by If the very idea of starting a scenery project for your favourite game fills you with dread, here’s the YouTube channel you need to check out — no prescription required: Hobby Figurines! Demystifying, Encouraging and Guiding could well be its creator’s motto, as he makes an entire hobby accessible to people who might otherwise have thought it was reserved for a privileged few.
Let’s put Hobby Figurines through Father McKenna’s 15 Questions
Hobby Figurines has been my scenery-making mentor ever since the Pangolin PlagueTM. So it was with considerable pleasure that I spent nearly an hour in his company, putting him through the wringer with one particularly devious question after another. The transcript below, of course, has been carefully edited to remove the most sensitive scenes, unsuitable for younger audiences.
Could you introduce Hobby Figurines?
Hobby Figurines is first and foremost the story of someone who has been passionate about wargames and miniature gaming for many years. I started back in Year 9, in 2004, and after quite a journey, I felt like sharing that passion through videos when YouTube became mainstream and made it easy for anyone to share the things they love. So I embarked on the Hobby Figurines adventure at a time when I had finished my studies and wanted to devote myself fully to this passion.
Over the years, many outside contributors have helped enrich the channel: enthusiasts, friends, and quite often enthusiasts who eventually became friends. Between local gaming-store buddies and subscribers who have become gaming partners, I enjoy inviting people from around my area, although that’s not always easy when you’re based in Lower Normandy, near Caen. Fortunately, I can count on a small circle of players who regularly join me, particularly for battle reports.
How did you come up with the name Hobby Figurines?
Hobby Figurines originally came about because they’re simply my initials. When I decided to start a YouTube channel, the name Hobby Figurines felt like the obvious choice. The word “Hobby”, although English, fits perfectly with the world of wargaming, where most of the terminology is in English. As for “Figurines”, it perfectly sums up what the channel is all about.
On the other hand, the name does tie me exclusively to miniature games. It wouldn’t really make sense to cover trading card games (TCGs) or board games, since the channel’s identity is so closely associated with this particular hobby. Today, I’m still fully committed to this main channel, which has been built up over more than 12 years of content. Starting a second channel would require a considerable investment of time and effort, but I’m giving it a try. Ultimately, I’m one of those old-school YouTube creators who are still active and passionate about miniature gaming.
How long have you been modelling and painting miniatures?
It goes back to around 2004, when I was in secondary school (although I took a break during high school). But things really took off when I was looking for work after finishing my studies. I came across a White Dwarf magazine featuring the release of The Hobbit (2012) for the wargame. I bought the book and started teaching myself to paint again, this time using the proper techniques. And that led to painting, competitions and tournaments. I also wanted to learn crafting, and I’ve made quite a bit of progress. As for miniatures, I paint to a tabletop standard. I hate playing with unpainted miniatures. For me, everything needs to be immersive, from the scenery right down to the miniatures themselves. The main thing is to create something that looks good.
What was your very first scenery project?
Gosh, that must have been in 2005, for The Lord of the Rings. A sprig of thyme, two or three stones and a few odds and ends, and that did the trick. You’ve got to start somewhere!
“A little thyme, a little bay leaf, and above all, duck fat!” – Maïté, La Cuisine des Mousquetaires
How many videos have you made over the past 12 years?
A ridiculous number (laughs)! Including the ones I was embarrassed about and deleted, I’d say somewhere between 400 and 500 videos… I used to average one video a week. This year, I’m up to two a week, which means four to eight videos a month, plus a few live streams. I’ve lost count of the hours spent editing them. You need to allow around 35 hours of editing for a battle report. The more time you spend on a video, the more polished, refined and carefully produced it becomes. The level is pretty impressive nowadays compared with the early days of YouTube. To take things to the next level, I had to invest in equipment (sound, lighting and software) to keep up with the big YouTube productions. Unfortunately, the videos that take the most work aren’t necessarily the ones that perform best. Scenery tutorials, battle reports and painting tutorials don’t generate the most views. It’s actually the business and news side of wargaming that gets the audience more engaged. I personally prefer well-produced edits, but they’re an enormous amount of work, so these days I rely on my subscribers to point out the little mistakes I’ve missed.
Do you get to play very often?
Well, when I first got started, it took two years of work. I do play a little, but it’s quite rare. Over the past 12 years, 80% of my time has gone into the channel. Quite often, I’ll switch on the camera during a game, but that means I’m always approaching it from a production point of view. You lose a little of the pure gaming enjoyment, but running the channel is enjoyable in its own right, so I’m happy with that.
Can you name three games you particularly enjoy?
At the moment, Pillage, Bolt Action and LOTR. Kill Team as well, although I don’t get to play it enough. I’m more into historical games. What really appeals to me is the immersive quality of the gaming tables, and these games offer the opportunity to create some beautiful setups. Since that’s both my passion and my speciality, it’s only natural that they appeal to me. Of course, interests come and go in phases, just like Star Wars X-Wing and Star Wars: Legion. Warhammer 40K tables tend to be very tightly standardised. You lose that feeling of a living battlefield, where you can immerse yourself and let your imagination run wild. Personally, I find that some tables lack a certain character in competitive play, but that’s just my opinion and I have nothing but respect for competitive players. I’m more into narrative gaming, something that tells a story. That’s how I see wargaming, and that’s how I discovered it through the pages of White Dwarf.
Hobby Figurines in three words?
Simple and effective techniques.
Three tips for getting started with terrain building
a) You have to take the plunge and get beyond your own preconceptions. We all had to start somewhere.
b) Be patient — respect drying times, for example.
c) An unlimited budget doesn’t make great terrain. You need to be creative: you can make amazing things with very little.
cold-pressed
Five essential tools for you
a) A craft knife
b) A paintbrush
c) White glue
d) Modelling grass
e) Paint
You can find the rest of what you need lying around: cardboard, tin cans… Once you’ve gathered your materials, it’s time to start crafting!
Oh, and plenty of elbow grease!
Do you have any other hobbies?
It’s not always easy, but I do enjoy doing plenty of other things. Time is precious, though, and running the channel takes up quite a lot of it. So I play a few console games and the occasional TCG, but overall, most of my time revolves around miniature gaming.
How do you organise a video, and what constraints do you have to deal with?
Whenever I plan a video, I arrange a gaming session with someone, and you can bet I’ll end up building a little scenery piece or a few extra bits for the game. I spread stuff all over the place, but I work fast. And it can make for a nice little tutorial too.
You built the Dagobah scenery for the 2021 French Legion Championship. What made you choose Dagobah?
I was already a familiar face in the Star Wars: Legion community thanks to my YouTube channel, where I regularly published content about the game. Scenery building has always been my speciality, and over time it has become my trademark. The feedback on my modelling skills has been very encouraging, even though I’m well aware that there are plenty of creators out there who are even more talented than I am.
It was in this context that I was invited to build the table for the final of the Star Wars: Legion French Championship. My goal was to create something entirely new, while meeting the requirements for a balanced competitive gaming table.
The build was completed at 10 pm, followed by a 5 am departure to deliver it: a proper last-minute sprint! I’m very happy with the result, although with a little more time, I would have loved to push the level of detail even further.
Find out all about it here: Dagobah gaming table build playlist
How do you see the future of Hobby Figurines?
I’d love to make a living from it one day, but that seems pretty complicated, even with more than 21,000 subscribers. It may take me longer than some, but I’m still here after 12 years. There are three ways to grow the channel:
1/ The community supporting you through a platform like Tipeee, where I have an account
2/ Sponsors — but you need to reach as many people as possible, so subscriber numbers are very important
3/ Affiliate links (purchases made through the YouTube page or website)
The problem is that you can’t just make what you enjoy; you also have to make what other people enjoy. That’s the trickiest part when you’re passionate about something.
If you were a gaming terrain piece, what would you be?
A piece of terrain with as much detail as possible! First of all, no gaming mat: I’d want a fully modelled ground surface. For a Shire-themed setting, I’d add flower pots on the windowsills, on top of all the vegetation. I grew up watching the behind-the-scenes features for films like Star Wars, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. The model makers are incredible! Creating something with a slightly cinematic feel is something that really appeals to my creative side and gets my imagination going.
You have to take the details further, even when using a 3D-printed building. Add details such as the mortar between the bricks, for example. Paint alone won’t bring a piece of resin to life.
Conclusion
DIY! Do it yourself! Just give it a go! Pop into your local arts and crafts shop©, pay a visit to your model shop, and above all, use your imagination. Take Gaslands for example: there are at least three essential pieces of terrain that don’t require all that much work — gates, jumps and billboards. I’ll actually be bringing you a quick tutorial on how to make these soon. Start putting things aside: model or miniature sprues, polystyrene, and maybe two or three old credit or loyalty cards. Thanks to Flo (who you can follow on Instagram and Facebook) for this interview. I’m sure it will inspire you to explore his channel and, hopefully, get started on building some scenery of your own.
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