latest for Vietnam-US RTO

The first US soldier rolls off the workbench, a RTO crouching holding handset to his ear.

28mm (1/60 scale) Vietnam

I decided it was time for something new, so for some reason I plumped for the Vietnam War. The American figures will be 27/28mm to eye level with the Vietnamese measuring around 25/26mm to eye level.

This all sounds a little complicated but I wanted the Vietnamese to be slightly shorter than the Americans to reflect their slightly shorter stature. This meant that I would be working to a scale of 1/60 allowing me to make scale weapons.


These are the first two VC figures, one with SKS rifle and one with an AK47. They are both passive but I will be moving on to some more dynamic poses, I wanted something to start on to gat the clothing and equipment sorted in my own mind

The two figures were built up from wire armatures, something else I wanted to do to get a little more variety in the stances although I will also be working from dollies I created whilst doing the first few weapons.

PULLING FACES

I have been meaning to do this for a while now, a series of posts showing how I sculpt figures. this first is to show how I shape faces and I must stress this is the way I do it, it is in no way the only method, so go and experiment.

This is a series of photos taken during a session to put a face on a model. As you can see, to begin with I had a stump that would be the neck onto which I placed an appropriately sized blob of putty. In my case I tend to prefer Pro Create for most of my modelling.




This blob is basically shaped between finger and thumb to see where the nose will be.
Next I push the putty around to create a basic nose and pus in slits where the eyes will be.

The next stage involves starting to shape the nose and smooth off the face to get the right shape. All faces are not the same so just getting the basic shape will do at this stage. It is important to keep your tools wet so they don't stick to the putty. As you can see the final shape is not important at this stage, but it is the beginning of placing everything where it should be.

Next i trim off any excess around the chin and neck area, now it is starting to take some shape.

More smoothing and shaping of the features to get them looking right and approximately the right size and shape.
Next, a modelling tool is gently pushed up from the chin towards the nose to create the lower lip and then a slit is cut above this to form the mouth.
More smoothing and then taking a scalpel I cut and push to create basic eye shapes. these will be manipulated by sculpting tools to the right shape and size, smoothing everything as I go.


Now all that remains is some final smoothing and gentle shaping, pushing in the cheeks and finalising the finished shape of the face.

I don't really like the figures blown up so much in photos, the faces are only 4mm high in reality.

New Age of Arthur and more

I have just about done a few archers for both the British and the Picts, as you can see, the figures are 28mm tall and more in proportion than my previous figures.
The four archers in a row, just gone for a bit of variety in the poses so that I can alter the masters after the first castings with cloaks, hoods or helmets. Also along with these four will be some Pict Noble warriors with spear and shield, cavalry will follow along with more command types and maybe a few characters.

Now for something completely different, a few weapons to a scale of approximately 1/60 for a new range of figures for the Vietnam War I am going to be working on. the dollies are made and measure 28mm to eye level so as t omatch up with other available ranges. The weapons are made with a mix of ProCreate and Magic Sculp, both of which I like using and have been known to mix them together to get sharper lines.More news as and when things progress.

WWII cafe proprietor for the French resistance

Some of the painted Picts and Romano-British

More Viking types

The last of the Vikings for now, Saxons coming up next

28mm Fantasy Warriors

A few shots of the finished warriors, completed as a commission. The idea was to have separate weapons with hands cast on, so the figures can be holding a sword or a spear, a shield and have a scabbard either empty or with the sword contained.

The idea was to create figures suitable as men of Laketown, so uniformed militia types, hence the boat on the shield. The figures are 28mm to eye level thus approximately 32mm in height.




For more information as the range progresses please go to http://www.blackpyramid.co.uk/middlekingdom/

28mm Viking Bondi and young warriors

First 28mm Picts

28mm Age of Arthur WIP

Romano-British warriors

A Pict Chieftain on the left

Four of the new batch

These figures are all based on a measurement of 28mm from the soles of the feet to the top of the head.

More 28mm viking types

28mm Roman staff slinger

28mm Vikings

I have recently been doing a couple of Vikings as a commission and thought I'd put up a few photos of the progress.

Romano-British Warriors

I have now started using some new dollies I made, this time they are 28mm in height and more in proportion. I decided this was the way to go as having read the many comments on the web regarding proportional figures I realised that many figures are not in proportion. Shields and weapons are separate.

Therefore I am showing you some new figures which will eventually become a small range of figures for the Arthurian period, or if you prefer, the Dark Ages just after Rome decided to leave the isles to their own devices.

Any comments would be welcome especially as to what figures to make other than the standard types I have in mind.

These figures are soon to be added to the Parkfield Miniatures catalogue.

28mm Romano-British project

I have now started on my 28mm Arthurian figures, the first being a Romano-British warrior for Parkfield Miniatures. I have tried to create a dolly that is more proportional to see how things go.

BLACKSHIRT-GENTLEMAN CROOK

I thought I'd have a go at some Pulp type characters, the first one is Blackshirt, a gentleman crook of some renown who was a good one to model as I didn't have to do the face!

FRENCH RESISTANCE RADIO OPERATOR

French Resistance work in progress

Radio operator (wip) will have suit case radio
Resistance man standing, holding sten gun

latest sculpting

I wanted to try something different yet again and decided to have a go at a French resistance fighteer with sten. He stands 30mm tall and is almost finished.