Author Topic: Abdul the Cheap (Read 8815 times)

gamer Mac · « **on:** July 27, 2009, 10:20:01 AM »

One of my longer term projects has been building a bazaar for pulp games.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=7498.msg86168#msg86168

I have been looking for civilians to populate it. I didn’t really like the ones I have seen or they were a bit expensive for models that are basically only scenery.
I have tried to sculpt things in the past with various levels of success. Inanimate objects are OK but I could never manage a face.
After seeing the cultist built by capthugeca
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=11533.msg132497#msg132497

This gave me the idea to try and build my own merchants and traders that I needed. But using heads from a couple of Perry plastic riflemen, I got for free, instead of sculpting them myself.

Perry plastic riflemen

Shaved the hat off to make a Fez.

Made a dolly out of wire. Artizan figures for scale.

This was a spur of the moment project and I only had a small amount of green stuff handy, so I used modelling clay to make the majority of the body. It worked ok but maybe slightly rougher finish than green stuff. I might try future ones completely out of green stuff.

Basic body shape

Green stuff for detail

Painted

For a first attempt at sculpting I was quite pleased with the finial results so I have started a second one.

This is going to be a figure sitting cross legged.

I have also been building a couple of more buildings for the setting

Just got to finish the doors and shutters for the windows. Then some more weathering on the buildings.
Built from hardboard, foamcore and polyfiller.

Hauptgefreiter · « **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2009, 10:23:02 AM »

Cool!

dodge · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2009, 10:39:37 AM »

mac

sculpting for the first attempt ever is great and well painted up

like your buildings, look very good, how did you do th estairs and the dome (i/2 a tennis ball ?)

the rendering has come up really well too

dodge

gamer Mac · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2009, 10:57:17 AM »

Sorry never mentioned those bits.
Stairs are cut out of 50 mm thick pink foam.
The dome was made out of half a kids toy, pokemon or some such. The other half was broken so it was going in the bin at the last clear out of my son's room, along with loads of other useful shapes that I will recycle in my own way.

Doomhippie · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2009, 12:48:02 PM »

Wow! I never managed to get around to sculpting myself but you sure make it look worth the while. Great idea!

MuleSkinner · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2009, 03:54:18 PM »

excellent start !!
think the head on the crossed legged one is a bit big tho

Hitman · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2009, 05:15:45 AM »

Interesting idea. I just finished making my riflemen up from Historicon yesterday, and primed them today. They actually got me quite excited, especially after meeting Jason Salkey (Rifleman Harris). The head doesn't even resemble a Rifleman anymore. Pretty decent job for your first sculpt. By the way, Eureka have a number of civilians that might work for you:

http://eurekamin.com.au/index.php?cPath=87_126_138&sort=3a
- scroll down to:
1) Ahpoo's convenience stall
2) Achmed's trinket stall
3) Abdul's haberdashery stall
4) Middle Eastern Civilians

Also Steve Barber make some great market stalls and items to use for selling:
http://www.sbarber-models.clara.net/main.html

Regards,
Hitman

bandit86 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2009, 06:01:03 AM »

Nice start. but i dont like the stuff your useing for the bulk of the figure, it looks to rough I would try working more with the greenstuff you will get better detail and crisper folds. A little more effort and don't rush just to get it done(like I do) and you will be surprised on what you can do. That being said Its is still a nice start.

white knight · « **Reply #8 on:** July 28, 2009, 09:14:28 AM »

Just a question, but if you're not going to use the riflemen, why didn't you use their bodies (and arms and hands) as basis for your conversion instead of making those from scratch?

gamer Mac · « **Reply #9 on:** July 28, 2009, 09:28:27 AM »

Thanks for the comments guys

Quote from: Hitman on July 28, 2009, 05:15:45 AM

By the way, Eureka have a number of civilians that might work for you:
Also Steve Barber make some great market stalls and items to use for selling:

I had a look at these but being a skinflint I thought I would save my money for more important figures that I will use a lot, these are really just for scenery.

Quote from: bandit86 on July 28, 2009, 06:01:03 AM

Nice start. but i dont like the stuff your useing for the bulk of the figure, it looks to rough I would try working more with the greenstuff you will get better detail and crisper folds. A little more effort and don't rush just to get it done(like I do) and you will be surprised on what you can do. That being said Its is still a nice start.

I agree but the clay was easier to work with, no mixing.
This was just a first try with what I had to hand. Cheap and cheerful

I may try green stuff later when I re-stock.

Quote from: white knight on July 28, 2009, 09:14:28 AM

Just a question, but if you're not going to use the riflemen, why didn't you use their bodies (and arms and hands) as basis for your conversion instead of making those from scratch?

The bodies did not have the pose I liked and a running trader would have looked strange, unless he was supposed to be a dodgy one

The hands were carrying rifles again a strange look for a trader, unless he was supposed to be a dodgy one

To convert the body would have been just as much work as making my own.
I am already thinking of other uses for other bits on the spru.
And I have been hunting through my bits box for more human heads that I can use.

odd duck · « **Reply #10 on:** July 28, 2009, 01:14:47 PM »

Great Work!!!I wish I could be half as productive!

argsilverson · « **Reply #11 on:** July 28, 2009, 02:13:44 PM »

nice work.
It has inspired me to try something myself, (although I doubt, I think that the end result will be a total failure, not like yours which is very nice)

If you need some market stalls you may also try:
eureka: has some market stalls alongwith the figures already mentioned in this thread.
I should also make mention the indian civilian sets Eureka has. The snake charmer, kids and women and the rest might also be useful for your market.

black cat bases has 3 stalls as a pack. (and an arab trader)
mirliton: has some market stalls with food in their medieval range. its is interesting since they have premade garlics/onions, cheese some game meat, which I think it is difficult to sculpt. the minus is that they sell them alongwith spme (6?) medieval figures, which might be useless if you game in other periods.
Some extra bits for market goods you can find in the ranges of: Nikolai (resin pottery, various sacks etc, and game meat) irregular miniatures (metal baskets, sacks etc) and Ainsty (now crow models with lots of trade goods: supported bales, tea chests, timber loads, tusks and skins, drums, bags, sacks etc) just to name a few.

argsilverson · « **Reply #12 on:** July 28, 2009, 02:26:41 PM »

Again some problem with my computer skills. I need to give you some ideas for some cheap market trade goods:

carpets and rags: printable from the net. also advertisement material about actual rags etc. print them on a paper with colour printer, cut the paper, roll and glue and voila: display.
Maybe the same will work for fabrics.

baskets and pottery: suitably shaped beads. painted in the right colours.

books: carved (rounded) balsa strips, covered with various papers.
opened books: suitably carved balsa strips/offcuts glue on them suitably sized printed themes.

magazines, newspapers, maps etc: just resize actual ones from the net, print on paper, cut/fold/roll/glue as appropriate and display.

searching the net you can also find images of banknotes: resize, print and display on your market.
this might also work for coins as well, but in groups.

Doomhippie · « **Reply #13 on:** July 28, 2009, 04:56:23 PM »

These are some smahing ideas, sir. I'll have to look into that - which means get me a printer that is compatible with %!§*^! Vista...

commissarmoody · « **Reply #14 on:** July 28, 2009, 05:07:21 PM »

you did a great job with that guy

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