I had an idea: 12:05 Since you are gluing your minis to the bases, you could print two wings for your dragon and attach them to its back at an angle. It'd look more 3d that way. You could do similar things to tails and tentacles. Cut them off and re-attach them at an angle.
I know I'm late but as a completely new dm trying to set up a campaign for a party of new players this is not only really damn cost efficient but they look great. Thanks for this because I wouldn't have thought of this on my own.
This isn't even a photoshop tutorial and yet I've learned more about how to use photoshop than any tutorial has taught me before, thanks! Also, this is going to be a huge boost for my game
This is incredible! I run 3 dnd games and I’ve been getting into warhammer with some friends. This method will save me a ton of money as none of us really have the funds for a ton of minis. Thank you!
Wow. As a wargamer for many moons, this has got to be the BEST card stock army I've come across. Great tutorial. Excellent work and final results are brilliant. Thanks so much for sharing
For anybody struggling to do the border with gimp, this is the easiest way I've found: 1. Get your mini properly scaled, transparent, colour adjusted, etc. 2. Copy and paste that layer so you've got an exact copy in the same position 3. Right click on that new layer and click "alpha to selection" to select everything that isn't transparent on that layer 4. While it is all selected, go to the Select menu at the top, click Grow, and grow selection by 10px 5. Click your fill tool, then hold shift and click inside your new selection to fill it all 6. Make sure your layers are in the right order so your original image is on top of your new solid background and merge them together
I'm stuck between steps 3 & 4. I've clicked "alpha to selection" but nothing happens and I don't see the word "grow" anywhere as an option. I've also tried simply scaling it 10% bigger and using the fill bucket but it just fills the whole rectangle rather than the orc.
@@Thomas-np3gi "Alpha to selection" should select everything on the layer that isn't transparent. Then you can either right click your image and go to "Select" in that dropdown, or through the Select menu at the top and hopefully Grow will be in there. Sorry, it did not cross my mind at the time that Select is pretty ambiguous there
Really needed this, I tried buying minis and I ended up having them stolen from me. Heartbroken from not only spending a lot of money on them but how someone would simply steal them from me.
I have zero experience with Photoshop. I watched this video about a dozen times and baby stepped through the process hand in hand with this video. It was fun, it worked great and it was an awesome intro for me to Photoshop, thanks!!
I've watched many of your videos and I still think this one is the most useful. Time spent, minimal. Cost, low. Immersion at the table, more than adequate. Reusability, immense. I have a 3d printer and I still find myself doing this over printing many of the mobs for my games. Thank you.
Alternatively, if you need to use facing rules on your game, you could desaturate one of the sides of the figure to represent its back side. OR... Instead of using illustrations, you could try and find photos of miniatures, both front and back. It's a bit hard to find high resolution ones, though. But I don't think it matters that much.
Excellent tutorial, this will really help me out a ton, especially the bit with photoshop and using high res images to make your own template. I had already been using foamcore as a base like you did, but I never thought about just gluing it to the washer. I think I should also mention that there are various companies that create printable sheets of minis that feature both front and back views of a creature, so you know which way it is facing. I happen to use a lot of the free stuff from Onemonk miniatures, as it IS free, though you have to rescale some of it before printing. I hope to see more videos from you in the future.
This guide was fantastic! I don't have photoshop but I downloaded GIMP for free, did the same thing but the shortcuts weren't valid. This is going to be a fantastic tool for me moving forward, thanks for making this.
You will need to google the equivalent shortcuts to the narration. Sorry, the answer to the question is basically another five minute video. On my list, but not high priority right now.
Hey Wyloch thanks again for this guide. I've now made about 25 of these, and I'm wondering... How do you move them around? They look great but don't stand up to be jostled around in a box, the glue seems to separate and then I have to re-glue them to the base. Do you put them in some kind of rack or frame?
Hmmm, no just toss em in a box, never had any issues with either base method. Ensure you act very quickly when using hot glue, as in two seconds from drawing the bead to attaching. Also see episodes 040 and 053 for more basing ideas.
This tutorial is amazing. Great to see a well explained step by step all the way through the process. As a suggestion. I saw an awesome video somewhere that does it similarly. But instead of gluing them to bases you can use binder clips (with the silver bits removed) to hold them up. That way you can store the printouts in stacks or in clear plastic sleeves in a binder. Makes storage easier. Also for those people that have them. Pathfinder pawn stands work great for these as well, just glue the printouts onto chipboard instead of card stock. I keep the white halo around them though, so that they are easier to cut, and so that they match the other pathfinder pawns.
+Dustin Gonzales Forgot to mention. If you want to use the pathfinder stands... In the stage where you mirror the figure, instead of adding a 1 pixel line, add another bar, (the same thickness of your chipboard), that way you can fold it over the top in the same manner as the tutorial.
Late to the mini party, but still wanted to offer a belated thank you! Your video was very helpful (especially since our group is just starting out!) It will be fun to see something other than dice for enemies.
For the step about coloring The edge I'd recommend setting the paper miniature down and drawing around the white outline. I just got a few (literally thousands) minis done and saved me a bit of time
This is just brilliant! Fantastic video providing a cost saving idea, while the crafting side is a fun buy inn to share with the family as well. D&d / Basic Fantasy is approved in our house. Thank you!
00:00 "If you have ale, then you have a friend in Grog Strongjaw" Great video! Such a simple process. The only problem I have is that I'm so flat out for content prep that I'll never have the time to actually make minatures for my players. I'm currently planning on using Lego for that.
This video has served me well and also been a gate way drug into creating more things. I've used the knowledge you imparted in this video to design my own Pathfinder item cards from scratch front and back. I've printed them with this method and glued them to normal playing cards with great success. They are designed so vital details like name weight and value are at the top so you can stack them ontop each other and create an on the fly item list to quickly figure up your weight and the value of your inventory while being able to pick out the cards and read roles specific to the item
Not to seem like I'm just coming on here to harp, I actually enjoy your clear and concise tutorials, and have watched the majority of your videos, they are a very nice compliment to DM Scotty's stuff.
Totally works a charm! I found packs of 3/4" thick black plastic tap washers, 3 for 75p, topped with budgie sand and fish tank pebbles, makes awesome cheap figures! Thanks so much for the tutorial!
As someone who does a lot of 2d digital work, this is an awesome way for me to really add a personal touch to the miniature aspect of table top gaming.
Such a neat idea, i am just now starting to DM alot of games and wanted to upgrade my player's experiance with mini's. This is 100% affortible for me and looks absolutely great.
Great stuff. Exactly what I've been doing but I don't glue my miniatures to bases since it makes storing them harder. I just use printable paper bases.
These look great! I've noticed that Paizo is selling Pathfinder printable paper minis, but they look so cartoony, so this is a much better way to do it! By the way, I'm not sure if it works this was in Photoshop (can't really afford Photoshop right now), but in Gimp you can just create a new layer with the defined sizes and filled with color in one step.
very nice! I was trying to figure out how I could make matching paper pawns that'd match my pathfinder pawns. it's hard finding resources for near future settings
this is VERY professional. The same method can be applied to a much shoddier but equally effective outcome at 1/100 the time. You can even make blank ones to write on them whatever you need on the fly....
First of all, very nice Vid, thanks for that! A tip how i do the shadows (probably easier?) if you do not need to fill up more black afterwards: Right click on the layer of the figure -> Filling properties -> Contour -> Make it 10px wide an black -> finished. (Don't know if the menus are 100% correct, just translated it straight from my german version)
Wyloch, I really enjoyed your tutorial. The use of washers and the clear packing tape are awesome. I have enjoyed watching your videos, because you find creative ways to make things that you might have to pay an arm and a leg for else where. Plus nothing beats using something that you have created. I am right now working on building several 40k armies with a similar process, mainly because my brother and I play over Skype and sometimes the units that I would like to use I can't, because I have to use them to proxy what he is using.
Solid video. I'm surprised I haven't seen this content online before. Guess it's the tree in the forest (for me). Now I've got to learn how to use my computer and printer ?! The craft part is the easy part for me. LOL ! Really like the color coding and simple base construction. Thank you.
I really like this. A few thing I do differently. To each his own: 1. Try uline polyester mailing labels. They are expensive (about 90 cents a sheet) but at 28mm scale, you can get a good 12-14 figures, about 1/3 cavalry and 2/3 infantry (most of my stuff is for wargames rather than rpgs) from a sheet, and the things are all but invulnerable, 2: I don't do permanent bases. I think it works out much better if I can store about 2500-3000 figures in a tackle box. The minus to this is that set up time takes longer. Anyway, I make my bases out of 1" square transparencies, the thicker stuff. You can get the sheets from FedEx Office by specifically requesting "report covers", rather than, "transparencies" which are flimsier. Then get a big bag of clear, transparent pony beads. If you have a teenage daughter, she'll know what these are. Use a decent clear plastic glue to stick two pony beads to the square base (but not to each other), flat sides down, touching side to side (again, NOT glued together), and you are done. To mount the miniatures, simply flex the base apart slightly, so a gap is formed between the two beads, set the figure inside, and place it flat on the table. The base will hold the figure in place nice ly, and you can remove them when not needed. As a moderately large scale miniatures gamer (I average around three hundred figures per battle) I can make a relatively small number of these and yet re-use them again and again. They also have the advantage that you need no flock. Being transparent, the base largely vanishes into the battlefiled, especially if you play on a battle mat. Good gaming.
Thank you so much! I know you made this a few years ago but this will be a great to make into set of stocking stuffers for my boys who are just getting into D&D!
I had a small question if anyone can answer it. If you were to scale for something larger than a medium/small sized creature, what would the scaling be in photoshop/photo editing software and the washer/base scale
Found it! Had the same question. What I do is measuring 5 feet as 1 inch and dividing or multiplying as needed. The D&D 5e Monster Manual helps with the sizes and how many feet the encounters are. You just measure and make accordingly!
Hi there and thanks for sharing your passion with us. I couldn't match your skill and dedication but I would like to contribute with some details I personally like about paper minis. It is of course my opinion and not mandatory by any extend: First I think that a white background brightens up the figure, so the black line should be still be there for contrast purposes but very thin, over a white aura background. This suits better at least, or even if, you are portraying a full white figure such as Yeti or classic ghost. The base of figures should be always dark or directly black. Its work should not be to drag attention from the figure above it, keeping in mind exceptions such as the mentioned in-game item and such especial cases. Its shape round or elliptical and not too thick above "ground". Keeping a rectangular frame with somehow rounded superior corners around your figure instead of trimming around the figures' details make also excellent minis as long as all of them look similar. This makes the figure actually look better when you're not looking the figure directly in front of it. A paper figure melting too much with the rest of the diorama isn't actually a great achievement, since they are the story characters. Thank you.
This was sooo cool! Im gonna buy photoshop and try it myself! Though, I think Im going to do mine with a white edge around them, I think the black edge makes the picture harder to see.
ninjabunny A white paint pen should do it. Also, buy cheap curved manicure scissors for the detail cutting. Turn the image, not your scissors. I would also get a bone folder with a half off coupon from retail me not at any major craft store to make sure everything is flush.
When it started and he was drinking from that big glasses I half expected him to do an Archer and hold his finger up signaling us to wait while he drank some more. :)
So I just thought of this while looking around for things to use for D&D crafting, i was trying to figure out how I was going to make paper minis without a printer, then I turn and see my entire collection of Magic The Gathering cards. Boxes upon boxes of commons and uncommon worth literally pennies, I start going through and wuickly find quite a few that have full beautiful artwork of cool creatures, I just grab my exact blade, cut out the monster from the image, then cut a square from the remaining text box and glue it to that as a base! Its not all that flashy, but it works and all you need is a magic card with a nice image, glue, and a knife! So far they look really good other than the card back, but it will do in a pinch and you can spend like $10 to get 1,000+ throw away cards at a game store. Might be worth looking into :)
Maybe it's that I'm tired today. Whatever the reason, I am 🤣 at "Poorhammer". Pretty sure GW won't be endorsing that one any time … ever. Love the tutorial on these!
Ok I have started to make a few of these for our games .. I have made mostly elves and humand ()and a young dragon .. when you are making dwarves, halflings or goblins what size do you use for the guide ? obviously the smaller races will not be the size of humans .. or would you simply go with 60 - 75%
I just go with whatever feels right. I have a standard human fighter that I treat as my "standard". I copy it next to whatever I'm working on, and scale it appropriately relative to that standard human.
I do not attach a base. I buy binder clips and keep the paper minis unattached. That way it is easy to move and carry the minis without risking any damage. You just stakc them inside of a tubberware container and then put the binder clip on the bottom. In the end it is a lot cheaper, 92 cents gets you a dozen.
@@WylochsArmory I am more concerned with functionality, cost, time, and transportation. With of course cost being the driving factor. I was just suggesting that for people who have less funds available to do such than buy glue, hot glue gun, and the other miscellany you add to the printouts that end up costing about 80 to 85 cents a mini as opposed to the 13 cents for my suggestion. And that is not factoring in the extra cost one is going to incur in regards to transportation or the time cost incured by extra decoration on the base. Instead of just buying a dollar tupperware container to store the couple hundred paper minis and the clips, you have to spend a buck fifty or so for a larger container and about 25 bucks on foam to keep the minis safe and secured from getting cruched or moving.
So I live up in the mountains and we don't have craft stores or much card stock besides flashcard material, but I had an idea. Could you do a tutorialm on turning aluminum cans or foil into bases?
jesternario I am a paper crafter, and do a lot of detail cutting. Skip bulky scissors and just use a cheap pair of curved manicure scissors. Turn the image, not the scissors. Also- crease the top well before pulling the label off. If you don't have a bone folder, fold and use your fingernail for a sharp crease. If you do have one, also use it once the image is down on the CS to make it look prefect and also once the tape is down. HTH.
Quick question. How would you go about scaling it up? You showed, mostly, the medium height creature. How would you go about making a Large or gargantuan creature? Or smaller creatures?
Thanks so much for sharing, I love the video, but I cant get the right size on paper, it keeps coming out very small. I'm doing something wrong, but don't know what. Any help? Thanks
Any luck? Is it weird printer settings? Like fitting to wide margins or something? I fixed some scale issues on our work printer by printing to PDF "at 100%" and then printing the pdf.
This was great to watch and works well with Gimp as well as Photoshop with a little bit of knowhow. Just curious, what are the dimensions for the larger creatures. I'm thinking about making Gargantuan and colossal creatures with this method.
Non-humanoids aren't nearly as uniform. A young dragon is not the same height as a Gelanious Cube (both are Large). I just put them next to a human fighter in photoshop, and then scale until it just "feels right."
I love this tutorial! Its perfect! 😁👌 However I might just have to draw my own characters because my friends prefer my designs for their characters. I will be printing the dragons and beasts though. 😁👍
Awesome video!! Unfortunately, however, I'm a noob and the instructions are a bit lost in translation on GIMP. I can't seem to delete the "gauge" from the "background" (8.5 x 11), and the "shadow" fills up the whole 8.5 x 11 background. Man, I'm clueless. I've seen Roll For Damage's tutorial for GIMP but he excludes the shadow layer, gauge and tab.
I love it. Have been an image editing machine for the last week or so. I am running into a small issue while putting them together though. Folding exactly on that line gives my eyes quite a challenge. Anyone have tips for how to handle this bit?
how do you store them? They look like they would take up a lot of space sadly. I liked the little details you added to make each one unique. I'm definitely going to use your printing method. Thankyou
Hey Wyloch, so I saw that you'd posted a bit of a follow up on how you did the 2.5d figures, like the dragons. I'm actually running a dragon riding campaign for my son, and your tutorial here was the most clear p-shop tutorial I've ever experienced. Would you be willing to do a perhaps more detailed tutorial on how exactly you did the 2.5d stuff for the dragons, like that blue one you showed in your army (vid 40)? It'd be greatly appreciated.
Hmm I'll add to my list but honestly I got so much in the queue, it might be a while. The short version is: make cardstock wings from the picture, just like you would the body. Print, glue, and tape them just like any cardstock miniature. And the hot glue them onto the body.
@@WylochsArmory I understand that. If you can get to it eventually that'll rock. With the wings, did you remove them from the rest of the image? Or leave them there, in addition to the set that you glued on?
@@tigrewulph Remove them from the image and do them as if they were their own separate cardstock mini. This is only possible if the source image is posed well, like the wings are spread out and not obscuring the body (otherwise you obviously don't have a full body to capture). But the Games Workshop website has great galleries with 360-degree moveable views. Perfect for extracting different body parts at different angles.
I had an idea:
12:05 Since you are gluing your minis to the bases, you could print two wings for your dragon and attach them to its back at an angle. It'd look more 3d that way. You could do similar things to tails and tentacles. Cut them off and re-attach them at an angle.
Would give this 100 likes if I could.
+Wyloch's Crafting Vids It deserves a video, doesn't it?
+allluckyseven You know what....yep, added to the To-Do list.
+Wyloch's Crafting Vids Please do that video
+Wyloch's Crafting Vids Any update on this addition? I believe we are all eagerly awaiting this one
I know I'm late but as a completely new dm trying to set up a campaign for a party of new players this is not only really damn cost efficient but they look great. Thanks for this because I wouldn't have thought of this on my own.
For the people looking for the measurements:
Gauge .25in wide 1.375in high
Tab 1in wide .125in high
Base Layer 8in wide 11in high
@Hazeofflames check out the description for that. As far as tabs, 2in should do the trick, but eyeballing it usually gets as good as a result.
This is the measurements for Human sized minis right?
@@manimprettyhorny7291 Based on what I saw in the video, since he used an Orc as the example, I'd say yea, human sized.
This isn't even a photoshop tutorial and yet I've learned more about how to use photoshop than any tutorial has taught me before, thanks! Also, this is going to be a huge boost for my game
This is incredible! I run 3 dnd games and I’ve been getting into warhammer with some friends. This method will save me a ton of money as none of us really have the funds for a ton of minis. Thank you!
Low maintenance and quality design. Love it.
Wow. As a wargamer for many moons, this has got to be the BEST card stock army I've come across. Great tutorial. Excellent work and final results are brilliant. Thanks so much for sharing
For anybody struggling to do the border with gimp, this is the easiest way I've found:
1. Get your mini properly scaled, transparent, colour adjusted, etc.
2. Copy and paste that layer so you've got an exact copy in the same position
3. Right click on that new layer and click "alpha to selection" to select everything that isn't transparent on that layer
4. While it is all selected, go to the Select menu at the top, click Grow, and grow selection by 10px
5. Click your fill tool, then hold shift and click inside your new selection to fill it all
6. Make sure your layers are in the right order so your original image is on top of your new solid background and merge them together
I'm stuck between steps 3 & 4. I've clicked "alpha to selection" but nothing happens and I don't see the word "grow" anywhere as an option. I've also tried simply scaling it 10% bigger and using the fill bucket but it just fills the whole rectangle rather than the orc.
@@Thomas-np3gi "Alpha to selection" should select everything on the layer that isn't transparent. Then you can either right click your image and go to "Select" in that dropdown, or through the Select menu at the top and hopefully Grow will be in there. Sorry, it did not cross my mind at the time that Select is pretty ambiguous there
@@keanewa7847 Ahhhh thank you for the clarification, found it and it works!
Awesome! I love the Idea of color coding the players too.
Dig it
Nice. In Canada, washers are now cheaper than pennies so it is good to see that the hot glue bead method works.
Really needed this, I tried buying minis and I ended up having them stolen from me. Heartbroken from not only spending a lot of money on them but how someone would simply steal them from me.
Same. I'm starting DND cuz im bored, but i have got SO MANY stolen hotwheels. Can relate.
I have zero experience with Photoshop. I watched this video about a dozen times and baby stepped through the process hand in hand with this video. It was fun, it worked great and it was an awesome intro for me to Photoshop, thanks!!
Good for you! Once you get in a rhythm it becomes second nature really quickly.
I've watched many of your videos and I still think this one is the most useful. Time spent, minimal. Cost, low. Immersion at the table, more than adequate. Reusability, immense. I have a 3d printer and I still find myself doing this over printing many of the mobs for my games.
Thank you.
This. Is. GENIUS. Thanks for making this.
np
After all this time I still forgotten to like the video that helped me with so many of my campaigns, thank you
Alternatively, if you need to use facing rules on your game, you could desaturate one of the sides of the figure to represent its back side.
OR... Instead of using illustrations, you could try and find photos of miniatures, both front and back. It's a bit hard to find high resolution ones, though. But I don't think it matters that much.
Still my favorite method I've seen. The dark outline makes the colors pop and look so professional.
Dude, this is awesome! Way more fun and affordable than buying minis. I was blown away by all of the ground decorations you made. Very well done! :D
Excellent tutorial, this will really help me out a ton, especially the bit with photoshop and using high res images to make your own template. I had already been using foamcore as a base like you did, but I never thought about just gluing it to the washer. I think I should also mention that there are various companies that create printable sheets of minis that feature both front and back views of a creature, so you know which way it is facing. I happen to use a lot of the free stuff from Onemonk miniatures, as it IS free, though you have to rescale some of it before printing. I hope to see more videos from you in the future.
This guide was fantastic! I don't have photoshop but I downloaded GIMP for free, did the same thing but the shortcuts weren't valid. This is going to be a fantastic tool for me moving forward, thanks for making this.
what is the process with gimp, i also have gimpshop.....not sure how to do it without being able to follow along
You will need to google the equivalent shortcuts to the narration. Sorry, the answer to the question is basically another five minute video. On my list, but not high priority right now.
Plz wyloch can you give me a template with already made paper minis
Hey Wyloch thanks again for this guide. I've now made about 25 of these, and I'm wondering... How do you move them around? They look great but don't stand up to be jostled around in a box, the glue seems to separate and then I have to re-glue them to the base. Do you put them in some kind of rack or frame?
Hmmm, no just toss em in a box, never had any issues with either base method. Ensure you act very quickly when using hot glue, as in two seconds from drawing the bead to attaching. Also see episodes 040 and 053 for more basing ideas.
This tutorial is amazing. Great to see a well explained step by step all the way through the process.
As a suggestion. I saw an awesome video somewhere that does it similarly. But instead of gluing them to bases you can use binder clips (with the silver bits removed) to hold them up. That way you can store the printouts in stacks or in clear plastic sleeves in a binder. Makes storage easier.
Also for those people that have them. Pathfinder pawn stands work great for these as well, just glue the printouts onto chipboard instead of card stock. I keep the white halo around them though, so that they are easier to cut, and so that they match the other pathfinder pawns.
Thanks!
+Dustin Gonzales Forgot to mention. If you want to use the pathfinder stands... In the stage where you mirror the figure, instead of adding a 1 pixel line, add another bar, (the same thickness of your chipboard), that way you can fold it over the top in the same manner as the tutorial.
Wow. Good idea, well executed. Dude, you put so much effort into your games. Making us other DM's look bad.
Late to the mini party, but still wanted to offer a belated thank you! Your video was very helpful (especially since our group is just starting out!) It will be fun to see something other than dice for enemies.
Rockin!
For the step about coloring The edge I'd recommend setting the paper miniature down and drawing around the white outline.
I just got a few (literally thousands) minis done and saved me a bit of time
This is just brilliant! Fantastic video providing a cost saving idea, while the crafting side is a fun buy inn to share with the family as well. D&d / Basic Fantasy is approved in our house. Thank you!
Thx!
00:00 "If you have ale, then you have a friend in Grog Strongjaw"
Great video! Such a simple process. The only problem I have is that I'm so flat out for content prep that I'll never have the time to actually make minatures for my players. I'm currently planning on using Lego for that.
I was wondering where I recognized the music from.
This video has served me well and also been a gate way drug into creating more things. I've used the knowledge you imparted in this video to design my own Pathfinder item cards from scratch front and back. I've printed them with this method and glued them to normal playing cards with great success. They are designed so vital details like name weight and value are at the top so you can stack them ontop each other and create an on the fly item list to quickly figure up your weight and the value of your inventory while being able to pick out the cards and read roles specific to the item
Rockin!
Not to seem like I'm just coming on here to harp, I actually enjoy your clear and concise tutorials, and have watched the majority of your videos, they are a very nice compliment to DM Scotty's stuff.
If someone has a link to a document with a whole bunch of card stock mini's that would be very helpful.
a bit late but look up printable heroes
There a bit small
i want em to
Cool, this is defiantly in my opinion the best way to make a mini
Totally works a charm! I found packs of 3/4" thick black plastic tap washers, 3 for 75p, topped with budgie sand and fish tank pebbles, makes awesome cheap figures! Thanks so much for the tutorial!
+Thomas Boynton Thanks for watching!
As someone who does a lot of 2d digital work, this is an awesome way for me to really add a personal touch to the miniature aspect of table top gaming.
+Cyclops Dig it.
This is one of the videos that got me started. I went crazy nuts with these. Have close to 200 with more to make. Love your videos Wyloch.
Thanks very much!
Any chance you still have the files? I'm trying to learn gimp while doing this and I'm incredibly clumsy...
Such a neat idea, i am just now starting to DM alot of games and wanted to upgrade my player's experiance with mini's. This is 100% affortible for me and looks absolutely great.
Rockin
So very cool and concise! I need some wolves and other minis for which this perfect. Thanks for sharing!
Great stuff. Exactly what I've been doing but I don't glue my miniatures to bases since it makes storing them harder. I just use printable paper bases.
what kind of bases do you use?
Ones you can print. Like these onemonk.com/bases
There are other styles and ways to base them but those work for me.
Binder clips work great for me
These look great! I've noticed that Paizo is selling Pathfinder printable paper minis, but they look so cartoony, so this is a much better way to do it! By the way, I'm not sure if it works this was in Photoshop (can't really afford Photoshop right now), but in Gimp you can just create a new layer with the defined sizes and filled with color in one step.
Joseph Holliday how do you do that in gimp? I've just started using it and I'd like to know how
William Cox When you go to "add layer", the height, width, and fill type are in the dialogue box.
You could also print them on Card stock and use wooden 1 inch squares or Circles. You can buy them in bulk on Amazon. Great tutorial by the way.
very nice! I was trying to figure out how I could make matching paper pawns that'd match my pathfinder pawns. it's hard finding resources for near future settings
this is VERY professional. The same method can be applied to a much shoddier but equally effective outcome at 1/100 the time. You can even make blank ones to write on them whatever you need on the fly....
First of all, very nice Vid, thanks for that!
A tip how i do the shadows (probably easier?) if you do not need to fill up more black afterwards: Right click on the layer of the figure -> Filling properties -> Contour -> Make it 10px wide an black -> finished.
(Don't know if the menus are 100% correct, just translated it straight from my german version)
Heed this tip!
Thank you for this great tutorial! I'm glad you posted it sooner than episode 10 or 11 :)
Excellent video. Adding decor/texturing/color to the base is a great idea.
Thx, be sure and watch my two follow ups (040 and 053 I think)
I want to thank you so much for this tutorial Wylock, these minis came out awesome and save so much money! Much thanks!
Sure thing
Great video dude! I'm a budding DnD player and I'm definitely gonna make some of these for me and my group's first outing!
+Shane Byrne Glad to hear it!
Cool! You could use that technic for fourniture, doors all of orther stuff you need. Thanks for sharing!
This video helped me so much, I was trying to find out a way to play dnd cheaper and you gave me that option, thank you
You are a true wizard; will definitelt be implementing this in my games :)
Spectacular! This just opened up a whole new way to produce minis for me. Thank you.
This is fantastic!
Looks brilliant, managed to follow the tutorial and get the same results with GIMP :) (off to print me off an orc troop)
@@teamdoubleR sorry buddy it's been 5 years since I did this I cannot remember what I did! Wish you best of luck.
Wyloch, I really enjoyed your tutorial. The use of washers and the clear packing tape are awesome. I have enjoyed watching your videos, because you find creative ways to make things that you might have to pay an arm and a leg for else where. Plus nothing beats using something that you have created. I am right now working on building several 40k armies with a similar process, mainly because my brother and I play over Skype and sometimes the units that I would like to use I can't, because I have to use them to proxy what he is using.
Thx!!
Solid video. I'm surprised I haven't seen this content online before. Guess it's the tree in the forest (for me). Now I've got to learn how to use my computer and printer ?! The craft part is the easy part for me. LOL ! Really like the color coding and simple base construction. Thank you.
These are really stylish, I want to use this for non dnd crafts like just propping character art up and what not.
I really like this. A few thing I do differently. To each his own:
1. Try uline polyester mailing labels. They are expensive (about 90 cents a sheet) but at 28mm scale, you can get a good 12-14 figures, about 1/3 cavalry and 2/3 infantry (most of my stuff is for wargames rather than rpgs) from a sheet, and the things are all but invulnerable,
2: I don't do permanent bases. I think it works out much better if I can store about 2500-3000 figures in a tackle box. The minus to this is that set up time takes longer. Anyway, I make my bases out of 1" square transparencies, the thicker stuff. You can get the sheets from FedEx Office by specifically requesting "report covers", rather than, "transparencies" which are flimsier. Then get a big bag of clear, transparent pony beads. If you have a teenage daughter, she'll know what these are. Use a decent clear plastic glue to stick two pony beads to the square base (but not to each other), flat sides down, touching side to side (again, NOT glued together), and you are done. To mount the miniatures, simply flex the base apart slightly, so a gap is formed between the two beads, set the figure inside, and place it flat on the table. The base will hold the figure in place nice ly, and you can remove them when not needed.
As a moderately large scale miniatures gamer (I average around three hundred figures per battle) I can make a relatively small number of these and yet re-use them again and again. They also have the advantage that you need no flock. Being transparent, the base largely vanishes into the battlefiled, especially if you play on a battle mat.
Good gaming.
Thank you so much! I know you made this a few years ago but this will be a great to make into set of stocking stuffers for my boys who are just getting into D&D!
Thank you very much for this video. I'm terrible with painting minis (lazy too) and don't like the expense involved.
I had a small question if anyone can answer it. If you were to scale for something larger than a medium/small sized creature, what would the scaling be in photoshop/photo editing software and the washer/base scale
and if possible, what would make the best source of artwork for miniatures
Found it! Had the same question. What I do is measuring 5 feet as 1 inch and dividing or multiplying as needed. The D&D 5e Monster Manual helps with the sizes and how many feet the encounters are. You just measure and make accordingly!
Hi there and thanks for sharing your passion with us. I couldn't match your skill and dedication but I would like to contribute with some details I personally like about paper minis. It is of course my opinion and not mandatory by any extend: First I think that a white background brightens up the figure, so the black line should be still be there for contrast purposes but very thin, over a white aura background. This suits better at least, or even if, you are portraying a full white figure such as Yeti or classic ghost. The base of figures should be always dark or directly black. Its work should not be to drag attention from the figure above it, keeping in mind exceptions such as the mentioned in-game item and such especial cases. Its shape round or elliptical and not too thick above "ground". Keeping a rectangular frame with somehow rounded superior corners around your figure instead of trimming around the figures' details make also excellent minis as long as all of them look similar. This makes the figure actually look better when you're not looking the figure directly in front of it. A paper figure melting too much with the rest of the diorama isn't actually a great achievement, since they are the story characters. Thank you.
Oh boy, this video has got me thinking. I’ll have to make some and think of my some improvements with my engineering experience.
This was sooo cool! Im gonna buy photoshop and try it myself! Though, I think Im going to do mine with a white edge around them, I think the black edge makes the picture harder to see.
ninjabunny A white paint pen should do it. Also, buy cheap curved manicure scissors for the detail cutting. Turn the image, not your scissors. I would also get a bone folder with a half off coupon from retail me not at any major craft store to make sure everything is flush.
When it started and he was drinking from that big glasses I half expected him to do an Archer and hold his finger up signaling us to wait while he drank some more. :)
Thanks, great idea.
How do you use the packing tape on gargantuan minis?
I love all of your videos.
Multiple strips, with about a 1/8" overlap.
So I just thought of this while looking around for things to use for D&D crafting, i was trying to figure out how I was going to make paper minis without a printer, then I turn and see my entire collection of Magic The Gathering cards. Boxes upon boxes of commons and uncommon worth literally pennies, I start going through and wuickly find quite a few that have full beautiful artwork of cool creatures, I just grab my exact blade, cut out the monster from the image, then cut a square from the remaining text box and glue it to that as a base! Its not all that flashy, but it works and all you need is a magic card with a nice image, glue, and a knife! So far they look really good other than the card back, but it will do in a pinch and you can spend like $10 to get 1,000+ throw away cards at a game store. Might be worth looking into :)
You should start collecting creature tokens... those are worthless... Lol.
as someone looking to start DM play and needing a bunch of minis, these are inspiring. lovely, too.
Thanks!
Maybe it's that I'm tired today. Whatever the reason, I am 🤣 at "Poorhammer". Pretty sure GW won't be endorsing that one any time … ever. Love the tutorial on these!
man, I wasn't going to do this, but it looks like so much fun!
Ok I have started to make a few of these for our games .. I have made mostly elves and humand ()and a young dragon .. when you are making dwarves, halflings or goblins what size do you use for the guide ? obviously the smaller races will not be the size of humans .. or would you simply go with 60 - 75%
I just go with whatever feels right. I have a standard human fighter that I treat as my "standard". I copy it next to whatever I'm working on, and scale it appropriately relative to that standard human.
Thank you! You're awesome! Keep up the good work. Definitely going to be watching all your similar vids.
I do not attach a base. I buy binder clips and keep the paper minis unattached. That way it is easy to move and carry the minis without risking any damage. You just stakc them inside of a tubberware container and then put the binder clip on the bottom. In the end it is a lot cheaper, 92 cents gets you a dozen.
Sure, thats functional. Ugly, but certainly functional. But there are other ways to do non permanent bases, such as episode 053.
@@WylochsArmory I am more concerned with functionality, cost, time, and transportation. With of course cost being the driving factor.
I was just suggesting that for people who have less funds available to do such than buy glue, hot glue gun, and the other miscellany you add to the printouts that end up costing about 80 to 85 cents a mini as opposed to the 13 cents for my suggestion.
And that is not factoring in the extra cost one is going to incur in regards to transportation or the time cost incured by extra decoration on the base.
Instead of just buying a dollar tupperware container to store the couple hundred paper minis and the clips, you have to spend a buck fifty or so for a larger container and about 25 bucks on foam to keep the minis safe and secured from getting cruched or moving.
So I live up in the mountains and we don't have craft stores or much card stock besides flashcard material, but I had an idea. Could you do a tutorialm on turning aluminum cans or foil into bases?
Wow, that dragon is amazing!
Great tip, great ideia!
Thanks!
Super Awesome. I just found you through facebook and Im definitely going to be making use of this method. Thank you so much.
Broke down and got Photoshop elements 15 just for this. Also got me some label paper because that's a lot easier than gluing.
jesternario I am a paper crafter, and do a lot of detail cutting. Skip bulky scissors and just use a cheap pair of curved manicure scissors. Turn the image, not the scissors. Also- crease the top well before pulling the label off. If you don't have a bone folder, fold and use your fingernail for a sharp crease. If you do have one, also use it once the image is down on the CS to make it look prefect and also once the tape is down. HTH.
Looks gorgeous! I'm gonna do it in a few days hopefully!
Quick question. How would you go about scaling it up?
You showed, mostly, the medium height creature. How would you go about making a Large or gargantuan creature? Or smaller creatures?
You could partner with some artists and make your own line of paper miniatures with this technique. You have a lot of talent man. I am very impressed!
Greatly impressed here. Greetings from Perú.
Tabletop Gaming with Juce My BFF is an artist, I am a crafter. That sounds like a good idea!
Julie Kent let me know how that goes. I'm very interested.
This is very cool. I have been looking for miniatures for Rangers of The Shadowdeep. I think I'll give this a try! Thanks.
Thanks so much for sharing, I love the video, but I cant get the right size on paper, it keeps coming out very small. I'm doing something wrong, but don't know what. Any help? Thanks
What application are you printing from? Word?
@@WylochsArmory hi, I'm using PhotoShop 2020
Any luck? Is it weird printer settings? Like fitting to wide margins or something?
I fixed some scale issues on our work printer by printing to PDF "at 100%" and then printing the pdf.
@@abmackay yes, I did that and now is fixed, thanks
Incredibly helpful! thank you very much my friend! Do you have a video on making mini dungeons as well? from cardstock?
I have many, many, many of those sir. Check my "All Crafting Tutorials" playlist.
This was great to watch and works well with Gimp as well as Photoshop with a little bit of knowhow. Just curious, what are the dimensions for the larger creatures. I'm thinking about making Gargantuan and colossal creatures with this method.
Non-humanoids aren't nearly as uniform. A young dragon is not the same height as a Gelanious Cube (both are Large). I just put them next to a human fighter in photoshop, and then scale until it just "feels right."
Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the quick response on such an old video.
How do you do it in GIMP?
This actually looks really really cool! I'm going to try this!
They're gorgeous! thank you for sharing!
is it possible to use cardstock or card board and make half circles with slits at the top to fit together?
Thank you so much this helped out immensely, you made a great video! Congratulations on making such a well crafted instruction video!
Fantastic instructions and video example. Thank you!
I love this tutorial! Its perfect! 😁👌 However I might just have to draw my own characters because my friends prefer my designs for their characters. I will be printing the dragons and beasts though. 😁👍
Awesome video!!
Unfortunately, however, I'm a noob and the instructions are a bit lost in translation on GIMP. I can't seem to delete the "gauge" from the "background" (8.5 x 11), and the "shadow" fills up the whole 8.5 x 11 background. Man, I'm clueless. I've seen Roll For Damage's tutorial for GIMP but he excludes the shadow layer, gauge and tab.
Do you happen to have a tutorial for printing larger minis? Like, ones for bases 4x as large?
I love it. Have been an image editing machine for the last week or so.
I am running into a small issue while putting them together though. Folding exactly on that line gives my eyes quite a challenge.
Anyone have tips for how to handle this bit?
What i really wanna know is how to print like this. It looks great!
When putting the white glue on the bottom of the washer can you substitute it for clear pva or does it have to be white glue?
I'm sure clear is fine
@@WylochsArmory Oh my- I wasn't actually expecting a response but hell yeah thank you!
Might try adding some more guardsmen, trying a new 40k army, or making DnD models to try out miniatures DnD. Nice tutorial.
This is brilliant!! Perfect.
oh!! those are really cool!! definitely gonna try making these
how do you store them? They look like they would take up a lot of space sadly. I liked the little details you added to make each one unique. I'm definitely going to use your printing method. Thankyou
Check my follow up videos on this....one is called Cardstock Armies and the other is More Cardstock Armies
Hey Wyloch, so I saw that you'd posted a bit of a follow up on how you did the 2.5d figures, like the dragons. I'm actually running a dragon riding campaign for my son, and your tutorial here was the most clear p-shop tutorial I've ever experienced. Would you be willing to do a perhaps more detailed tutorial on how exactly you did the 2.5d stuff for the dragons, like that blue one you showed in your army (vid 40)? It'd be greatly appreciated.
Hmm I'll add to my list but honestly I got so much in the queue, it might be a while.
The short version is: make cardstock wings from the picture, just like you would the body. Print, glue, and tape them just like any cardstock miniature. And the hot glue them onto the body.
@@WylochsArmory I understand that. If you can get to it eventually that'll rock. With the wings, did you remove them from the rest of the image? Or leave them there, in addition to the set that you glued on?
@@tigrewulph Remove them from the image and do them as if they were their own separate cardstock mini. This is only possible if the source image is posed well, like the wings are spread out and not obscuring the body (otherwise you obviously don't have a full body to capture). But the Games Workshop website has great galleries with 360-degree moveable views. Perfect for extracting different body parts at different angles.
Could you make a video on how to do larger monsters such as hydras or dragons
Thanks for the tutorial Wyloch!