Help to chose a body please

Hi all. this is my first post!

I'm in the UK and looking to purchase my first 1:6 figure for a project I have in mind while I'm off work convalescing after surgery. This will be my first! So I need a few pointers.

Long story short, I want to make an Action figure of Astarion from Baldur's Gate, and I've already spent more hours than I care to admit trying to decide on which 1:6 figure to buy.

I was initially going to dress him, but then wanted the option to have him bare chested due to his back scar (I haven't figured out the how for that part yet), so seamless seemed the route to go.

They are a little too rich for my pocket, however, I am trying to convince myself to go for it. I'm taken by the Jiaou products, but choosing the wrong build or colour would be a costly mistake. I was looking at the JOK-10A or the JOK-17A and leaning more towards the slimmer one.

Can someone with a more expert eye on this subject suggest the body and colour I should consider? He's described in the game as The pale Elf, so want to avoid anything too tanned.

Failing that, which non seamless figures do you think would work? I can't seem to find any which aren't musclebound. Astarion is more lean than muscle.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Welcome to the boards!! And a beautiful project. I hope we get to see the progress/result!  

While TBL would be better (the skin folds more realistically at the very least) sadly they don't have a lean option yet. So Jiaou it is.
I would definitely go for the 17, probably YS since the very pale one looks a little too yellowish to me, and he doesn't look THAT pale in these pictures.

But then of course it also depends on the head sculpt you end up with. Are you ready to repaint it if necessary (or pay someone to do it)?

Here is a nice comparison of the four skin colours:



Regarding the tattoo... it looks more like scarring to me, so that should be fairly easy to do with glue and maybe a toothpick as applicator. Which type of glue is something others here can probably answer more reliably. I've seen make-up-artists create that kind of texture with a glue stick and added make up (so scraping some of the glue off into a dish, then adding some make up to mix it up before application).

Diana wrote:

Regarding the tattoo... it looks more like scarring to me, so that should be fairly easy to do with glue and maybe a toothpick as applicator. Which type of glue is something others here can probably answer more reliably.

Hi Diana

Thank you for the suggestions. Yes, I was wondering about what to use to create a raised pattern.

And thank you for the confirmation re. which body and colour. I'm aiming to sculpt the face with Fimo, and stain it down to match the body.

I was initially going to create the whole thing as a ball jointed puppet from scratch! But that's too daunting a project.

The JOK-10 series bodies are also good, not too muscular, still have that lean look, and they also come in the same pale skintone.

I've taken the plunge! Got myself a JOK-17A. Really looking forward to sculpting Astarion's head.

Just need to source a good place in the UK for 1:6 fantasy clothing

AClegg wrote:I've taken the plunge! Got myself a JOK-17A. Really looking forward to sculpting Astarion's head.

Just need to source a good place in the UK for 1:6 fantasy clothing

If you do please share


I got a 17-A and I'm aiming to do a variation of a Robert E. Howard Character. The bard Ridondo. Maybe a red haired. Kull will be next.
They need fantasy clothing or I'll have to take the plunje and sew them myself.

AClegg wrote:

Diana wrote:

Regarding the tattoo... it looks more like scarring to me, so that should be fairly easy to do with glue and maybe a toothpick as applicator. Which type of glue is something others here can probably answer more reliably.

Hi Diana

Thank you for the suggestions. Yes, I was wondering about what to use to create a raised pattern.

And thank you for the confirmation re. which body and colour. I'm aiming to sculpt the face with Fimo, and stain it down to match the body.

I was initially going to create the whole thing as a ball jointed puppet from scratch! But that's too daunting a project.

I can only second what Diana said about the body. Jiaou pale (WS) is exceedingly pale, though it might work, otherwise perhaps wheat (YS). Their promotional materials always seem to over-saturate the colors. Jiaou TPE (the seamless material) is quite delicate, careful if you try to color it additionally (check out Painting Seamless Bodies tutorial). I would be very careful using glue... certainly Gorilla super glue seems to cause damage to the material. If you have a way of experimenting on an unseen part of the body (such as the top of the neck which would be hidden by the head), maybe you can try Elmer's, mixed in with some pigment or acrylic. Silicon glue works reasonably well, can be mixed with acrylics or better yet silc-pig (silicon pigment, which you can buy relatively cheaply if you go for the sampler pac and a little bit goes a long way), but is ultimately removable (with some effort you can peel it off). Which might actually be a good thing.

GubernatorFan wrote:

I would be very careful using glue... certainly Gorilla super glue seems to cause damage to the material. If you have a way of experimenting on an unseen part of the body (such as the top of the neck which would be hidden by the head), maybe you can try Elmer's, mixed in with some pigment or acrylic. Silicon glue works reasonably well, can be mixed with acrylics or better yet silc-pig (silicon pigment, which you can buy relatively cheaply if you go for the sampler pac and a little bit goes a long way), but is ultimately removable (with some effort you can peel it off). Which might actually be a good thing.

Many thanks for the tips re. the scar. Yes I was wondering whether certain substances would melt the body covering. I may experiment with PVA glue.

I haven't seen Ephiane around recently, but she might be able to advise on what type of glue works on these bodies. She used some before to create 'warts' (I think?) on her troll woman figure.

skywalkersaga wrote:I haven't seen Ephiane around recently, but she might be able to advise on what type of glue works on these bodies. She used some before to create 'warts' (I think?) on her troll woman figure.

Yes, she also successfully glued hair to the body surface. Actually, so did I, but using superglue caused a little bit of damage; not enough to really ruin the bodies, but I know it is there... grrr...

GubernatorFan wrote:

skywalkersaga wrote:I haven't seen Ephiane around recently, but she might be able to advise on what type of glue works on these bodies. She used some before to create 'warts' (I think?) on her troll woman figure.

Yes, she also successfully glued hair to the body surface. Actually, so did I, but using superglue caused a little bit of damage; not enough to really ruin the bodies, but I know it is there... grrr...

Thank you! I know what not to use now

At least in BJDs, the glue that is considered safe all around is wood glue. You have to wait all night for things to be effectively glued but it's not agressive (in resin) and is efective.
I don't know about TPE and gluing fur to a a chest or legas because they move. Maybe contact glue that is used in shoes and rubber and can withstand movement?

Esganado wrote:At least in BJDs, the glue that is considered safe all around is wood glue. You have to wait all night for things to be effectively glued but it's not agressive (in resin) and is efective.
I don't know about TPE and gluing fur to a a chest or legas because they move. Maybe contact glue that is used in shoes and rubber and can withstand movement?

The primary issue is that the glue (or marker or anything else) that you apply to the TPE doesn't cause tearing/melting/other damage. If you are gluing on hairs, it wouldn't matter if the glue is broken up into smaller bits on the surface, as long as it holds. The hair in question was armpit hair, for the most part, so it called for a more concentrated tuft of hair. A proper body hair treatment would probably require a very ambitious, painstaking, and difficult application. We've tried by other means (drawing hairs with very fine markers or just having hairs stuck on the surface naturally and left removable).

So I finally sculpted Astarion's head. Considering it's well over 25 years since I last sculpted anything in Fimo, I don't think I did a bad job.

But I'm more impressed that I managed to get my crumbling block of porcelain Fimo workable. Thank you You tube!

I'll start the paint job later today. Looking forward to it as I usually do portraits (digitally and in oils), so it will be a nice change painting one in 3D.

See pics. Now the head's on, it looks like I made a mistake with the muscle build. He's a tad scrawny in the neck, so I've ordered the next size up.

That's great work on the sculpt! I've never played the game but I've seen his likeness all over tumblr, lol, so I can instantly recognise it. Well done!

Hope the other body works out for you!

skywalkersaga wrote:That's great work on the sculpt! I've never played the game but I've seen his likeness all over tumblr, lol, so I can instantly recognise it. Well done!

Hope the other body works out for you!

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback. I'm glad I managed to get his likeness. He's quite tricky.

He looks great!! I'm looking forward to seeing him painted.

As for the neck, you can stuff it with foam or similar to thicken it. That neck really is extremely thin. ^^
But I can see why a little more bulk might be best anyway. I know you already purchased a new one, but you might also want to look at the TBLeague M32. It's the Bruce Lee body effectively, and TBL do have the best seamless bodies.
It just might be a little too tanned for your liking. Not sure.

Very nicely sculpted. As for the neck, I would have suggested what Diana said, stuff the neck (this or the next one, as needed). And yes, M32 among the TBLeagues might work well too, but it would have quite wide looking shoulders. You could always make the skin paler with oil pastels, if that is an issue with that body.

The Jiaou 10 body is nice, imo, and hopefully will work out ok. The only downside is that it's got somewhat shapeless legs, but that is not noticeable so long as he's wearing trousers. ;D

skywalkersaga wrote:The Jiaou 10 body is nice, imo, and hopefully will work out ok. The only downside is that it's got somewhat shapeless legs, but that is not noticeable so long as he's wearing trousers. ;D

Agreed. Jiaou's male legs (and hips, which tend to be overly wide) are among their most notable weaknesses.

skywalkersaga wrote:The Jiaou 10 body is nice, imo, and hopefully will work out ok. The only downside is that it's got somewhat shapeless legs, but that is not noticeable so long as he's wearing trousers. ;D

They're not too bad actually, but yeah, hoping to get some clothing for him eventually. Any ideas on where I can get hold of Renaissance style clothing?

Here's Astarion painted. I take my hat off to 1/6 face painters. THAT was so fiddly

He's a little lumpy in places! I'll know next time to pay more attention to smoothing out the skin. But I didn't do too bad a matching the skin tone to the body. Just hope the new body is the same shade!

I think it is a very good try indeed. Different materials take and show paint a little differently, but the match is very good indeed. To my eyes, anyway.

AClegg wrote:Any ideas on where I can get hold of Renaissance style clothing?

That might be difficult per se, although you might be able to pick pieces from different broken down sets that might do the job. There are some vampire-related figures that have civilian clothing that can pass for 18th-early 19th century.

He looks good! You did better than I could have done on the sculpting. I always take my hat off to those who are willing to sculpt their own heads from scratch!

And yes, 1/6 is a challenge to paint, especially the eyes. But I think yours turned out well.

I'm trying to think of where to go for Renaissance clothing, and drawing a blank on specific sets. Maybe pirates or vampires...

I did get one of those 'generic men's poufy blouses' from AJ Clothiers before. (She used to do custom orders but not sure if she does anymore ?)

https://www.ajclothiers.com/