Papa Jambo Part 1: Dickheads on the Internet

Last night I put the finishing touches on my Kraken model for the moment, and was looking around my stuff I have to paint shelf for something to start next.  I am waiting on PP Replacement Parts to deliver a missing piece from the Haley3 commission I am working on, and as I am airbrushing a lot of the models I dont want to have a section that looks potentially different to the other areas.

So I pulled out Papa Jambo.  I hadn't planned on painting him yet, but I genuinely felt like painting a bust, something I didn't need to create an elaborate base for (not that I dislike making bases, but sometimes it is nice to just pick a model up and start painting).  I am still not feeling up to trying Daenerys again, so he was the only other bust I had.

I didn't want to paint him yet because I absolutely adore the model, and really truly want to do it justice.  But I was feeling inspired, and as an artist of sorts I love when I have creative energy to use.  At the moment my painting is all about doing things for myself.  I am creating pieces of work that I feel almost could be called artwork  I truly believe the miniature painting field is art, and especially when you see some of the incredible work out there I really respect that and feel that way.  I haven't really felt like an artist in that sense yet, although the Gnomes For Hire piece I did was one that started the ball rolling.

So knowing that, I posted up my first WIPs of this model.

This is my rough airbrush work to create some interesting volumes with. I didn't have a clear idea at this point but I was heavily inspired by this piece: Papa Jambo by David Arroba.  The lighting is incredible and highlights the beautiful textures of the face.

At this point in our story, a Twitter follower enters the mix. Let's call him Captain Fuckknecht.  I recently posted my appreciation to all my Twitter followers for the support and encouragement they've given me over the last few months in my journey in trying to improve as a painter.  I am genuinely humbled, and the responses I get encourages me to post more pictures, to hopefully inspire others as well as keep myself motivated.

Captain Fuckknecht has posted a lot of very strange, sometimes rude responses to my Tweets in the past, including bagging out some work I did on some Mortician bases, calling them dioramas and saying he would refuse to play against them, despite one of the creators of Guild Ball saying he loved the bases and they would be allowed in every tournament...  however this is the first time I've actually been annoyed at something he has posted.

After Tweeting this WIP shot of Papa, Fuckknecht decided that he would criticise my methods of doing my hobby. Suggesting I start a lot of projects and then move on to other things prematurely.  Before I address those points, lets just have a quick eyeball at 2 months work for the big man:

Yes, lots of finished projects in there, I am sure you will all agree.  I have a few projects I've stalled on but overall I'm very happy with how I am working.  So when the Cap criticised my working method, me, being the very level headed and not offensive person that I am, I called Captain Fuckknecht out on his bullshittery.  He proceeded to block me, and then posted this to his 32 Twitter followers:

This amused me no end.  The main reason I was amused is that he highlighted the fact that I am nothing but a foul mouthed fool...  Yes. I am.  All of those things.  However I have never pretended to be anything but that... LOL.  I dislike being called disingenious because the one thing I pride myself on is that I am the same online as I am in person.  I call people out, I swear, I happily bust chops and act like a foul mouthed fool.  That is GENUINELY who I am.

Anyway, this whole post is basically to say this: I am genuinely appreciative of feedback, positive or negative. But this is MY hobby I post about, not someone else's. I don't exist to pander to other people and their perceptions of what I should or should not do.  I am going to continue to create and paint and enjoy on my terms, not some random Fuckknecht on the internet telling me I am not achieving enough.  Call my work terrible, highlight flaws to your hearts content. I appreciate that more than the "THIS IS AMAZING" posts, because I know I have so far to go and the only way to improve is to recognise my mistakes and learn from them.



After sleeping on it, and spending the morning being constantly bemused at the sheer idiocy and entitlement of some people, I returned to Jambo with a vengeance!

This was after some basic brushwork creating a bit more contrast, and obviously putting the colour in the eyes.  I worked with Vallejo Game Air Scorpion Green and VMC Flat Green mixed together, with VMC Dark Sea Blue and P3 Coal Black as the shading.  

Here is the next stage, I've painted the dreadlocks black so I can see the colours of the face in isolation.  I added GW Khorne Red into that skin colour mixture and used that to paint the lips. I highlighted with VMC Pale Sand.  The nose is VMC Royal Purple shaded into the skin colour.  The eyes are done in yellow with that same purple iris.

I was really struggling with an idea for the colour of the hat. I didn't want it to detract from the vibrancy of the skin, but I also didn't want it to take the focus off it.  I went with VMC Flat Blue mixed in with some P3 dark blue colour whose name I can't remember. Shaded with Dark Sea Blue as well.  The brown is a few different browns, some from Scale 75 and VMC. I used Dark Sea Blue again to shade it an keep the dark tone similar. It actually made the leather pop a lot with that blue in the shadows.

Here is where he is at now!  I worked on the blue a little more, and painted teeth and bones with the basecoats.  I also painted his shirt in a teal colour (VMC Blue Green) and shaded it with some Armour Brown and a bit of DSB.

I want him to be ultra saturated, brighter than the last few pieces I've done. I want to push myself really hard to try and make him the best model I have painted yet, and I think the signs are positive so far.  It feels really easy, like it is all coming together.



I am hoping the commission pieces will turn up tomorrow so I will paint a bit more tonight on Papa and then he will get shelved for a while!  I am not going to rush him, I want him to be perfect!

Cheers
Trent