Many Mithril Pages @ Faerylands

Is The Man still able to sculpt by hand? Chris is no longer young (as I and many of us)
Time Investment in digital sculpting is huge ( I am on the learning process of ZBrush) and if Chris choose this path it's for good reasons other than pricing.
However When I compare to other digital figs produced with this tool, Mithril is now far behind (Balrog picture)

Last edited by Mornedhel (Mon, Aug20 2018 8:20am)

Very impressive! The baby has pointy teeth!
Well, I didn't think with this programm you are only able to print square things..... like bows and swords....

Last edited by hsf62 (Mon, Aug20 2018 10:17am)

Thank you, Master Cameosis, for providing information about that MZ-sculpting process.
I did not criticize that sculpting tool at all (though until now I really didn't know how it really works - by the by, I would never criticisze anything I don't know) - I just had the impression that the pics of the new MZ-figures do not reveil the figures you receive after you bought them. So you called them just a bad choice of the rendering process. That's what I wanted to say. Alright, sorry that I called it "screenshots" in my comment. I am aware of how to use different sources of light together within that tool. A basic tool if you sculpt that way, because a strong lamp at your desk doesn't help much.
But I'm afraid that there, so far, is no option in the MZ-programmes for "Mithril-grey-priming" to use and finish the print according to achieve an acceptable photograph of the ----> real, assembled and primed figure"<- - -
But I see, Master Cameosis, that you seem to share some part of my opinion ... thanks for that, indeed ...

Alas, ... you all are right ... I'm just a little bit too old-fashioned with my

Reading these posts from the last few days is a bit of a bummer. Considering I "got back into" collecting Mithril figures two years ago right around when this change over began. I still feel the figures are "Mithril" enough that they don't necessarily clash with everything that has come before. However, after reading some of your post, such as esteemed Master Caster, I now notice the differences where I did not before. Not having certain characters look the same (ex. Galadriel) or be the same size is disappointing but the biggest is the primer. I always associated the Mithril line with the "Mithril grey" look. I truly hope we are not seeing the end coming but there seems to be so few of us left. It may be the end of an era. It just seems like a few tweaks are all that are needed to bring this line back to prominence. I still have the utmost respect and admiration for Chris Tubb as his vision of Middle-earth will always be what I see along with the other greats Alan Lee, John Howe and Ted Nasmith. They brought Tolkien's world alive in ways I will always cherish.

I will also cherish the contact I have established with so many here and your most generous help and kindness. Now I think I need to head over the The Pony and order a stiff drought of ale!!

Theobald wrote:

Thank you, Master Cameosis, for providing information about that MZ-sculpting process.
I did not criticize that sculpting tool at all (though until now I really didn't know how it really works - by the by, I would never criticisze anything I don't know) - I just had the impression that the pics of the new MZ-figures do not reveil the figures you receive after you bought them. So you called them just a bad choice of the rendering process. That's what I wanted to say. Alright, sorry that I called it "screenshots" in my comment. I am aware of how to use different sources of light together within that tool. A basic tool if you sculpt that way, because a strong lamp at your desk doesn't help much.
But I'm afraid that there, so far, is no option in the MZ-programmes for "Mithril-grey-priming" to use and finish the print according to achieve an acceptable photograph of the ----> real, assembled and primed figure"<- - -
But I see, Master Cameosis, that you seem to share some part of my opinion ... thanks for that, indeed ...

Alas, ... you all are right ... I'm just a little bit too old-fashioned with my

no need to apologize for anything at all, my friend—especially not to me, i just read up on the program a few years ago, that’s all. i absolutely share your opinion about the mz figures: posting such a render alone makes sense if you present a digital file or product, but here we have cast figures, so a real photograph is of paramount importance.

i just had a friend over at my place last weekend, and we photographed two thirds of my miniatures collection, including nearly all of mithril. he brought along his equipment, a nikon d3 and two flashes, set everything up and connected it to his laptop and off we went ... meaning, shooting good product pictures is a matter of seconds if you prepare it correctly. we made some 1,000 pics in 8 hours, including breaks.

i haven’t followed the discussion on the shift in company policy or the looming demise of the mithril subdivision, but it’s not unexpected to me. presentation, product line, everything just show a lack of interest in the (admittedly small -- but very committed) customer base and their interests and preferences.

I received last 2 new releases.
Both are in 1 piece and look really nice to me. Il will try to provide pics once back Home.

I'm with you, Master Holger - old-fashioned and computerally (is that a word?) incompetent. So long as the people who need to know can improve the quality of the Mithril technique, that's all I want. I'm sure that the designs will improve with experience. At the moment there's much room for improvement, starting with eliminating all these square angles that have become too frequent for my tastes. The wonderful flow of Chris' designs have been horribly compromised by the new process. For me, Mithril figures have dropped from an overall score of 10/10 to an average of, say, 6/10 to 7/10. That's still prety good by most figures designers' standards, but why accept compromise when perfection is available?

To put it simply, I do not like MZ series at all.

Scale is weird, they are somewhat deformed to an angle, and some parts have strange shapes. Higher price lower quality, no more miniatures I have bought...

Other companies do marvels at this very same scale WITH PRINTED masters, just check Corvus Belli or Knight models. Is this fact what hurts me more mithril seems to have failed checking what other companies achieve. Meanwhile GW has relaunched their range of LOTR armies with EXCELLENT casts and even their price is better than Mithril's.

I really would hire Cris and have him sculpt by hand and cast his miniatures on the facilities provided by the companies above and see what happens.

I re-read all the last pages of this thread today and now will not comment on this matter any more, as I before have just politely tried to point out my thoughts here in public and found a lot of interesting response. Thank you for that, gentlemen. But after I now had to learn that obviously "Mithril" is not about to consider any well-meant positive criticism for at least trying to slightly change just a little bit of the last desastrous development (indeed I just had a very close look at the "new website") I decided not to pester you, being present here on MMP, any more with my anger, as you are the wrong addressees. And obviously there's no-one you can directly contact in the company, as it once was. And for me that's it.

Theobald wrote:

But after I now had to learn that obviously "Mithril" is not about to consider any well-meant positive criticism for at least trying to slightly change just a little bit of the last desastrous development (indeed I just had a very close look at the "new website") I decided not to pester you, being present here on MMP, any more with my anger, as you are the wrong addressees.

May I ask what it was that you learned that shows Mithril will not consider any criticism?

What Master Barliman?  What dont u like?

Ok, first, welcome back Master Barliman. I hope you had a good time!
Oh and sorry, no it didn't make me happy either reading this comment of the Ent ...

Coming up. Actually, that can also be said of some of my worst ale after its's been drunk.