Marco does something

[MarcoSkoll]

I haven't seen many scratch sculpts that have successfully tackled a human head without resorting to "eeerrrr.. he's a mutant"

It was a point I was rather worried I'd fall down on and have to quit out on the basis of.

Of the four I've done, I'm pleasantly surprised with two of them - this one, and Kai's. Renatus' head didn't get all that much effort, as I knew at that stage I was only finishing the model because I didn't have time to start over again before I wanted to be using it, and Lyra's... well, it's not completely appalling, but I will almost certainly be redoing it.

It seems rather bizarre that I can get an 8mm tall head to look passable, but that they can be 5 or more times the size on paper and be far more hit and miss.

[MarcoSkoll]

Gentlemen. If you were in any doubt as to my insanity, I offer further proof.

Inspired by the Ordo Illuminatus KWSG, what you are looking at here is the start of an attempt at speed sculpting - I'm hoping to have this sculpt finished before the end of the current sketchgroup next Monday.



It's going to be a female Commissar. Don't know anything else about her yet - just because I usually do the character first doesn't mean I have to every time!

I'm also doing it to start to get a feel for ProCreate as a sculpting medium. Anyway, by the time you read this, I may well have started the next stage - it's going to need several a day to make it in time, so I've broken out a makeshift putty oven to bring down curing times.

[RobSkib]

just because I usually do the character first doesn't mean I have to every time!

Liberating, isn't it?

[MarcoSkoll]

Liberating, isn't it?

I've told myself I wanted to do a female Commissar for a while. It just happened that I woke up this morning with one of my attacks of artistic drive.
I don't often get them, but when they do happen, they have the approximate momentum of a freight train.

I spent this morning telling myself that trying this was a silly idea and I had other things to do. Next thing I knew, I was posting pictures of the first stages on the internet.

Anyway, next instalment:

[Inquisitor Cade]

Ambitious, best of luck to you.

[MarcoSkoll]

Somewhat ambitious, yes.  But, I did manage three models and most of two other models in the three weeks before the IGT. The time taken is mostly curing time. With the heater I've got set up, I can cure an individual stage fast enough that I could theoretically be doing half a dozen or more stages a day.

Not that I've worked quite that fast today - I'm currently using my time with a sketchbook. I've had some alternate ideas for a couple of areas of her appearance that I want to put down on paper to compare.

Either way, I should have the basic shapes of her model sorted by the end of today, and a clear plan of what exactly I'm going for. All goes well, it should allow me to plough straight into clothing tomorrow.

Provided I keep at it, I think it's a manageable goal.

[MarcoSkoll]

In conversation with Gideon Sterne/Gen.Steiner over on Warseer, I've been pushing around ideas for where this is going to go.

I've decided that she's going to be a Commissar who's assigned to political duties, keeping an eye on Governors, politicians and other servants.
As I put it on Warseer, I see this as a far more passive role than you might expect of a Hereticus Inquisitor (or similar) - while an Inquisitor hunts trouble, I see her character as someone who mostly deals with the day-to-day stuff and things that just aren't important enough to need an Inquisitor. This involves quite a lot of official meetings, paperwork and generally little excitement. Of course, she's not to be thought of as a total slouch - she did still train at the Schola Progenium...

This will make her the centre of a warband in her own right - it seemed more appropriate than tagging her on to someone else's entourage.

Anyway, with that in mind, here's a rough sketch of how I'm planning for her to be dressed:



Yes, a knee length skirt is not exactly practical for combat, but she dresses for official business, so the order of the day is presentation rather than practicality. I thought that was quite well summed up in a parade uniform look, so that's what I've gone for - polished boots, brass trim and all those gubbins will eventually be included.

I also thought it would make a nice contrast with the energetic pose of the model - if there's heresy to be fought, you have to do it regardless of whether you're wearing a skirt or not.

[RobSkib]

There are skirts in the 41t milennium?

You've made a good start - she's nice and chunky. I like a woman with a bit of flesh on her I hate models that are based off the ever-impractical Lara Croft body shape, and I think a woman in 40k who trained would end up with plenty of meat on her bones, so to speak.

Still, I'm not overly sold on the skirt...

[Myriad]

Would a skirt ever be sanctioned by the commisariat?  As far as I know, their uniforms are a bit of a grey area, so I guess we can allow it since he's explained it.  I like the idea of a genuine 'political officer'.

[MarcoSkoll]

There are skirts in the 41t milennium?

I can't see why not. Depends on whether you really want to draw a line between skirts and dresses on that front, but I'd cite Jena Orechiel as one example of a dress - and enough people have used Steve Buddle's Anastasia without complaint.
One example of a strict skirt is the woman in the Last Chancer's set, but I don't know how much you can take a penal trooper to be much of an example.

Admittedly, there isn't much evidence for skirts as part of dress uniforms, as a combined factor of so few females in the GW range and most models being "battlefield" oriented - however, it happens in the real world.

As for Myriad's query about whether skirts would be sanctioned by the Commissariat... aside from the typical "big galaxy" argument, I'm looking a different area to the normal realms of the Commissariat - they may make some allowances/changes for those Commissars who don't have a part in military life.

[Molotov]

Really can't say I'm too much of a fan of the skirt, but I'm keen to see how the model unfolds.

[MarcoSkoll]

Well, on the matter of the skirt, I've already started to put various stages of it in place, so I'm planning on forging ahead with it. But if I should decide it just doesn't work, while it'll be a bit of a setback to my schedule, I'm no stranger to breaking out the craft knife.

In defence of it, she should feel a bit different and perhaps a little out of place. She's not really expected to be in combat in the first place - as such, I don't want her model to look as if she should be.
She'll be armed of course*, but she wouldn't be much of a Commissar if she wasn't - she does need at least the ability to execute any traitors to the Imperial cause.

*Not heavily - most likely a Laspistol and some form of melee weapon, possibly a short sword.

[Inquisitor Cade]

The skeleton seems interestinlgly dynamic for a 'non-combatant(ish)' commissar. I'm about as far from an expert on skirts as it is possible to be, but my understanding was that they weren't great for running in.

[N01H3r3]

I've decided that she's going to be a Commissar who's assigned to political duties, keeping an eye on Governors, politicians and other servants.
As I put it on Warseer, I see this as a far more passive role than you might expect of a Hereticus Inquisitor (or similar) - while an Inquisitor hunts trouble, I see her character as someone who mostly deals with the day-to-day stuff and things that just aren't important enough to need an Inquisitor. This involves quite a lot of official meetings, paperwork and generally little excitement. Of course, she's not to be thought of as a total slouch - she did still train at the Schola Progenium...

Background wise, I don't actually see the sense in that. I've no issue with female Commissars - I'm certain they exist, though due to the graduation/deployment policies of the Schola Progenium, I imagine that they're rare as most suitable candidates would end up in the Adepta Sororitas instead.

First and foremost, Commissars in the Imperium are a distinctly military group - the Commissariat is part of the Departmento Munitorum, and oversees the loyalty and discipline of the two primary branches of the Imperial military: the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy. Saying "this is my Commissar; she oversees politicians and other civilian authorities" is essentially akin to saying "this is a school teacher; he delivers the mail" - the character is essentially doing someone else's job, rather than operating within the remit of her organisation. This isn't simply "a little out of place"... it's a lot out of place.

Secondly, the role you're describing does actually exist - the Orders Famulous of the Adepta Sororitas perform those sorts of duties, and it's their job to do so. Being Adepta Sororitas, they're not exactly incapable of combat either (Schola Progenium training, plus time as a Novice before being selected for an Order result in a healthy talent for destruction), but their specialist training and duties make them skilled negotiators and advisers and tend to result in people with a strong understanding of high-level Imperial politics and society... to the point where they're highly valued by the Ordo Hereticus as Acolytes.

Of course, to each their own where interpretation of the 40k universe is concerned. It's just that this particular concept seems to clash so significantly with my understanding of the setting that I felt I had to speak up...

[MarcoSkoll]

... is essentially akin to saying "this is a school teacher; he delivers the mail"

Actually, I do know a postman who used to be a school teacher. Admittedly, he's never done the two simultaneously, but it's a rather amusing coincidence.

In response to your point, the idea is admittedly a rushed one - it's wont to happen when trying to design and model a character from scratch inside a week.

If you think it would work any better, perhaps she's a political liaison for the Commissariat.
It would still put her in contact with the same kind of people (leaving her in the setting I wanted), although it would change exactly why she was there.