Why dont these manufactures change it up alittle and make different faces and heights. What do you think??? Thanks for reading this....
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Military figures of all shapes and sizes.
Military figures of all shapes and sizes.
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question about faces and bodies.
plasticman
Joined: June 06, 2006
KitMaker: 152 posts
Armorama: 129 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 06:42 PM UTC
I could not help to ask this " Over the years the manufactures of figures have done a great job on the detailing of there products. But what bothers me is that all of the faces on these figures are the same. And they are all the same height. Now, THISworld would be kind of boring if we all had the same face and height. Dont ya think?? I see these great dioramas and vignetts but the figures all look alike.
Why dont these manufactures change it up alittle and make different faces and heights. What do you think??? Thanks for reading this....
Why dont these manufactures change it up alittle and make different faces and heights. What do you think??? Thanks for reading this....
drumthumper
Joined: December 22, 2004
KitMaker: 392 posts
Armorama: 227 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 06:57 PM UTC
Sean,
I agree with you 100-percent. I'd like to see manufacturers "go out on a limb" more often and offer diverse facial features, body builds, etc. But, in defense of those tasked with producing those figures, I understand why they more often than not take the high road in these regards. Most, not all, have a few stock heads they incorporate into their line of figures. This streamlines the mastering of the figure, but that is often carried over into a little more palatable unit cost.
Body-wise, we have all seen period photos of soldiers - all ages, shapes, heights, etc. - everything from the diminutive Audie Murphy to the fictional Sgt. Schultz. But we have to ask ourselves, as modelers in general, do we want to incorporate these into our work on the level that manufacturers would have to sell them to justify the expense?
Mike Kirchoff
I agree with you 100-percent. I'd like to see manufacturers "go out on a limb" more often and offer diverse facial features, body builds, etc. But, in defense of those tasked with producing those figures, I understand why they more often than not take the high road in these regards. Most, not all, have a few stock heads they incorporate into their line of figures. This streamlines the mastering of the figure, but that is often carried over into a little more palatable unit cost.
Body-wise, we have all seen period photos of soldiers - all ages, shapes, heights, etc. - everything from the diminutive Audie Murphy to the fictional Sgt. Schultz. But we have to ask ourselves, as modelers in general, do we want to incorporate these into our work on the level that manufacturers would have to sell them to justify the expense?
Mike Kirchoff
Drader
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 2,798 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 07:16 PM UTC
Having compared Tamiya's bantam British Infantry on patrol with the big and beefy Dragon Commonwealth Infantry set over the weekend, I'm not sure that I'd agree with the second part of your thesis.
There are some decent faces out there on plastic figures too, in particular I'm thinking of Andrey Bleskin's work for Zvezda and Alanger - nice moustaches
David
There are some decent faces out there on plastic figures too, in particular I'm thinking of Andrey Bleskin's work for Zvezda and Alanger - nice moustaches
David
drumthumper
Joined: December 22, 2004
KitMaker: 392 posts
Armorama: 227 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 07:49 PM UTC
David,
I know some of the old Italeri figures, while still in 1:35 scale, were massive. Verlinden figures and some atrocious Warriors releases were also giants (not to mention quite disproportionate) compared to what we could establish as average height in that scale. That being said, I think the original poster was thinking along the lines of a mix/medley of heights, sizes and facial features on purpose ... not so much that individual companies produce entire sets of "non-average" scale figures solely because that's how they scaled them out.
Mike
I know some of the old Italeri figures, while still in 1:35 scale, were massive. Verlinden figures and some atrocious Warriors releases were also giants (not to mention quite disproportionate) compared to what we could establish as average height in that scale. That being said, I think the original poster was thinking along the lines of a mix/medley of heights, sizes and facial features on purpose ... not so much that individual companies produce entire sets of "non-average" scale figures solely because that's how they scaled them out.
Mike
Drader
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 2,798 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 08:49 PM UTC
Mike
Tamiya have attempted something like that in their US Assault Infantry set, where the BAR gunner looks (to me anyway) slightly larger than the other figures.
David
Tamiya have attempted something like that in their US Assault Infantry set, where the BAR gunner looks (to me anyway) slightly larger than the other figures.
David
plasticman
Joined: June 06, 2006
KitMaker: 152 posts
Armorama: 129 posts
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2007 - 02:19 AM UTC
I think it would give the viewer more to look at and the dio would not be as "boring"
Thanks guys for responding back, maybe the manufactures can put there HEADS together and FIGURE something out!
Happy Modeling guys!
Thanks guys for responding back, maybe the manufactures can put there HEADS together and FIGURE something out!
Happy Modeling guys!
plasticman
Joined: June 06, 2006
KitMaker: 152 posts
Armorama: 129 posts
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2007 - 02:19 AM UTC
I think it would give the viewer more to look at and the dio would not be as "boring"
Thanks guys for responding back, maybe the manufactures can put there HEADS together and FIGURE something out!
Happy Modeling guys!
Thanks guys for responding back, maybe the manufactures can put there HEADS together and FIGURE something out!
Happy Modeling guys!
Johnston_RCR
Joined: April 01, 2006
KitMaker: 470 posts
Armorama: 367 posts
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2007 - 02:40 AM UTC
Semi-related, it would be nice to see some more lefties in the mix too. The only set I have personally come across is Dragons US Rangers from the World Elite series. The grenadier was left handed.
plasticman
Joined: June 06, 2006
KitMaker: 152 posts
Armorama: 129 posts
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2007 - 08:23 AM UTC
great point kevin, I did not think about that! 
Tarok
Joined: July 28, 2004
KitMaker: 10,889 posts
Armorama: 3,245 posts
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2007 - 10:54 AM UTC
That's why there are AM heads, and hands, available. I would guess that manufacturer's do a generic head because of cost and secondly because you can't keep everyone happy. Do a guy with a moustache and inevitably someone will say, "Oh, but I wanted him with a goatee" or "I want him cleanshaven" or squinting or... or...or...
Do yourself a favour and invest in some decent resin AM heads. I can assure you that you won't be sorry. Your figures will be very unique...
As for heights... figure manufacturer's the world over tend to set a standard height and build for their individual ranges. Most figures convert to about 6'. It also depends on how they measure the height - ankle to top of head, or to midway on the forehead, etc.
We've had this debate time and time again on HF.
People don't want the brawny short guy that actually has the body weight and strength to wear a full suit of armour... they want the stringy tall guy that looks like he is better placed on a runway... This isn't exactly limited to modelling though is it? After all... that's why Daniel Craig is the new Bond and I'm not
:-)
Do yourself a favour and invest in some decent resin AM heads. I can assure you that you won't be sorry. Your figures will be very unique...
As for heights... figure manufacturer's the world over tend to set a standard height and build for their individual ranges. Most figures convert to about 6'. It also depends on how they measure the height - ankle to top of head, or to midway on the forehead, etc.
We've had this debate time and time again on HF.
People don't want the brawny short guy that actually has the body weight and strength to wear a full suit of armour... they want the stringy tall guy that looks like he is better placed on a runway... This isn't exactly limited to modelling though is it? After all... that's why Daniel Craig is the new Bond and I'm not
:-)Drader
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 2,798 posts
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2007 - 02:17 PM UTC
AM heads are also useful if, like me, you have the urge to do obscure stuff like French 1940 tanks. Until recently there was only the Heller French tank crew to use and frankly without Hornet my shelf would look like a convention of banjo players (in-breeding joke).
Now we have the nice stuff from Nemrod, Special East and so on to widen the gene pool.
David
Now we have the nice stuff from Nemrod, Special East and so on to widen the gene pool.
David
Hohenstaufen
Joined: December 13, 2004
KitMaker: 2,192 posts
Armorama: 1,615 posts
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2007 - 05:06 PM UTC
I know what you are saying Sean, but actually, although people in real life are assorted heights and weights, somehow when you do this in a model somehow it looks "wrong". There is an Academy German tank loading crew, that looked like a possibly useful set of figures, so I bought them, as they were labelled 1/35th. However I would say they were nearer 1/32nd. They tower over the other figures I have, Dragon, Tamiya, Trumpeter WHY, & are unusable, except on their own, & they would still be too big for a Dragon vehicle. While I agree with the others, that different heads are probably not cost effective for the manufacturers, it must also be borne in mind that many modellers traditionally chop their plastic figures around, changing arms & other body parts, to get the positions they want. If the figures were all "stand-alone" individuals, this would not be possible. Anyway, it's not always true that plastic figures don't have character faces - look carefully at the Tamiya figures in the Field kitchen set, they aren't resin standard, but they aren't bad.
Old Italeari figures were just plain awful, irrespective of build or height & I never used them personally.
Of course, if DML carry their vehicle methods over onto their figures, you might get resin heads!
The point of plastic figures is that they are cheap enough that if you want some of mixed stature, you can afford to buy a couple of boxes from different manufacturers & still get change from what you would have spent on resin ones! So long as you use "standard" weapons & equipment eg DML Gen 2, there won't be a problem.
Old Italeari figures were just plain awful, irrespective of build or height & I never used them personally.
Of course, if DML carry their vehicle methods over onto their figures, you might get resin heads!
The point of plastic figures is that they are cheap enough that if you want some of mixed stature, you can afford to buy a couple of boxes from different manufacturers & still get change from what you would have spent on resin ones! So long as you use "standard" weapons & equipment eg DML Gen 2, there won't be a problem.
Tarok
Joined: July 28, 2004
KitMaker: 10,889 posts
Armorama: 3,245 posts
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2007 - 05:30 PM UTC
Quoted Text
if DML carry their vehicle methods over onto their figures, you might get resin heads!
Or, since the G2 heads are split in 2, they could even supply 2 or 3 different faces with different expressions...
AndyD
Joined: December 01, 2004
KitMaker: 672 posts
Armorama: 282 posts
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2007 - 06:41 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted Textif DML carry their vehicle methods over onto their figures, you might get resin heads!
Or, since the G2 heads are split in 2, they could even supply 2 or 3 different faces with different expressions...
Always used AM heads before - this split nonsense is another reason to use them.
I hate the gen2 split heads and torso's - prefer to pay the resin premium and get solid cast and no fiddly work.
The split heads deatil is still soft and to be frank total rubbish compared to the likes of hornet.
If Dragon was going to be serious in the figure market they would do well to speak to Roger Saunders and work out a way we can have his fabulous heads in every Dragon figure kit at a profitable price to all.
Are you DML guys reading these threads..
HansBolter
Joined: September 27, 2006
KitMaker: 42 posts
Armorama: 38 posts
Posted: Friday, February 23, 2007 - 12:33 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Mike
Tamiya have attempted something like that in their US Assault Infantry set, where the BAR gunner looks (to me anyway) slightly larger than the other figures.
David
Which, oddly enough, is just the opposite of the old B&W TV series Combat where it was the scrawny, skinny Kirby who was the BAR gunner while the hulking Little John made his Garrand look like a kid's toy!
When modeling historic figures the manufacturer's do seem to make an attempt at accurate body types and sizes. I have a 1/16th colection that includes a Tamiya Rommel and Dragon Peiper, Diefenthal and Skorzeny. Rommel is decidely shorter than the other three. Peiper is slightly taller than Diefenthal and Skorzeny is tall and slim and towers over the other three.
Tarok
Joined: July 28, 2004
KitMaker: 10,889 posts
Armorama: 3,245 posts
Posted: Friday, February 23, 2007 - 01:58 AM UTC
Quoted Text
When modeling historic figures the manufacturer's do seem to make an attempt at accurate body types and sizes. I have a 1/16th colection that includes a Tamiya Rommel and Dragon Peiper, Diefenthal and Skorzeny. Rommel is decidely shorter than the other three. Peiper is slightly taller than Diefenthal and Skorzeny is tall and slim and towers over the other three.
With all due respect I wouldn't class Tamiya or DML's 1/16 figures as "historicals". Furthermore, I wouldn't substantiate a statement like that based on any Tamiya figure.
If you want to compare historical figure, then compare 54mm, 70mm or 90mm figures. Compare figures from companies like Seil, Pegaso, Romeo, Veriatus, Sparta, and so on. Compare figure by well-known sculptors like Maurizio Bruno, Luca Marchetti, Mike Blank, Anders Heinz, Taesung Harmms and HF's own Markus Eckmann.
GeraldOwens
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
Armorama: 3,697 posts
Posted: Friday, February 23, 2007 - 06:59 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I could not help to ask this " Over the years the manufactures of figures have done a great job on the detailing of there products. But what bothers me is that all of the faces on these figures are the same. And they are all the same height. Now, THISworld would be kind of boring if we all had the same face and height. Dont ya think?? I see these great dioramas and vignetts but the figures all look alike.
Why dont these manufactures change it up alittle and make different faces and heights. What do you think??? Thanks for reading this....
I noticed this many years ago with Tamiya figures, but usually the same face would occur within one set, so the easiest way to get variety was mix figures from different sets together. And now, with aftermarket resin heads sculpted with distinctive faces, you have much more freedom (though some of these are becoming a little too familiar--one Hornet head who resembles British character actor Geoffrey Palmer has appeared in dioramas of every theater of WW2, usually in a German uniform).
With different manufacturers on the market, getting figures with different statures isn't all that hard. By the way, a figure's putative scale needn't be a mystery--just check him against a scale ruler. Lacking that, bear in mind that in 1:35th scale, a 5'10" man stands exactly two inches tall (or 50.8 mm).
HansBolter
Joined: September 27, 2006
KitMaker: 42 posts
Armorama: 38 posts
Posted: Monday, February 26, 2007 - 12:24 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextWhen modeling historic figures the manufacturer's do seem to make an attempt at accurate body types and sizes. I have a 1/16th colection that includes a Tamiya Rommel and Dragon Peiper, Diefenthal and Skorzeny. Rommel is decidely shorter than the other three. Peiper is slightly taller than Diefenthal and Skorzeny is tall and slim and towers over the other three.
With all due respect I wouldn't class Tamiya or DML's 1/16 figures as "historicals". Furthermore, I wouldn't substantiate a statement like that based on any Tamiya figure.
If you want to compare historical figure, then compare 54mm, 70mm or 90mm figures. Compare figures from companies like Seil, Pegaso, Romeo, Veriatus, Sparta, and so on. Compare figure by well-known sculptors like Maurizio Bruno, Luca Marchetti, Mike Blank, Anders Heinz, Taesung Harmms and HF's own Markus Eckmann.
Since they are depicting historical persons what exactly are they?
Sorry if 1/16 doesn't measure up to the snobish standards of the other sizes, but to us obviously less discriminating individuals, with obviously less exposure to the finer apsects of historical figure modeling, they may be all the reference we HAVE in our limited experience.
I don't believe a post by such an obvious figure modeling noob as myself truly deserved such a consescendingly insulting reply!
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