Twelve centimetres is the senior discipline of figure modelling. At roughly 1:16 the work stops being miniature painting and becomes portraiture: an iris belongs in the eye, a weave belongs in the cloth, and the skin wants visible warmth and cool shadow rather than a single flesh tone.
The listing divides into two lines. Military subjects cover soldiers of the Second World War, including anti-partisan and assault troops, while the civilian line runs to elegant female figures with elaborate dresses and hairstyles. A few pieces close to 105 mm share the same cabinet without any awkward difference. Castings are multi-part resin, supplied unpainted so the final appearance is entirely yours.
A twelve-centimetre body is the largest common size for standalone figures, and it is the point at which material differences start to matter more than outlines. Castings are divided into several parts and arrive unpainted, which is the only sensible approach at this size, because half the surfaces would otherwise be impossible to reach with a brush. The practical consequence is that assembly and painting interleave rather than follow one another, and a dry fit before any glue is used is not optional at this size.
At this size the face decides everything. Paint it first and in isolation, while brush access is still free: eyes, lips and the transitions of the skin set the expression of the whole figure. Clothing, equipment and the base follow afterwards, in that order, and if the face fails you have lost an evening rather than a month.
A large surface can carry real distinctions between matt wool, semi-gloss leather and cold metal, and that play of textures is what separates an outstanding figure from a merely tidy one. Shadows layered slowly into the folds give a dress both weight and movement, and a hem that catches light differently from the shoulder above it is what makes cloth read as cloth.
If broad surfaces are unfamiliar, rehearse glazing and layering on 75 mm and 85 mm model figures. For pure portraiture without a full body, continue to model figure busts, which share every technique this size teaches.
Smaller sizes and other subjects are listed under model figures.
