Balloon modelling or balloon twisting is the shaping of special modelling balloons into almost any given shape, often a balloon animal. People who create balloon animals and other twisted balloon decoration sculptures are called Twisters, Balloon Benders, and Balloon Artists. Twisters often perform in restaurants, at birthday parties, fairs and at public and private events or functions.
A street performer doing balloon modeling in Japan, 2022
A life-size balloon leprechaun at Boston's St Patrick's Day Parade in 2018.
Balloon Artist twisting a Balloon for Children by Yombu
Two of the primary design styles are "single balloon modelling", which restricts itself to the use of one balloon per model, and "multiple balloon modelling", which uses more than one balloon. Each style has its own set of challenges and skills, but few twisters who have reached an intermediate or advanced skill level limit themselves to one style or another. Depending on the needs of the moment, they might easily move between the one-balloon or multiple approaches, or they might even incorporate additional techniques such as "weaving" and "stuffing". Modelling techniques have evolved to include a range of very complex moves, and a highly specialized vocabulary has emerged to describe the techniques involved and their resulting creations.
Child Holding a Spiderman Balloon at Children's Party by Yombu
Some twisters inflate their balloons with their own lungs, and for many years this was a standard and necessary part of the act. However, many now use a pump of some sort, whether it is a hand pump, an electric pump plugged in or run by a battery pack, or a compressed gas tank containing air or nitrogen. Twisters do not generally fill their creations with helium, as these designs will not usually float anyway. The balloons for twisting are too porous for helium and the designs are generally too heavy for their size for helium to lift.
The origins of balloon modelling are unknown. The 1975 book by "Jolly the Clown" Art Petri credits "Herman Bonnert from Pennsylvania at a magician's convention in 1939" as being the first balloontwister.[1] Val Andrews, in Manual of Balloon Modeling, Vol. 1, An Encyclopedic Series, credits H.J. Bonnert of Scranton, Pennsylvania as being the "daddy of them all".[2] Jim Church III states, "Frank Zacone from Youngstown, Ohio was doing a balloon act during the 1940s and had been doing the act for some time."[2] Another candidate for first balloon twister is Henry Maar.[3]
Equipment
A balloon modeler's toolkit contains hundreds of colorful balloons in various sizes and hues.
Two essential items are required for balloon twisting:
An assortment of balloons, usually in various colors. Balloon sizes are usually identified by a number: the most common size of twisting balloons is called a "260", as it is approximately two inches in diameter and 60 inches long. Thus, a "260" is 2×60 inches and a "160" is 1×60 inches when fully blown up. Although these are the most common sizes used, there are dozens of other shapes available as well.[4]
An inflation device.[5] The most common methods are air pumps similar to bicycle pumps, electric air compressors, and via the mouth. Inflating a balloon via the mouth is difficult and can be dangerous. Particularly well-trained and talented twisters, however, can blow-up several balloons at once, and some can even blow up 160s, which are much more difficult to mouth-inflate than the more common 260s, as their narrowness requires a great deal more strength and breath pressure to inflate.
Basic four-legged animal: Three locking twists. The first forms nose, ears/face, and neck; the second, front legs and body; the third, back legs and tail. Different proportions can be used to represent a dachshund, a giraffe, etc.
Elephant: A hook twist trunk followed by a bean twist face and two large "elephant ear" twists, finished with two locking twists as above.
Helmet: Three bubble roll through sized to fit a person's head.
Sword: Twofold twists form the cross piece, with one short and one long bubble forming the handle and blade.
^"BalloonHQ Columns - Ralph Dewey". www.balloonhq.com. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
^ abBalzer, Mark. "The History of Balloons". Balloon HQ. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
^Maar, Joseph.The Story of Henry Maar 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine TMyers.com 6/20/06 Accessed 10/5/07
^Ballon, Môssieur. "Choosing the Right Modelling Balloons ?". www.mossieur-ballon.com. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
^Ballon, Môssieur. "Which pump to use for twisting balloons". www.mossieur-ballon.com. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
^Pink balloon unicorn - made by balloon artist Tom Bola Accessed 3/29/20.
External links
'Pop Art', Jonathan Allen, Cabinet, issue 37, 2010
March 03, 2023
balloon, modelling, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, decembe. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Balloon modelling news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Balloon modelling or balloon twisting is the shaping of special modelling balloons into almost any given shape often a balloon animal People who create balloon animals and other twisted balloon decoration sculptures are called Twisters Balloon Benders and Balloon Artists Twisters often perform in restaurants at birthday parties fairs and at public and private events or functions A balloon artist in Vienna Austria source source source source source source source source source source A street performer doing balloon modeling in Japan 2022 A life size balloon leprechaun at Boston s St Patrick s Day Parade in 2018 Balloon Artist twisting a Balloon for Children by Yombu Two of the primary design styles are single balloon modelling which restricts itself to the use of one balloon per model and multiple balloon modelling which uses more than one balloon Each style has its own set of challenges and skills but few twisters who have reached an intermediate or advanced skill level limit themselves to one style or another Depending on the needs of the moment they might easily move between the one balloon or multiple approaches or they might even incorporate additional techniques such as weaving and stuffing Modelling techniques have evolved to include a range of very complex moves and a highly specialized vocabulary has emerged to describe the techniques involved and their resulting creations Child Holding a Spiderman Balloon at Children s Party by Yombu Some twisters inflate their balloons with their own lungs and for many years this was a standard and necessary part of the act However many now use a pump of some sort whether it is a hand pump an electric pump plugged in or run by a battery pack or a compressed gas tank containing air or nitrogen Twisters do not generally fill their creations with helium as these designs will not usually float anyway The balloons for twisting are too porous for helium and the designs are generally too heavy for their size for helium to lift Contents 1 Origins 2 Equipment 3 Common models 3 1 Single balloon 3 2 Multiple balloon 4 See also 5 Notes 6 External linksOrigins EditThe origins of balloon modelling are unknown The 1975 book by Jolly the Clown Art Petri credits Herman Bonnert from Pennsylvania at a magician s convention in 1939 as being the first balloontwister 1 Val Andrews in Manual of Balloon Modeling Vol 1 An Encyclopedic Series credits H J Bonnert of Scranton Pennsylvania as being the daddy of them all 2 Jim Church III states Frank Zacone from Youngstown Ohio was doing a balloon act during the 1940s and had been doing the act for some time 2 Another candidate for first balloon twister is Henry Maar 3 Equipment Edit A balloon modeler s toolkit contains hundreds of colorful balloons in various sizes and hues Smurf hats made with 360 balloons St Vincent musician in 2015 Two essential items are required for balloon twisting An assortment of balloons usually in various colors Balloon sizes are usually identified by a number the most common size of twisting balloons is called a 260 as it is approximately two inches in diameter and 60 inches long Thus a 260 is 2 60 inches and a 160 is 1 60 inches when fully blown up Although these are the most common sizes used there are dozens of other shapes available as well 4 An inflation device 5 The most common methods are air pumps similar to bicycle pumps electric air compressors and via the mouth Inflating a balloon via the mouth is difficult and can be dangerous Particularly well trained and talented twisters however can blow up several balloons at once and some can even blow up 160s which are much more difficult to mouth inflate than the more common 260s as their narrowness requires a great deal more strength and breath pressure to inflate Common models EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message This single balloon horse includes a horn to resemble a unicorn 6 Single balloon Edit Basic four legged animal Three locking twists The first forms nose ears face and neck the second front legs and body the third back legs and tail Different proportions can be used to represent a dachshund a giraffe etc Elephant A hook twist trunk followed by a bean twist face and two large elephant ear twists finished with two locking twists as above Helmet Three bubble roll through sized to fit a person s head Sword Twofold twists form the cross piece with one short and one long bubble forming the handle and blade Multiple balloon Edit Big dog Butterfly Characters Dinosaur Flowers Teddy bear Lion Turtle Monkey on palm tree Fish on a fishing pole Motorbike Octopus Owl Penguin RabbitSee also EditRalph DeweyNotes Edit BalloonHQ Columns Ralph Dewey www balloonhq com Retrieved 2022 07 13 a b Balzer Mark The History of Balloons Balloon HQ Retrieved 2022 07 13 Maar Joseph The Story of Henry Maar Archived 2007 09 30 at the Wayback Machine TMyers com 6 20 06 Accessed 10 5 07 Ballon Mossieur Choosing the Right Modelling Balloons www mossieur ballon com Retrieved 2022 07 13 Ballon Mossieur Which pump to use for twisting balloons www mossieur ballon com Retrieved 2022 07 13 Pink balloon unicorn made by balloon artist Tom Bola Accessed 3 29 20 External links Edit Pop Art Jonathan Allen Cabinet issue 37 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Balloon modelling amp oldid 1125546780, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
