Lifelike Dragon Puppet with Custom Controls!

[@tested]

Find Laura's puppets and art at instagram.com/lauramathewsart/ www.lauramathewsart.com/ and support her work at www.patreon.com/lauramathewsart

[@Bad_Wolf_Media]

Look at the little girl in the b-roll on this video. She could see Ms. Mathews working the controls, she could see the lines being pulled, and she still KNEW she was watching a dragon fly. Adults call it "suspension of disbelief," but it's a literal example of child-like wonder. And it's something the world could use more of, for certain.

[@jimruddy6083]

Loved the look of joy when Laura had the dragon land in her hand. Priceless.

[@BillieRuben]

I have the great honour of being mates with Laura, and you are so right. I (an adult) can look right at her moving it, but the animal she is puppeting is so obviously its own living being, it's a really wild thing to experience. You have to consciously call yourself out of the belief in the creature to talk to her about it, and even then it will land on your finger or something and you're right back in. She is an AMAZING artist.

[@blindleader42]

5:26 Most adorable 4 seconds on the Internet so far this year.

[@LauraMathewsArt]

@@BillieRuben Billiiiieeee thank you so much, what a wonderful thing to read

[@Snow-Willow]

The design is obviously brilliant, but I feel like enough people aren't raving about the level of skill as a puppeteer this girl has. Even a totally unrealistic puppet can be made to move believably if you have a skilled enough puppeteer.

[@brendancaulfield970]

I had the privilege to meet Laura at Dublin Maker this year, she's so friendly - she was flying her dragon past the door to our workshop room as we were setting up, and when we all freaked out at the dragon she swooped her around and flew in and alighted on the desk, then spoke to us about the dragon and her other puppets and techniques for about 20 minutes! All the while, the dragon was fricking ALIVE. Independently. She's a true puppet master.

[@CaptainBrawnson]

This is someone I would LOVE to see a lot more follow-up videos on, maybe visit her in the UK or have her out to the Cave with more puppets.

[@NeilBreeze]

I've seen the evolution of Laura's work from her time in college and university through to the the first moveable sculptures and now these amazing puppets. It's amazing (and yet not at all surprising) to see how far she has come and the level of dedication and detail that she puts into her work. She serves as a fantastic example of a maker who truly has an obsession for her subject matter and is able to perfectly translate this into her work. I can't wait to see what she has planned for the future!

[@danielldecamp7516]

That's the most realistic moving dragon I've ever seen. 👏

[@ailaG]

I saw the other one IRL at EMFCamp 2024 and it looks hella realistic in person too. Every little thing there is so carefully crafted and thought about it's nothing short of AMAZING.

[@ambery4685]

The wing movement is perfect

[@CaptainBrawnson]

That demo footage of the other puppet at 4:00 gave me immediate heartache for the cancellation of the recent Dark Crystal series. It was such a beautiful show and such a love letter to puppeteering and puppet making.

[@tc9694]

Holy shit they made a dark crystal series, I had no idea.

[@CaptainBrawnson]

@@tc9694 There's a section where the puppets put on a puppet show and it's utterly magical. Barnaby Dixon of youtube puppet making fame was involved, since he specializes in highly emotive finger and hand puppets.

[@jaimie1938]

I've had the pleasure of seeing Laura's puppets in person several times now. Even though I know they're puppets and can see the puppeteer moving them, when you're looking at the creature in person you just get totally lost in its movements and mannerisms. She's easily one of the most unique puppeteers out there rn.

[@greensteve9307]

She's got the physics of landing spot-on! The bracing, bounce, illusion of weight.

[@crasslee]

I've known Laura for many years. And i can truthfully say she is one of the most talented people I know. I'm very happy to see her featured here on AST 😊

[@khronokraze]

It's beautiful. Both aesthetically and mechanically. Very cool. well done.

[@CaptainBrawnson]

Oh my god, as someone who grew up riding horses, attempting a puppet capable of multiple different horse gaits is an incredible challenge. You're not just talking about different styles of motion but completely different rhythms. Going from a walk to a trot to a canter is 4-beat motion to 2-beat motion to 3-beat motion. What an engineering challenge. I absolutely hope to see updates on that project.

[@Caram0n]

Bring her to meet Adam!

[@SenzaArtex]

Love the movements of the puppets. Just amazing

[@Pfahli94]

Amazing work, this would definitely elevate story telling in DnD on a battle map

[@CaptainBrawnson]

My favorite toy growing up was a dragon marionette. It worked like a pretty standard marionette and was more like an ostrich in a dragon costume, but I LOVED that thing, and how much motion and life you could get out of something so simple. This puppet is incredible, though, the same simplicity but so refined for the exact type of movement and energy you imagine a dragon would have.

[@lr3.3]

Incredible. The best I've ever seen and such enthusiasm, bravo.

[@LincolnWorld]

This channel has had some of the best puppet content I've seen in a while. I love that that continues with this amazing puppet design!

[@dinoreplicas]

Gorgeous work all round. The dragon, its mechanisms and its movements

[@JustTiisLeague]

Well executed and impressive integration of traditional and modern methods.

[@lousmer427]

Yes!!! Been following her for years absolutely awesome work always

[@nathantron]

lol, she's right, not a dragon, technically a wyvern. Wyverns are still cool. That's really amazing she is able to get it to move that flexibly. I love the screws and design. So cool!

[@Fallub]

What a cool puppet. Thanks for the video.

[@zebtron]

I saw this for a bit at Maker Faire this year, but my kid wanted to run off to something else... I'm so glad I get to see this now!

[@graefx]

Thats absolutely wonderful. The wings are incredible.

[@NewMessage]

Henson Company... call her.

[@whazee]

Really cool to see Laura on tested! 😊

[@BenMillen]

Yay love seeing your stuff, you were a great help to me in the laser room and gave me some good advice on pricing my art and craft, look forward to seeing the unicorn

[@LarryRobinsonintothefog]

The dragon marionette and movements were awesome.

[@JolynBowler]

Spectacularly creative. Thanx, Norm. 💙🌻💙 and thank you, Laura.

[@ardemus]

I love that the controls are also a dragon. I love it in general, but that's a spendid detail.

[@nuno_das_fotos]

What a gorgeous piece!

[@Dave-ds3vo]

This was wonderful! She's fantastic!

[@ElChris816]

I'm in total awe of this awesomeness.

[@vivisector3489]

What a lovely person.

[@Dragonited]

The hollow eyes thing could be used for having a small led inside the head that shines out of it or something. Could be cool. The whole model is awesome as it is, though it could be an idea to improve it even more.

[@user-fk8zw5js2p]

Best marionettes i've ever seen, by a lot.

[@anewhypeiv9898]

How do I find out how to be a genius like this lady? Awe-inspiring movements.

[@ptrathos]

I have seen your work and it is very inspirational. Fantastic job!

[@EvanCops]

😮 NEED IT. Thats amazing

[@holographic_red]

Awesome!

[@aaronblackford981]

She’s an awesome designer. Wow.

[@Justtrash82]

That’s awesome! I soloed something like that the other day in FFXI but that was a dragon not a wyvern love the movements very fluid. 👍

[@jaxnean2663]

Can a harness that supports her arm(s) help? I imagine one where she rest her arm on it and it will have some resistance in such a way that her arms gets lowered slowly.

[@jameswarren423]

Very talented young lady ! And amazing puppeteering of her creations!👍🏼🤩🫡❤️

[@notfeedynotlazy]

Biologist here. If we're talking of fire-breathing, huge-yet-flying, treasure-hoarding, maiden-abducting, talking lizards, complining about the number of limbs is kind of the least of one's worries from a biological (biochemistry, biomechanics AND etology) point of view... 😀 jokes besides, amazing puppets

[@goblinofsharksnacks]

She just said how shes inspired about real world anatomy and biology Vertebrates have 4 limbs, if a dragon were real it would also only have 4 If you're a biologist then you should know what she's getting at

[@notfeedynotlazy]

@@goblinofsharksnacks dude... aren't you missing the point here! Let's leave aside for a while how you're oh-so-arogantly trying to lecture a zoologist regarding number of limbs. Let's center ourselve sfor a second in how, and I'd wish to make it clear, *lizards do NOT breathe fire.* Then let's talk about how a critter of the size of a dragon (not a puppet - I mean the whole size critter) would NOT be able t fly on wings of that proportion regarding to its size. (That's something that no-biologists often get wrong - like you just did, since you got fixated on limb number instead of *wing size too small to support flight* as any biology-savvy viewer would have). _Then,_ let's talk about the whole "this lizard values gold and gemstones for it monetary value in Human economies" thing and *the whole "this lizard loves to kidnapp young princesses, specifically princesses, for reasons only known to the lizard itself" fiasco* - because YES, the studies of animal behaviour are also part of Biology, as you'd know if YOU were a Biologist. WHich you obviously aren't). But the most important part: *You just made a fool of yourself by reading a tongue-in-cheek "there are WORSE things in dragons than wrong nuber of limbs" joke and taking it seriously, and a SECOND fool by actually believing that it was a "no, dragons should have six limbs, that's no biology problem" comment.* TL;DR: You are not as smart as you thought you were 🙂

[@njones420]

Fellow biologist. We all know dragons eat calcium-carbonate limestone-rock from the English cliffsides, which reacts with the hydrochloric acid of the Omasum-forestomach to form hydrogen, which is then stored in the rumen. This is then released through a voluntary gastroesophageal sphincter, and ignited using a small muscle-group in the soft-palate modified as electrocytes to use the KCNA1 voltage-gated potassium channel to generate a spark within the nasel-turbinate. 😉

[@notfeedynotlazy]

@@njones420 I see you are a fellow enjoyer of _Flight of the Dragons,_ read: a man of culture added to a man of sience 😀

[@njones420]

@@notfeedynotlazy Christ, I haven't seen that since the '80s 😅 I knew it came from somewhere.

[@andrewphillips8198]

Someone from House Of Dragon hire her please. Beautiful ❤❤❤

[@jimruddy6083]

Or Brian Henson's Muppet Shop!

[@Astro1derboy]

Stunningly epic!

[@DrSpeedNL]

Absolute magic!

[@niklaswejedal463]

Amazing, all of them!

[@amelialikesfrogs5778]

theres this shop/workshop near me in the midlands at an out of the way art centre in the countryside, called the victorian model workshop that makes amazing animatronics and puppets. this style reminds me a lot of that place

[@sulijoo]

This reminds me of back in the 80s when a bunch of engineers and scientists (in Colorado I think) were tasked with recreating a life-sized remote-controlled flying model of a terrasaur. After many failures they finally got it to fly. Originally they had wanted to build a full size version that had a wingspan of 30ft (based on a real fossil!) but in the end they had to settle for one half the size.

[@DrachenGothik666]

*Pterosaur.

[@MaryThompson63]

SO COOL!

[@JorisBax]

Just lovely! 👌

[@Critter145]

Amazing accomplishment. Looks like Dani’s Dragons.

[@vesawuoristo4162]

Marvelous

[@Miguelangel6784]

She’s amazing

[@F-Los]

So beautiful

[@colinhurry9798]

Wonderful!

[@FrederikEngelmand]

WYVERNS ARE DRAGONS DAMMIT!

[@Feynt]

It's a great puppet, very lifelike. Excellent attention to detail on the articulation. This is why I can't be happy with making prosthetics, because I want lifelike construction and movement in stuff and I'm just not that attentive. Also not that practiced, so my attempts would suffer the curse of iteration.

[@ryanbarker5217]

very cool. i'd like to see that in an automaton, too.

[@171QA]

You had me at dragons.

[@ludwigvanzappa9548]

Fascinating!

[@Kalarchis]

As a dragon dork, let me say: anyone hitting this lady with "well...that's actually a wyvern" needs a long look in the mirror and a values adjustment.

[@DOGosaurus_rex]

that's pretty cool

[@bartholemew-ellisonthompso6024]

Nice

[@andybogart2503]

Magical ❤

[@watchboy123]

Wow that's awesome

[@thepokekid01]

I always wanted a Dragon Puppet, ever since I saw one in europe, maybe looking at this I can figure out at least a good way to make one

[@Lion_McLionhead]

Holy grail of biomorphism. Tough deltoid workout.

[@michelletewhata7768]

❤❤❤

[@Mr.Spanky]

Puppets are underrated just get a pop-up display with red curtains and yellow ropes and let the show begin what if I got like three really really nice puppets one intricate Pinocchio One dragon and an oddball of the bunch

[@steveb0503]

Dope af...

[@CyclingGeo]

I wonder if there’s a reason to go with black string rather than a clear line for example. I feel like you’d see the guide lines a lot less if they were fishing line.

[@henriknykvist]

I wonder if it'd be possible to make a rig like a backpack so you don't have to lift your arms as much.

[@josephdonais4778]

Quite lovely. Thank you for being anatomically correct. Little do I like less than four legged flying a creature.

[@nathkrupa3463]

Great work sir

[@TSIRKLAND]

Look out behind you! There's an INSECT!!

[@wontonmin6481]

She should work for stop animation

[@steverino6954]

Fire breathing is fine, but she doesn't buy the four-legged dragon.😂

[@David1962.]

Are you going to Rhode Island Comicon.

[@gl15col]

It reminds me of the dragon in "Dragonslayer" to me one of the most naturalistic dragon puppets ever. I can't wait for Hollywood to take note of her talent.

[@durangodave]

you have the link wrong, you included the word "and" in the link so the URL returns a page not found.

[@durangodave]

love it, really cool. Why is it a female dragon? Are there both sexes of dragons?

[@misterkami2]

If she hasn't yet, it might be interesting for Laura to contact Barnaby Dixon; he's been on Tested as well. His puppets use a different principle to control, but he's gone through some of the same challenges to work out different gaits for 4 legged animals and the mechanics of 2 legged dinosaurs and birds. The way Laura manages to put personality into her puppets and the way she combined joints into a functional chain reminded me of Barnaby's work.

[@JackDanielJenkins]

Put her info in the video and not just the links; we don't all watch these on computers.

[@Pond770]

It’s really nice but why?Why an average person would want to do that because of what?

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

the wyvern dragon distinction is modern and innacurate lol

[@JonMadsen70]

:)

[@krmusick]

While a Wyvern is draconic, it is NOT a Dragon.

[@JohnnyWednesday]

Lifelike? Dragon? they don't exist!!!!!!

[@saidwhowhy]

What she needs is an inspector gadget arm that holds the puppet at any desirable height, which opens her both arms to design all the complicated movements.

[@GothicPoet]

It's a cute dragon puppet.

[@CyclingGeo]

I wonder if there’s a reason to go with black string rather than a clear line for example. I feel like you’d see the guide lines a lot less if they were fishing line.