bulkamancer
patreon
Situation Report - May 2025
🕑 Added 2025-05-01 11:24:41 +0000 UTCHey friends,
I'm positively confident none of you missed my TL;DR posts, but I can't put it off any longer. So, plepare for the longest post in the bistory of Bulkamancer Sculpts, because today I'd like to talk about the declining complexity and, ah, what the hell, let's be blunt, quality of some models as of late.
If you don't care for excuses, here's a short version: yes, we are aware of recent issues and are doing what we can to mitigate them. We listen to your feedback and kindly ask you to keep providing it (although being less mean about it sometimes would certainly help). But more importantly - if you see any design issues on WIPs, don't keep quiet until release, because by then it will be too late.
And here's a long and boring version. Okay, everyone who didn't want my whining has already closed the tab, so now I'm free to vent. Don't say I didn't warn you. The truth of the matter once again lies in my poor management skills mixed in with a mean streak of bad luck that's been plaguing our studio since January. I didn't mention it publicly before, but our core team was seriously on the verge of breaking up after the debacle with all those extra models in December and the Edgerunners diorama to boot, then a few more extra models in January to top in off, all rendered by a single person - Milana (YoruNoAme), and I could feel her eye twitch every time I sent another message her way. I'm not exaggerating, by the end of this streak, tensions were running so high I was sitting on needles every day waiting for some team members to say "Screw that, I'm out!" at any moment. This alone put Milana three weeks behind schedule, at which point she could no longer sculpt any elaborate models, let alone make renders for the whole studio. Something had to be done to fix it, and I started looking for a new render artist. Luckily (or not really), along came Szymon, whose main specialization was, believe it or not, rendering. He kindly offered to take over, even though I warned him it's much more time consuming than it might seem. In the end, I let Szymon convince me he's a superhuman cyborg who requires neither sleep nor rest. Of course, Milana still had to keep helping him to learn our render processes, so any hopes of catching up on her release schedule were out of the question at least for a couple more months.
As if that wasn't enough trouble, I began a full restructure of internal workings of our team, because they were established back when our studio was much smaller and never meant to work at our current scale. I can't go into details, but let's just say there was no way any team member could take those changes well, even though they had to be done for the sake of staying afloat and not drowning in a bureacractic nightmare. This was also around the time we let Totenn go, leaving Szymon to fill his large shoes even without having to handle renders. And then along came Henry of Skalitz... I'll be direct, that model was a source of my daily headaches for three weeks straight and I couldn't wait to put it behind us. I don't know what exactly went wrong with it, but it was a very difficult project at each stage. I can say for a fact that absolutely everyone involved in it did their best, but it simply wasn't enough. Why - I can't even fathom rather than simply admitting that it was out of our league. To make matters worse, in the attempts of saving the model, I asked Szymon to try and make an alternative head, and he eagerly agreed as if he had a time-turner in his pocket or at least a couple clones. I'm sure you can see where this is going, and I once again have to point out that the fault lies fully with me - I should never have let anyone take on more work than they could realistically handle.
Our rotten luck didn't end there. At one point, Vik crashed her car in another city and had to stay there for a week for repairs. If she didn't take a train home just for half a day to work on revisions, we wouldn't even release the Artillery Witch on time.
I omitted some stories concerning other models because then I'd have to send this post to a publisher and make into a book and I really hate going through revisions and censorship. Suffice to say, out of six planned models in April, not a single one met its sculpting deadline, so I had to contact every artist and beg them to make haste, then do the same with cutters and supporters. Luckily, we managed to avert that crisis without any release delays thanks to Somed, Takokumono, and Farenia working round the clock and through weekends.
April wasn't kind to us either. Szymon finally cracked and couldn't keep up with all the workload we'd been dumping on his shoulders. Alex and YoruNoAme voluntered to take care at least some renders. Yes, the same YoruNoAme who was still 3 weeks behind her own schedule. It may be laughable to many people and sometimes I feel we are the only studio that ever had trouble with their renders, let alone couldn't find a permanent solution even after 3 years, but I've declared renders my nemesis back in 2022 on the very first month we opened the studio and stand by those words ever since. A day will come when we put this issue to rest, but it is not this day. For now, I have to rely on the amazing people who still give a tart and don't nope-out from this issue despite their own workload. And this, of course, comes at the expense of simpler models, so I'm sorry to anyone who expected Sun Jin Woo to come with three sets of daggers, five outfits, and an army of shadows - there was just no way it could be achieved without any dark rituals involving blood of newborns. You know, because we are fresh out of newborns (pending internal discussions about donations in that regard).
Now, for the matter of Kratos. I feel your feedback, I truly do. Including the "Its about the cheesiest, most boring looking derped kratos ive seen". And Szymon feels your frustration as well. Trust me when I say Szymon is one of the most passionate artists I've ever met (and I've met quite a few), and I often tell him how his deadlines can't keep up with his ambitions, so I have to keep them in check non-stop, otherwise he'd aim for each model to be a diorama, then grieve because nobody prints it. Don't believe me - look at the Galactic Soldier (a.k.a. "the one model that shan't ever be spoken of"). But if I haven't stressed it enough - Szymon is buried in work so deep no light can shine through. As a result, Kratos didn't even meet 1/3 of the original plans Szymon had for him. And nobody is more disheartened about it than he is. Well, I come close, but I feel for every single model we ever release, and I never approve a release that I know could be improved without resorting to drastic measures and sacrifices. The truth of the matter is yes, given another month, we could fix all the design flaws and improve Kratos by a mile. But it would come by sacrificing quality of Szymon's next model - Doom Slayer. Is it a good trade-off? Some may say yes, but I sincerely doubt it. As much as I hate to admit it, but we are only human, and not every our creation can ever be a masterpiece. Szymon's curse is the aforementioned Galactic Soldier that was created in completely different circumstances with a 50-day deadline, but his every concecutive work is expected to reach the same level. Yes, I know what you might be thinking - "Just give every artist two months per model!", and yes, I've been planning on getting there eventually for some (not all) projects, but we aren't there yet until we onboard more artists, which is a difficult process in itself. Until then, just trust me we are aware of all the recent issues and are working on improving the overall situation.
And if you want to help us improve, there's an easy way of doing that - don't keep quiet if you see any issues on WIP pics. We post those pics to let everyone see what we're making, voice their concerns and point out desing flaws. So, once again, please, if you see anything wrong - just say so. All our artists care for their creations and put a great deal of effort into their models, but eyes tend to get blurry when you look at something for a whole month, so it's really easy to miss even the simplest errors. Don't be afraid that someone will shush you - we post WIPs to get feedback, not blind praise. And while giving constructive feedback may seem harder than it really is, you can start by omitting phrases such as "Wow, this is terrible", "Meh, not my cup of tea", or "HeavenMaker did a better job" and instead getting straight to the point of what exactly looks off or could be improved. Honestly, if you want a better model, don't expect the artist to notice all the flaws by themselves even if they look very obvious to you - a fresh set of eyes always helps. Seriously, I'm starting to understand some artists who don't want to post any WIPs at all, because all they'd hear is praise, but once the model is out and it's too late to make changes, everyone suddenly starts pointing out one issue after another. So, don't keep to yourself, alright?
There is one more thing I feel the need to mention. When it comes to my own shortcomings, I am strongly against using personal tragedies as excuses, but I can't and shouldn't force the same rules on others. Remember when I said bad luck has been plaguing us? There is no easy way to talk about such things, but the second half of April had been marked with personal loss for three people at Bulkamancer Sculpts. Szymon's grandma passed away and, living in a distant country, he was stuck finishing Kratos through the guilt of not even being able to attend the funeral. Katerina Likhacheva (Laeta), who's currently working on Maelle, also lost her dear grandma around the same time. Of course, we let her delay the model by two weeks, considering the circumstances. So, I'd like to express my condolences to both artists and ask everyone to be kind when giving feedback about these two models even if they end up below your expectations. As I said, we are only human and can't shut the world around us down to keep toiling away despite everything. As for my own personal tragedy, my cat passed away last week after living with me for 16 years and painfully fading away over the last three months. While he was very dear to me, I don't dare comparing it to the loss of relatives experienced by Szymon and Laeta.
I didn't mean to end on such a sad note, but I think I need to stop punching buttons and leave you be.
Sincerely,
Des
Comments
The Sage
Read your whole message. I'm new to Bulkamancer Sculpts, but let me say, I'm sorry for your losses and please know that when models come out they are some of the best out there. Take pride in your accomplishments and grieve your losses. Breathe, find the joy and take care. š
Bulkamancer
Pretty much, yeah.
Ancalagonbahamut
Out of curiosity, how do you know which minis are printed and which are not? Feedback on social media, purchases on MMF?
Mike Stickler
I started following stl creators around the start of 2019 and have to say my biggest disappointments are not when a team delays a release or scales back their monthly production. My biggest disappointments are when teams break up less than amicably. Even if the team is rebuilt or the person who left goes out on their own, the resulting art often lacks a certain feel that attracted me to the original team to begin with... It's often preceded by missed deliverables and delayed releases... Those months are often preceded by "bonus models", "extra releases", and expanded model counts in the monthly release. Too many shops get in the habit of "we're going to release even more content" only to have those releases out later and later... Then because they weren't on time they feel they have to do something extra to make up for it which pushes the next release back further which increases everyones' stress. I'm only an occasional subscriber but I do like your work. If you have time for a bonus model I hope it's because an artist was really inspired by a certain subject. Otherwise the time might be better spent getting ahead of schedule on the next release instead of doing something extra.
Jamie
I'm brand new here so I don't have any insight to the history of this community. I do have to say that making a post like this shows a lot of integrity and strength of character... and I'm even more happy to be here after reading it.
John Haack
I read this whole message - I hope that you and the team are able to find a way to balance things or take time off if needed - burnout is so real, and nobody deserves that. My thanks for all you guys do, and please make sure you're all taking care of yourselves.
Lime
The whole team puts in so much effort and consistently produces such a high quality that even if you had to halt releases for a month or two to get schedules back on track, build a backlog of finished work, and of course take some time to rest, I wouldn't even bat an eye, much less cancel my subscription. I can't imagine any of us can even build and paint at the pace you release new stuff, so I think I speak for most when I say we'd prefer a slower pace of higher quality models if that's what necessary to balance the workload.
raficraft
All my support to the team. Feel free to reduce the quantity to allow you to work serenely. There's nothing more horrible and destructive than working under stress and tight deadlines. Refocus on what's useful, and put your own personal development first.
CurtisWurtus
This! Really hope you drop the model count to let some of the pressure off the team! I think most of us would rather have quality over quantity and also don't want you burning yourselves out! If you feel that bad about reducing model count (or fear a loss of subscribers), maybe make an old model available each month to make up for it? I've seen other patreons that do that and would love to have a lot of the older models that are still new to me!
Kwenami
I understand being disappointed if you're after a specific model but this team is phenomenal and deserves a much needed break. You can always go back and change a model later when the workload is sorted out and the personal issues are dealt with, I dont know if you have a DM list of previous month's patrons but sending an update to older patrons would be a kind gesture. Ofc this is also more work, gotta get stable and feel afloat first! And you shouldn't hold yourself to the standard of personal things never getting in the way. This is a small team, when you are open and upfront about your struggles you will probably still receive a lot of support. I don't know how you'll play catch up, but we still respect this team and their art and are cheering you on from the sidelines.
Styphal
A couple of things. I'm in data analytics and a middle manager, so I share this with positive intent and a desire for Bulkamancer to continue to be successful. 1. The number of models per month should be dropped by one or two with no changes to the pricing or your talent on retainer. You're already a fantastic value for the money, which is appreciated! But if Bulkamancer closes we won't be getting any value. 2. If you keep the same amount of artists, renderers, and slicers\support experts on-staff, this would result in a lower than current workload and provide more opportunities for collaborative projects between your talent, which should increase the overall quality of outputs. More dioramas anyone?! 3. Another option is to actually bring someone on-board to help you manage the business side of things. I'm not sure what this would look like for you. Might be an administrative assistant, might be a QA expert to help keep overall quality up, a creative director, or it might be a Manager to share take over the managing of some of your artiststhe workload of assisting your talent produce quality. If you take this route, you would likely need to also take option 1 *and* release one of your artists. Either way, I hope Bulkamancer continues to be around for a long time and doesn't become a victim of your own success. Cheers!
Ian Kear
I support a couple differnet artists, and how i view it is not everyone is going to speak to me, but as long as some do im totally in supporting all the same. You guys have made some stellar models, and some that werent my thing but still i give props all the same. Your whole team does great work, if you guys need to slow down to take time to take care of yourself? Do it, a even keeled artist thats in a good place creates a lot easier then someone that is stressed and under a load. Take care of yourself, and i cant speak for everyone, but im sure that your community will support you in the end :)
Ä°lkay Karagedik
Thank you for sharing this. Read the long and boring version, I totally understand how the artists feel. Feel free to postpone any model if you donāt like it, we are here for quality and quantity. Sending loves and supports you and your team.
WilliamND
Thank you for sharing this. I know it must have been nerve racking to do so. I have been guilty of not saying anything because I was taught, "If you have nothing good to say, then don't say anything". But, you're absolutely correct about speaking up. I never thought it mattered that much to the artist. I for one will start giving feedback and to anyone else out there that gives me grief for it.....BEWARE MY WRATH!!! I thank each and every one of you there at Bulkamancers for your hard work. Maybe you should reduce the workload a little bit until you've found more 3D Artists to join the team. I for one, would be ok if you reduced the models per month by 2 for a while.
Olympus2208
also agree with some other comments here if you need to reduce the release schedule even for a few months to get back on top of the workload I think that is perfectly fine especially considering your transparency
Olympus2208
your team is amazing, although I agree with the Kratos comments (derpy) I think you guys release some of the coolest models of all the patreons I join. I dont think you should hold yourselves so heavily accountable especially considering some of the unplanned life things that you mentioned have got in the way recently. I would be more than happy to have less models per release or have following months models pushed back (not backlog) but replace a slot in a following month to allow the required time for some models to get the justice they deserve when your team need more time to complete a project. I dont feel like models for the sake of models is worth it, I know I wouldnt go anywhere if models take more time or the number is less when the timeframe does not allow for them to be released within a specfic month
UÄur GĆ¼ver
We need quality, not quantity. Please keep up with good quality first. I don't care if you release average 5+ models :)
Paul Castle
Sorry for your loss and the stress on your team of the past few months. Sending love, and will continue to support.
Akimotos
All i can say is that i am impressed on multiple levels. I join the club of people who prefer quality over quantity. I am still eyeballing that 'one nobody talks about', the monkey king, and many more... (my wife says too many.) I joined for the art, and great art takes time. Thanks for sharing that long story. Also: My sincere condolences to everyone who has lost someone dear...
Vlad Hellsing
Do what needs to be done, these personal things are important too, or you guys will burn out. Probably do 1 less monthly model and 1 or 2 less bonus model? Lighten up the load even just a little bit, most of us here are also supporting other studios, so it's not like we're running out of models to print and paint. If anything, we're drowning in our boxes of shame. Just let us know the situation, and we'll be here to support.
espresso_shot
I appreciate the transparency. I also agree with others that mentioned that they wouldnāt mind less quantity and that putting out delays for models that need more time (or delayed for artist personal reasons) should be more normal. I love your teamās work and would pay this same monthly price for less models if that means that your team can work regular hours, not be afraid to spend more time on a model, and not be crunching to hit a tight deadline. The quality of the work is excellent, even when it sometimes falls below your expectations. Take care of yourselves where you can. Thanks for the update.
Torrey Sauter
Cut back on the output, at least for a month or two. I'd rather there be fewer, high quality deliverables than a bunch that didn't reach their full potential. I also want all the artists to live healthy lives and enjoy the work they're doing. I don't expect everyone to share this opinion, but I couldn't care less if a model gets pushed to the next month's delivery. Seriously, I'd rather models have a delivery window of "when it's done" than get a set number of models each month. Y'all just take care of yourselves, okay?
Torrey Sauter
Agreed, I have a huge print backlog. I'm perfectly happy to get fewer high quality models than many models that failed to reach their potential
Charente cedric
you have to take the time to do things, no release this month for an artist? it doesn't matter, personally I prefer quality over quantity, and I'm sure we all have more STL than resin and time to print. Szymon can do much better with more time, I'm sure of it! his previous creation was a joy to paint. I thought of something, why, for example not release the bust of the current model this month, and its final version the following month? Don't stress, and sorry about your cat, it's never easy to see a friend disappear after so many years.
Rhyan Allen(@the3dacolyte)
Nothing but love you and your team you have my support.
DeadlyWithABow
Sending love the teamās way! Take the time you need, I think a lot of us arenāt going anywhere any time soon. :) maybe a slight break would be warranted until you all can get back on your feet? My condolences to those who lost some family recently š please donāt stress, this should be a joy for those receiving the models AND making them!
Celestial Voyager
First of all, thank you for sharing all of that with us and my sincere condolences for the losses of Szymon, Katerina and you Des. When it comes to the models, scheduling and issues you mentioned here I can only say this - ever since I joined the Patreon, you guys have been providing only the best of vibes. The model selection on offer has been mind-blowing and often I find myself having a hard time to vote for something because I'd vote for everything on offer. I've been very happy with the models and I even liked Kratos. *shrugs* I think you've been doing a beautiful job. In conclusion - I joined for Vi, but I stayed for the vibes and all the other amazing models. I think that I get great value out of my subscription and I feel it would stay that way even if it would come to a point where you feel that you need to reduce the number of monthly models by a couple in order to keep the quality. More importantly - take all the time you need, I think it would be ok to delay some things if it comes to that as long as you let people know, and please make sure that you guys are ok and feeling well first and foremost. Because a happy team is a productive team that can make the rest of us happy! I can only speak for myself, but I'd rather have a slight reduction in models or delays if it means having you guys with us for the long run instead of burning out. Much love! ā¤ļø
Aaron Logeman
I love your stuff and will continue to support!
talesofsharp
Absolutely reliable, I'm drowning in STL's. Subscribing to any patreon for the first time gives you like instant access to 10-20 models so how does anyone keep up xD
Aria
You're all amazing ā just keep up the great work, and please donāt sacrifice your teamās health for the sake of deadlines. There are many ways to compensate subscribers, but you can never undo damage to your health.
Bort
Honestly, scaling things back to 3 models a month STILL makes the Patreon membership insane value! I'm sure that the vast majority of us would not mind at all if we get a few months of 2-3 high quality models instead of 5+. I dunno about any else, but I still have dozens of models I need to print so getting 5-6 new months each month isn't a huge priority for me.
Juanny
You guys are doing an amazing job! No worries, take the the time needed for healing š„¹š
Michal Grobelski
It might be worth doing a patreon poll to see if people would mind for June models to be moved to July. That would hopefully allow everyone more time for May/July models. Itās not perfect solution but like you know you only have so many hours in a day. And maybe instead of releasing new set of models in June a voucher so people could pick 1 or 2 models from your previous releases.
Dee Marie Wallah
Your candor is inspiring! No issues from me and thank you for sharing your thoughts. That must have been a tough post to write. If it means anything please send my praise to ALL your artists and staff. Love what you all do and thank you for breathing life into everything that you create.
Syn
I honestly do not care if a model is delayed. It takes as long as it takes. If unforseen circumstances mean fewer models for a while I think that should also be understood by subscribers.
Artlear
Not really a master of supportive speeches, but... The whole Bulka team is doing an amazing job and putting all the passion in it. Don't think someone would mind getting less models for the sake of team's wellness (it comes first of course) and model's quality) We all love you š
talesofsharp
Huge hug and love to Szymon, Katerina and you Des for your losses, reading that last paragraph really breaks my heart and I want to express my condolonces to all of you for your losses. As for this post I appreciate your transparency on this matter as I'm sure not many "companies" would do such a statement. You're the first and only studio I subscribed to since the very first months I began with this hobby and it's posts like these that make me feel I made the right choice and keep going. If you need to lower the amount of models per month in exchange to more quality and more importantly to improve work-life balance in the studio, by all means do it. In the end I don't know anyone of you in person, but I can see from your ongoing posts and models that all of you are passionate people who put the very most into their work and if anything can be done to improve your life situations that's fine.
Danny Wijnants
My wife is a writer, so I'm used to readš But more serious: Please be careful with your health, everyone. To speak for myself, I don't mind a few models less per month or models being delayed. It's far more important to have a good and healthy working environment. So please, take some months to release less models to clear delays and such. My condolences to all, and losing your cat pal is just as sad. I wish everyone the best of luck and hopefully better times soon. Take care!
Elusion
Hey, I love what you're doing. Personally, I wouldn't mind moving the current schedule back a month to fix what needs fixing, allow the artists to touch up their work, give those who need it a rest, and come back with a rested mind for the next step. 2-3 models per month to allow for rotation would be good if it allows each artist to be proud of their work. At worst, as compensation for the lost month, a code on the shop for a figurine of their choice or something like that.
Van Hoang
You and nomnom are two teams I appreciate the most in this middle. I don't care about some delay cause you always give us a amazing works . Love ya š
Vincent
You guys are doing a passionate and amazing job! I personally donāt mind some ādelayā (it is out when it is out ^^) or even a few less models. They are absolutely incredible and their quality must be valued. Be strong team šŖ
President_ev1l (Mimic)
Hey Des and Bulka team. The artists life is hard, lord knows I feel it too. Having been a member here now for a couple of years, there is a reason I, like many others have stayed subscribed for so long. Please for all our sakes, take it easy and don't forget the love of the work. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying: fewer models made with love and passion are more important than quantity! Your collective standard and dedication is top tier and people will stay for that. Sorry for your losses and misfortune and love to you all for your continued efforts.
Andrew Ivens
Mate like others I appreciate your honestly and my heart goes out to everyone and please I hope everyone takes the time they need. Iād also like the echo others where maybe looking at less models per month is an option? I personally wouldnāt have an issue with 2 models a month if it means less pressure on you and the team.
Eric Shore
This is just my opinion/preference, which I know will not match a lot of other people's, but do fewer models of you all are drowning. š¤· I think we're getting a lot of value for the sub cost, I don't think I'd even blink if there were one or two less per month. Whatever happens, I wish the best for all of you at Bulkamancer! You all do great work!
3d printer enthusiast
I've been here for a few months now and I love your releases. I can also clearly see the effort you put into taking care of your subscribers as much as possible. I honestly donāt understand how anyone could be rude or disrespectful to such an amazing team. Regarding the delays and the tension you mentioned, I have people working for me and Iāve been in high-pressure environments with insane delivery volumes ā and I truly believe thatās only manageable for short periods of time, and only with very clear goals in mind. Personally, Iād rather see you slow down and release fewer models, as long as that means you can have a better quality of life and craft each piece with care (overload always ends up impacting quality). My contribution is: I love your work and I trust your potential. You can always count on my constructive feedback, and if you ever need to slow down your release pace, Iāll still be here, eagerly waiting for new models. Thank you for everyoneās dedication.
Habiteer Workshop
I'm new here but been following for awhile and as someone who also runs an artistic business totally understand. I joined for a few high quality models, quality over quantity imo so cut back a bit and take it easy
Angela
Lots of love to the team! Thank you for being open about everything that has happened. Perhaps releasing fewer models in such strict time constraints might be better? More time = more quality :) Either way, wishing the best to everyone that has lost someone dear to them these past few months.. <3
Alexander
Upstanding and honest post, completely understand. Could i suggest lowering the amount of models per tier ? This Patreon already screams value, and you can find Patreons who only deliver one or two models each month. I would personally be totally fine not receiving 5 models each months, and only receiver 2-3 model, if it meant less stress and higher quality.
Jose Manuel Perez Polo
No worries at all ā it's completely understandable. Every journey has its ups and downs. We'll make sure to give more constructive feedback going forward, at least from my side. Keep up the great work!
steamworks
dude, losing a pet, especially one that has been with you for so long, is losing family. it's okay to grieve that loss
