D&D Miniatures: The Artistic ProcessDes Hanley on the process of creating sketches for the D&D Miniatures game. Interviewed my Matthias Schaefer.
Q. Can you go through the process that you run through to develop a miniature from your point of view? Perhaps choosing one of the Harbinger or Dragoneye miniatures as an example?
Well, It's not that difficult really.
For instance Archfiends (although it wasn't called that then) was completed my end in May last year.
The process generally runs as this:
I get a call or e-mail from the Miniatures Art director - or on occasion from Rob (ok once). This generally is a list of concepts that need doing. The briefs are usually very open :
Orc Raider
size : Med
"A burly looking orc armed with a Falcion and buckler, wearing leather armour - He should look more beat up than our other orcs" or words to that effect.
The pose is usually left up to me, although there have been instances where a pose has been suggested specifically.
Sometimes there are limitations to be taken into account - such as the dragons - vertical packaging is not good for designing dragons in!
Overhang is allowed but not too much.
"The more dynamic the better" - within the realms of casting possibilities.
This also is affected by the rarity of the mini - a rare will usually be more dynamic and will have more detail.Reference is provided (I have most of the manuals anyway)
Sometimes I'm asked to re-interpret an already existing figure (usually Chainmail minis - from Sam Wood concepts - to be producible in plastics, tweaks basically - although sometimes a re-pose is involved)
This is then submitted for approval - when that is passed or changes made I work up the sketches to front and back concepts with notes for the sculptors.
Although not every concept goes on to become a miniature, sometimes they come out in later sets.Of the 50 concepts I did in "Harbinger" I think only 38 were actually made into minis (I have seen concepts from the run I did for Harbinger come out in the next set)So, although I know what should be coming up in the next sets, I can't say which set it will appear in. Also I have no knowledge of what the other concept artists are doing.So it's always a pleasant suprise to see what actually made it into the set and what the other concept artists have come up with and see how well the sculptors have handled the concepts.
This is good feedback for me as then I can adjust subsequent concepts for areas where I see they are having problems (hair and one legged poses spring to mind). The good news is that they are getting closer to the concepts each set, so we should see some awesome sculpts coming out soon (not to sound too modest :))
Hope this is what you were after, as I said there's not a lot to it really.
Do you know how many other concept artist are doing models?
Well if you have the MHB then you could count the names from the concepts they put there.
But to be honest I have no idea how many they are using.(I think there's 3 or 4 including me but I could be wrong)
In general I do around 15 - 25 concepts a set. 28 in Dragoneye if I remember, so that leaves 32 to split amoung the others.
The orcs are really nice, btw...
Thanks!
The orcs are getting better, I'm especially pleased with the way the orc raider ( the one in Archfiends) turned out - that one is very close to the concept.I think the sculptor had a bit of difficulty sculpting them first time around (in Harbinger - just my opinion)
Who is the Miniatures Art Director?
The miniature art director is a very nice lady called Stacy ( I hope she doesn't mind been named publically - though I think she's normal height and not really small ;) sorry couldn't resist! )
Did you happen to make the Aspect of Bane illustration?Yes, the Aspect of Bane is one of mine. I think I did all the Aspects as well as all the Dragons so far as I know. You can always check the stat cards for the concept artist info as it's printed under the illustration I think. The illustration on the card is the actual concept drawing, so you should be able to tell how close the mini is to it.