Month: October 2020

More Steampunk Western Miniatures

Posted on by Jonathan Fesmire

Miniatures for Worldbuilding

I know, I’ve been writing a lot about Hero Forge recently, but when I find something useful that keeps on giving, I want to share it. If something helps me with my writing or worldbuilding, I figure it can help others, too. I never would have thought I’d use miniatures for worldbuilding, but here we are.

Since robots exist in my steampunk western world, I decided to check out how they look on Hero Forge. I was surprised to see that they look a lot like how I imagine their Creedverse counterparts. So, I went ahead and created versions of Lucky and Dixie, the two automatons who guard the restaurant and brothel known as The House of Amber Doves.

I also splurged for the pro level on Hero Forge. Since I’m creating pretty much all of my huge cast of characters there, I figured I could use the additional capabilities, like close-up images, folders, and more. That’s what allowed me to create the portrait pictures, too.

Dixie

 

Lucky

 

Characters, Old and New

Maybe I can whet your appetite for Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western and its sequel, Bodacious Creed and the Jade Lake, by sharing these characters. Even if not, if this inspires you to create miniatures or pictures of your own characters, I’ve done well. Here are some from the first book.

And here are some from the sequel. No spoilers, just something to get people excited for what’s to come.

Remember, you can sign up for my newsletter below to get updates on fun and helpful blog posts like this one. And Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Angus & Robertson, and Vivlio.

“This tremendous world I have inside of me. How to free myself, and this world, without tearing myself to pieces. And rather tear myself to a thousand pieces than be buried with this world within me.” ~ Franz Kafka

 

My Steampunk Western Miniatures in Color

Posted on by Jonathan Fesmire

Create and Color Your Own Gaming Miniatures

As you’ll quickly see if you peruse this blog, I love creating art based on my characters. I don’t draw very well, but I have other artistic skills that have allowed me to create portraits of characters like James “Bodacious” Creed, Anna Lynn Boyd, Jonathan Johns, and Rob Cantrell.

I even created miniatures, tabletop-gaming style, of those four and shared pictures a while ago. I used the Hero Forge site to do this. I’m in the process of painting them, although slowly!

Well, I learned from a dear friend yesterday that Hero Forge now has color options. Right now, that means you can create and color your own gaming miniatures on their site and take screenshots. You can order them in color as well, though they look different, so you’ll want to compare the look. If you decide to order physical miniatures, you can decide if you want their color versions or to paint them yourself.

Hero Forge has tons of options when it comes to character design and colors, including making major adjustments to poses and mixing your own colors.

Yes, I’m going to share those color versions of my characters today, right here. Enjoy!

Main Characters

Bodacious Creed Miniature

James “Bodacious” Creed is the protagonist of my novel, Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western, and the ongoing series, The Adventures of Bodacious Creed. He’s a former U.S. Marshal who was murdered in the line of duty. Later, a woman retrieved his body and resurrected him, and now he fights for justice again.

Anna Lynn Boyd is the woman in question. Due to close past ties with Creed, and her brilliant scientific mind, she brought him back to life.

 

Supporting Characters

Jonathan Johns is Anna’s partner, both in the lab and in life. In his late teens, he left home and worked on the railroad line for two years before making it to Santa Cruz, California, where he met Anna.

Rob “El Tiburón” Cantrell is a bounty hunter who comes to Santa Cruz after the same outlaw who killed Bodacious Creed. The two find themselves at odds with each other as their investigations progress.

 

My D&D Character

 

I’m playing D&D again! Due to COVID-19, I’m playing online with a group of friends using Roll 20 and DND Beyond. So, I also created a miniature of my character, a tiefling warlock. Here she is.

Whether you order from Hero Forge or not, it’s a fun place to exercise your creativity and to create and color your own gaming miniatures. Have fun with it!

Want more interesting ideas about how to exercise your creativity, about science fiction and fantasy, or about art and writing? Sign up for my newsletter below!

“There is no winning or losing, but rather the value is in the experience of imagining yourself as a character in whatever genre you’re involved in, whether it’s a fantasy game, the Wild West, secret agents or whatever else. You get to sort of vicariously experience those things.” ~ Gary Gygax