CivilDungeoneer

(Dang, anyone have any insight on how to remove quotes like this from a reply on mobile? Nothing seems to work!) Really interested to hear how that adjustable stand works out @TaleSpinner. I've been thinking about one for my Surface and a review from a real person always beats out.

I'm kinda interested in those just for stabilization and/or prevention. Would you feel comfortable sharing a link or make/model? That's some hot garbage :( Good luck with your ride in the tube.

I don't have tons of experience working with 3d prints, but when I dabbled with it a few years ago I found XTC 3D from Smooth-On to be a pretty neat product. It's a clear two-part epoxy, which fills in the low spots and really cuts down on your sanding time: https://youtu.be/GSKxycs3kPg Take the tip in there about pouring the epoxy onto the tinfoil seriously - it's an exothermic reaction and heat accelerates the cure, so spreading it out will help your working time. I think they mention it works for PLA in the video, but they have great "technical bulletins" they put out for each their products (instead of just an SDS) which will should tell you more.

@Doug Sundseth Hi Doug - your eyes don't lie! I slapped together a lightbox in my workshop because (reasons that don't matter). I did have to crop in - the square photos are just about 1/5th total pixels of the original shots. It would've been about 30% if I had kept the aspect ratio. I did boost exposure in post. I was using a DSLR and I was using a very narrow f-stop to give me a better depth of field, and something like a 3-second exposure, and it got me close to what I wanted. Next time I hopefully either won't be on a deadline or will have managed my time better so I can get those settings lined up properly - garbage in, garbage out! My smartphone doesn't seem to play nice with depth of field on these little guys - if I'm close enough to get it to focus (even with my setting the focal area), seems like half the figure is too close/far to be in focus. I'll give that link a read, and see what I can rig up for lighting in the manner you describe. I'll incorporate your background suggestion, too. These make logical sense. Thanks for the help and support! What a great bunch of folks around here :)

@TaleSpinner Thank you for time and thoughts as well! Much of your commentary on smoothness and crispness, I believe, relates to my frustratingly hard reorientation on sculpting method. When I sculpted for work (decorative mouldings) it was a lot of pattern repair/recreation done with body filler and fiberglass resin. Add, roughly shape, cure, carve and smooth, repeat until complete. You can't really do that with Procreate and Greenstuff, or at least not as well. Body filler tools and smooths really well after cure. I've found Aves does tool much better than aforementioned putties, but haven't spent too much time with it yet. I will give the BMPC a run-through, for sure, to help me retrain my brain and work on better habits to address what you've identified. On some of the anatomical points, I looked back through my process pics and you're right, I did turn the feet in. He's not supposed to be hunching forward, more of a squatting back onto the left foot. The (wire) feet do follow orientation of the femur. As I bulked up the armature, the mass didn't really follow my original plan for the pose and it looks like I reworked them to face forward. I'll try to anticipate these issues on my next go-round, as well as adjusting proportion. Thanks for the book recommendation - I've browsed for some and haven't felt confident they'd suit my purpose. A recommendation from someone doing this kind of work feels more reliable. On the boots, I see what you're saying. Aside from issues in execution, part of why is they're supposed to be a specific item this character wears and they're fluffy: I do wonder what's up with my photography, because neither the fur nor the hair translate well compared to what I see on the figure in person. I used a similar technique as you described in the hair comment, but I'll work on that too. The laces are for sure just poor. Re: the mage's pose - you saying "fencing" means I hit my mark. He's reading aloud and stepping forward as if giving an enthusiastic reading of a poem or play. The only reason his other hand isn't out and gesturing is because of the hidden crossed fingers, a detail borne of conversations with the character's player. Re: the stick - I'm the caster, so I added it! :) I was in a rush for the application deadline, and hadn't done any two-part molds or 3D casting in years (my molding/casting was all 2.5D for the moulding work, so I didn't need vents). I was pulling at old wisps of instruction and that was the form it took. I have since remembered some alternatives, so it's gone now. I made some other goofs with the mold for the dwarf anyway, so now I'm in process of making molds for both figures. Thanks again. Having these direct insights from folks such as yourself is so great. I'll do my best to integrate it all on the next attempts.

@Rainbow Sculptor Thanks so much for both the affirmations and criticisms! Your encouragement re: reference photos is definitely heard. The feet were a sure goof, but the hand orientation and unnatural pose were intentional if not well executed. He's supposed to be contorting a bit in his rage, with the left shoulder and elbow moving back behind him and opening the chest - as I tried to mimic the pose while working, it's more of a strain to keep that left palm facing the shoulder as I move my elbow back than allowing it to turn forward. That doesn't mean it's good for a mini or translates well, and the piece shouldn't require that amount of explanation either. I'll keep all that in mind too. Thanks again!

I'd love to get in on this, if I may? I dig it if I'm too new around here. I've got two in this post, only because I'd posted them both together. Totally cool if you'd like to focus on one - it's great that y'all are willing to spend time on such critiques at all and I don't want to abuse your good nature. With the battlerager dwarf, Aldin, I tried to capture his expression and full-body tension as he goes into a rage. Albrecht, the human, is a haughty divination wizard who masquerades as a fortune teller and uses that role to his own ends. I aimed for aloofness in his pose and bearing, and hinted at his chicanery with crossed fingers behind his back. I've got other angles I can post if you'd find it helpful, or progress pics. Thanks! Original Post: https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/87100-my-first-two-finished-minis/

As I'd intended making minis for the sort of basic 1" = 5' D&D mini market, I have been intending on this specific scale. Larger scales would definitely be easier. Did you have something particular in mind?

@Gadgetman! That's good to hear; thanks! My molding and casting skills are more practiced, if a bit rusty, than my sculpting, so I hope to make minis to sell someday.

Howdy! My name is Dom and I'm new to the world of minis. I started fiddling away with Procreate in the fall of 2017, trying to make some minis for a D&D campaign I play in. I roughed out two ghoulish-looking figures (which weren't supposed to be ghouls), grew pretty frustrated with it, and shelved the whole business for 2018. I decided to give it another go in January, and started another five for a new D&D campaign. Progress was slow but better than the first go-round, and spurred on by an opportunity to apply for a mini design talent program with a large company, I finally finished my first two minis last week! My photographs highlighted plenty of issues I wish I'd had time to address, but the deadline for the application was upon me. They're mottled because I was trying out different mixtures of putties, trying to figure out what suits my purposes best. I have a good bit of sculpting experience from a former job (not at this small scale) and am more used to an add-then-refine method, rather than having to get it just-so because the materials don't like being sanded or carved. Once I got some Aves Apoxie Sculpt, I became much more hopeful. Here's Aldin Peaksplitter, a Dwarven battlerager who doesn't wear armor and likes to fight hand-to-hand, and Albrecht Glasser, a human divination wizard who masquerades as a fortune teller. The funny bit between Aldin's left thigh and elbow is just a vent for casting purposes. I did make a mold of him because I wanted to submit photos of nice primed castings, but it hit a snag and I didn't have time to redo it before the deadline. With Albrecht you can see some copper armature in places - I thought I'd found a good way to negate some of my Procreate frustrations in the armature phase, but it went awry. Once I learned of the program I wanted to apply for, he was too far along to start over, so I made do. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Edit: These are 28mm or about 1/60 scale, based on the character's height. Aldin would be about 25mm tall if standing erect (he's a tall Dwarf), and Albrecht about 30mm.

Thanks everyone for the replies! I had checked back several times to the forum's main page and it gave me no indication the thread had been replied to. That's a first, so, sorry! Next time I'll know to check the thread directly. @TaleSpinner Good luck with that stuff. I blew my shoulder all apart in high school and it got to the point where it would partially dislocate in my sleep. I didn't have the nerve concerns but boy did that suck. After some major surgery to cinch it all back up and 6 months of PT, it's been pretty solid for the last 15 or so years. I hope your situation won't require that.

Howdy! I'm working on miniature sculpting and realized the other day that I don't do any warm-up exercises prior to sculpting my figures. If I were drawing, I have sketching exercises and so forth I use to get warmed up, so I've started sketching different views of my figure just to get their shapes fresh in my head and spur some hand-eye coordination before I pick up any putty. Do any of you have exercises or daily practices you do before you start working on a sculpt?