"Sculpting Heroes from round the fantasy world 28mm" Topic

Hello guys, i wanted to share a sculpting project for fantasy wagaming i am working on, to hopefully launch as a crowdfunding campaing nearly soon:

As the tittle says, i want to sculpt 11 heroes that reminds, that have a style/look, of armour, weapong and clothe from diferent nations of our historical world, rounding the 6-12th centuries (late ancient and early-high medieval period).

Those will be:

1)Orc heroe : average orkish look, yep
2)Orc heroe 2: steppes people (central-south asia)
3)Dwarf heroe: nordic
4)Elves 1: with celtic/germanic look
5)Elves 2: with muslim-persian look
6)Humanoid 1: with Hindu look
7)Humanoid 2: with medieval russia look
8)dwarf 2: with muslism arabic-desert look.
9)Humanoid 3: with nordic looking
10)Humanoid 4: with american precolombinian-aztec look
11)Humanoid 5: with oriental looking (mongol-chinese-japanese)

For now, i started with the average orc #1) and the nordic dwarf #3 heroes.

[imghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ok9d8pjbMIs/U1KdReeY2AI/AAAAAAAADEM/66iSOw9VNBM/s1600/heroeEnano6.png]

Next ones are #4 celtic elve and #6 hindu look humanoid.

Hope you like them, they will be only on foot for now.

Pics of sketches of the factions, not the final models:

The russian:

the hindu:

The american:

The Nordic humanoid (rather than nordic dwarfs)

The celtic/germanic guys

And the orc (this one is done :P )

cya!

They all look great!

Personally, I would love to see some mesoamerican style alien humanoids – frog or salamander men, lizardmen, or even soemthing really strange like bat-headed, skeleton-thin aztec-styled humanoids.
Making a whole race for a cultural/fighting style really adds a lot of character and extra interest to a fantasy range.

Anyway, I love the ones you've made here and am looking forward very much to see how you develop the other sketches into miniatures!

Promising concept- I've always wanted to see more sets of general-use (ie, not tied to a specific setting) fantasy models that weren't either generic European medieval or generic 'high fantasy' in style.

-Will

I like most of the concept art done. I agree with what wminsing wrote.

The only concept which really isn't working for me is the Aztec. You might want to eschew historical accuracy and give the guy some metal armor.

Not just to be a contrarian but the concepts you propose that sound the most interesting are the elf and dwarf as persian / arabice styles respectively. The others seem pretty well trodden paths – Orcs that look a bit like mongols (lots of people have done this), elves that look "celtic" (alternative armies), dwarves that look nordic – that's the default look.

If it's not too late it might be worth thinking about shaking it up a bit more – although so far I'm a lone voice so maybe not. I do like the sound of Aztec lizardmen (although GW have sort of been there). Maybe Aztec elves. I'm not sure how aztec humans differ from historical ranges.

Good luck anyway.

I admit the Arabic/Persian and Hindu/Indian looks are of the most interest to me as well. 'Oriental' and 'Nordic' are already somewhat represented in the market. Not saying there's NOTHING out there in the first two categories out there, but it's definitely rarer.

-Will

I agree that exploring precolombian and hindu styles for non-humans would be excellent; somehting really new and different.

I also give a vote each to Terrement's idea of:
aztec snakemen – that would be superb
hindu lizardmen
mayan elves, but with metal weaponry or wood-magic weapons.

instead of traditional orcs, how about some maori-style sharkmen? I would love to have some sharkmen south sea islanders.

Other great hindu/indian forces could be tigermen and hanuman-style monkeys. Indeed, why not four-armed hanuman warriors?

@Terrement – well, that does look like an interesting list. I fully admit that I don't know the economics of figure making – especially what will sell and what will not sell. I do see that there's a glut of "generic orcs" and a similar glut of "little viking dwarves" but whether that really means a new range should avoid these obviously popular styles I don't know.

I do know that it's lines that stand out as something different that grab my attention, but whether that translates into sales generally I have no way of telling.

Hi, thanks for t he coments, they were usefull, i see that i s hould have made a more extensive, or what i call, the "faction paralelism"

Before that, as 20thmaine says, and i even think like that: there someminiatures and styles that are "overdone" in the miniature market, and its not a bad idea to try something new diferent, however there is a thin line between those 2 parts in which something new and original might look weird, "no sense" or "fantastycall inacurate" or whatever you can name it.

The point is, wanting to make something original, i also have to do things/desings of "already done" miniatures because it has a settled public.

But not (and never) leaving the intention to make somehitng original of course, and i repeat, but ALL orginal would be a madness of confusing concepts unrelate d between them ( i want to make an undertable line of miniatures not only for general puropose, also for my own back round/fantasy world under construction)

So, the list i gave (after the coments i made 3 changes) was for heroes/warboses for what i call "the main races" , the main humanoid races in fantasy, and that races featured in the diferent cultures..

and, appart of that, would come the ANTHROPOMORPHOUS list of heroes, featuring the mithological part of the humanoid races, excepting that dwarf, elves and orc are already mithological, but not "anthropomorphous creatures".

So, i will now write the reformed humanoid list, and to compare, the anthropomorphous mithological heroes.

1) ORc eskimo (1st change) this is t he one that has no counterpart.

2) orc – stepes – Ogre heroe (2

3) Dwarf – muslim/arabic- Efrits (genious lider)(3

4) Dwarf – nordic – Werewolf heroe (4(living in the northlands forests as nordic tribes in human forms)

5) Elves -celtic/germanic – Faun heroe (5

6) Elves – persian – Naga (snake like) heroe (6

7) Elves – azte (race change)- meso-Lizardmen ;)(7

8) Humanoid – hindϊ – Ravanna (demon leader) (8

9) Humanoid – russian – Sucubus ( female demon leader) (9

10) Humanoid – Nordman/escandinavian- Incubus (male demon leader) (10

11) Humanoid – oriental – Oni (demon/ogre leader)

so yes, there is a total of 22 heroes, i just watned to start with 1 list, or 12 mixed heroes, priorizing to most important/interesting.

Reading your coments, i would propose to make a 12 mi naitures list, mixing the 2 lists, at least 2 or 3 proposals would be a guide or to have as consideration.

i have already done the nord dwarf and the stepe orc (some little changes might be done tho)

So, what other 10 would you like?

In my personal opinion:

3)Muslim dwarf

5)elves celtic + Faun (5

10) elve aztec + lizardmen (10

6) elve persian + naga (snake like) (6

8) humanoid russian

7) humanoid hindu + ravana demon(7

PS: an aclaratiojn, the aztec warrior, does have a lamerllar golden metal armor, rather than yellow featehr armour , so yep, i try to addpat historcial azte c to a world with most ferous creatures and bigger weapongs, there is not place for an only padded armour army! haha.

PS2: other thing is that i am not looking for heroical scale, i want to offer "not monstruosly deformated" miniatures in some spots were , being over done, it is over done of heroical miniatures, and not overdone with "true scale" (the commas are because you can never make 100% true scale in samll minaitures, and i am fine with that) miniatures. :o

well, hope to read more coments, thanks.

Your updated list sounds excellent, and I agree with all your points.
I am really glad you're not going for 'heroic scale' – I really like the classic proprtions and anatomical accuracy of 1/72 scale – accepting, of course, that fantastical creatures will have unusual anatomy!

Really looking forward to you developing these races.

i saw your post abou looking real 1/72, i am a bit confused:

for example with 28mm i mean the 1/56 (28mm to EYES)

ANd with 1/72 and considering 1/70 meters as average, i understand that a miniature should be rounding 24 milimeters from the foot to TOP of head (that would be 22,5 to eyrs)

:o so for example the miniatures in 1/72 i am ssculpit, are 23,5,24 to top of head size, is that correct?

This ones, the heroes, are going to be 28, a separated line (in the same fantasy world) of the 1/72 miniautures aka "20mm"

Interesting concept. I'd be interested in the pseudo indian types.

in that case you will be interested, maybe in this TMP link

the same faction, but in 20mm 1/72 :)

I *really* like were you're going with the 20mm guys, though sadly not a scale I game in.

-Will

Yes, Itlerion, we understand each other: modern 20mm scale approximates 1/72 scale, roughly 23-25mm to the top of the head.
Basically, the same scale as HAT, Revell, Italieri, Valdemar, Caesar, Nicolai, etc etc.
That's the scale I'm using for fantasy these days, so your project is perfect for me!

Hello folks! i have been drawing,and thinking.

AS this is going to be a campaign, the main goal is gonna be the production of 4 models, and then the otehr 8 are streatch goals.

The first 4 are going to be the already sculpted (but will have some more details added) dwarf and orc + Irani/persian elves and a Ravana demon hero/champion.

And then the next ones i gave in the list, have drawn 3 of those 8, the fourth is the so wanted lizardman champion, he will be Mayan-like (in opossing to the aztec-like elves) and so on the rest i will be drawing them during the week.

I made the arabic dwarf (Hassim sultanate), the Aztec elf (Sullkani empire) and the hindu human (Ekalki empire).

hope you enjoy them.

salutes!

Hellow guys, i bring you a fourth drawing (4 of 8 heroes/champions that will be stretch goals)

and a new render (the 3th render of 4, for the initial goal)
i decided to make the persian/iranian elfe.

I more than nthing i based the costume and armour in the Asirian people, and added a coat of mail, to make it look "medieval" (there was not mail coat in ancient mesopotamia times :P )

However it is j ust 1 unit, hero.. the entire faction will have a good mix of cultures that were roundnear Iran.

The image is biger, open i new tab for details..

HE has 3 clothes, the shorter one is going to be the chain mail (i have to add the texture yet)

ANd hte lizardman.. (it costed me doing it in the position, so i added a mini side view, however, the render will be VERY MUCH better) :)

salutes!

Finished the model.. the base is 25mm. (chain mail + spear modified + shield scalated down)

:D

A sharp loosing pose with a lot of energy in it. Nicely done and nice to see you basing some of your ideas of the Ancient Near East, especially the Bronze Age bad boys the Assyrians!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Thanks black widow pilot :)

Here i bring the lizardman champion, NOT FINISHED, he is at 80% i would say..

next one will be finished? and more drawings coming. for the stretch golas of the future campaing :)

Salutes!

Made another design and a render 99% done (very few details to add)

and a Faun:

:) i will make the celtic/germanic Elf right now.. and still need to make 2 more "champions" drawings..

an Incubus and a Naga.

Salutes!!

ok, made the last model, the elf..

finished the rakshasa at 100%

Added detail to the orc right leg (inside face)

and finished the 2 bases 25x3mm

:)

made a change in lizardmen scales (wider, bigger) and added a typical mayan knife.

also made the 11th heroe/champion sketch.. and a pack of 20 25 and 20x25mm x 3mm (height) bases :)

[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_O3cx0y62Y/U8GVOMumyvI/AAAAAAAAAxw/C-YSsOGhIq4/s1600/Render1.png]

ANd the champion! The uralian (russian like).

well, i printed the first hero, for comparisson, for example purposes of how 3D gets real :)

The Akkiri elf and the bases:

Wow, these concepts continue to impress! So what is the final decision on scale?

-Will

The scale is 28 for this LINE of heroes, later on, the armies will be 1/72 – 25mm scale.

IMPORTANT:

The campaign is LIVE!!!!! :D

link

Guys, the campaign is 64% funded, we have 20 more days to go, we have US$1500 (36 %)still to collect and readh the main goal.

I have more pics of the master for molding of the first miniature and the 2 bases, they arrived 2 days ago :D :

the link:

link

salutes!

Looks like interesting concepts. I especielly like the rakshasa and akkiri.