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Lion's Tower Miniature Academy

22 members • Free

Zbrush Level Up

696 members • Free

3 contributions to Lion's Tower Miniature Academy
Miniature Scale - Size Doesn't Matter!
How often do you see companies offering the same miniature in 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm and 150mm scales? Its become a lot more common since the advent of 3D printing, and in fact before consumer 3D printing this phenomenon was actually unheard of! The fact is that you cannot produce the same model in multiple scales by simply changing the size that it prints at, because scale is sculpted into the model. So what do I mean when I say "Scale"? With table top miniatures we're typically dealing in a set range of relative scales - this is not to be confused with modelling scales that are more precise and use a scale ratio such as 1:72 or 1:56. In wargaming miniatures, we typically deal in 6mm, 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 28mm, Heroic 28mm, 32mm, 54mm and 75mm. This is measured with the model in a T pose from the bottom of the foot to the eyeline of a standard human character. That's not to say that you can't have characters smaller or larger than that, but the level of detail on them should be relative and look consistent across a range. The image below shows our Captain Zed's Mercenary Company set - the characters are all individualised and have their own personalities and a variety of different body types and height differences, yet the scale is clearly uniform and they obviously belong in the same set. 54mm scale and up tend to be reserved for display pieces, whilst historical gaming is usually between 15mm-28mm. Games-Workshop pioneered the Heroic 28mm scale with miniatures that were 28mm scale in size but have comic book style exaggerations in the limb, head, hand and head sizes - rescale a heroic 28mm scale miniature to actual human size and it looks insane, but it reads great on the table and paints well so it became popular. In recent years we've seen a bit of a popularity shift more towards 32mm scale as a gaming standard because you can still get good detail but without having to comically exaggerate the features of the model. They also provide a nicer painting experience whilst not looking entirely out of place with 28mm miniatures. Everything we produce is by default sculpted at 32mm scale, with just a few exceptions with some of our display pieces. We can rescale them to 28mm for you by request without any significant losses as its not a huge leap, but trying to reduce them far beyond that is a big ask.
Miniature Scale - Size Doesn't Matter!
1 like • 14d
Great article Dan, a lot to digest here. One thing I'm curious about is in your own process do you separate and sculpt models differently if you know the end user will most likely use an airbrush over a paintbrush? Or is that "keyed" separation reserved for the larger bust and collectible figure market? Thank you for sharing your knowledge as always, cheers!
Starting from scratch! Come and introduce yourself
Hi, thanks for coming! I'm just starting up my Skool community so I'm going to be inviting people in and trying to build this community up. If you've arrive here and are wondering why there's not much going on, this is why. I'm working on my first proper zbrush sculpting course right now (check it out here https://dankelly1.gumroad.com/l/uxser) and it will launch on the 15th September 2025 and I'd love for this community to be a hub for like minded people who want to learn about the full ecosystem of miniatures. Whether you're doing this for relaxation and mindfulness or you want to turn miniature sculpting into a career and free yourself from the shackles of your 9-5 job, I'll be here to help you every step of the way! Please post an introduction and let us know who you are, what you do for a living, what level your miniature experience is at, and what skills you're looking to develop. Oh, and where you are in the world - it would be great to organise some in-person meetups if we start getting groups of people with common geography! Everyone is in the same boat so don't be shy! Oh, and if you had to pick one and banish one - Lord of the Rings or Starwars?! 😉
1 like • 23d
Good evening everyone, my name is Rob Buchanan and thanks for welcoming me to this sculpting adventure. I've been playing tabletop wargames since the early eighties, cutting my teeth on the original DnD roleplaying game with lead miniatures and than rapidly moving on to early GW games such as Warhammer and Rogue Trader. Currently I'm more inclined to play miniature agnostic games such as Forbidden Psalm and This is Not a Test but I have just recently picked up the new Cyberpunk Combat Zone game and am having fun putting together and painting a bunch of cyber gangs. I am interested in joining this group to up my mini sculpting knowledge as I would like to create my own warbands for the games that I play. Professionally I've been working in the cartoon animation industry since 1996 and have been at this last studio, Mercury Filmworks (Mercury Filmworks - Independent Animation Studio) since 2003, first starting out as an animator than quickly moving into a rigging role and now I work as the studios Technical Director with a focus on rigging within Toon Boom Harmony. I have worked on many shows over the years with the some recent standouts being the Hilda series for Netflix, the Mickey Shorts for Disney and Kid Cosmic again for Netflix. I'll post a few links for reference and if you have any questions regarding 2D digital/traditional animation just fire away and I'll do my best to answer your queries. And if you do check out the Mercury website, I'm this guy at the bottom of the homepage, picture attached. Cheers! Mickey Mouse Cartoon: Season 1 Episodes 11-18 | Full Shorts Compilation | @disneychannelanimation​, Kid Cosmic and the Local Heroes Superpower Shorts | Netflix Family,Hilda | Season 1 | Opening - Intro - Theme Song HD
1 like • 21d
Hi Cez, the models in the Cyberpunk Combat Zone line as well as the core box are well made but not to the level of GW's latest Killteam boxsets. They are all cast from soft-ish resin with the figures generally coming with a 1 piece body with a choice of arm attachments and head options. They do have a bit of flash on them but not too much and that is easily scraped off with the back of a modelling knife. Priming them with a good primer is critical though. The game is fun and yes if you are a fan of the original Necromunda and like to play story driven scenarios you should check it out. Which reminds me, if you have access to Tabletop Simulator on Steam, there is an official demo there that you can try out to see if you like the gaming system, the rules are also free in PDF form from Monster Fight Club: https://monsterfightclub.com/collections/cyberpunk-red-combat-zone/pdf
Miniature Sculpting Challenge 🗿🎨 BEES & MUSHROOMS!
Welcome to the Sculpting Challenge! This is a fun, creativity-driven event designed to push you out of your comfort zone, experiment with new ideas, and flex those creative muscles. You can sculpt digitally, work with traditional putties and clay, or even draw or paint your concept if you prefer (ultimately though we'll aim to get you doing these challenges digitally). The aim is simple: take a set of random prompts and combine as many as you can into a single, unique design. If you’d like to use the same random prompt method I do, I highly recommend Chuck Lukacs’ Fantasy Genesis — it’s packed with amazing artwork and creative tips:🔗 Fantasy Genesis on Amazon How the Challenge Works - You’ll be given a list of prompts. - Combine as many as you can creatively into one miniature concept. - You’re not expected to use them all — just as many as feel natural. - Post your sketches, WIP shots, and final designs in the replies of this post. - Be sure to support and encourage other challengers along the way! - I’ll curate submitted works into a shared gallery so everyone can enjoy each other’s creations. Challenge Rules ✅ 1. Work in 32mm scale 2. Create something new 3. No copying existing characters 4. Use reference images - you'll improve far less if you try to work straight from your head without building up a mental image library first! 5. No AI concepts - we're trying to train our brains! 6. Use any medium you like 7. The level of finish is optional 8. Invite others to join 9. Ask for help and support if you need it 10. Share your work 11. Have fun! This Challenge’s Prompts 🎲 For this round, the prompts are: - Bee / Wasp - Mushroom - Timid / Bashful - Swinging a Weapon - Electric Bolts - Pen / Paintbrush Remember — you don’t need to use all of them. Pick a few, combine them creatively, and make something weird and wonderful. Extra Resources 🎥 Watch the livestream sculpting demo where I tackled this challenge: YouTube Lin
1 like • 23d
Excellent fun exercise to start off the sculpting fun! Downloading the resources now.
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Rob Buchanan
1
1point to level up
@rob-buchanan-8444
I am an avid digital sculptor looking to improve my skills with like minded enthusiasts. Happy Sculpting!

Active 13d ago
Joined Sep 8, 2025