Using Figures

I once wrote an article for a miniatures magazine called Scale Cabinetmaker on why one should consider using figures in rooms. Here are some of the ideas.

Among the most important lessons I learned in my scene design class was that a set is not done until it has an actor on it. The end result of a design is a space for the actors to work in, not just an empty space. Actors give us a sense of scale, life, perspective. If your interest is primarily interior design, creating empty rooms might be what you need. The Art Institute of Chicago’s Thorne Rooms (38 period miniature rooms) are exquisitely done, but all to me cry out for a realistic figure, even if it were a figure off in the exterior vistas that many of the rooms have.  Without them even busts or statues in the room serve the same purpose.

Empire Style Thorne Room with statue. Photo David Claudon

I had not realized how important I find a figure in a room until a former student working at a modern art museum in New York State took me on a guided tour. As we walked through the vast spaces, I found myself yearning
for the life a figure brings. We reached a point where I could see four vast rooms of modern non-figurative art just as another visitor walked around the corner. My eye was drawn to the person for as long as I could see them.

Note in this picture of the Chazen Art Museum in Madison, WI,
the eye is drawn to the people first and room and objects later.

We interpret the room and surroundings by the people who inhabit them.

There are several questions the miniature designer has to answer as they plan their room:

• What time period is the room? How does that dictate the style of the room?
• Who inhabits it? How are they reflected in the room?
• What is occurring in the room? What are the people doing?

Note the difference between Soldier's Home 1943 with or without a figure.

For me, the room takes on more character with the figure there.

I originally used a lot of Cecil Boyd figures, from her Masterpiece Museum Miniatures [1981-1989], which had been sculpted by artists from live models. Cecil sold both mail order and at shows. The figures were from cast epoxy and could be bought painted and unpainted (I usually painted all my own). During the 1980s, Cecil and I became friends and when I visited her studio in Austin, Texas, she introduced me to her caster who then cast my cats for me from … until his retirement around 1994.

In the last few years, the advent of 3D scanned and printed figures give a new realism. Note the
difference between the figure at right sculpted from life and the 3D printed figure scanned from life. Subtle differences in head size and gestures can be seen.

I originally found designers who were selling their finished designs. I bought several figures and statues through Shapeways. Eventually I found free or inexpensive designs that I could control the size and have printed from French-based Sculpteo. Among the sites to find designs are the following:

• myminifactory [has only a few figures but a many free scanned statues under 'Scan the World.']
• Turbosquid [which offers designs one can buy and printed limited copies of].
• Hongkiat [a list of 25 companies offering free stl files.]
• pinshape [free stl files]
• Clara.io [free stl files]

Two of my most recent unpainted 3D printed figures from Turbosquid files in 1:12 scale.
The realism of scale and pose make them perfect for the miniature rooms.