It depends on what you are pursuing with this sculpt. It’s known that different races have distinct head to body ratios. It’s ussually accepted that human bodies are as tall as seven own heads, which in warhammer would equal to 5’5 or 6 because of the heroic proportions. In the case of an elf, I would say that everybody would expect it to be more like 6’5-7ish because of them being “longer, thiner and more delicate”. All in all in this case makes sense for me, although it is true that this kind-of-fenician-helmet tricks the eye and makes the head bulkier.
Answering you question: I don’t think the head is too large, but i would also say that you could play with the legs lenght a little bit to make it more delicate. (thin feet and that)
Very nice so far. I concur with the previous comments. The head is fine as is given that the helmet will make the head look bulkier. Based on your previous height comparison photo, I do not think you should add to the length of the legs. Given the comparison photo model’s height, and bearing in mind that the armor also adds bulk to the torso and legs, an un-armored version of the same model would be suitably slim and tall.
Bearing in mind that your sculpt is not completed, my one comment would be to slim down the nose a bit (what you can see beneath the helmet’s nose-guard), and make it a little more delicate if possible. It is hard to see clearly in the photos, but it looks a little bit wide for the more delicate form of an elf.
The head is a bit hard to tell (for me at least)…because the photo’s are taken from a slight angle above the model itself, and that will make the closest point, ie the head, appear bigger in the photo. I always look “head on” at my projects to determine proportions…but maybe that is just how my eye works Can you share some pics of the model at a perpendicular shot?
Fuggit - Interesting number of slaves you have there... should we be concerned?
Jackswift
Not at all, I'm just on the path to collecting all 666 keys to Rebirth and Eternity:
http://www.chaos-dwarfs.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=15994
You should be more concerned that now I have all 666 slaves/keys, don't you think that it's a dark omen that the current Scribes Contest is about the Afterlife?
Thank you kindly for all the valuable feedback, folks! :hat off
All of it was taken into consideration, and much of it acted upon for the resculpt. Glad to hear that this was an actual borderline case and not just my lousy eye-measurement playing foul. The helmet does indeed make such a head size possible. Taking all feedback from various sites and friends together, roughly half says yay and the other half nay. I hope the below resculpt will make everyone say yay:
And we should all tremble now that Fuggit Khan has collected all the keys of rebirth… :mask
Including cat and globe. Land masses are thin and easy to scrape away.
Diamond Scalemail Tutorial As per request, here’s a quick tutorial for how to do time-consuming diamond scalemail:
Elf Archer Sculpt Current state of the archer. Details are getting started, but the bow is shorter than intended (still acceptable in my eyes, though, particularly compared to GW High Elf bows), the left elbow is slightly too low in comparison to shoulder, and the right drawing arm is likewise too low while the head is too straight up, when compared to these excellent archer models. It is too late to change any of these things, partly because of sheer time consumption involved, but particularly since there are large risks involved with any such surgery at this point.
My repeated measurements and eye-estimations nevertheless produced a bow that is shorter than intended. As a composite bow, it’d still carry a punch. Given the pinned needle skeleton of the sculpt, there’s too huge a risk of messing things up and introducing inherent instability into the sculpt by removing or replacing the bow, or for that matter, by extending it. Or by cutting away the left arm and attempting a higher resculpt or lowering the head any more (after taking the below photograph, I did that as much as I dare to do). The overall end result isn’t perfect by a long shot, but shouldn’t be too shabby.
As such, it’ll all have to do, though me and my brother have talked through plans to make a handful of large and very ornate Elven longbows held by hands as a separate weapon kit for those wishing longer bows and more bling.
Despite these amateur flaws, I hope you like where this monopose archer regiment of clones is going so far.
Love the dungeon clutter. Always wondered why these kinds of things are so rare for games where people spend forever painting their models only to put them in an ordinary dungeon. These are the details that make a quest visually interesting, really help set the scene.
Not amateur at all, mate. Everything is on its place and the proportions are just right. The only problem I see with the bow is the curly endings, that can exagerate a visual shortening of it. Anyway, take into account that it is already a “below the waist to over a tall, ornate helmet” weapon, so being it too short is not a possibility.
On the other hand, yeah you could work a little bit more on the weapon texture/ornament so you can play with proportions and “visual weight”. I don’t know your plans on this miniature, but you could relate chest-helmet-bow with some of your magnificent gestures and little details without destroying the entire thing. Just happy and superficial additions.
Hmmm… He seems a little too tall and thin, maybe shorten him to the knees? Also I think his hat should be much larger and more impressive, some lightning bolts and bull idols would really add something to it. Oh and I just realized you completely forgot the big curly beard!
All joking aside I think this guy looks great! I particularly like the scale-mail and the leaf/flower-petal shape the skirt fits into. I cant wait to see how he looks once you’ve add the armor details from your sketch! You often mention various historical images or carvings that inspire your work, was their a Roman or Babylonian archer relief somewhere that helped birth this guy? He has a very classical feel to him that I really like, and makes him seem somehow familiar.
@cornixt: Thanks! Right, why has that been the case? The terrain and dungeon need to be a worthy backdrop for the miniatures, otherwise the fictional tabletop world seems that much shallower and lifeless.
@Wildist: Thank you kindly! You’re right about the bow, the recurving eats some length after all. I’d have preferred it longer, but after experimenting fruitlessly with elite ornate designs me and my brother have agreed to not have me make a longbow bitz kit. This will have to do. I’m sure longer bows can be found from other bits sellers at any rate. We’ll see what can be done to the bow. Maybe an illusion of elongation may be achieved at the end.
@Carcearion: Hahaha! A brutal solution to a knotty problem. His headgear sure is to small to begin with. I like your kind of thinking here.
Thank you very much! It’s fun to add the armour details, though areas which did not look too busy on paper in my eyes do so in green stuff. I always liked the twirly raised details seen on Russian Alternative’s Elfin and the Lotr Elves. It gives them a texture mimicking nature that you wouldn’t see on Dwarfs.
There are indeed some classical inspiration, more on that below.
You can find some odd things in a long-forgotten dungeon! This set expands the range of trinkets and dungeon clutter, bringing more life to your underground stone lair.
Elf Archer Sculpt
Summer has not seen much hobby work, but pace is picking up again on the archer. I hope to finish him already this month if possible.
Helmet, bow and boots remain to be done, and gemstones will be added into empty sockets.
For someone who has always overloaded on details it’s fun to sculpt the twirly armour ornaments, yet at places they seem too busy on the miniature compared to the sketch. I’ve already removed a couple of tiny twirls from the breast area. Should the details at gut level be simplified? Are there other issues and solutions you can spot?
At this stage I’m not entirely sure on the direction, but will press on according to the concept drawing and see where it all ends up in miniature form. Perhaps everything will come together when all the details are in place, or when the first casts have been painted.
And now to share some inspirational sources behind this Elven style (more prominent on the greatsword armour sketch), parts of which comes from a few of the better Silmarillion Elf hits when browsing through Google and Deviant Art, by various artists:
Other sources are Greek and Roman designs in general, the usual suspects such as Corinthian helmets and Roman Galea helmets, which has informed lots of Elven designs though the years:
As well as Assyrian archers and Syrian Auxilliary archers in the Roman army with their pointy helmets and the former’s half-rounded runic bottom:
Yet most of it is fantasy, and doesn’t stay very close to any particular historical style in the case of these Elves.
Admiral! I love that elf sculpt. Really, he is so beautiful. And he fits my image of a JRR Tolkien elf perfectly. The details on the shield and they way it’s incorporated into the miniature is awesome.
I know this is for your brother. But will he get cast? Do you have the cash to get him done? Because a miniature like this should be cast. I would love to bring a guy like this into The Frozen City or a Dungeon as part of a band of heroes.
… Now a dwarf, a knight, a mage, a barbarian to acompany him! … You have work to do for years!
@Bloodbeard: Thank you very much, you jolly Dane! Great encouragement. Tolkien Elves was exactly what I was aiming for with this style. Lots of bits gathered/stolen/inspired from various sources, then modified to come close to how I’ve long vaguely pictured Elves. I had to steal most of the design elements from others to come this far, no chance to have invented it all by myself.
And yes it will definitely get cast! Biggest investment so far, a monopose rank and file kit. We’ll see about future projects, but knights and barbarians might have to wait. I’ve got more evil Dwarfs, Zealot freelancing and Elves ahead.
Helmet might be done now bar forehead gem. Simplified the ornaments in an attempt at elegance. However, as per feedback on the 9th Age forum and from my brother the archer received this longer crest. I would’ve preferred the smaller crest for a common footsoldier, but what the heck. Does it all work out? Anything to change and improve?
Can you make it into a Chaos Dwarf? That would improve it immensely ;)
Just joking, it's a lovely sculpt and the attention to all the details really reflects your skills.
I would only offer one bit of a suggestion: his hair (mane? plumes?) from the top of his helmet seems to hang down unnaturally perfectly straight. Your sketch that you provided gives a better, more realistic 'flow' to the hair. I know elfs are considered orderly and stoic, but a bit of movement (hair or otherwise) gives a more natural feel.
But please take this suggestion with a grain of salt. I could never sculpt to the level of expertise that you obviously have.
Good work Admiral :hat off
@Fuggit Khan: Cut its legs off ya’ mean? Hand me the axe. :hashut
Thank you kindly! Agreed about the plume. It was my first attempt at anything similar and was sculpted in one go. The flow was lost, so the end has been refashioned. Does it look right now?
@Dînadan: Who is to say their helmet plumes aren’t their actual hair?
Elf Archer Sculpt
It ended up no less than in the 32mm scale (akin to Avatars of War), but it’s not something that bothers me personally since I’ve always kept close to some of Tolkien’s descriptions of Elves as taller than Humans. That way, Dwarfs seem even shorter and grumpier, which can only be for the good.
It’s finished. Or? Last chance to come with feedback to change things!
Next up will be some dungeon mimics for Zealot Miniatures, and simultaneously one or two Elf bitz kits that I promised my brother. When those are done there’ll be a special curly beard project again, which I hope you’ll like.
Only change I’d make is add an arrow to it. Bowstring is too fine to be included, but as the pose is him aiming, I think it’d look better if he had an actual arrow nocked
Wow he is gorgeous! The decorations and filigree on the armor came out just as great as I had imagined it from your sketch. Every bit of him is absolutely classic elvish.
I have to say after it was pointed out I do find myself missing the arrow, I don�?Tt know if it�?Ts a typical thing to do or not but I noticed that most the sculpers I follow seem to use a hard plastic tube or some such bit in order to do that sort of thing easily.
But regardless arrow or no arrow, a masterfully elven sculpt all around. I really hope you�?Tre having him cast!
Very well done! The detail is beautiful. I’m not generally a high elf type of gamer, but I’d still consider picking up a set of these for dark elves.
Re the arrow. Include a short piece of some fine stiff wire (something like the leads on LED lights; what I use for very fine pinning) in the package for those who want to add an arrow. An arrow/arrow head is easy to fashion out of plasti-card, but a hard piece to make and cast if part of it is hanging out there by itself.
