Re: Work In Progress--Deryni Action Figure Project (was Duncan Action Figure)

[Jerusha]

Now I can see her as Meraude! 

[Evie]

I don't recall specific colors mentioned for Meraude's gowns off the top of my head, but if she is wearing Nigel's colors, then she'd be in royal or sapphire blue and gold, I think.

Yes, you have to learn how to look past superficial things like hair styles and focus only on what can't be changed easily, which in this case would be the actual head sculpt.  Hair and eye colors can be changed (even if it takes plucking out the original hair and rooting in new hair or adding a wig, in the case of a brunette turning blonde, though normally that's not worth the effort unless no alternative exists, such as a tonsured Ken or a Ken with curly hair long enough to pull back in a braid), and there can be some variety in body build depending on what articulated body types are available that will match the head (and if I can afford said body types).  Even facial expressions can be altered somewhat if you are willing to repaint some features, like the arch of the eyebrows.  But if a head doesn't have nicely sculpted features to begin with, then new paint and hair won't help with that.  And if a head isn't compatible with any other sort of body, that can also cause problems unless you learn a lot more than I currently know about how to perform complex "plastic surgery."   I have a few spare male heads that are unusable for that reason; they only fit one particular sort of body, and I don't have spares of those bodies.  So if ever need to use them as background characters, they could only appear one at a time, since I'd have to swap the heads around on the same body to portray different characters.  Obviously that won't work for a main character, but would be do-able for a guard or random soldier needed for just one scene.

[Aerlys]

I think she's a perfect Meraude! I wish I knew more about the dolls you need/use. I am such a bargain hunter, and constantly coming across all kinds of odd things. I'd love to be able to contribute to the littles population. Oh well. I'll leave it to the experts, I suppose!

[Evie]

Thanks for thinking of me!  However, with Meraude I think I've now got all of my "main characters" in place, with the possible exception of a Camber if I can find a suitable older male head sculpt for him, so any additions to the collection would just be for whatever of my favorite fanfic characters I don't have figures for yet.  (Yes, for you ladies in the Jass MacArdry Fangirl Brigade--you know who you are!--I do plan on making Jass eventually!)   I've got a few generic men and ladies to play background parts, and am running out of room to keep them in, so I've really got to start putting the brakes on the figure collecting.  However, that will give me more time and energy to creating more costumes, props, and sets.  I still have Duncan's study to build, plus I'd like to have other furnishings that could be used for different room sets, and I want to add more scenes to my photostory soon.  That Prologue is starting to get very lonely.  So at this point what I need more than dolls would be any props or crafting materials that would be suitable for making 1:6 scale items.  In 1:6 scale, every real-world inch is the equivalent of six inches in the Mini-Deryni world, so you can multiply up or divide down accordingly.  Again, when it comes to props, it's best to look at the shapes and lines of an object rather than material and color.  An obnoxiously pink and plastic Barbie bed or Disney Princess throne, for instance, might look better once it's repainted to look like wood.  If in doubt, send me a photo and I can tell if if it's something I might be able to use.  While I try to steer more towards things that look more "actual medieval," some "fairy tale medieval" stuff is salvageable, or the more excessive bits of decor might be something that can be cleverly disguised.  So while Alaric might object to sleeping on a Dayglo Pink bed with lots of hearts and Cupids molded into the headboard and a frilly lacy canopy, he might object less to the same bed painted brown and drybrushed to look like woodgrain, with a green canopy and his Corwyn arms appliqued on a backdrop that hides the carved headboard.     Also, some things aren't specifically medieval, but can fit into a medieval world if they're the right size.  For instance, I've got several little cats now that work great for this scale, and also a dog or two.   And it helps to "look outside the box" when shopping.  Some candleholders make excellent table pedestals, and I've got a whole set of cheese and cracker hors d'oeurves that started off as wine glass charms--the sort you put on your wine glass so you know if you've got your own goblet or someone else's.  I just unscrewed the little beaded rings from the "snacks" and then kept those rings to turn into little 1:6  necklaces later.  The attached screw that used to hold the cheese/cracker snacks is also perfect for attaching a necklace pendant to.

Here's one of my modern littles.  Not a single thing in this photo was designed for dolls or action figures aside from his clothing:


Checking out the leg lamp by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

What you are looking at is a bi-fold sheet of foamcore board covered with Contact paper (walls), a placemat (area rug), a glass jewelry box (table), two coasters (metal trays), wine glass charms (crackers and cheese), two votive candle holders (white wrought iron table pedestal and the chair--padded seat added to conceal the hole), and a novelty item--the miniature leg lamp.  Most of this stuff was from the thrift store or found on clearance at some other store.  The metal trays and snacks would work equally well with a medieval scene.  The chair and tables look more modern, but might be made to work in a pinch if the figure was seated in the chair (thus hiding most of it) and the tables had tablecloths hiding them.  I'm afraid there's just no working that leg lamp into a medieval scene, but the same company makes a miniature gargoyle.   

[Aerlys]

LOL! I have some of those wine charms, bought at 50 cents a package on clearance!

We do a lot of "retrofitting" around here, too, though my girls are more interested in 18 inch dolls or Calico Critters, neither of which work with the 1:6 scale. Still, I will keep my eyes open. One never knows what will pass through our bargain bins and hand-me-downs.

The leg lamp is hysterical! That scene reminds me of the Look Alike's books, which are still a favorite around here.

[DesertRose]

Meraude is looking very well now that she's lost that silly hairstyle.

It kind of reminded me of some of the goofy crap I used to do with my hair when I had it super long.  Just to make people laugh, I used to do the Sailor Moon pigtails, and once for Halloween, I did Princess Leia "cinnamon buns" (complete with white dress and silver-and-white belt).  BTW, no normal person has enough hair to do Leia's hairdos without supplementing with hairpieces.  I had hair so long I could sit on it, and my hair is quite thick, and my cinnamon buns were kind of pitiful compared to Leia's in the film.  It also took a boatload of hairpins and bobby pins to get it to stay in place all day.

Anyway, back on Meraude, she's looking great.  The other head sculpt, I maintain, looked too young to be a woman old enough to have grown children.

P.S.  I want to see a Camber if you can find a suitable head sculpt!  Camber is one of my very favorites.

[Jerusha]

  I'm afraid there's just no working that leg lamp into a medieval scene, but the same company makes a miniature gargoyle.   

On the other hand....   

Bishop Duncan McLain sat quietly at the desk in his study, reviewing an old text brought to him by Father Nivard earlier in the week.  Although the sun has long since set, the study was uncharacteristically well lit.

A sharp tap at his door announced a visitor. 

"Alaric!"  Duncan cried with pleasure.  "What brings you here so late?"

"I was just ... Sweet Jesu!  What in God's name is THAT?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Duncan replied calmly.  "But it gives a fine light."

"But it looks like a – er – leg!  Trapped in a fishing net!  With some strange contraption with a deadly point on the foot.  Where in Gwynedd did that come from?"

"I have no idea," Duncan replied with a shake of his head.  "It was sitting on the transfer portal.  I examined it up and down, and then I pressed a raised spot and poof!  Let there be light!"

Alaric raised one blond eyebrow at his cousin.  "You are not going to keep that, are you?"

"No, I think not."  Duncan's smile became mischievous.  "I thought I would gift it to Denis Arilan.  He can put it beside that Bird of Paradise plant in his study."

Not even trying to restrain a laugh, Morgan walked over and pulled a flask from a familiar spot on the shelf.  "Now that calls for a cup of your Old Ballymar!"

[Evie]

ROFL!  Brava!  *applause*   

[DesertRose]

LOL, Jerusha. 

[Elkhound]

When did high-heeled shoes come into use in Europe?

[Evie]

Not sure, Elkhound, though I think that they started off as a male fashion that was soon copied by women, God only knows why.  Check out this picture of Charles I of England, for example:
 
Though if you're asking when did the first masochists to wear stiletto pumps come up with that form of self-torture, I've got no clue.   

There were high heeled chopines designed for keeping one's good shoes out of the muck and mud of the streets even before then, but those were closer to our modern platform shoes, with both the toe and the heel elevated, not simply the heel, and they were made for practical reasons rather than just fashion.

Today's project update....I have started creating Rhys's wig cap, but no photos as of yet.  I've also measured a 27 cm Obitsu body against a Ken figure the same size as Kelson, and the top of her head comes to the tip of his nose, so I will need a slightly shorter body for Meraude, but not too much smaller.  I think a 25 cm body will work well.  The next shortest is a 23 cm body, but it's a child body, meant to look like a preteen or very young teen girl (11 to 14 year old, with a body just starting to develop).  Grub has the 21 cm body, which is the next size down.  Meraude is petite, but I doubt she's nearly as short as an 8 year old!

Here are some photos of the 25 cm bodies:


Small bust version


Medium bust version


Large bust version

Thoughts?  I'm leaning towards at least a medium, since smaller breasted dolls tend to look completely flat chested when they wear multiple layers of clothing, and in the case of the 25 cm dolls, they are meant to represent teens, I think, so at least the large breasted version doesn't have the exaggerated breast-to-waist ratio that the 27 cm large breasted doll has.  Since Meraude is so petite, I'm thinking the medium will look the most proportional while still giving her enough curves to avoid having her shape completely swallowed up by fabric.  But I'm willing to hear other preferences and the reasoning behind them before making a final purchase.

[DesertRose]

I like the one with the medium bust as well.  The small busted one looks like a kid, and the large busted one looks kind of silly, IMO.

[Laurna]

I'm in agreement with the medium bust. Hopefully the shoulders will not be too narrow for the barbie doll head. A little padding added into the shoulders of Meraude's gown should solve that it its a problem.

[Jerusha]

I also agree with the medium version, although Meraude was pregnant often enough that the larger version might be appropriate from time to time. 

[Evie]

Heh.  It would cost me less than a dollar to make a pregnant belly and boob padding to wear under her clothing. ...