Balloon Chat
Uncategorized Boards => Balloon Review => Topic started by: nippy99 on April 16, 2011, 11:33:27 PM
Dear All,
I have always found it difficult to find out details about the quality and content of balloon instructions whether on DVDs or ebooks so I thought I would have a go at writing my first review. I have made all the designs myself, posted my own photos and given honest feedback. You may well not agree with a word I say, but nevermind, by all means form your own opinions but I hope you find it useful.
Let me know what you think and I will write some more.
Cheers
Darren
** UPDATED 27TH NOVEMBER - ORIGINAL REVIEW NOW ADDED TO FORUM RATHER THAN PDF **
Thank you very much for your great review ! I want that dvd very much now.
Thanks for the review Darren, made for an interesting read as I have not viewed my copy of the DVD yet.
If anyone would like to buy the DVD I do have it for sale on the website; http://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk/produ ... 88-14.html (http://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk/products/David_Brenion-488-14.html)
I agree with the review - both of David's dvds were really good. would recommend them a lot
Excellent review, Darren - many thanks for posting. I've viewed the DVD, but haven't attempted any models yet.
'Hearts and Rounds' I think it is called, but I only counted one (maybe two) hearts in all the models. Perhaps I'm being a little pedantic or churlish but don't rush out and buy bags of 6" hearts in anticipation...
It's an interesting set up David has, the light table makes him look a little like a mad scientist in a research lab (maybe that's the point?!) but that aside, a very slick, professional, educational and easy to follow DVD with loads of useable everyday, 'never seen before' pieces.
All in all... Yes - buy it!
--Neil
Hi Neil
You are right - more rounds than hearts! I always viewed a DVD before making any models just to make sure I have all the right balloons in stock. I always have one missing that I need to order from Graham. You will enjoy making these models. Try the monkey and penguin first as you will use these the most and they are quite easy to remember so you can make them off by heart (not rounds!)...
Cheers
Darren
;) Will give the monkey and penguin a go over the weekend - thanks for the tip!
Cheers Darren
--Neil
BALLOONS AND ROUNDS BY DAVID BRENION
A well produced DVD with good use of menus for ease of access to the individual chapters. The sound and visuals are clear and David provides good explanations. The only criticism here would be the bright white background. It seemed to diminish the colours and
brightness of the main video. The use of an additional camera for close-ups would have helped and if you are new to ballooning you may struggle with a number of designs. The practice required has rewards and this is an exceptionally good DVD and fantastic value for
money.
PENGUIN
Penguins have featured regularly in many instruction books and DVDs but this version of David's has a cuteness factor that ladies and children die for! Having tested this design in the 'real world' it rates highly in terms of demand and customer satisfaction. The penguin in the photo is an early one so not the best example. The key here is a plump rounded belly and well proportioned features. In David's recent lecture in the UK he suggested the addition of short arms plus a small flower at the top of the head to make a female version. This design is fairly easy to make. All David's designs can be made as bracelets or headbands.
[attachment=0:2mfpd0z5][/attachment]001-penguin.JPG[/attachment:2mfpd0z5]
OWL
This owl uses an interesting head design and looks fantastic in real-life. The Owl's popularity has surprised me for some reason and whilst I do not make this one 'live' I have premade a few for parties. The use of the round for the body gives it a natural owl shape which adds to its appeal. There isn't anything here particularly difficult but I do find the positioning of the eyes a little tricky.
[attachment=0:2890s1e0][/attachment]002-owl.jpg[/attachment:2890s1e0]
MONKEY
For me the star of the DVD has to be David's monkey. This is the ultimate in cuteness and the use of two round balloons to make the body and head creates a nice shaped mouth for extra character. This design is also economical in balloons. A carefully inflated mocha 160 will be enough for the whole monkey including the tail. Be warned, once the monkey has been made you won't get a chance to make anything else for the rest of your gig! This is a balloon that will be in my professional repertoire for a very long time.
[attachment=0:2escqvz1][/attachment]003-monkey.jpg[/attachment:2escqvz1]
PIG
This pig uses a round balloon for both the body and the snout. In this photo, the snout does not look right and I had difficulty angling the pinch twist on the nose to achieve the full snout effect. I particularly like the way the ears are connected to the head – a technique that has many other uses. Saying that the end result is OK and the customer liked it but this is unlikely to feature regularly in my usual repertoire. It lacks the visual appeal of the monkey, penguin and owl but that's a real tough act to follow so early on in a balloon DVD.
[attachment=0:1nwd0n8r][/attachment]004-pig.jpg[/attachment:1nwd0n8r]
FROG
Balloon frogs seem very popular amongst balloon artists and this version of David's is an excellent contribution. The 'frog legs' are a bit tricky and in this example sit a bit too far back. A popular crowd pleaser and a larger balloon than all the rest in this collection.
[attachment=0:z13ho0ox][/attachment]005-frog.jpg[/attachment:z13ho0ox]
POLAR BEAR
This polar bear is similar in design to the pig. The nose of the bear requires a deep marriage twist into the white round which makes it hard to get a nose of the correct depth. I wasted so many balloons trying to do this and it will take a while to perfect. Other than that the construction is easy and colours can be varied to produce different types of bears of which David demonstrates on his DVD to make a Panda and a Bear.
[attachment=0:6d8b7naf][/attachment]006-polarbear.jpg[/attachment:6d8b7naf]
MOUSE
This is a similar design to the polar bear and I really struggled to marriage twist the nose into a round balloon and still have the remaining balloon soft enough to twist a joint for the rear legs so I cheated and used two round balloons. This means my mouse doesn't look quite right and David's original design is so much better. This is the only balloon not to sit on a seven petal flower base. I won't be making this one again in a hurry as it is too stressful.
[attachment=0:2tyhiv75][/attachment]007-mouse.jpg[/attachment:2tyhiv75]
CHICKEN
This is a nice easy chicken to make (although I have drawn the eyes too high up!). The beak and the feet are similar to the other designs and I particularly like the use of a single balloon for the wings.
[attachment=0:3dr21n2c][/attachment]008-chicken.jpg[/attachment:3dr21n2c]
DUCK
This duck is the first I have seen that doesn't use the traditional heart design for the head and body. Whilst this is more difficult to achieve, David's design gives a lovely tail shape which isn't very clear on this photo. In my hands it is a struggle to make the tail and probably not something I would make for line work. I won't give away David's technique; you will need to buy his DVD for that.
[attachment=0:3ulj3e2c][/attachment]009-duck.jpg[/attachment:3ulj3e2c]
TURKEY
Like all balloon designs there are always parts that are new to you and can be used in future creations. For me I particularly liked the tail of the turkey and the use of an un-inflated balloon to pull the tail pieces together to hold the shape.
[attachment=0:2t9m3787][/attachment]010-turkey.jpg[/attachment:2t9m3787]
SEAGULL
When I first showed my children this balloon they promptly made seagull chirping noises and claimed this gull was from Finding Nemo! A very original design but be warned I must have popped ten white rounds before I managed to make my first body. It is also very tough on the fingers. The fact that the gull sits on a wooden post is novel and the use of an un-inflated platted balloon for rope adds a visual extra. A really excellent balloon but not one for a beginner.
[attachment=0:3gee5w0k][/attachment]011-seagull.jpg[/attachment:3gee5w0k]
Is this DVD somewhere (else than from Grahams store) availiable?
Hi CK, it's available from many places. Where are you located?