Introduction:
Robin has asked me to give a brief rundown of my approach to making a scratch built figure.
This is what follows, not a detailed breakdown of any individual figure, but the way I will go about a figure when I already have a Uniform and Pose in mind.
If anyone wants details of how I would go about a detail can e-mail Grenadier Review and Robin can pass them on to me. I will get back as soon as possible.

I know that most people who have written articles on making figures use an armature, and build up with ‘wet’ (Unset) Milliput, however my approach is slightly different, as you will see. I prefer my way as I think there is less danger of damaging work already done - and besides I’m comfortable with it now.
Neither way is wrong, whichever way is easiest for you is correct. If you use yet another method, it might be fun to let others hear of it.
Start:
I usually start any figure by drawing out a ‘Stick man’ on a piece of paper; this is not for the final stance, but for the scale.
I do not use an armature and unless the figure has been of a very large scale, have not found a problem with this. Of course, when attaching the final figure to a base it is advisable to drill pins into the feet and to locate these into holes in the base
This stick man is just a straight up and down figure at whatever scale the intended figure is planned to be, with the basics marked out, waist, knee, head, etc.

Head:
I then make a bit of whatever I am using to make the figure up (Milliput, Magic Sculpt, Whatever) just a bit larger than the head, but with a long ‘Tail’ that will become the neck. This is put aside to set.
Once this is set, the head is carved.
I usually do everything on the head apart from the eyes (which are left as hollows), the ears and the hair (which are put on when the headwear is fitted.).

Body:
Once the head is done, I mould another mix of the material onto the heads ‘Tail’, measured against the ‘Stick man’ body on the piece of paper. This is the point where I start to pay attention to the final stance, by making sure that the head is at the correct angle to the ‘Body’. This again is put aside to set.

Once set this is roughly carved to the final shape I require - no detail at all, just rough uniform and folds.

Legs:
When I am happy with this, I add on a very rough lump of material for the first leg - also measured against the ‘Stick Man’ figure (This is usually the lead, or leg that the figure will be ‘leaning’ on). Once set, this is also roughly caved to shape, paying attention to the foot, (If the figure is leaning on this leg, then the foot should be in the correct position to almost allow the figure to balance on this lone leg).
The second leg follows, using the same process, the figure now should be able to stand by itself - unless the pose is in an action that needs unlevelled ground that is.

When at this stage, I can start to add detail, from the top down. This allows me to add any extra bits, such as collars, turn backs, bottom edges of waistcoats etc, and clean up the lower edges as I move down the figure.
Also at this point I add any headwear, and the eyes, ears and hair.

Packs:
Any packs, sacks, belt hangings are easier to add at this stage, as this will make sure that the arms do not get in the way of any equipment that you may want to add on later. I first put a bit of Vaseline on the figure where these bits are to go, and then put a newly mixed lump of Milliput (Whatever), on the figure at the correct place.
When these are set, they come off quite cleanly and they can be carved to shape, and a good fit can be guaranteed.

Arms:
Once all the ‘bits and pieces’ are finished and ready I can then concentrate on the arms. I find that the positioning of the arms is a bit more natural if they are posed taking into account all the paraphernalia that is hung around the figure, rather than fitting that paraphernalia around the arm position.

The arms are tackled in exactly the same way as the packs, in that a mix of Milliput is pushed onto the Torso, which has been coated with a little Vaseline (to ensure that they fit snugly when finished). A small bend being put into the sausage of Milliput at waist level - this will help to show where the elbow should be when I take the set Milliput off to carve the arm.

The hands may be tackled separately, depending upon what they are doing. If they are holding a musket, sword, etc, then I will make that first, and model the hand around it; this then is fitted into a hollow at the bottom of the arm (Not always at the wrist, it depends which will make it easier to hide the joint.).

Finish:
Now I look over the whole figure to make sure that everything looks okay, and add anything that I have left off to this point. This includes buttons, buckles, and any other insignia that is needed to complete the figure.

I hope that this is of use to some of you, and helps to show that there is more than one way to make a figure.

Alan Ball

Sculpting
by
Alan Ball