The Conclave

{Edit} 10/24/2012
Hi everyone,

For all of you here on the Conclave, I want to let you know that SkyFall Miniatures is now up and running in London, Ontario, Canada. I'm still in the process of designing miniatures, but I am opening my manufacturing facilities to custom moulding and casting requests. I am looking for a web-designer and graphics designer for www[dot]skyfallminiatures[dot]com.

For those who are wondering, I am equipped with a functioning vacuum chamber, and as such can mould/cast most things. I also use a silicone rubber that allows me to cast low-melt metals.

I can be contacted through PM or via my e-mail as posted on my profile here at the 'Clave.  I look forward to working with all of you, and providing you with high-quality resin castings for all your hobbying needs!

Best,

Dionzi

*** ** ***

So, basically I'm aiming for a traitor Inquisitor who bound a portion of daemonette of Slaanesh into herself...and is mutating.

Aiming for a big claw on the left hand (like a scythe), clawed right hand, MIU psycannon, left foot booted, right foot monstrous, and tattered trousers, with chitin sorta sprouting all about.

In-game, apart from my own Inquisitorial Machinations, I imagine this mini can be used as a daemonhost/daemonette/unbound daemonhost, a mutant, a really-bizarrely modded Techpriest, or anything else. I'd like your feedback as to whether you think this would go across well as a mini for the community: as I sculpt her, I think she'd be fine as a basic mini for even an Eldar or female Inquisitor, as long as some judicious re-sculpting is done.




Will post as things develop - I'm working on the boot and face now. The MIU psycannon will be tough, check out the development sketch. I'll update the sketches too.


/Dionzi

Glad this monstrosity/woman is back! Really looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

I particularly like the motion in the model, at the moment it definitely looks in pain...

Thanks Shannow - Shaiyleigh's been...10 years in the sculpting! She was originally supposed to be an ephemeral character, but I've decided it'd be cool to see her on the gaming table. I hope to get this sculpt done soon...I have a couple commissions I've gotta finish, so I'll be working on her in between drying times for my ProCreate. 

Ugh. I hope I never have to solder another armature together.

FYI: in the composite photo, you'll see a figure study that I did to get the positioning of the joints correct, as well as the motion/posture of the musculoskeletal system; 3 different concepts for her claws and some development for the chitin on her right thigh; two designs for the armature itself, and the outline for the sculpt of her face (good thing I found that, actually...). I also mucked about with putting chitin *over* her chest, but I know gamers and that wouldn't have gone over well [:P].

Three concepts for MIU psycannon as well as firing arcs and positioning on the miniature proper. The B&W photo beneath with chunks cut out is a former WIP shot, before I realized her head was too small for her body (ugh!), and I'd chopped off the claw so I could redesign it.

I, too, am looking forward to progress on this one.

I have one request though. Is it possible to get a ruler measurement or scale shot? I'm trying to work out just how big this gal is...

Quote from: Inquisitor Dionzi on April 19, 2011, 11:19:11 PMUgh. I hope I never have to solder another armature together.

I'm interested as to why... I'm a self admitted Teflon solderer (in other words, completely non-stick), but soldering armatures still doesn't feel like any great chore.

Although, I do tend to "cheat" with armatures where soldering them is only a formality - a single loop in an upside down Y shape (arm wires come later). The only soldering, if you can be bothered, is a dab at the split of the Y to stop it levering open - but as long as you're not clumsy while bulking out the first stage of the pelvis, the putty can hold it well enough too.

Quote...before I realized her head was too small for her body (ugh!)

Perhaps the angle isn't showing it, but the scale of that head looks pretty good to me.

Oioi.

She's precisely, from heel to tip of head, 54mm. Because she's up on the ball of one foot, she stands about 57mm in length, and from the top of the base to top of head, about 53mm.

When I soldered her armature (in 2001!) I tried to use a combination of a 25w iron and a butane soldering torch. I set my desk on fire and melted my keyboard.  I'm trying to figure out a better way of making armatures (GSGav and I had a project addressing that issue that sorta...fizzled...because I was writing a seminar paper [50pgs for those not in academia] on the influence of Nietzsche and Dostoevsky on the evolution of Soviet Russia's imagery campaigns...).

Yeah, the head is foreshortened, so it looks right :S So what I'm doing now is building it back up to the proper scale, and hopefully with the proper detail too.

/Dio

How odd. I would've had her as a taller model, but I guess it's just tricks of proportion.

Quote from: Inquisitor Dionzi on April 20, 2011, 12:15:26 AMI tried to use a combination of a 25w iron and a butane soldering torch. I set my desk on fire and melted my keyboard.

I'm not exactly surprised.

Surprised you were using a soldering torch for soldering tiny fragments of wire, yes. Surprised you set your desk on fire when you did, no.

Soldering torches are designed for soldering copper pipe (basically a huge heatsink) together, so the flame temperatures are something like 1300 degrees C. For comparison, most electronics scale soldering (armatures included) is done in the range of about 200 degrees. The soldering iron alone should have been just fine.

In my defense, I was 10 years younger, and it was a butane torch (with a 0.7cm flame), not a propane torch. I miss those days. I could be stupid and get away with it. Not so much any more.

As an update: I'm resculpting Shaiyleigh's face for the 4th time; her right arm is sculpted and attached (and fixed); her feet be finished; I will be cutting apart her right hamstring & buttock and resculpting it; and I am in the process of sculpting the shoulder-mounted MIU psycannon from scratch.

Any suggestions on how I should make the mount on her shoulder?  Any preferences on weapon design from the sketches above?

And by the way, my compy's wonkied, so I'll upload pictures when I can.

I like the design in the middle drawing.

That's looking great so far, can't wait for the finished product.

Here's a couple photos from the promised update :)

(http://www.skyfallminiatures.com/WHPhotoHosting/Shaiyleigh05.jpg)

(http://www.skyfallminiatures.com/WHPhotoHosting/Shaiyleigh06rightarm.jpg)

(http://www.skyfallminiatures.com/WHPhotoHosting/Shaiyleigh07.jpg)

Excellent stuff! In particular her face looks very good, can't wait to see the finished painted version!

Thanks Shan!  I'm going to be cutting off her face and her right hamstring because, to me, they don't look quite right. 

As far as painting goes, I'm heading in to Toronto Friday afternoon next week (before 3 days of teaching the game "Go" to some 23,000 people) to get some semi-clear silicone rubber for mold making and some aluminium-fill polyurethane resin: I'm gonna make me some *real* minis :)

Hi Everyone!

Greenstuff Gav, me ol' matey, suggested I cut off Shaiyleigh's face and resculpt it.  This is attempt #5, phase 1. Phase 2 will involve putting her eyeballs in and sculpting her lush, full lips.

(http://www.skyfallminiatures.com/WHPhotoHosting/Shaiyleigh08.jpg)

(http://www.skyfallminiatures.com/WHPhotoHosting/Shaiyleigh09.jpg)

(http://www.skyfallminiatures.com/WHPhotoHosting/Shaiyleigh10.jpg)

So...I'm disappointed with the new sculpt for Shaiyleigh's head/face. So...guess what. I cut her off at the neck!

And then I spent four hours accumulating faciomusculo-anatomical research material. Dammit, I'm gonna get her face right this time.

So, if I understand it correctly somewhere in your house you will have a pile of cut off faces?

I really like the work on the model so far, the tyranid hand is a good fit for the arm.

QuoteSo, if I understand it correctly somewhere in your house you will have a pile of cut off faces?

There are only certain forums where a comment like this would not get you arrested....

I didn't see what was so bad about that face, frankly. Did you add the lips and eyes before discarding it?

Yeah, I did, Vichy. I even managed to give her a bit of a smirk. Trouble was that the head became about half the size of the torso and was no-where near realistic enough for my tastes. I'm considering an alternative head design - I'll post it up once I have the sketches done. Basically, I'll put a wrap across her eyes (I hate sculpting eyes), and do something different with her hair. But, as I say, sketches first  ::)

Edit: As promised, here are my concept sketches for this second head-concept.

I love the sketches - I wish I could draw...

That will be an improvement on the previous one, I can't wait to see it. The visor is a really good addition. My two euro's worth would be for the drawing with the neck corset, it definitely seems more 40k to me.

Quote from: Ulgavitch on May 21, 2011, 04:04:44 PMI love the sketches - I wish I could draw...

Then go and try. It's acquired by practice, not via a fairy godmother.

Quote from: Inquisitor Dionzi on May 20, 2011, 04:16:26 PMI hate sculpting eyes

This might be because you're doing them in an inside out order. I've tried several ways of doing them over time, but none of them has had me doing the eyeballs after the eyelids.

The two methods that have worked reasonably well for me is doing the eyeballs first and then folding the lids over later, or (as I'm currently experimenting with) poking in the corners with a fine needle, then pressing in the definition between eyeball and eyelid (sort of doing both in one).

The latter wouldn't work so well if you prefer to do faces in several stages (as opposed to all in one as I do), but if you're finding eyes tough as they are, it could be worth trying something different.

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on May 22, 2011, 02:45:23 AM
The two methods that have worked reasonably well for me is doing the eyeballs first and then folding the lids over later,

i'm trying a similar technique at the moment; sculpted the shape, let it dry, eyeball, let it dry, just done the eyelids and it's better'n my previous attempts :)

Your drawing isn't bad at all, it looks quite good, I especially like the expression on the second sketch.

Thanks Dol. It was just a fast tear-off so I could get the concept up for approval by the 'Clave. :)

I always sculpt faces starting from a skull shape into which I add eyeballs, musculature, lips and suchlike.

R.

Just as an FYI, I'll be moving the images on this link to my new site (once it's set up by the webhost) at www.skyfallminiatures.com . It'll take a couple days for the basics to be put together, but I think I've found myself a decent graphic designer for the new site, so things should move swiftly :)

/Dio

I look forwards to seeing the site, I always like sites with pictures of nice models.

So, here's the new head, such as it is: I'm concerned it's too small for the body.  The eyes and much of the nose will be covered by a vision shield (see above), and the bulk of the head will be filled out with brown stuff, for hair.


I'm still not sure what to do with the neck: a collar will be too finicky to sculpt, I think.

I think the head size is good, but the neck looks far too long to me?

Looking good all over though and looking forward to hair!

Shaiyleigh, as far as I'm willing to go, anyway, is complete! Took me 4 attempts on the head...and the rejects have been put into a sprue for later production.


You'll see a tendril of hair over her left shoulder. That's as much to stabilize the head as an affectation of her barely-remaining femininity.

She looks very nice. Could you make a close-up of the shoulder mount?

Wow she's brilliant! I'll echo comment about the close-up of the gun, as well as posting bigger pictures.. my eyes aren't as good as they used to be ;)

Shaiyleigh's shoulder mount:


I tried increasing the size of the pics in my previous post - does that help? They're 250dpi and 500 pixels wide.

Have to concur with rob, most excellent! The armour scaley stuff inarticular is fantastic

I love how much of a feeling of movement there is to the model, she looks as though she's flying along. The visor is really cool too- combined with the sense of breakneck speed it emphasises the loss of control- of being carried away by the thing inside her.
She's rather wonderful really.  :) .

:D Thanks guys! :) Do you have any suggestions as to how I could improve her? I'm wanting her to be in the first half-dozen releases in my generic Sci-Fi/Sci-Fantasy line, so she's gotta be sweet :)

Bollocks. I accidentally knocked Shaiyleigh off me desk and her hand popped off. I can put it back, easily enough, but I figured I check with the community to find out if they had any suggestions to make her right arm look better.

I'm still trying to gear myself up to sharpen the edges on Shaiyleigh's gun, and I've been billywaggled into attempting to redo her head...again.

Quote from: Inquisitor Dionzi on June 29, 2011, 10:14:15 PMany suggestions to make her right arm look better.

The putty work around the upper arm could probably do with smoothing. It also "pinches" oddly below the bicep/tricep area, which makes the muscle groups look a bit off.

QuoteI've been billywaggled into attempting to redo her head...again.

My advice there is smaller, softer features for females. In this case, the mouth is moderately oversized.

While I'm on the subject of the mouth, you've overdone the "M" shape on the upper lip a bit - while the upper edge of the lip does indeed take that sort of shape, the lower edge of the lip is much straighter.
Or, perhaps worded more generically, lips aren't a uniform width. They're wider in the middle, and the top edge of the top lip has a nick in it.

A softer jawline wouldn't hurt either.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm waffling at you - your concept art clearly shows you know your anatomy, but it seems to be one of those things you have to learn all over again when you go into 3D work. I know I did.

I tore off Shaiyleigh's face (once again) and am reworking it. I've smoothed out some of the musculature difficulties on her right upper arm, the scythe arm and the left shoulder socket. I'll likely rework some of the other details in the process.

I'm having a deuce of a time getting Shaiyleigh's face right: I hereby request aid in finding a "how to" for female faces @ 57mm....

Things are settling down o'er here :)  I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for fixing Shaiyleigh and making her a better mini. Suggestions welcome :)

(http://www.skyfallminiatures.com/WHPhotoHosting/Shaiyleigh4.jpg)
(http://www.skyfallminiatures.com/WHPhotoHosting/ShaiyleighFace4.jpg)

She looks good, the new face appears to be coming along nicely. It has something daemonic about it.

more / biiiigger piiiiiics!  ;D

{EDIT} 10/24/2012
Hi everyone,

For all of you here on the Conclave, I want to let you know that SkyFall Miniatures is now up and running in London, Ontario, Canada. I'm still in the process of designing miniatures, but I am opening my manufacturing facilities to custom moulding and casting requests. I am looking for a web-designer and graphics designer for www[dot]skyfallminiatures[dot]com.

For those who are wondering, I am equipped with a functioning vacuum chamber, and as such can mould/cast most things. I also use a silicone rubber that allows me to cast low-melt metals.

I can be contacted through PM or via my e-mail as posted on my profile here at the 'Clave.  I look forward to working with all of you, and providing you with high-quality resin castings for all your hobbying needs!

Best,

Dionzi

*** ** ***

Hi All,

I'm now beginning to take pre-orders for both Skivvy (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1581.0 (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1581.0)) and Shaiyleigh (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1479.0 (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1479.0)): I have the vac chamber, I just need to get funds for the silicone rubber and resin.  The weapons packs (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2019.0 (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2019.0)) are still in development, but I am receiving considerable support from this community, and I hope to soon have two, perhaps all three ready to go soon!

I'm offering one free mini or one free weapon-pack to the people who place orders between now and the end of August: For now, I'm thinking Skivvy at 8GBP, Shaiyleigh at 14GBP, and weapons packs at 8GBP. The free mini/weapon pack will be at the choice of the customer (duplicate or summat different). This is for 2 reasons: one, the Conclave community has supported me for so long that I want to give something back; two, I am asking for money up front (for now), and I want to give something back to the people who help get this project up off the ground, both financially and in faith. As I get manufacturing materials stockpiled, I plan to increase the size of weapons packs (from 3 weapons to 6 weapons for 8 quid), but for now, this is what I can do.

I am also accepting custom orders for self-made minis!

So, anyway, I thought you'd like to know, and feel free to contact me either through PM here or via e-mail (dionzi[at]skyfallminiatures.com)

Hope to hear from you all soon!

Dio