An interview with Anthony, designer and owner of Kurpa Miniatures
Coffee and Resin and D&D
Kurpa Miniatures is relatively new, it was started in 2021 by Anthony who is the sculptor and creator of Kurpa Miniatures. It is as Anthony says ‘a one-man band operation fuelled by coffee and resin.’
Models from the Andes
I asked Anthony the background to his company.
‘We are a small miniature company coming to you from the heart of the Andes. We hope to bring something fresh and new by introducing Andean folklore and symbolism to traditional fantasy settings’
These cultural roots can be discovered in the design of the minis. As Anthony says I
‘incorporate nods to my Ecuadorian roots by integrating them into my models. For example, I might add a woolly alpaca hat or a poncho to a character. I also like to include motifs and symbols like the Chakana (the Andean cross) or hacha monedas (axe-shaped currency used by the Incas).’
Classic D&D characters and Monsters
Among the wonderful models to be found on Kurpa Miniatures site are the classic D&D Characters and monsters. I spoke to Anthony about his design process and thinking behind these.
The Human Warrior a natural 20
The Warrior in his victory pose has obviously rolled a 20 in combat and vanquished the foe. The detail on the chainmail in this particular model is worth highlighting. The details on the model look like a joy to put a paintbrush upon.
Anthony confirmed that his design owes much to the classic 1980s fantasy fiction art
‘I don’t know if it is just me but as an artist, you just go through phases at that moment in time it was 80s fantasy art and I wanted to sculpt some classic-looking figures. So I went with the most classic look I could think of with the heroic pose and full-on medieval chainmail for the fighter and then for the wizard just a classic pointy hat and robes. Sometimes I like going into second-hand bookstores and checking out the fantasy and sci-fi section to see what gems are hidden there. I love the covers of these old books some are just very out there.’
The Paladin a stout defence.
The Paladin is on defence with her ornately designed shield. It’s a nice touch to see the hand design on the shield repeated as a jewel on her neck.
The Designed Dwarf.
The whole concept and skill of Anthony can be found in his Dwarf designs as in this one. The level of intricacy here is amazing. Am sure there have been wonderful examples of this painted. It is the Dwarf designs that Anthnoy is justifiably proud of.
Anthony is justifiably proud of his Dwarf creations and rightly so.
‘I am really proud of my latest series of dwarfs, I finally feel that my skill level as a sculptor is at a place where I can come up with a concept and execute it as I picture it in my head. I always believed that the end sculpt has to be something I would be happy to put on my table and paint.’
If you do have examples of these painted do send them to us via Insta.
The Villains of the pieces: the Dreaded Cube and the Giant Spider.
Where you have heroes you of course need villains and Kurpa miniatures have these also. They include the infamous jelly cube. Looking at the model it has been victorious on many an occasion.
The Giant Spider has a surprise in store for any unwary adventurer thanks to Anthony’s design. Lots of little spiders ready to crawl and ensnare you in their web.
What are your design process when it comes to the villains?
‘My monster line goes back to my DnD roots, one of the things that really inspired me as a kid was the art on the 3rd 3.5 edition monster manuals and books. So I have collected a few over the years and really enjoy going through them and finding something that I find interesting and sculpting it. I would love to design some 3D printable maps for the DnD adventures that were published back in the day.’
A love for everything miniature D&D and Warhammer.
Where did Kurpa miniatures begin?
‘I have had a love for everything miniature since I was a kid I must have been 9 or 10 when I first saw a D&D starter box set. I got it for my birthday that year and I was just blown away by the art and the minis and the whole game system. A few years later I would get into Warhammer and that sealed my fate to be a mini addict. I then did animation in uni I never really thought I would end up sculpting minis but I knew I wanted to do something creative inspired by tabletop games I had played through my life. As soon as 3D printing started getting popular just before the pandemic I knew it wouldn’t be long before people were printing their minis at home. I owe everything to the 3D printing revolution of the last five or so years that has been driven in many ways by hobbyists.’
The overall design process
How do you go about designing the miniatures/deciding on the theme etc?
‘I am very loose when it comes to choosing a theme it usually comes about from something that has inspired me, an art piece or an interesting bit of history. Sometimes I also do it to improve my skills, I will work on a mini or try something new that I havent sculpted before. I am currently working on a large project of completing a dwarf army so that has been taking most of my time last year and probably most of this year. I want to get back to sculpting single minis there is more creative freedom in that.’
What else can we expect to see in the future?
‘I want to finish my dwarf line so I can put that to rest and I will then try my hand at some single minis. I hope to increase my freelance commission work too, I enjoy working on commissions and helping bring people’s ideas to life. It is a very gratifying process helping people bring that character or idea to life through 3D printing.’
Kurpa Miniatures can be found here: Kurpa Miniatures @Kurpa Miniatures – MyMiniFactory
And their Insta is: https://www.instagram.com/kurpaminiatures
