Creating Flat Miniatures

I start making my flat miniatures by making sketches in a book. These are a combination of ideas from my own head, or ideas from other miniature manufacturers, see the list later. These are all ideas  for my DnD campaign set in Ghastminster which I may be revisiting next year.

Some of my drawings never get past this stage because I lose interest or because I don't like them, but others get to be developed into physical miniatures eventually. 

This is not a quick process and takes me ages to complete. I often get stuck at a point and have to revisit at a later date.

At this stage I  am  not always drawing to scale, although most medium size creatures /monsters are, as I have  a 30 mm template I use to get the proportions right.

Some ideas are huge.

I mostly try to create pages of flats that have many of useful figures, as opposed to just one or two, although that is unavoidable at times. I started trying to draw them at 15 mm scale but I found that I got far more detail at 30 mm and I could use them in a variety of different games.

So after the initial sketches are done, I progress onto organising my drawings onto an A4 sheet of paper.

Here is a sheet I worked on recently to create Roman troops, with their allies that I could use for two separate uses. Primarily these are going to be printed up at 33% and used as 10 mm flats.

However I also use  them as random models at 30 mm for use in roleplay, they'll make some lovely guards or barbarian adversaries. 

After drawing them in pencil, at the right size, I fold the page in two and use a light board to trace the outer image, which I can later fill in with pencil. Then I work over the lot in ink, using Pilot or Uni-ball pens or something similar. Finally I thicken all the outer lines and emphasize some others as I see fit. 

Finally I photocopy the black and white version and colour it. I never colour the original just in case I cock it up or I don't like the colours I chose. Sometimes I use acrylics and paint them, but recently I bought some reasonably nice pens and used them instead, as with these below.

Here we have Legionaries, Spanish infantry, Numidian light infantry and Gallic infantry.

I tend to colour the reverse side at the same time so as not to get myself in a mess.

These can then be colour photocopied, cut, glued to black card and based, ready for use in a game.

Next post I will show some of these in 10 mm based up for Warmaster type games.

Influences include: Games Workshop, Foundry Miniatures, North Star Military Models, D&D Dungeon Masters Book, there will be many more ideas that have seeped into my head but can't recall them all.

Creating a new High Elf unit: 3 mm Gaming

This is the unit we will be constructing today, its a High Elf unit similar to White Lions...ish.

I start by making the base so its all ready to have the models glued on, I don't like having little models hanging about waiting for their base, so I get it done first.

I have lost models in the past, swishing dogs tails!

Then the basic former for all my infantry is a 3 mm strip, marked up from the yellow sheet I made myself to keep sizes consistent.

You can see I have made a little stand and painting/gluing device for holding the miniatures as I make them. Once the basic shape is on I leave it to set off and start on the next process.

Cutting all the little bits that make the miniatures look "something like", in this case all the elves have a triangle to represent a cloak and a diminutive double handed axe.

When the basic shape is dry, not too long...10 mins, I start sticking the little components on. I use standard PVA throughout the process.

This part can be very fiddly and frustrating.

But finally all the bits are attached and I'm happy.

Final step is the leave, 10 mins again, then coat with PVA to make sure everything is attached nicely. You really need this step, there's nothing worse than finding bits dropping off at the painting stage.

I haven't shown me painting these as the construction was the main focus, however I use a Stanley knife to cut the strips from the holders and then tweezers and Aleene's Tacky Glue to get them in position.

Finally I give them a coat of acrylic varnish and they're done.

 

They never look great close up , but are OK in a big group on a table.

D&D Online set up and new Base Board

This is the current set up I have been using to play online recently although I have a notion Mrs Daxio is going to change the furniture around in our living room, don't hold your breath.

So in the above scene the base board is made from a piece of 24" square MDF which is 12mm or about 1/2" thick. I was asked a little while back how I make one of these boards.

First off I get a metre rule and a pencil and a measure and mark the MDF board so it has 1"squares on it,

Then I take a Stanley knife, there are other brands, and cut just to the side of the marked lines and at approximately a 45 degree angle. I tend to run all down one side of a line vertically, then the other (I turn the board round to achieve this) Then I cut the other way, which comes away in lots of small bits, 

Unmarked and uncut board 12mm thick.

At the same time as making the new base board I have been working on a backdrop, as per the DMGinfo film from the blog post a week ago.

Mine is going to be different from DMG's because I have invested so much time in what I have made to date. I'm going to take his concept and make it fir my situation

My backdrop is a piece of relief sculpture which can be clipped to my DM screen. I've made it from a 24" by 10" piece of hardboard. The relief bits were made from foamboard pieces which I have then worked on further with PVAcrete.

The PVAcrete being added to the foamboard. I tend to work on sections and leave it to dry before working on it further, just stops it from getting messed up

Completed backdrop will be posted sometime in the future.

 

Small Water Features: Ponds/Pools

 

These are a set of pool/ponds I have made recently for my son for his birthday, although being in Bristol and me in Yorkshire it may a while before he can get them.

A few close ups.

 

The full set.

Here are the propriety pictures I took as I made them.

Built up the edge of the bank with some spare bits of foam board.

Lost the pictures of me applying the PVAcrete, sorry.

All undercoated with Mocha brown emulsion.

Geek Gaming foam flock added.

Along with some small stones from a Welsh beach.

I glued them in place with superglue to secure them quickly and fully.

I dry brushed a lighter tan round the edges of the bank and worked a darker patch into the centre of the pool to suggest depth.

Then I added further flock and lastly varnished the water repeatedly.

Last I added tufts again from Geek Gaming, these are odds and ends I collect up which would be thrown at the end of the day.