Duel

[messiahs-abomination]

This sounds really cool Matt! As I posted on another forum where you've put forward this great idea, I'm not sure that I'm experienced enough as a sculptor to take part, but I may have a go anyway and see what I end up with. If nothing else it's a more structured method of improving my putty pushing skills

So I can understand the objectives here..

We're each looking to sculpt a fantasy race/culture for a skirmish level game. We need to avoid IP issues, but create a cohesive and (hopefully) unique force?

We need a couple of grunts with varied weapon and head options, an elite or two (with options as above), and a leader/HQ sculpt or two?

I like Bodhi's Elven concept, a mix of Sidhe and native american with a twist.. sounds wicked

I'll have a think and see if I can come up with anything...

[Bodhi]

One thing: Scale.
28 mm is allready assumed but WHICH 28 mm?
Since I've started on two grunts based on Hasslefree 28 mm to the eye proportions  might I humbly suggest that as a general rule?

First sneak preview of grunts (enough to see the general poses at least...)
They haven't got any foreheads yet... among other things 

[S1ND3X]

really nice stuff there bodhi, really looking forward to this
and the old 28mm to the eye, 30/32mm total height i think is perfect

We're each looking to sculpt a fantasy race/culture for a skirmish level game. We need to avoid IP issues, but create a cohesive and (hopefully) unique force?

bang on

and i've decided on some snake elves, i'll post up soon

[Custom_Hobby]

Damn that was fast Alf. Nice work as always. I look forward to seeing everyones pieces.

[Bungle]

So is this a competition?

what is the prize?

It would be nice to get the stuff moulded and made available to buy for a limited time like the frothers comps, but thats not much of a prize for the winner. A master mould doesn't cost that much to do, an 11" mould could fit how many 28mm figures in? 16? 24?

any idea what the prize could be.. ?

[Custom_Hobby]

Depends on how they are cut up and how good the moulder/caster is. Is this a comp? I missed that somewhere.

[Bodhi]

The way I've understood S1ND3X it's rather the opposit of a competition. It's a group effort. The point being that a load of different sculptors make an army each that can be used TOGETHER and even with interchangeable parts between the armies to some degree.

And all this would be intended for selling and producing. The technicalities of HOW it would be produced (or to put it bluntly - out of which pocket would the money come?  ) are as yet completely unsolved since it was just an idea thrown out. I say let's take that problem once we're close enough to start having concerns about it.
Getting someone interested in sponsoring is SO much easier if we have something to show right ?

And mine weren't fast. These two guys where something I had started working on just to try out a new material mix (Brownish part from magic sculp mixed with white part from pro create) and had no plans for but then I though they would fit nice for this idea.

I like the mix. It mixes with water much like normal clay which makes it easy to for instance make faces through add ons (these faces have so far been made in three stages and with green stuff and pro create the seams between old and new material would be very hard to cover up with this material it's ridiculously easy), after some setting it's like working with polymers (it's very easy to cut of parts without getting it to "drag" with the knife the way greenstuff does) and after some more you can press in fine detail as with green stuff. It is also very easy to scrud*e and sand after curing (though obviously I haven't done much of that yet they will be considerably smoother and sharper -especially around the belts and stuff - once I scrud*e them)
Also the material is in a comfortable offwhite colour which is nice to work with and makes seeing details easier.

[Bungle]

Getting moulds made, and the figures cast isn't that bad.... paying the sculptors is where things get complex.

[Custom_Hobby]

Well with time I am sure all of the issues can be worked out withy this one. It is a nice plan. How many different styles do we have going at the moment?

[Bodhi]

paying the sculptors is where things get complex.

Not complex. Just send us bags and bags of gold and we're happy 

More seriously (but I think it's a discussion for much later) it could be handled in three ways:
1. Someone gets interested in producing and buys the sculpts of the sculptors for a simple one of price including rights. End ofstory as far as the sculptors go.By far the simplest solution
2. The sculptors in question team together, pay the costs together and produce the figures together (that's a truly complex one if any profits start to drop in and would require quite a lot of legal technicality paperwork to get to stick and not make anyone feel disgruntled or left behind)
3. Each sculptor individually pays for his army and in effect produces it himself at his own expense then sells it himself

There is a fourth: Someone else produces the figures and the sculptors get percentages of the profit. But that one is notorious for breeding ill willed and long lasting conflics I've heard (as is probably the second alternative as well but it has more of a syndication ring to it which I as an old syndicalist of course am in favour of  )

[Bungle]

1. Someone gets interested in producing and buys the sculpts of the sculptors for a simple one of price including rights. End ofstory as far as the sculptors go.By far the simplest solution

Like the white metal range... but HF are spent up

2. The sculptors in question team together, pay the costs together and produce the figures together (that's a truly complex one if any profits start to drop in and would require quite a lot of legal technicality paperwork to get to stick and not make anyone feel disgruntled or left behind)

very complex and see 4

3. Each sculptor individually pays for his army and in effect produces it himself at his own expense then sells it himself

difficult as people tend to be reluctant to order from small manufacturers... unless you sell on ebay

There is a fourth: Someone else produces the figures and the sculptors get percentages of the profit. But that one is notorious for breeding ill willed and long lasting conflics I've heard (as is probably the second alternative as well but it has more of a syndication ring to it which I as an old syndicalist of course am in favour of  )

The simplest approach, but it means either knowing someone set up to sell already an willing to do it, or trusting someone you don't know.

I know Tony Barr from East Riding Miniatures does this with the "corporate wars" sci fi range, he keeps detailed records of all sales. He is someone I know and trust personally and sells online and at shows. But most of the potential sculptors probably don't know him.. so it would come down to trusting a stranger.

There are some other people I have heard doing things this way

http://www.strongholdminiatures.co.uk/16280.html

it even lists the sculptors currently working with him ... ask them if they are happy.

PS he does contract casting too

[Custom_Hobby]

I could help once I start getting all of my stuff cast as well. there would be a lot to work out though as Bungle has noted.

[S1ND3X]

one of the most important things i see it is that each sculptor retains artistic control over their figures
also i think (as bodhi says) we want to get some stuff done and on the table before getting to bogged into the how's and where's
and finally i want people to be in this because it's something they wanna do, that might sound idealistic but i've got no free time really and i still find an oppurtunity

btw this project is being bandied around on here, 1st list and Delarn's, i'll do a roundup of ideas and post on each forum every sunday so we can all keep up

[messiahs-abomination]

I have a seminal idea which I think (hope) fits nicely into the scheme of this project.

I envisage a death cult which draws it's members from all walks of life, and from all races, these are the dregs of society in every sense. They raid for sacrifices and loot, including slaves.

They are robed and hooded for the most part, but retain some of the trappings of the cultures they are drawn from.

Leaders & elites might have ornate headgear, all have weapons, some have shields, very few have armour.

Still seminal, but I think this group would be a convertors dream

I need to try to move away from them being a variation on Chaos Cultists, but as I said, it's an early stage in my thought process. I'm hungover too

What do you guys think?

[Bodhi]

 
Go for it!