Miniature Silhouettes

Figure 1

These images are examples of a technique that I plan to explore further. As you can see in figure 1, they're photos of the shadows cast by miniature figures on tracing paper. Once I have them, the silhouettes can be mixed and matched, and the backgrounds can be stylized independently of the figures. The last image in the series is an example to show how the photos can be combined to make new scenes (it's also one option under consideration as a header right here on A Sword for Hire).

If I can find the time, I'd like to make a ridiculously large composite image with 100's and 100's of figures—something you could scroll for a long time up and down (below ground), left and right, discovering areas as you go. I always loved the cut-away aspect of the cover art on the original AD&D Monster Manual, so that's part of my inspiration for such a project.

gargoyle, werewolf, watch officer, giant caveweaver spider

Playtesting a Staff

It's been a busy week, so today's post is a photo only—I hope you enjoy it. Watch for an animated version in a future post. And yes, those are the sprouts of a sweet potato.

Discuss

• Help me with some captions or speech-bubble text—bonus points if it references RPGSS in a clever way.
• Could this be a new magic item in action, or a spell? How would it work mechanically?