Gabek

I enjoy painting military figures.  I am currently finishing a series of Union Civil War Cavalry figures.  I like 54 mm metal figures produced by Imrie Risley, now sadly out of business.
 
A question?  Why are War game figures misproportioned?  The only reason that I can think of is that by making them intentionally too short they are more stable.  The better proportioned 54mm figures are easily knocked over.
 
Roger

Thanks for the reply, Keith!  Things are ok - just going with the flow to cope with this wild time.  How’s things on your end?
 
Honestly,1/96 printing was quite easy. Once you have a .stl file you can make it any size you want. Resin printing becomes an art as you try to avoid failures.  You begin to see how to best position the model, tilt it off vertical and add supports.

Although they aren’t perfect, why don’t you go to Heroforge.com and create a few figures.  This design step is free and you only pay when you order a print or ask for an .stl file. 
 
Clear skies, sharp tools,
Gabe
 
 

I think you’re right about stability.  It could also be that "chunkier" models are more durable and details can standout more.  
 
Here are some side-by-side comparisons:
 
My Heroforge bosun and a metal Artesania Latina l'Hermione figure at 1/89:
 

 
Clear skies!
Gabe
 
And here is a HaT British sailor at 1/72:
 

Good question! I've had a lot of practice…I've been painting miniatures for close to 50 years.  This is where my Warhammer hobby comes in handy.

A good, pointed brush and good acrylic paints that are slightly thinned allow you to paint with light touches.  Using the side of the brush lets you paint raised features without touching the background. After painting base colours you can use washes, inks or contrast paints which settle in low areas to give you shading effects and a better three-dimensional look.  There are tons of "how to" videos on YouTube.  If you want, I can list a few.
 
Clear skies!
Gabe
 

I haven’t been working on my models much but I sure am playing with my resin printer! I went to Heroforge to create some more poses for figures and have been playing with scaling.  
 
My rendition of a bosun with a rope's end. The knife is too chunky…I may file it down.

 
Bosun, midshipman, and two seamen in 1/96. Printed in grey and white with one primed figure to show details better:


My lieutenant “Number One" in 1/48 and 1/96:
 

 

I totally agree that a figure on a model looks great.  Here's my 1/50 Swift (Artesania Latina) with 1/48 "Number One” giving orders. 
 


 

Number One and Mini Number One and my 1/96 HMS Triton cross-section in progress.

 
Lastly, I drafted up iron ballast with the broad arrow in Fusion 360 and printed them in singles and in gangs at 1/96.  Not painted yet but I had to them check out on the Triton.  Many more to be added, but I can produce them fairly quickly:
 
 


 
Clear skies and sharp tools!
- Gabe

Thanks for all the supporting comments and likes, folks!
 
This was a psychologically tough stage - painting the hold.  Even drawing a pencil line on that clean wood gave me heartburn! For quite some time I guessed and second-guessed this decision but when I sat down to do this there was no hesitation.  I started with a Vallejo acrylic primer, followed later by Vallejo white.  The aft part of the model will remain unpainted.  The three forward-most pillars were painted as well.  Once everything was dry I brushed on a matt varnish to the entire hold and all pillars.
 


 
So, while things were drying I was drafting the iron pigs in Fusion 360 (free version) based on the proportions and layout according to Anatomy of the Ship:  The Frigate Diana. In photos of ballast in HMS Victory and HMS Trincomalee you can see the ubiquitous British government broad arrow so I added them to the design.  By my count, I would need over 200 pieces of this permanent ballast.    Rather than printing 200 single pigs I created side-by-side “gangs" of 10, 6, and 3 along with some singles.  I soon realized that end-to-end gangs could be used so I designed sets of 2, 3, 4, and 6.  [I plan to dedicate a post to this whole process shortly].

 
Looking closely at the Diana plans I discovered I had to add ballast cants that run parallel to the limber strakes and act as a stop for the iron ballast.  The cant can be seen in the photo of HMS Trincomalee's hold.  Yes, I had to add pieces to the FRESHLY PAINTED AND VARNISHED hold!  Well, time to scrape…



I made suitable stock on my table saw, scraped the paint + varnish so I could glue down the ballast cants in place.  I had some ballast fresh off of the printer and couldn’t wait to see how things looked together. 



After trimming and painting the newly installed cants I went to work on the limber boards. To get the bevels on the edges of such thin, flexible strips I ended up clamping the pieces between two popsicles sticks. This let me hold them  at a constant angle, making the bevels on the limber boards quite sharp.


Once shaped, I painted the limber boards (and the keelson) a dark brown based on HMS Trincomalee. I was going to cut the limber boards shorter but couldn’t find the correct lengths.  I was going to ask you folks if you knew the right dimension until I discovered it a few minutes ago! Looking at the photo of the Trincomalee's hold just now I can clearly see the cut lines.  Before I install them on the model I will chop these to an accurate size.
 
Again, I was so excited that I couldn’t wait to paint all the ballast I had printed before dry fitting to my Triton.  So, with limber boards in place, this is what the iron ballast on a frigate would look like: 

 
Iron ballast was arranged in three tiers (see the previous layout photo).  The starboard side of the hold (left in the picture) has an accurate set up with two tiers (the third tier would be just a couple of pigs next to the well).  The port side (right in the picture) is only the first tier. The broad arrows look white but are just filled with resin dust from sanding.  I took pains to print the arrows in a random pattern (using dice!). 
 
I'm amazed at the amount and breadth of the ballast on these ships!  I'm glad that I’m adding them.  Painting and installing them permanently is next (gulp!)
 
Clear skies,
Gabe
 

Thanks for all the supporting comments and likes, folks!
 
This was a psychologically tough stage - painting the hold.  Even drawing a pencil line on that clean wood gave me heartburn! For quite some time I guessed and second-guessed this decision but when I sat down to do this there was no hesitation.  I started with a Vallejo acrylic primer, followed later by Vallejo white.  The aft part of the model will remain unpainted.  The three forward-most pillars were painted as well.  Once everything was dry I brushed on a matt varnish to the entire hold and all pillars.
 


 
So, while things were drying I was drafting the iron pigs in Fusion 360 (free version) based on the proportions and layout according to Anatomy of the Ship:  The Frigate Diana. In photos of ballast in HMS Victory and HMS Trincomalee you can see the ubiquitous British government broad arrow so I added them to the design.  By my count, I would need over 200 pieces of this permanent ballast.    Rather than printing 200 single pigs I created side-by-side “gangs" of 10, 6, and 3 along with some singles.  I soon realized that end-to-end gangs could be used so I designed sets of 2, 3, 4, and 6.  [I plan to dedicate a post to this whole process shortly].

 
Looking closely at the Diana plans I discovered I had to add ballast cants that run parallel to the limber strakes and act as a stop for the iron ballast.  The cant can be seen in the photo of HMS Trincomalee's hold.  Yes, I had to add pieces to the FRESHLY PAINTED AND VARNISHED hold!  Well, time to scrape…



I made suitable stock on my table saw, scraped the paint + varnish so I could glue down the ballast cants in place.  I had some ballast fresh off of the printer and couldn’t wait to see how things looked together. 



After trimming and painting the newly installed cants I went to work on the limber boards. To get the bevels on the edges of such thin, flexible strips I ended up clamping the pieces between two popsicles sticks. This let me hold them  at a constant angle, making the bevels on the limber boards quite sharp.


Once shaped, I painted the limber boards (and the keelson) a dark brown based on HMS Trincomalee. I was going to cut the limber boards shorter but couldn’t find the correct lengths.  I was going to ask you folks if you knew the right dimension until I discovered it a few minutes ago! Looking at the photo of the Trincomalee's hold just now I can clearly see the cut lines.  Before I install them on the model I will chop these to an accurate size.
 
Again, I was so excited that I couldn’t wait to paint all the ballast I had printed before dry fitting to my Triton.  So, with limber boards in place, this is what the iron ballast on a frigate would look like: 

 
Iron ballast was arranged in three tiers (see the previous layout photo).  The starboard side of the hold (left in the picture) has an accurate set up with two tiers (the third tier would be just a couple of pigs next to the well).  The port side (right in the picture) is only the first tier. The broad arrows look white but are just filled with resin dust from sanding.  I took pains to print the arrows in a random pattern (using dice!). 
 
I'm amazed at the amount and breadth of the ballast on these ships!  I'm glad that I’m adding them.  Painting and installing them permanently is next (gulp!)
 
Clear skies,
Gabe
 

Thanks for the reply, Keith!  Things are ok - just going with the flow to cope with this wild time.  How’s things on your end?
 
Honestly,1/96 printing was quite easy. Once you have a .stl file you can make it any size you want. Resin printing becomes an art as you try to avoid failures.  You begin to see how to best position the model, tilt it off vertical and add supports.

Although they aren’t perfect, why don’t you go to Heroforge.com and create a few figures.  This design step is free and you only pay when you order a print or ask for an .stl file. 
 
Clear skies, sharp tools,
Gabe
 
 

I think you’re right about stability.  It could also be that "chunkier" models are more durable and details can standout more.  
 
Here are some side-by-side comparisons:
 
My Heroforge bosun and a metal Artesania Latina l'Hermione figure at 1/89:
 

 
Clear skies!
Gabe
 
And here is a HaT British sailor at 1/72:
 

Thanks for all the supporting comments and likes, folks!
 
This was a psychologically tough stage - painting the hold.  Even drawing a pencil line on that clean wood gave me heartburn! For quite some time I guessed and second-guessed this decision but when I sat down to do this there was no hesitation.  I started with a Vallejo acrylic primer, followed later by Vallejo white.  The aft part of the model will remain unpainted.  The three forward-most pillars were painted as well.  Once everything was dry I brushed on a matt varnish to the entire hold and all pillars.
 


 
So, while things were drying I was drafting the iron pigs in Fusion 360 (free version) based on the proportions and layout according to Anatomy of the Ship:  The Frigate Diana. In photos of ballast in HMS Victory and HMS Trincomalee you can see the ubiquitous British government broad arrow so I added them to the design.  By my count, I would need over 200 pieces of this permanent ballast.    Rather than printing 200 single pigs I created side-by-side “gangs" of 10, 6, and 3 along with some singles.  I soon realized that end-to-end gangs could be used so I designed sets of 2, 3, 4, and 6.  [I plan to dedicate a post to this whole process shortly].

 
Looking closely at the Diana plans I discovered I had to add ballast cants that run parallel to the limber strakes and act as a stop for the iron ballast.  The cant can be seen in the photo of HMS Trincomalee's hold.  Yes, I had to add pieces to the FRESHLY PAINTED AND VARNISHED hold!  Well, time to scrape…



I made suitable stock on my table saw, scraped the paint + varnish so I could glue down the ballast cants in place.  I had some ballast fresh off of the printer and couldn’t wait to see how things looked together. 



After trimming and painting the newly installed cants I went to work on the limber boards. To get the bevels on the edges of such thin, flexible strips I ended up clamping the pieces between two popsicles sticks. This let me hold them  at a constant angle, making the bevels on the limber boards quite sharp.


Once shaped, I painted the limber boards (and the keelson) a dark brown based on HMS Trincomalee. I was going to cut the limber boards shorter but couldn’t find the correct lengths.  I was going to ask you folks if you knew the right dimension until I discovered it a few minutes ago! Looking at the photo of the Trincomalee's hold just now I can clearly see the cut lines.  Before I install them on the model I will chop these to an accurate size.
 
Again, I was so excited that I couldn’t wait to paint all the ballast I had printed before dry fitting to my Triton.  So, with limber boards in place, this is what the iron ballast on a frigate would look like: 

 
Iron ballast was arranged in three tiers (see the previous layout photo).  The starboard side of the hold (left in the picture) has an accurate set up with two tiers (the third tier would be just a couple of pigs next to the well).  The port side (right in the picture) is only the first tier. The broad arrows look white but are just filled with resin dust from sanding.  I took pains to print the arrows in a random pattern (using dice!). 
 
I'm amazed at the amount and breadth of the ballast on these ships!  I'm glad that I’m adding them.  Painting and installing them permanently is next (gulp!)
 
Clear skies,
Gabe
 

I just attended my local IPMS club meeting - virtual yet - and a guy showed a figure of a Scottish warrior who had plaid pants on - what a paint job it was just on the pants.  Hand painted of course and he said it took three tries to do them.  The rest was just as impressive.

Here are my bagpipers.  The guy on the far left is commercially painted; bought in Herrod’s Toy department in London while on a business trip in 1980.
 
The eight pipers next to him are the exact same castings that I painted. These were given to me by a friend two years ago. They are 28mm.
 
The guy on the right is a 54mm Fusilier that I painted back in the 1980’s, don’t remember the brand.
 
Roger

I agree that making these guys is really distracting. The HF website gives you lots if opportunities to "slim down" your mini or to make it taller or shorter. Additionally I was able to change it up in the slicer software as well. Your figs look good!

I have a 28mm Phoenix bagpipe band.  I believe this would scale approx 1:64.  I have painted the pipers and posted the results on the Shore Leave section of the forum about 1-1/2 years ago.  I still have the other members of the band in my stash to paint. These are quite nicely proportioned. Phoenix is another brand that seems to be unavailable today.
 
Roger

I think the style of the figures and proportions go back to the lead figures for both war gaming and AD&D.  Probably to add some thickness to them to keep them from being broken.    My dad had a friend who did a lot of those figures back in the 50's-60's for dioramas and they were all "stocky".looking.

Good question! I've had a lot of practice…I've been painting miniatures for close to 50 years.  This is where my Warhammer hobby comes in handy.

A good, pointed brush and good acrylic paints that are slightly thinned allow you to paint with light touches.  Using the side of the brush lets you paint raised features without touching the background. After painting base colours you can use washes, inks or contrast paints which settle in low areas to give you shading effects and a better three-dimensional look.  There are tons of "how to" videos on YouTube.  If you want, I can list a few.
 
Clear skies!
Gabe
 

I haven’t been working on my models much but I sure am playing with my resin printer! I went to Heroforge to create some more poses for figures and have been playing with scaling.  
 
My rendition of a bosun with a rope's end. The knife is too chunky…I may file it down.

 
Bosun, midshipman, and two seamen in 1/96. Printed in grey and white with one primed figure to show details better:


My lieutenant “Number One" in 1/48 and 1/96:
 

 

I totally agree that a figure on a model looks great.  Here's my 1/50 Swift (Artesania Latina) with 1/48 "Number One” giving orders. 
 


 

Number One and Mini Number One and my 1/96 HMS Triton cross-section in progress.

 
Lastly, I drafted up iron ballast with the broad arrow in Fusion 360 and printed them in singles and in gangs at 1/96.  Not painted yet but I had to them check out on the Triton.  Many more to be added, but I can produce them fairly quickly:
 
 


 
Clear skies and sharp tools!
- Gabe

All's well here, Gabe, thank you. Just trying to teach these shaky old fingers how to rig in tight quarters. It's a slow process. 

A couple of years ago or so I became aware of HeroForge through a figure-forum I think and looked around a bit. Apart from the proportions, I didn't find the options available very suitable to create mid- to late-19th century naval figures, so I gave up on that idea. 

Thanks, Roger.
I agree. While there are many options for dress and body in HeroForge you really can’t do anything lifelike or historically accurate.  I plan on working a bit more in the application MakeHuman (http://www.makehumancommunity.org/).  FULL control of proportions and you can create any style clothing.  It is very community-based and people share their designs readily.  If I manage to find or create something that looks good I'll share it here.
Clear skies!
-Gabe

Thanks for the reply, Keith!  Things are ok - just going with the flow to cope with this wild time.  How’s things on your end?
 
Honestly,1/96 printing was quite easy. Once you have a .stl file you can make it any size you want. Resin printing becomes an art as you try to avoid failures.  You begin to see how to best position the model, tilt it off vertical and add supports.

Although they aren’t perfect, why don’t you go to Heroforge.com and create a few figures.  This design step is free and you only pay when you order a print or ask for an .stl file. 
 
Clear skies, sharp tools,
Gabe
 
 

I think you’re right about stability.  It could also be that "chunkier" models are more durable and details can standout more.  
 
Here are some side-by-side comparisons:
 
My Heroforge bosun and a metal Artesania Latina l'Hermione figure at 1/89:
 

 
Clear skies!
Gabe
 
And here is a HaT British sailor at 1/72:
 

Gabe, good to see a post from you! I hope all is well with you and yours. Are you able to print 1:96 figures easily?
 
 I thought I might populate the Tennessee with a few of the crew but I can't find any 1:96 US Navy figures from the 1850 to 1900 time period. If someone has a lead, please advise. 

Nice modelling!
 
However, I find that these Heroforge figurines look to much like 'wargaming' figurines (which they probably are) - their proportions are too stocky built, too long extremities and too big head for the body.
 
Also the trousers look a bit strange, the crotch sits too high to be comfortable not to say that they would impede the movement up in the rig. At that time trousers were cut very high on the waste, so that the body is well-covered by the relatively short 'monkey'-jacket.

Good question! I've had a lot of practice…I've been painting miniatures for close to 50 years.  This is where my Warhammer hobby comes in handy.

A good, pointed brush and good acrylic paints that are slightly thinned allow you to paint with light touches.  Using the side of the brush lets you paint raised features without touching the background. After painting base colours you can use washes, inks or contrast paints which settle in low areas to give you shading effects and a better three-dimensional look.  There are tons of "how to" videos on YouTube.  If you want, I can list a few.
 
Clear skies!
Gabe