Author Topic: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread  (Read 213750 times)

Offline Alxbates

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #90 on: March 26, 2009, 05:59:54 PM »
Johnny Quest and Tanya Roberts in the same thread.  Rock on. 

I only steal from the best.  :)
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Offline Alxbates

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #91 on: April 27, 2009, 05:00:59 AM »
So, here they are, as promised, the "Pterro-Man" green pics in progress, (a bit rough at the moment, but well over half finished):



The head is nearly finished, the crest will be extended a bit.



There's a nubbin of wire sticking out of the palm of the hand, but it'll be removed before the sculpt is sent off to casting.



In person, this looked really good, but looking at this picture, the left leg just doesn't look... correct, to me.  I'm not sure what's up with it, maybe it's too close to the other leg, or turned a bit too far inward...?  I'm not quite sure how to articulate my unease... the toes maybe need to be splayed even further outwards...?



The left wing is probably the least finished part of the figure, but this pic with me holding it in place gives you I think a good idea of the general pose.







The "Pterro-Man" is being sculpted by another talented local guy named Jack Wolfe.  Working with him has so far been a real pleasure, a definite collaboration - this will be his first 'professional' sculpt, and he's been really open to my input and willing to take direction in a way that is really important to ME, as a client looking for work-for-hire.  I want an artist to give me what *I* want, not what they think I should have (I've had some nightmare encounters with "artists for hire" in the past).

I'll also add that both the sculptor and I are aware that there are some visible fingerprints on the sculpt, and those will all be either removed or covered up before the sculpt is 'finished'.  There are some large sections of the model that don't have 'finished' skin yet.

Input, questions, comments?

-Alex
« Last Edit: April 27, 2009, 05:06:22 AM by Alxbates »
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Offline Glenn M

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #92 on: April 27, 2009, 08:40:20 AM »
It is cool and interesting, but unfortunately, I have no desire for one.  I think it is a great addition to the pulp world of gaming though.  I just don't play in it. 

Offline luckyone

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #93 on: April 27, 2009, 09:36:44 AM »
I like the fig. It looks like it would be a lot of fun to paint.I just don't have an army I play with that would include the as a fig.
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Offline Manic _Miner

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #94 on: April 28, 2009, 11:35:17 AM »
 This sculpt is looking very good so far.Cant wait to see it finished.

 It is hard to keep your fingers from touching when sculpting.Does he use the rubber ended sculpting tools that Andy Foster sell's.They are going to be on my next order I think.

Offline Alxbates

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #95 on: May 01, 2009, 03:22:37 PM »
The sculptor, Jack, builds up a frame to layer the skin onto - and since the skin is going over the top of that frame, he leaves fingerprints all over it.

It freaked me out for a minute till he explained his process to me, too.  :)

I've got another set of pictures I need to edit and post, progress pictures.

-Alex
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Offline Alxbates

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #96 on: May 01, 2009, 04:30:20 PM »
Finallly!  I've gotten my act together enough to assemble this list.  

The Forge of Ice Catalog:

FOI 000’s – Terrain
FOI 100’s – Animals
FOI 200’s – Accessories
FOI 300’s – Weapons
FOI 400’s – Shields
   
Primitive Hide Tents:



FOI 001 - is roughly oval in shape, 3 1/8" long at its longest point, 2½" wide at its widest point, and 1" tall at its tallest point.

FOI 002 - is roughly triangular in shape, 3 3/8" long, 2" wide, and 1½" tall at the tallest point.



FOI 003 - is roughly rectangular on its base, 3½" long, 2½" wide, and 1 3/8" tall.

FOI 004 - is roughly triangular, 4" long, 2½" wide at the widest point, and 1½" tall at the tallest point

Tents all sculpted by Dan Martinez

Tents are $8.50 each, or $32.00 for the set of four.



Peafowl!  And I can't use their common name, because the profanity filter edits out the last half of the word...



FOI 101 – Peahen – $3.00 - the female of the species!  About ½ an inch tall from the bottom of her base to the top of her crest, and ¾ of an inch long from the tip of her tail to the tip of her beak.

[

FOI 102 – Male Peafowl with tail at rest.  - $4.00 - ½ an inch tall from the bottom of the base to the top of the crest, 1 7/8 inches long from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail.



FOI 103 – Male Peafowl with tail on display.  - $5.00 - The tail is about 1 ¾ across and 1 ¾ high.  He’s just over ½ an inch long from the tip of his beak to his rear.

Peafowl all sculpted by Sandra Garrity.

You can buy all three birds as a set for $11.00.



FOI 201 – Paleolithic Venus, modeled on the “Willendorf Venus”.  Just over ½ an inch tall, and about ¼ inch wide at her fattest point in the middle.

Venus sculpted by me, Alex Bates.  Cheap, only $1.00!



FOI 301 – Flint-Tipped Spear sprue – $1.50 per sprue - Two spears on the sprue, both are about an 1 ½ long (one is about a 16th longer than the other).  Sculpted by Tyson Rhody.



FOI 401 – Large Sherden style shield.  - $1.00 - ¾ of an inch across.  Sculpted by Tyson Rhody.



FOI 402 – Simple Ancient Shield – $1.00 - 3/8 of an inch wide, ¾ of an inch tall.  Sculpted by Tyson Rhody.



FOI 403 – Box Turtle Shell Shield – $1.00 - Approximately ½ an inch across.  Sculpted by Tyson Rhody.



FOI 404 – Snapping Turtle Shell shield – $1.25 - 5/8 wide at the widest point in the middle, and ¾ tall at the longest point.  Sculpted by Tyson Rhody.

All prices are listed in US Dollars.

So... how do you place an order...?

Send me an email at Arcticon2004 AT Yahoo DOT com with a list of the things you want to order, along with your address (so I can figure out the shipping cost), and I'll send you an invoice through Paypal.

If you don't have Paypal, then send me a list of what you want, I'll email you back with a total plus shipping, and you can send me a money order.

The system is a little clunky, but without an online store, it'll do for now, and keeping most transactions though Paypal gives everyone involved a little bit of protection.

-Alex
« Last Edit: February 23, 2010, 01:39:16 PM by Alxbates »
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Offline Alxbates

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #97 on: May 01, 2009, 04:40:04 PM »
*EDIT* -

OK, the pictures are fixed now!

I should also mention that all the miniatures, logo, artwork & related items are Trademark and Copyright 2009 Forge of Ice - that's me, Alex Bates - where applicable.  

-Alex
« Last Edit: September 21, 2009, 04:40:27 AM by Alxbates »
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Offline Glenn M

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #98 on: May 01, 2009, 08:40:13 PM »
Looks good, though I feel I need to ask, doesn't paypal allow you to set up a store fairly easily?

Offline Manic _Miner

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #99 on: May 02, 2009, 01:06:58 AM »
 Nice selection Alex.I will place an order in a couple of weeks once I get sorted.

Offline Alxbates

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #100 on: May 02, 2009, 05:34:38 AM »
Looks good, though I feel I need to ask, doesn't paypal allow you to set up a store fairly easily?

Yep, but I've gotta pay for it, and I've also got to take the time to set it up, and I haven't had the time yet.

Also, I'm already irritated at the chunk Paypal takes out of any money people send me, and with a store they get even more.  There's no real way around it, but thinking about it certainly doesn't help to motivate me...

Thinking up new stuff and designing it, talking with sculptors, getting things cast in metal and digging through boxes of new stuff - thats the fun part of doing this!  Sorting orders and packing stuff is the tedious part.  An online store only adds another layer to that tediousness.  I'll get one sorted out eventually.

-Alex
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Offline Alxbates

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #101 on: May 02, 2009, 06:53:02 AM »
And my friend Paul Billinghurst in the UK has already painted up a few of my shields - here are a couple of pictures with them mounted on a Crocodile Games figure (an Asar Hero of Elephantine, the human warriors dedicated to the god of the Khemru):



Box Turtle Shell shield



Snapping Turtle shell shield

I think they turned out GREAT, and you get a nice idea of how they look in comparison to a 28mm scale figure (it is mounted on a 20mm square base).

-Alex
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Offline Manic _Miner

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #102 on: May 02, 2009, 09:24:35 AM »
 Those look great Alex.Very cool paint jobs too.

Offline Topkick

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #103 on: May 02, 2009, 09:51:34 AM »
Probably better off to set up a Forge of Ice website and set up a store as part of that.
« Last Edit: May 02, 2009, 12:10:12 PM by Topkick »
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Offline joshuaslater

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Re: the Forge of Ice, miniatures from Alex Bates - blog/preview thread
« Reply #104 on: May 02, 2009, 12:01:16 PM »
Thanks Thom!!  I was just going to ask about our friends slinging great product.  Got your own section now Alex.

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