Best scale for dinosaur figures?

[Torolf]

I'm about to try my hand at sculpting my own figures and I'm trying to do some research before hand. Is there a standard scale that most companies and individuals use or at least a standard range? So far I've seen a huge variation but 1/35 and 1/40 seem to show up quite a bit so would those be the best to start with?

[Shonisaurus]

In my case I would like a prosaurolophus or a tsintaosaurus are figures poorly represented in the market of collecting and toy without exceptions PNSO, Geoworld or Collecta with respect to tsintaosaurus, as for the prosaurolophus is a figure that I do not think has prominent representation in the market of collecting and toy.

They are for me prehistoric animals quite rare in figure even if they are resin.

[stargatedalek]

There is no standard scale that works best for everyone.

Some like to use very small scales such as 1:80 because of space concerns, or because they want their dinosaurs in scale with model buildings or train tracks.

Some like to use scales around 1:40 because of similar space concerns, this scale tends to work well for collections focused around large theropods in particular as it makes them a good size to fit comfortably on most book shelves.

Some like 1:30 because that matches most tabletop gaming scales.

I personally like to keep things above 1:20, with my preferred scale being 1:13. Truthfully I decided on this scale because it ties in well with my preferred human character manufacturer brand Figma, but it's also a great middle ground scale for averaging small animals and I have a particular focus on modern birds and reptiles in my collecting. It feels a bit out of place to have a 1:40 scale Tyrannosaurus getting stared down by a 1:8 scale flamingo, but a 1:13 scale rex makes that comparison at least workable to the eye, if not accurate when you measure them out.

[Patrx]

Personally, I've always felt that the best way to go is to vary the scaling depending on the size of the animal. For example, 1:40 works great for a big beast like Triceratops, but not so well for little Protoceratops!

[Neosodon]

1:40 seems to be the standard for the major lines but there has been a shift toward 1:35 in recent years.

[Torolf]

Thanks for the help everyone. Most of my purchased figures are 1/35 and it does seem like a popular scale. 1/35 also looks okay with my other 1/40 and 1/30 figures so i'll start with that and maybe do different scales later.

[Shonisaurus]

Thanks for the help everyone. Most of my purchased figures are 1/35 and it does seem like a popular scale. 1/35 also looks okay with my other 1/40 and 1/30 figures so i'll start with that and maybe do different scales later.

The scale of 1:35 seems like a great scale. It is a large scale (although not large as the PNSO dinosaurs are for example). I wish that your creations of new figures be as successful as possible.

[Newt]

What I did when faced with the same question was make a little spreadsheet. In the first column I had a list of various animals I might like to sculpt. The second column had the approximate length of each animal. The subsequent columns showed what the size of each animal would be if sculpted at a particular scale. This helped me visualize what animals would be feasible at each scale. For example, a meter-long psittacosaur would work great at 1:10 scale, coming in at 10 cm long, but a big sauropod at that scale would be a staggering 4 meters long!

[DinoToyCollector]

I like the way @Newt  does it. It depends a lot on which animals you want to create. The size of the animal is crucial. If you want to represent as many species as possible, you can not avoid using different scales.
1:40/1:35 works fine for all animals longer then 4 meters. And If you already have figures in 1:40 to 1:30 it'll suit your needs perfectly.

If you want to represent as much animals as possible in a uniform scale, you will not get around at 1:1 (Yes, I'm joking but I would also enjoy looking at it)

For example, 1:40 works great for a big beast like Triceratops, but not so well for little Protoceratops!

But 1:35 will! 

[Patrx]

For example, 1:40 works great for a big beast like Triceratops, but not so well for little Protoceratops!

But 1:35 will! 

That'd be something like 6 cm.? Still too darn small, if you ask me  Maybe 1/12 for Protoceratops?

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

It depends on intention. 1:40 is the best for toys with exceptions for smaller animals if you include them. If you're talking garage kits, they might range from 1:40-1:10 and often aren't made to be in scale with each other. As much as I like Carnegie and Battat and how they largely keep to the same scale, I don't know if scale is that important to me, especially since most of the dinosaurs involved wouldn't have lived in the same time and place.

[Halichoeres]

I like to have everything in 1:40 or 1:35, even quite small animals, although I also like to have small animals in a larger scale in order to appreciate their anatomy. But my shelves are more or less dioramas, and I think they are enhanced by very small representations of things like pterosaurs, turtles, smaller ornithopods, etc., that drive home how huge the sauropods were, for example.

[Justin_]

I'm about to try my hand at sculpting my own figures and I'm trying to do some research before hand.

If you haven't sculpted anything before, accurate scale measurement would be the last thing I would worry about. Have you experimented with different tools and materials yet?

EDIT: I've just seen you introduction post about being a professional prop-maker so please ignore me.

[Torolf]

Thanks for the advice Newt. I'm already planning on a few creatures that would be too large or small to feasibly pull off at 1/35. I'll definitely be using your method when I reach that point.

Everyone else, thank you for your feedback.

Now for a sneak peak of my first sculpt Doedicurus clavicaudatus. I know it's not a dinosaur but it seemed like a good starting point. I'll start a new thread in the morning for my artwork, sculpts and props. I'll post more pictures of the doedicurus there and document the process of molding and casting it in resin. Right now I've got to do a bit more clean up and maybe get some sleep.

[Newt]

Nice work! I look forward to seeing the final product.

[Torolf]

Thanks! I've got pictures of the finished piece and a new sculpt in my other thread. http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=7838.0