a slightly longer length, make a 2 finger bubble for the neck and a 1 finger pinch twist.
Now twist a 5 finger bubble for the first front leg followed by a 1 finger pinch twist. This pinch twist sits underneath the feet of the elephant we are about to make,
it helps them sit together nicer.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 12:51:47 PM
I then make a 3 finger fold twist for his feet, repeat this three more times, before making the fold twist gentle squeeze the air along to make a little softer,
this will help with the balloon not popping on you at this point. Place the pinch twist underneath the four fold twists.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 12:55:45 PM
Make another 5 finger bubble for the other front leg and twist into the pinch twist, you then need a 4/5 finger bubble for the body and another 1 finger bubble
for the back of the body where the tail will attach later. Discard the rest of the 260 balloon.

Sometimes I tie on the next balloon before I deflate the balloon above, it makes for a better connection.
Attach the last 260 grey leaving 6 fingers un-inflated to the last pinch twist made
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 12:58:59 PM
Make another 4 finger bubble for a back leg and twist into the four 3 finger fold twists, then make another 4 finger bubble for the last rear leg and twist
into the pinch twist where we tied the last 260 onto.

We now need a 4 finger bubble back to the neck of the elephant and twisted around the pinch twist.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 01:03:40 PM
Bring one more 4 finger bubble back to the rear pinch twist of the elephant. You should now have three 4 finger bubbles back and forth for the body.

I then make two more bubbles for the body but a little smaller, 3 to 3.5 finger bubbles, make the first bubble and twist into the neck pinch twist and then make
another bubble the same size and twist back into the tail pinch twist. You now have a five balloon bubble section for the elephant's body.

On mine you can see I had about a 7 finger bubble left that I snapped off and made into the tail of the elephant with leaving just a 1 finger section
in-flated and the rest with just a puff of air in the balloon.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 01:07:50 PM
Securely attach the neck bubble onto the lower pinch twist of the head section.

Inflate a 2 finger bubble in a scrap of 260 white, split this into two and tie together, insert into the head section.
If you have trouble splitting the eyes in half evenly try tying a knot at the other end as well before splitting into two.
Title: Re: Oct 2009 Model of the month (Elephant)
Post by: Graham Lee on July 28, 2015, 01:09:28 PM
Draw a little artwork.

Would be nice to see a couple of elephants so if you do make it then please post your effort.............Thanks.