finally starts his first Four Enemies campaign.
Here is a look at the set of 30mm High Elf Archers that will be released in December. Tom posted the archer pics first in his blog, and response has been great for all of them. Although, it seems the third archer is a clear favorite...
Here are some design notes from his blog:
The things which the appearance of all my Elves have in common is a tolerance for asymmetry or odd, complex symmetries. I have only done a bit of this so far but I intend to do more, particularly for personalities. The only thing I can compare this to is some Japanese aesthetics. The 'wonky' looking (to western eyes) ceramics the Japanese go into raptures over, for example. They use forms and motifs from the natural world as sigils and decorations as well as just wearing things like feathers, uncut gems, shells, leaves, or bits of animals. The sigils for Wood Elves are leaves, flowers and other plant parts. Leaves are protection and physical power and are generally worn by males, flowers are generation and some kinds of magical power and are generally worn by females. Sigils for High Elves are from the sky and creatures of the sky, birds and flying insects, day for physical power night for magical. Obviously, there is some abstraction for depicting concepts like light and vapor.
Aside from that I have a general convention of Elves having tangled hair (elf-locks) and High Elves having more sophisticated equipment and clothing. Wood Elves wear a lot of leather, High Elves a lot of silky stuff, but both wear some of either. Wood Elves tend to go abroad in high boots, High Elves in low boots or shoes. Wood Elves have a distinctive kind of cloak which is gathered at both top and bottom like the pleats in a curtain, it makes them look rather like they are in a pea pod. They also have a distinct kind of armor, a sort of tangled chainmail they sometimes wear. Elves prefer open helmets like a sallet, though they frequently wear decorated visors or masks.
In my view, Elves shouldn't have as much physical strength as a strong man, but their dexterity and speed is much greater (Goblins are the opposite, very strong but uncoordinated and slow), so they try to avoid protracted or close-order melee, and use light weapons which make the most of their advantages - light spear, light sword, bow.
