This will show some different dwarfs (or dwarves 😉 ) side-by-side, just as a quick reference and to highlight differences in proportions.
Quick scale note: A miniatures range scale is commonly defined by the height of an average sized human figure, usually from ground to eyes level (it should be 1.61 m). This at least is the method commonly used for wargaming minis. The following are dwarves, keep in mind that a dwarf height, compared to a human, can vary between different lines and manufacturers. Maybe I’ll do a more precise human-sized only figures comparison in the future (with a lot more manufacturers, also!).
A group picture:
Producers from left: Ral Partha (80s), Games Workshop/Citadel* (80s), Asgard (80s), Grenadier (80s), Marauder (90s), Wizards of the Coast (2000s), Rackham (2000s)
-On the left there are 2 Ral Partha figures from the 80s, proportions are more realistic than other sculpts, as always for Ral Partha minis. Strictly 25mm scale.
-Then an Asgard figure also from the 80s, proportions are more exaggerated (or Citadel-esque style), but not too much. I would say also a 25mm, I don’t have a lot of human-sized figures for reference and comparison with other manufacturers.
-Grenadier by Nick Lund, (I really like it) also from the 80s, Dwarf Fantasy Warriors Battleset, heroic but realistic proportions. Scale is 25-28mm, this figure is hunched, scale of Grenadier’s ranges varies a bit between the early models and the Fantasy Warriors range, going more or less from 25 to 25/28mm).
-Marauder Miniatures from the early 90s, basically the same very nice exaggerated proportions as Citadel minis. Scale is the same as late Citadel minis, commonly referred to as 25-28mm.
-Wizards of the Coast, Dnd 3.5 mini, Tordek the Fighter, proportions similar to Grenadier, slightly larger scale (around 28mm).
-Rackham Confrontation, a Tir-Na-Bor standard bearer with no standard (sorry), proportions of dwarves for Rackham are unique and peculiar, scale is more toward the 32mm heroic.
That’s all for now, one more thing: the plastic bases are used to keep more or less the same feet level for all the figures, I forgot to reverse the base on the Asgard minis, so its eyes level should be more in line with Ral Partha’s.
*Big thanks to Mark, for correctly identifying this little guy!
Rackham produced some of the best sculpts ever… Their Confrontation line is composed by “heroic scale” 32mm miniatures and many characters are hulking figures definitely larger than humans. The company was active from 1996 and unfortunately liquidated in 2010*. We’ll speak about the factions, sculptors and styles in the future…..
This great mini was sculpted by Stéphane Simon (I’m a fan!), he has a lot of spectacular figures in his portfolio and is still doing great works.
The Darkness Elemental is one of my favorite miniatures, it’s full of (gory!) details and has a nice dynamic pose. The tissues, skins, tentacles, bones and ooze seem to be moving, crawling up forming the figure and entangling themselves.
All those details and parts were really fun to paint and experiment on. Many of them can be noticed only by closely examining the figure. Before painting I had to search the sculpt thoroughly to figure out all that’s there, so I could define the main tones and color accents.
The miniature is metal (of course), I cleaned it, searched for a pose I like and pinned it. I usually drill holes and use small steel pins on multiparts miniatures, so to better keep them together with cyanoacrylate. I also use epoxy putty to fill holes and do minor sculpting works on bad-fitting parts or heavy modifications (this is not the case).
I also put up some decoration on the base using blue/yellow Kneadatite and solvents: darkness “veins” and some larvae.
I painted the elemental mainly with oil colors, of course I started from black priming 😉
The finishing is matte (spraying 2-3 protective layers), but I varnished some details and elements of the base, to give them a more wet and oozy look.
*At least some of Confrontation IP (and maybe some of the original moulds) have been acquired by Cyanide Studio, that is currently producing through Legacy Miniatures and distributing through CMON… unfortunately in resin! There are also a number of other “less official” producers around on the net offering metal minis. From various forums I’ve understood that the quality of the minis offered varies greatly, from cheap recasts with less details, to (almost) the same quality as the originals.
Sources and research:
http://haekel.free.fr/spip.php
http://simonminiaturesculptor.blogspot.com/
http://underthemountainblog.com/athenaeum/aarklash-archive/factions/elementals/
