Miniature Figurines

The title of this post is taken from a pop song from the 1960s, but the spelling was "Hazel", not the Korean-English shown here. "Hayzel" is from the "Girls in Action" series, by ZKPLA (formerly Tori Factory) and is in 1/20th scale. The kit comes with an alternative head - the box-art above shows Hayzel wearing a helmet and visor closed. I chose to go with the full-face with hair version. In addition to the figure's components (torso, head+hair, arms and legs) there is also a rucksack, a fry-pan, a first-aid kit, a pair of sneaker-clad feet and a superb M4 automatic rifle. There were sprue joins to be removed and support pieces in the crook of the elbows and also behind the knees. The sneakers were beautifully moulded, with very high detail for the size. These little items of footwear are only 13mm in length yet have all the features of a pair of full-size sneakers! I used Gunze "Mr. Surfacer 500" to blend the joins where the legs attached to...

Vesty completed. The (1/20th scale) young lady member of the militia has been completed and stands on a hand-made clay base. The painting is all acrylic.....no oils in this project.....and I am very pleased with the way the Vallejo "Air" acrylics work when brushed on. I am also delighted with the casting from this manufacturer (ZLPA) because the detail is so fine and crisp, right down to the smallest item. You cannot see the watch face because my camera does not focus down to that macro distance, but the two hands are included in the casting. Incredible in something this size! A pleasure to assemble and paint. I have another from the "Girls In Action" series in 1/20th scale and will feature her here in due course.

"Vesty" - from the Girls In Action series. Here is a 1/20th figure - a nice size to work with and a good compromise between the 1/35th and 1/16th figures from the same studio. In fact, they only have one 1/16th and that is "Cassie" , a figure I've already done and featured here. This one depicts a female para-military and she is shown stretching and yawning and, once again, the detail is very fine. So fine, in fact, that it wasn't after until I had cleaned, primed and undercoated her (as shown here) that I noticed her upper teeth and her tongue had been modelled! That is amazing on a casting of this size. (Photo above taken with a DJI Osmo Pocket camera) . I am so used to the days of white-metal castings from the 1980s that I am still being gobsmacked by what is being achieved today in resins, both 3D-prints and castings. (Photo above taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ40) Vesty is currently undergoing preparation for finishing in Vallejo ...

A couple of miniature miniatures! Whilst Felicia is still to be completed - detail work remains to be done and the oil paint has to dry properly before that can be attempted - I have been working on a couple of smaller figures, in 1/35th. scale. They are tiny! 😀 Produced by Korean companies - Tori Factory and Nuts Planet . The moulding is exquisite....so fine, yet these are resin castings, not 3-D printed. I've completed one figure (Isadora, by Tori Factory) and have mounted it on a 20c piece. She was done in Vallejo "Model Air" acrylic paints - brushed on, not airbrushed. The second figure, called "Scouter", is by Nuts Planet. and is in the final stages of detailing. She is posed on a larger base because there will be another figure accompanying her, to be started after "Scouter" is finished. That's "Scouter" in the foreground, temporarily assembled and ready to be washed and then primed. These two photos show the figure mo...

For more than 40 years I have been involved in my "other" interest......assembling and painting model figurines. At one stage - around 1982/83 - I did several commissions, the most difficult and tedious being the painting of a 30-piece highland pipe band in 54mm (~2") scale. Those kilts and hose were killers! There was a shop in Sydney which specialised in militaria and war games and I received many requests through them for my work, mostly Napoleonic and in 75mm to 150mm size. I prime with a grey automotive primer, undercoat in flat acrylics and then the finishing painting is done in artist's oils. Above and below are just two examples of what I did. Both Napoleonics, with the French Hussar (unfinished at the moment) in 90mm scale and the Zieten Hussar in 75mm. I took a break for a couple of years after moving from Sydney to Canberra (1984) and spending more leisure time with two growing kids and their various sports and activities, but returned to the ho...