There have been some fantastic pics of homemade Agricola stuff here on BGG, and inspired by some of these (in particular those listed at the bottom of this post), I decided to make some of my own using FIMO.
After making 4 sets I was beginning to get into some habits, so I thought I'd snap a few pictures of the last batch to show you how I've done it. Hopefully, it will spur one or two of you on to do similar.
There are four farmers being made in the images. We'll focus mostly on the Fimo in the left of the picture (where there are four sets), which happens to be a lady farmer.
Step 1: The basic building blocks of a Fimo person
At the top-left is a pink ball which will go on to become the head. Below that is a green ball which will become the upper body. Further down is a 3D-diamond shape which will be used to make both arms. Next, remaining at the left-hand edge is another larger ball which will become a skirt. Finally at bottom-left is a small brown ball which will be used to make shoes.
Across the image you see similar sets for another lady farmer, then two male famers.
Step 2: Shaping the basics
Here I have shaped the first green ball into a cone shape for the upper body of the lady. Further to the right you'll note I've made squarer shapes for the males.
I've also neatly cut the 3D-diamond shapes into two. I found the larger middles made for interesting looking baggy sleeves. If your prefer more 'normal' looking arms then you could simply roll sausage shapes.
For the ladies, the larger spheres have been made into cones also. For the males I have shown two similar approaches to creating trouser legs. The far right shows simple sausage shapes, and the inside-right shows the same shape cut in two. I did this previously by accident, and it just gave a different look to the final model.
Lastly here, the small brown blobs have been cut into two to form shoes. Note, I tend to make the females shoes smaller, as I use them in a different way as will be seen below.
Step 3: Start making it look like something!
For the lady, we now put the two cones together to make the main body shape. For the gents, just attach the legs to the main torso.
Step 4: Attach the arms and feet
Do that... attach the arms... and then the feet.
Step 5: take a look at your handiwork - get a fresh beer from the fridge or something...
You'll see here I've added some definition to the guy on the right. My intention is for him to be a bit of a drunk, so I've given him a belly. I use some modelling tools to do this from my local craft store, but you could use a toothpick or similar.
Step 6: Make other detail
Add more detail - in the picture I show one very thinly rolled piece of brown fimo which will go on to become a rope belt. Also is shown a yellow roll which is cut to become 'string' that also decorates the clothes as shown below.
You may note here that I also gave the first lady farmer a bit of a gut. The intention was for her to look pregnant, but I thought she just looked a bit of a chocolate lover, so you'll see later how I change my plans as I go. In fact this is a major lesson to learn. With Fimo nothing ever comes out quite how you imagine it to, so just go with the flow... and adapt your ideas.
Also notice that I have shaped a thin piece of flesh coloured FIMO to the same size as the top of the ladies tunic.
Step 7: Add other detail
Here I'm adding that rope belt to one of the ladies...
Step 8:
...and then I add the decorative string tie.
Step 9: Give your character some expression (i)
Have real fun with this bit - you really get the sense of character from the face most of all. Experiment, because it's easy to re-roll and start again. Use different shaped noses, and positions and shapes for the mouth.
Here I'm using a bead to make an indentation for where the eyes are to go. I've also added a small blob for a nose - put the nose on first.
Step 10: Give your character some expression (ii)
Now I'm using a hair-pin (anything fine and with a blunt end will do) to make an eye-socket.
Step 11: Give your character some expression (iii)
Then I'm using a modelling tool to shape a mouth.
Step 12: Make the hands
Using some small blobs of flesh coloured Fimo, press down to a slightly-plump flat shape, then cut thumb and then fingers with a sharp craft knife.
Step 13: Make some hair... or don't...
This looks badly fashioned... because it is. It's okay though - I've found any old shape with a few score marks like the above picture will just kind of work when you put it in place.
Step 14: Place the hair
Place it gently at first to check whether you are happy, and then you can always peel the hair back off and start again. Only press in a little more firmly when you're happy.
Alternatively, don't give them any hair at all, or maybe just a few tufts?
Step 15: Time to admire your handiwork again... and why not have another beer - just be careful with that craft knife!
Starting to look cool!
Step 16: Make some more!
Here I've created four different characters using broadly the same techniques as described above.
Left to right we have: New-mum (was going to be pregnant lady) Old begging woman Pig Farmer Drunk (time for another beer..?)
I hope you enjoyed this post, and that it may help enhance your enjoyment of a pretty fantastic game.
Finally then, those fimo-makers that inspired me include:
davidb3
tcamprubi
Klemenz Franz (obviously!)
baba44713
and mostly f-p-p-m with his many early posts, and updates
Thanks to you.
For completeness here are the links to Frank's (f-p-p-m's) how-to's:
I plan to upload some images of them, but I'm a bit burnt out tonight from the above post! It took much longer than I thought it would...longer than making the models anyway.
I had a bit of fun with the other characters, so hopefully you'll like 'em.
Great work! I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures.
About how much green FIMO was used to make just those 4? I'm thinking of trying to make a set myself, so just wondering about how much FIMO of each color I'd need. I'd guess less than 2 ounces for each color, but I just want to make sure before getting into a project that will be too expensive to finish.
The images that got me started on this were your (and baba44713's) early versions of of the reeds and grain etc.
Note: These are Franks resources, not mine.
Note: ... and these are baba44713's which some of mine bear a startling resemblance to!
I thought I'd start making these up whilst waiting for the game to arrive. Before playing I thought my game group might struggle with so many generic wooden shapes.
Now I've played I no longer think that's true, but these definitly add an extra charm to the game that everybody appreciates.
The farmers are great, although I like my farmers having large cartoony eyes:
I'll use these guide for the second batch, especially for the bodies and the hair, I really screwed it up on the Reds.
-- --- -- --- -
Edit: I think that the guide missed one important thing: put your fimo farmers on FIMO pedestals, it will be much easier to use them as the actual game components. While they are admittedly nicer without them and the pedestals waste FIMO, you really don't want those farmer toppling over all the time while playing the game.
One "nasty" thing about FIMO is how different it behaves once baked.
While I was modeling my sheep, they were all pretty stubborn in NOT toppling over. Unfortunately, that was mostly because FIMO is kind of sticky, and while you're modeling something, the stickiness of the base tends to make a model appear more stable then it actually is.
Once baked, sheep started showing their true nature (as evidenced by the above picture). Cows and boars are behaving pretty good, but the sheep need just the slightest nudge to hit the deck. Luckily the problem is fixable with some sandpaper, but nevertheless it helps when one is aware of the fact BEFORE baking the darn things.
My point - even though aesthetics is kinda the reason to use FIMO in the first place, never forget you are building game components, e.g. something that is going to get handled and moved around a LOT. Large and flat base and as few extruding details as possible is the key.
P.S. I made an even sillier mistake with the wood, making it all pretty and round. My, what fun it was to constantly catch pieces of wood rolling all over the table...
Isn't it though? It drives me crazy sometimes trying to let go of the stuff... no really...
baba44713 wrote:
P.S. I made an even sillier mistake with the wood, making it all pretty and round. My, what fun it was to constantly catch pieces of wood rolling all over the table...
Now this reminded me that I really liked your reeds and corn. So much so that I have completely copied them as you will see from when I finally get some more piccies loaded up.
I've amended my above posts to reflect this fact.
The wood then, whilst I also copied your approach of having a lighter colour within a darker colour to depict bark against inner-grain, I did make small stacks of three so that they wouldn't roll!
When I saw your image I immediately thought of power grid and those damn oil drums rolling everywhere!
Last edited Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:49 pm (Total Number of Edits: 1)
Once baked, sheep started showing their true nature (as evidenced by the above picture). Cows and boars are behaving pretty good, but the sheep need just the slightest nudge to hit the deck.
These threads always fascinate me. You guys are seriously hardcore. I'm getting the idea that most of you probably have massive armies of miniatures as well.
after quite some inspiration by all these self-made Agricla farmer and a final 'push' by dsvilko (thanks man, as you said it really was easier than I initially thought) I uploaded my and my girlfriend's own effort (not without some pride and slapping on my own back :-). Took about 6 man for both of us.
As we had a blast making these my girlfriend and I are thinking of doing some more in order to give each of our gamegroup players a choice with which to play (Oh man, I'm 41; can't believe I did this :-)
I was very inspired by all those self made farmers, resources and ofcourse the animeeples that my boyfriend and I wanted to try to make a couple of our own. But first we needed to buy the game (lol) and fimo. We had so much fun making them, and were surprised that it wasn't so hard as we thought it would be. Sofar we made this:
Our purple family: we have a cute carrotgirl, and all the way to the right is buba with curly the sheep (they are from a cartoonshow called the tofu's)
Our blue family: with on the left lazy boy and an even cuter carrotgirl.
What more could one want than cute animeeples. Pink piggies, because in Holland the farmers usually have pigs instead of wild hogs.
e.g. check the white set of farmers in my post above - the farmer pulling the mega-carrot from the ground has broken around the wrists twice now - I just super-glue him back together and we're good to go.
However, this is mostly due to the fact that I let my kids play with them, and I have some gamer friends who are a little rough with them. Literally throwing them at the table when they 'place' their pieces. I just bite my lip...
Where I have made a tie around the reed or the corn I have had about three ties break off in some way, but I've not felt the need to correct those.
Having said all this is does tend to stay pretty solid, and we play with this A LOT. Just expect that you may need to do a bit of gluing now and then, or make your pieces really chunky.
Last edited Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:25 pm (Total Number of Edits: 1)
sheesh!]
Posted Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:06 pm
no really... 
