The Pocket Challenge: Building with Limited Resources

[MonAtArms]

Hi everyone, fellow members.

This time I'm doing some experiments with alternative materials for small scenic items. In this case, stakes for archers, made from flexible plastic recycled from a container.

The method that works best so far is to cut a kind of vertical "comb" with a hobby knife, then sharpen the tips and lightly rough them up, so they don't look too regular. Now it's time to see how they behave once painted, but for the moment the volume and texture look promising.

On the other hand, I've prepared several test pieces for tools and weapons using different materials: thin plastic sheet (the same I use for swords), metal filed down from the base itself, and also flexible plastic cut and shaped to represent axe heads. The idea is to see which material gives the best definition, durability, and visual readability once painted, especially at 10 mm scale.

In addition, I'm considering making a set of tools in very high relief, specifically designed to create molds and then reproduce them more easily, while keeping good volume and clarity at this small scale.




In this image you can see the process broken down into stages:

1. Original miniature and cut-down version.
Here I mark the cutting lines, and with double lines the cuts made with clippers. The aim is to achieve a more dynamic pose, breaking away from the stiffness of the original figure.

2. Pose adjustments.
You can see how I eventually cut the arm to allow a better rotation and slightly hunch the figure, so it sits closer to the horse when riding. I also file the contact area with the saddle to further adjust the pose and enhance the sense of movement.

3. Overall layout with a first layer of putty.
At this stage the full scheme is in place with a first layer of putty applied. I'm still undecided between axes, maces, or flails for the weapons.
The barding tassels are something I learned while doing my first 10 mm conversion, the Green Knight from GW. The final tassels will be trimmed once the putty is fully cured, as this gives them much more dynamism.





Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the project so far... I'm sure I'll mess it up once I start painting 😄

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Looking good

[fred.]

Great work!

Perhaps you should have a chat with Leon to see if some of these could be put into production? That new knight pose is very dynamic, much more suited to the horse than the original upright pose. 

[MonAtArms]

Hi everyone,

No need to worry about me, I finished and painted the miniatures last Thursday and Saturday for the Pendraken Painting Competition 2026. I just did not have time to post updates because everything coincided with Chinese New Year and all the gatherings and celebrations that come with it.

The three riders were cut at the joint points, waist and arms in every case, to achieve those dynamic poses you all seem to enjoy so much. After that, I filed down the horse barding to reduce the bulk and make room for three layered additions of texture, hanging cloth, flaps and fringes.



They were sculpted at the same time by drilling two parallel lines of small holes and then shaping the fringes between them. Some edges were stretched and slightly lifted to add more movement and dynamism. I will trim and refine them later once everything has fully cured, using clippers.



That said, those original poles did not look very threatening, so that definitely needed fixing.

[MonAtArms]

Now came the key example.

After experimenting with axes and maces, I realised they simply did not provide the level of dynamism I was aiming for. It would have been counterproductive to push for dynamic poses and then not reinforce that energy through the weapon choice.

Initially, I considered making spears with small banners wrapping around the shaft. However, that would have required paper work techniques I have never tried before, and I still need to learn from the experts on this forum before attempting that.

So I chose something even more challenging: flails.

At first, the idea was simple, just use a copper wire. But once I started, I got carried away and decided to sculpt them from scratch.

They looked very nice with detailed chain links, but the problem was that I had to sculpt them flat first and then build up the second volume layer, which reduced the sense of movement. Another issue was consistency. I could sculpt them with extreme detail, but they would lose structural strength.

Then a rather unusual idea occurred to me. We see the miniature in three dimensions, not four. The fourth dimension would be time. If each link was made as a small sphere, the visual effect would suggest chain links in motion.

So I used my roll maker tool, I am including an example below.



One very important detail. The putty must be freshly taken from the fridge, or even better, mixed and then left in the fridge for a few minutes. Try to avoid handling it too much, or clean your hands with alcohol and glycerine beforehand. That way, the smallest grooves in the roll maker resist being flattened and the shape holds much better.

After that, I reinforced everything with two tiny drops of superglue. A copper wire core was used to maintain the dynamic curve and position.



Notice how each sphere at the end determines the overall movement, from left to right. On the left, the flail is bouncing with the gallop, showing the weight of the head. In the centre, it is mid-swing, building momentum. On the right, the rider is drawing the head back after a strike.



Honestly, everything I learned just from solving this small technical challenge made the whole base worthwhile.

[MonAtArms]

Now then, I was planning to build another base for the Fantasy and Open categories. While looking for ideas, I came across an AI-generated image that really amused me. Since I only had archers and cavalry available, my options were not exactly endless.

This ended up being the calmer version, mainly because I liked the idea of creating a base where the knight was not mounted. That way I could use him in Rampant both as a mounted figure and on foot, depending on the game.

It was basically the opposite concept to the flail riders, the calmest and most relaxed version possible. I even decided against adding weapons or shields from defeated riders. I preferred to keep it clean, simple and almost peaceful, inspired by Arthurian legends and medieval chivalric romances.



For a moment I even considered the idea that he had defeated a wizard and taken his grimoire, but I decided to keep it simple. It is not meant to be a full diorama.

Since my Rampant rabbit figures are a few thousand kilometres away, I chose to include the horse. However, "relaxing" the pose of the horse would have required a lot of work.

I used the remains of a rider that had gone wrong after cutting the joint points. Then I realised something important was missing: the tree.

I had never made one before, so I relied on imagination. I twisted similar pieces of copper wire together in the centre to form the trunk, positioned the roots at the base and opened the branches at the top.



The next step was another experiment. I had some old pots of Magic Sculpt that had technically expired and had never been used. One of them had let air in and the colour looked terrible, so I decided that would be perfect for the tree.

There was no sketch and no fixed plan. I simply let the tree grow as I sculpted. First a uniform layer, then I used a sculpting blade to carve bark texture lines. The roots were treated in a similar way, knowing that some of it would later be covered by the base decoration.



After that, I positioned the knight in parts and set the arm positions with wire armatures. I cut the horse's legs and head and reposed them, then applied green stuff.

I added saddle bags for books on the horse's rump and gave the barding a cloth texture.

The original book, complete with bookmark and covers, was first sculpted over soft plastic, but later I replaced it with a piece cut from a toilet roll cardboard tube. It may not be obvious in the photos, but it actually has pages.

With the leftover green stuff, I added additional branches to the tree.



The final result is simple and elegant, equally at home in a library display or on the battlefield.

[Steve J]

Brilliant work all round there !!!

[MonAtArms]

As we keep learning through the process, I really enjoyed making the tree and roots in the previous piece. So the next question was: in what context could I push that idea further?

Since I play Dragon Rampant and wanted something clearly fantasy, I started with what I had. I have a knight, I have a horse, so that gives you a mounted knight. Then the idea of a druid centaur appeared.

At first I considered making a more traditional druid, but since Rampant is so flexible, I thought I could go for something more primal. After a few sketches in my head, it started to look too much like a standard beastman. Then I remembered a figure I had sculpted before, the Green Knight from Warhammer Fantasy Battle, and decided to add another layer to that fusion.

But first, the base.

I did not want a spell-casting druid standing still. This druid would represent a force of nature emerging from the shifting shadows and beams of light filtering through a dense forest. He would be a combat unit, bringing trees and roots to life and striking with them.



So the starting point had to be the tree-hand and roots that mimic the movement of his arm. As in the previous piece, it grew organically as I sculpted, giving the impression of a tree stump that relied more on its roots, which creep forward almost independently. I carved open bark textures and shaped the roots so they appeared to function like legs, spreading across the base and even lifting the ground as they advanced.



Then came the centaur.

I made the barding from paper hardened with superglue. The hand was built with wire, and for the horns I split the original rider's head and used the leftover flash as an extension of the antlers.



After the first layer of putty, I decided to leave the arms unarmoured rather than adding plate. That reinforced the idea of raw natural strength. Even without magic, this would already be a dangerous opponent.





Initially I planned to give him a staff from which roots would emerge, but at this scale the effect would have been lost. So I restructured the pose of the left arm and closed the hand into a fist instead.



The barding received the same fringe treatment as the flail riders, keeping visual coherence across the force.

In the end, this miniature almost created itself.

[MonAtArms]

Brilliant work all round there !!!

Thank you very much, especially coming from you. I have admired your reports and work for a long time, so that really means a lot to me.

I only regret not being able to upload more images and show the process in greater progression.



In fact, I did not even take photos of the painting stage, where I learned how to approach NMM at this scale. I think that could have been genuinely useful for the forum. After many experiments, though, I believe I will be able to share it properly in the future.

[fred.]

Great work, and thank you for sharing the detailed explanations and step by step photos. 

I really impressed with your imagination to take a concept, then see how the figures could be used. Then the technical execution to cut up such small figures and add extra parts to them. 

Top stuff!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Really impressive work

[pierre the shy]

Have to agree with the two previous posts - outstanding stuff!   

Thanks for sharing how you came up with your entries for this years painting competition.   

 

[MonAtArms]

Great work, and thank you for sharing the detailed explanations and step by step photos.

I really impressed with your imagination to take a concept, then see how the figures could be used. Then the technical execution to cut up such small figures and add extra parts to them.

Top stuff!

Thank you very much for such kind words. I owe a lot to this great forum after years of quietly following from the shadows. I am only giving a little back.

For me, the most enjoyable part is exactly that process, even when, as in the case of the centaur, the project takes on a life of its own. I have always felt the need to modify miniatures so they feel more alive, especially the simpler "filler" figures. I cannot really put into words how much I enjoy figuring out what to build with the very limited miniatures I had available, and then inventing techniques and structures to sculpt those ideas into reality.

Really impressive work

Thank you, Your Grace. I truly appreciate it.

Have to agree with the two previous posts - outstanding stuff! 

Thanks for sharing how you came up with your entries for this years painting competition. 

 

Thank you very much, Pierre. I am very happy you enjoyed the explanation behind the entries. For me, the competition is not only about the final result, but also about exploring ideas and pushing techniques a little further each time. Sharing that journey with the forum makes it even more rewarding after having read and learned from you all for so many years.

I love challenges. In fact, while writing this, I went to look up two old threads I remembered in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi Requests section.

Once again, many thanks to everyone.

[Techno 3]

Those really are terrific !!

I'm very impressed.

Cheers - Phil.

[MonAtArms]

Those really are terrific !!

I'm very impressed.

Cheers - Phil.

This truly means a great deal to me.

All I can say is that I actually keep photos of some of your green models nearby when I sculpt. They have been a reference point for years.

Many, many thanks, Master Phil.

[General von Schnepf]

Wow. Those are truly impressive models. I wish you the best of luck in the competition! 

[Techno 3]

This truly means a great deal to me.

All I can say is that I actually keep photos of some of your green models nearby when I sculpt. They have been a reference point for years.

Many, many thanks, Master Phil.

You're MORE than welcome.   (Young apprentice ....Hah!..I'll be coming to YOU for ideas/tips VERY soon. (I'm not joking) I hardly think you should be using any of my soldiers as a reference point.)

Having 'repaired/tweaked' a LOT of the TB figures that were suffering from 'damaged/worn out mould disease', and had lost some of the sharpness of the originals, I know how 'fine' the TB models are..
This is what makes your conversions SO impressive to me.

I'll drop you an email, if that's OK ?  (I can see everyone's email addy.. a perk of being a moderator.....😁)

Cheers - Phil.😀

[MonAtArms]

Wow. Those are truly impressive models. I wish you the best of luck in the competition! 

Thank you very much for the kind words and the support, it really means a lot.

Best of luck to you as well, especially as one of the standout painters this year. Your work has been outstanding.

By the way, do you have a Pendraken gaming community in New York area?


All the best!

[MonAtArms]

You're MORE than welcome.   (Young apprentice ....Hah!..I'll be coming to YOU for ideas/tips VERY soon. (I'm not joking) I hardly think you should be using any of my soldiers as a reference point.)

Having 'repaired/tweaked' a LOT of the TB figures that were suffering from 'damaged/worn out mould disease', and had lost some of the sharpness of the originals, I know how 'fine' the TB models are..
This is what makes your conversions SO impressive to me.

I'll drop you an email, if that's OK ?  (I can see everyone's email addy.. a perk of being a moderator.....😁)

Cheers - Phil.😀

You are far too kind, Phil.

I honestly do not know how I could possibly help, but I am entirely at your disposal. If there is anything I can share from my experiments, it would be a pleasure.

I am also very aware that modelling without the need to cast allows certain "cheats" that would never survive the moulding process, so I have the easier side of the equation in many ways.

You absolutely have my permission to get in touch. I would be delighted to continue the conversation.

[Techno 3]

Test e'mail about to be sent.

Cheers - Phil.