Bryan Ansell
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About
Bryan sculpted and cast his first miniature in 1966 (a Guardsman of Gondor) carved from thick lead sheet using scraper board tools and cast in a plaster of Paris mould.
After a few years of heat and short-lived plaster moulds he aquired a pyrogravure heat pen. This was for drawing intricate illustrations of British Birds. However, Bryan discovered that the hot tip of the device could be used to easily remodel plastic soldiers. He set about remodelling hundreds of Airfix Robin Hoods into Orcs.
Soon after, he progressed to converting the Airfix models, then making RTV rubber moulds for his conversions (using the matchbox and plasticine tecnique) so that he could then cast up as many Orcs and Elfs as he could ever need.
Bryan then went on to make odds and ends for various small companies: notably Skytrex, where he made his first proper fantasy models. Then came Tabletop, Asgard, Tanglewood, Citadel Miniatures, Games Workshop, various fantasy games and a small adventure with Hasbro.
Bryan founded Wargames Foundry which was formed so that Bryan's Dad Cliff had something interesting to do in his retirement. As ranges were discontinued at Citadel and GW they were passed over to Cliff for him to manufacture and sell. Cliff also master moulded, moulded and cast a proportion of GW's new models for them.
Companies
Bryan has founded and been involved in many companies over the years:
- Asgard Miniatures - Founded by Bryan in 1976 (Bryan left Asgard on 11/09/78[6])
- Citadel Miniatures - Founded by Bryan in 1978 in association with Games Workshop.
- Bryan Ansell Miniatures - Later became Wargames Foundry.
- Wargames Foundry - Founded by Bryan in 1983.
- Guernsey Foundry - Following selling his shares in Games Workshop he moved to Guernsey and founded another company in 1991.
- Foundry - Created from the merger of Wargames Foundry and Guernsey Foundry around 2000
- Casting Room Miniatures - Subsidiary company set up in 2012 for the ranges produced by Foundry between 2006 and 2012.
- Warmonger Miniatures - Sister company to Foundry set up around 2015 to sell the Fantasy ranges.
Has Sculpted For
It is likely he also sculpted for most of the companies he helped found.
Miniatures
At least three miniatures have been sculpted in his image.
 Chaotic General Manager Attacking with Mace
WF6 (b) |
 WereAnsell
WF16 Midlands Troll |
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References
- [1], Wikipedia, "Bryan Ansell"
- [2], Realm of Chaos 80s blog (Feb. 2013), "The Mighty Avenger - Interview with Bryan Ansell"
- [3], Foundry, "About Us"
- [4], Casting Room Miniatures, "About Us"
- [5], Warmonger Archived Website from 2015, "About Us"
- [6], Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop (2022), "9 Citadel Miniatures", page 113-134
