Let‘s learn shadow puppetry!

Shadow puppetry is a storytelling art form dating back centuries. By casting shadows with your hands, you can manipulate them - shaping images to fit the story you want to tell. What I found most fascinating about it is just how approachable it is. No elaborate props or background is required. No extensive practice either. You just need to be willing and creative to enjoy the interplay between light and shadow. It is a fantastic introduction to theatrical arts that is both accessible and not intimidating. Now, just like theatre shadow puppetry can be traced back to a dizzying variety of cultures, each with their traditions and practices. Yet, you can learn base work bridging them all together in just a few minutes. With the help of one of the best shadowgraphists of all time - Felicien Trawey, this is my main goal for today. With that said, let‘s enter the magical world of shadows.

Make room

Before we learn how to make shadows, we need to make sure that we can. Find a closed room. Close all the lights. Also, make sure that no mirrors are around - the glare will interfere with your shadows, even with minimal light. After that, choose your light source carefully. Make sure its temperature is comfortable and pay close attention to its brightness and color to fit your needs. A good all-rounder light is a dim white diffuse light. Then, set it up to your chosen screen at an optimal distance. The light source should be about 10 feet from the screen. Your hands should be about 4 feet from the source and 6 feet from the screen. You are now ready to begin.

Base positions

We should begin with the 8 base positions proposed by Trawey. Are they always useful? Not necessarily. Nevertheless, they are used in many forms even if slightly modified. Either way, it is great practice. I assure you that your hands will need to get used to what you ask of them. For my part, some of these even simple gestures were quite a task at the start. Practice makes perfect.

Close your pinkie. All three other fingers should be grouped and your thumb should be slightly upwards. I find this one pretty difficult (the pinkie). It might require practice.
Classic rocker hand! Pinkie and index straight up. Thumb flexed at 90 deg. The other two fingers should be closed.
Take the rocker hand but keep the thumb straight and half-close your pinkie and index finger.
Take position 1, but half-close the index.
Take position 1, but raise the pinkie and curve your three other fingers the other way.
That one is known to Trekkies. Put your pinkie and ring finger together. Put your index and middle fingers together. Keep the thumb straight.
Thumb out. All fingers crossed together (exact order doesn't matter).
Keep the index and middle finger closed. The ring finger and pinkie should be opened horizontally. Keep the thumb upwards.

Have you practiced those? Yes? Good. Then, let me show you 5 simple and fun shadow forms you can make right now!

Rabbit

Traditionally, the rabbit is the first shape to learn. Take your right hand in position 1. We will need to separate all three fingers though. The ring finger and middle finger will be horizontal but at about 15 degrees from each other. The ring finger, middle finger and pinkie make the legs. The index will be held upwards even backwards a bit. That position will be assured by using the index of the left hand. The thumb of the left hand should also touch the right index. The left middle and ring fingers should be half-opened (making the ears).

Swan

A swan is another easy shape to make. For your left hand, take all three fingers upwards and together. Put the pinkie and thumb in front of them. That hand will be the wing. The right hand will make the hand. Take position 8 but stick the thumb to the tip of the index. Now, you just need to configure both hands correctly to make a neck with your arms. Make sure the left hand is looking backwards. The tip of that hand should make feathers.

Wolf

The wolf should also be at your reach. Your right hand should make an open palm. Put it almost horizontally but tilted so the thumb is slightly upwards. The left hand is a bit more complex but nothing impossible. Keep the left thumb upwards and close the index finger. All other 3 fingers should rest on the right index. The left hand should make the tip of the head and an eye. The right hand should make the mouth.

Bird

The flying bird is another classic form that any child can do. Close all fingers of the left hand together but keep the thumb upwards. Do the same with the right hand. Then join both hands with the thumbs. The palms should make wings and the thumbs should make a neck and head. You can even 'flap' the bird's wings if you want!

Elephant

One last form for today: the elephant. Put your right palm horizontally with the thumb sticking out. Keep the position but put all fingers downwards. You've made the tusk and trunk. Put the base of your left hand on top of the base of the right. With the left hand, try to do about the same shape as the right hand. Your left fingers should rest on the finger joint of the right hand and the left thumb should rest on the side, out of view. The left hand should make the top of the head and an eye!

The power in your hands

Those are only basic forms you can do but your hands can do much much more. You should look around for that. Also, keep in mind that many shadow puppetry plays use props to create specific shadow shapes. Almost anything can do here. In fact, the more variety in shape and transparency you have, the more you can push your creativity. Feel free to use what is lying around to make your own creations.

See you next time.

References

The art of shadowgraphy; how it is done, Felicien Trewey, London, Jordison, 1920.