Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Frostgrave => Topic started by: Annie on August 18, 2015, 04:07:45 PM
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Following on from the discussion in the plastic cultists thread (it was somewhat off topic, hence creating a new one!), I figured the best way to get my point across was just to do it! Also people were asking about sizes of the heads, and there was some concern the Statuesque heroic were too big, yet the standard were too small.
I stock loads of types of female heads as part of my shop, so I literally did log off and march to the office to pick up what I needed! Turns out, in my opinion anyway, the Statuesque HEROIC heads were the perfect ones, the others were just a bit too small. The scale of the plastic soldiers is slightly heroic, so the normal sized heads got a little lost, and seemed smaller than the feet! There was a photo floating around of somebodies work in progress but I think it may have been the angle or the way he attached the heads which made them look bigger.
So the choices are Crackin' Hairdos and Bald. I went for bald as I wanted to try my hand at some sculpting, but also make larger poofy hair, a bit more frozen city (the crackin hairdo pack is ace, but very neatly styled, I wanted a bit more..wildling)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMnBt3jWEAArAH2.jpg)
The Frostgrave bodies come with the dent by the neck, and the heads come with necks.. a good start! I just clipped them off but then filed with a slant going up the back of the skull, so that the head would not be looking/tilted down when glued on. They just glued on with no need for greenstuff, just superglue. Once dry, I went to work on the hair. I don't have much sculpting experience (except the Chaos Gnomes http://thedicebaglady.net/chaos-gnomes/ , but they are larger and cartoony!)
I just blobbed it over the skull roughly where I wanted hair to be, then used basically a big needle to drag the hair grooves. Constantly dampening it. They're not the best darn hair sculpts in the world, but I am pretty pleased with how they came out!
Then just a case of painting them!
(https://thedicebaglady.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/frostgrave-converts.jpg)
My argument in the other thread was that male or female is pretty moot under that many layers, and that the hourglass shape we associate with women is mostly down to clothing style. As I realised while painting them, due to all the trinkets and belts on these figures, even that requirement (of some people, not all), is met, as they are pulled in at the waist, and flared out with long tunics. I genuinely think they look ace, and as if they were bought like that (rather than dodgy conversions). For plastic kits out there, this is by far the best one for whacking female heads on.
Short plug - you can get all the Frostgrave official stuffs including the troops from my store, but also the female heads, and the funky basing materials there.
http://thedicebaglady.net/frostgrave/
Let me know what you think, yeah there are just 5, but I was initially only going to make two and got carried away. :D
Cheers
Annie
The Dice Bag Lady/Bad Squiddo Games
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Very nice - the sculpted hair works very well. And the bodies work well too. 8) 8) 8)
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Look great. Mildly Off Topic but will you have stuff for Frostgrave available at Derby in October?
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They're really rather good. I'd be pleased with the hair sculpting if they were mine. Nice work all round.
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Look great. Mildly Off Topic but will you have stuff for Frostgrave available at Derby in October?
I sure will, and extra SAGA! :D
Cheers!
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They look great. I may have to invest in another box of soldiers at some point. :) After I've painted the first box that is. Plus the various bits of undead. Plus the constructs. Plus the frost giant...
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I sure will, and extra SAGA!
I will make sure I pop along then between my Saga games to say Hi and make a few purchases. I was going to say hi at Salute but everytime I got near your stall you were knee deep in punters :)
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Magnificent.
The one with the greatsword is not really working for me ... but the others are all spot on.
Great stuff.
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They look terrific.
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I think they look better as women than they do as men.
Really a nice job!
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Really nicely done, love the way these turned out. :)
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Thanks all!
I really like how her face and hair combination turned out.
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11800352_884694891578596_5150856980410160162_n.jpg?oh=d2bb21bfe6d97c8811c0a60963f7c5f1&oe=5679F5A7)
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Ain't she missing some glasses? lol
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Pretty sure the one on the far left thinks none of us know anything.
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I wouldn't have thought this would work convincingly but you pulled it off with flying colours. I was surprised just how much of the "mannish" identity of the figs is communicated by their clunky heads. The turnover works because the winter gear should disguise/disrupt the viewer's "gender mapping". Modern body armour breaks the profile so the best indicator is usually the hips to identify gender at distance so your models are very convincing. The only thing that breaks the illusion might be the meaty "man hands" but for the most part this can be explained away by the heavy gloves most are wearing.
The sculpts you did for the hair are quite good. I really like the front view as the hairlines look feminine; I never get this right right as a bald man and terrible model :). Great painting, very vibrant but I particularly like the skin tone you achieved on the fig you you closed up on.
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Annie, you knocked it out of the park!
Xin
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The one with the greatsword is not really working for me ... but the others are all spot on.
She need a big strong man to help her with that.
...yukyukyuk...
Fine work miss, fine work.
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I think they look great
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Whats the price for one of yours ?:)
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Very well and convincingly done
Nice idea to copy to ::)
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Yup, that worked just fine.
-Michael
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there was some concern the Statuesque heroic were too big, yet the standard were too small.
Aye, sorry about that. lol
Well, concerns dispensed with. These look fantastic! They do fit a lot better than I originally thought.
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They work well for me.
You are right about the clothing thing, it really does make them work for either sex.
A good result all round.
Nice 'hair' too.
8) 8)
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Top stuff Annie, they look perfect. I knew they would.
I think if you go for a more fur/ leather colour scheme, these are perfect Wildling women.
We always knew our Soldiers had possibilities beyond Frostgrave. Some of the plans discussed were:
Robin Hood & Outlaw arms and heads.
Civilian Arms and Heads
Monk Heads and Arms
Different Heads offering specific styles ie Mongol or Saxon, for Frostgrave.
Heads and Arms to offer more GoT specific figures, for Starks or Wildlings.
etc etc.
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Well they turned out very well.
I thought the bodies might look a bit too chunky for women, even in the cold weather gear, but no, they work a treat.
:)
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Really nice work. :D
I especially like the thief and crossbow.. woman.
Looks like some more heads to order. ;)
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I have to admit, I wasn't sure how well this would work, but your test figures put that concern to rest. Your female adventurers all look quite good and I may pick up an extra box of soldiers and to some "gender conversions" too!
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I already liked the idea from the wip pic on your site but they look even better finished so I'm definitely sold on them.thanks for sharing your results
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nice indeed!!! Will you be at Crisis?
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Thanks all, really glad they went down well! Even praise from King Cubs and Nick, woohoo!
Nick - Cheers! You are right, I went for a bit of that with the archer - I was looking at wildlings at first for reference but solid historical painting (SAGA) has put me off browns for a while, I learnt I am far more likely to enjoy and finish something at the moment if it is bright, so went for that :D A perfect kit for that, and also because of the gloved hands I reckon you could put goblin heads on as well, or even skulls.
I'll have them in my display cabinet at shows from now on if anyone wants to come and have a close up look, they are much better in person, the photos never seem to quite do justice.
Sorry flytime, my hobby time is so precious and rare, I'd never be able to replace them! Being self employed I always seem to be working, so I took a couple of days off to build and paint them. I'm going to take these to shows, so now when people are looking at the heads and furrowing, I can point them to these examples, and wahey! It appears to be working in an online sense, judging by the heads I sold yesterday, but I did buy trillions (a little less ;) ) so all stocked up! I do intend to do another five but chances are I'll never get around to it! I would like to do more head swap replacements with the other brands I sell on other plastic kits, perhaps such as Perry with the Crooked Dice heads. it was a nice change to actually get to build and paint some of the things I surround myself with!
Tom - I will be at Crisis, on a mega stand next to Gripping Beast :D I'll have "all the things" - Frostgrave, women, merch, dice bags, though not much SAGA as they are next door :D Should have some new exciting things too!
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OK meet you there then!
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Very nice work. It is great to see painted examples of original idea.
-Audrey
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Those look great! I always want to convert minis and these work well.
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Thanks again! I'm going to play around with the different heads I stock with the different plastic boxes and see what else works. I'm trying Gripping Beast Plastics next. I really want to try some Fireforge, if anybody has spare guys lying around (just one of each type) send me a PM, I don't want to open a box of 48 just for the experiment :D
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Nice work on the hair Annie. I have always shied away from the bald heads for fear I couldn't do hair. I may have to give it a try now.
On a related note, have you seen the new Brother Vinni Viking women? I know, Brother Vinni usually doesn't do clothes, but these are attired pretty much the same as the Frostgrave figures.
(https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/11863500_410816775774776_8779577916776884853_n.jpg?oh=3359e159462734efdef671ae5200ee59&oe=566D4BBA)
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I have. I have a whole shop of suitably attired women too :)
www.thedicebaglady.net/female-miniatures
But I'm also all for making existing miniatures into easy female conversions, especially with the beautiful ranges of plastic models already out there, which is what this thread was about. As there are so few plastic female kits out there, troop building can be hard (or expensive)
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I have. I have a whole shop of suitably attired women too :)
www.thedicebaglady.net/female-miniatures
But I'm also all for making existing miniatures into easy female conversions, especially with the beautiful ranges of plastic models already out there, which is what this thread was about. As there are so few plastic female kits out there, troop building can be hard (or expensive)
I realize you do. I thought you might be interested in adding these to your inventory.
I'm all for kit bashing as well.
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Annie
These really do look great - I am gonna have a look on your website :)
I really do like the move away from Amazonian looking fantasy women models, which just look a bit daft (and pervy!) IMO (and a bit chilly for Frostgrave!). The gals really do make for some nice variety. Would be good to mix and match them throughout warbands so as not to get same sex groups all the time. Variety is key!
Great effort.
Rob
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No worries Red Graf, it was late and I wasn't sure if you were already aware of it! I don't stock Brother Vinni so won't have them, so is a direct jobby (or anyone else he supplies to).
Cheers Bert, yeah mixing about is my favourite, and most realistic!
I might paint up a few more as chaps. Wildlings on Game of Thrones is a good reference.
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Very nice conversions. :-* :-*
I´m loving it so keep it coming.
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Just seen these, they look absolutely fantastic Annie.
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Thanks for the heads and believable female warriors I got from you at Crisis!
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Awesome! :o
Great job on the conversions and I will definitely be ordering some things from you!