If I have a 1/35 scale figure and it represents a 6' tall man, how far away would an actual person of the same height need to be to represent the scale distance? Trying to figure out what and how much you would be able to see on a real person and represent that with paint on a figure. Cheers.

I am an absolute idiot when it comes to math. So I can't give you a formula or something. But I think it is a good benchmark if you take a normal person and stand about 35 meters away from him. Of course what is visible is also depending on your eyesight. But other then that it should give you a good idea.

Like Robert said, it depends on how good your eyes are. At 35 meters, I could only distinguish that it is a person and what color of clothes he/she is wearing. Of course, I am very near sighted.

Hi Damon,

The late, great, Bill Hearne used to say hold the figure up and find someone the same size then see what is or is not visible. While this gives you an idea of what detail you would be likely to see don't forget these are models and are usually viewed pretty closely so more detail needs to be incorporated than you would probably see to make them realistic. The idea probably holds true for 'background' figures, but main ones still need to be well defined.

All the best,

Paul

Theoretically, one real foot of viewing distance would equal 35 "scale" feet of viewing distance. That is, looking at the figure from 1 foot would be the same as looking at it from 35 feet. Call this distance the "apparent scale distance."

However, since real viewing distance is infinitely variable, that is, your model's viewers can look from as close or as far as they want, there's no way to say "only this much detail" and no more could be observed. That is, your figure could be viewed from real distances anywhere from less than six inches to across the room or even further.

As a practical matter, there is a minimum real viewing distance that would be the closest that someone with unaided vision could actually focus on the figure. For some people , that might be arms' length, for others it might be six inches or less. This practical minimum real viewing varies with the eye sight of each individual.

However, one of the most important aspects of "how real" a painted miniature looks is the issue of "scale lighting."

The problem all model builders confront (no matter if the subject is an AFV or a figure) is that although the physical size of the subject has been scaled down, the amount of light that's reflected from the scale miniature is NOT the same as the amount of light reflected from the actual prototype at the apparent scale distance (assuming the ambient light conditions are the same).

That is, the smaller the physical size (scale) of the model, the LESS light it reflects. Scale models look darker and less "contrasty" at any apparent distance than do their prototypes at that same "real" distance.

This is because the physical surface area of the miniature is many many times less than the physical surface area of the prototype. The effect is that the same amount of ambient light that falls on both the miniature and the prototype does NOT appear to reflect the same, and thus, it does not create the same shadows and highlights on the miniature as it does on the prototype.

The human viewer discerns the "reality" of the viewed subject from recognition of the shadows and highlights, which create shape, form, and color shade in the viewer's eye (actually, the mental perceptions of those qualities).

Thus, the most important thing that model builders can do to paint their models (figures included) so that they are perceived "realistically" by the viewer deals with adding shadows and highlights with paint. Details also have to be "over emphasized" to some degree as well, so that they can be perceived by the viewer at real viewing distances that are greater than the apparent viewing distance (scale distance), since the viewers expect to see these details.

In the end, there is no way to calculate how much or how little detail (or shadows and highlights) should be added to scale figures for them to "look" real. The ultimate decision is an "artistic" one made by the miniaturist - and the viewer.

The only judgement that counts is: Does this figure look real or not?

No easy answers today...

For a more in depth discussion of scale lighting and scale colors, see this issue of "The Wildcat":

http://www.ampscentralsouthcarolina.org/uploads/V4_N2_Jan_2013.pdf

I have a figure I painted years ago and while it looks good from "normal" viewing distance, it looks a bit rough under a 10x loop. Trying to figure out if input this in with a model will it look "correct" or not? I have checked it at 6 inches and arms length and it looks good to me and am trying to figure a relative distance to look at a 1:1 figure. Thank you all for the input there are some things to consider. Cheers.