Introduction to YKS Miniatures
Australian game studios collapsed, leaving Ben Southall with professional 3D modeling skills and no employer. He refused to stop creating. He started designing miniatures to keep his character art abilities sharp while indie projects stalled. The side project was practical and personal. It quickly found an audience. Patreon supporters wanted more. Commissions followed. Convention sales revealed a larger market: tabletop gamers who wanted finished resin prints but no interest in learning 3D printing.
Most creators choose digital STL sales or physical production. Ben built both. His game-dev background helped him manage complete pipelines. He designs from original mythology research rather than tabletop conventions. This produces creatures that stand apart from standard TTRPG fare.
YKS Miniatures Interview: Insights from Ben Southall
How did YKS Miniatures come to life?
Was there a “lightbulb moment” when you thought, I’m going to print and design miniatures for a living?
Originally I have a background in game development as a character artist, unfortunately many years ago the majority of studios in Australia shut down. I spent a few years working together with old colleagues on indie game projects but ultimately they would all hit roadblocks and end with nothing to show for it so I started designing miniatures as my own side project (that wouldn’t end from outside circumstances) to maintain the skills I’d learnt and give myself a space to just create without all the technical requirements of game development.
It all kind of blew up from there, people loved the designs which lead to starting a Patreon and that’s when it clicked that doing this for living would be possible!
What’s your inspiration?
Your designs often feature detailed takes on classic monsters and creatures from mythology. What draws you to reinterpret these iconic creatures, and how do you infuse your unique style into them?
Having grown up on more traditional mythology and not the TTRPG side of the fantasy world I have a bit of a unique perspective. I haven’t come across many of the creatures before so I have no prior knowledge or any pre-conceived ideas about what they “should” be. As I start a new design, I research the creature’s lore to see what aspects catch my attention and I often find the descriptions don’t match the visual representation which is where the inspiration takes over to design something that makes sense (to me) within the creature’s lore.
How has YKS Miniatures grown or evolved over the years?
What factors or strategies have helped you achieve that growth?
Our biggest evolution was moving into the physical space instead of just focusing on digital STL creation. We exhibit at many gaming and pop culture events throughout the year which allows us to get our miniatures out in front of the gaming community. 3D Printing is still a fairly niche hobby, not many people have access to it so a digital only approach misses a lot of the community we ultimately design for.
What’s the trickiest miniature you’ve ever printed?
How did you solve it?
That’s a hard one! Supports have come a long way so what was once a difficult print a few years ago is no longer a problem. As far as tricky designs go it would have to be my swarm of bats, it’s only a small mini but making it look like a natural swarm while also having the bats posed to hold each other up was quite a challenge.
What made you choose AmeraLabs resin?
How has it impacted the quality and durability of your prints?
First of all was the level of durability, having fully playable prints that can be handled without worry has greatly improved my product. Secondly it makes the prints look amazing! It holds detail extremely well and shows it off beautifully, I’ve even had returning customers ask if I’d updated the sculpts because they look so good.
Do you have a pro tip for other miniature makers?
Rinse your prints in warm water for flawless support removal. Here’s how I do it:
- Step 1. Initial wash in IPA, which I let air dry completely.
- Step 2. For support removal I briefly run the print under warm water (or you could dunk it in a bowl of warm water), this softens the tips just enough to detach flawlessly.
- Step 3. Let the prints air dry again before final curing
Conclusion
Most miniature designers draw from tabletop gaming traditions and create what gamers expect. Ben starts with original mythology and builds creatures that match the written lore, especially when visual traditions drift from the source. This commitment makes YKS Miniatures work stand out.
The dual-channel approach reaches everyone: digital STLs for home printers and physical prints at conventions for gamers who want quality miniatures without a resin printer.
Material choice matters in real play. Miniatures get handled, dropped, and tossed into bags every session. AmeraLabs TGM-7 resin delivers durability that survives gameplay while revealing fine details sharply. Returning customers have asked if sculpts were updated when the resin simply shows existing detail better.
YKS Miniatures grew by solving real problems systematically: keeping skills alive when studios vanished, designing creatures true to myths, and delivering physical prints to gamers who could not produce them.
Huge thanks to Ben Southall – Owner/Designer/Printer of YKS Miniatures for sharing his insights with us.
Follow YKS Miniatures on Instagram: @yksminiatures and visit their website.
Join their Patreon for the latest STL files and releases.
Want gameplay-ready physical minis printed in premium AmeraLabs TGM-7 resin? Check their shop for ready-to-ship prints.
Happy printing!
