Now that The Sacking of Panama is complete, I'm moving on to my nest project.
Napoleon from Scale Collectables, as portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in the
forthcoming film Napoleon.

I'll also be entering it in "The Not Tonight Josephine" challenge.
At this stage I've selected a base, and following the photos its been primed
ready for painting.


Please click on the thumbnail for a larger image.
I'll be using the photo from the film as a guide.

Malc

Great base Malc, really adds a lot to the appearance

Have fun with this one Malc,let's go

Hi Malc, this will be fun to watch and may sway me as I'm humming and harring about this as I've never painted a bust to completion before.

Cheers Simon

Be swayed, be swayed, you won't regret it.

Malc

I'm normally terrible when start a new kit, far to eager to splash the paint on, rather than being disciplined.
and get some basics done first.
So today I behaved myself and got some of the basics done.

I began by blocking out the felt section of the hat, black for the areas in shadow and dark grey for the rest.
On the torso, the inside of the collar has been painted a deep red, and the under cuts and the folds on the neck scarf painted black.
The hardest part for me was the eyes, something I struggle with, as keeping my hands steady is an issue.
However I'm quite pleased with how they've turned.
I've put the bust together purely for the photo, as there are areas I want to paint and detail for cementing in position.


please click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

Malc

Well creepy, bright eyes in a gray face, they look pretty good though. I'm seriously tempted.

Cheers Simon

yes, he certainly does look creepy.

Malc

Before I go any further, I should mention, this is a 1/8th scale bust, and that I painted the eyes green to match the actors own eye colour.
A little progress this morning. The lacing around the hat has been blocked out with Vallejo Yellow Ochre, followed with a few shadows in a darker shade.
I then switched to oils, using a mix of Old Holland Golden Ochre and Burnt Umber, this was thinned down to a watery consistency
and brushed over the lace to flow into the recesses of the pattern, and also add some vibrancy to the colour.
I'll leave this to dry out and then start picking out the detail.


Please click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

Malc

Nice, once the highlights are there that'll be some good gold lace. Not sure which is the easiest NMM in oils or acrylic, either gonna look good at that size.

Cheers Simon

Great subject, Malc, excellent kick off to another beauty! They eyes look great, always a tough spot for me too.

Ruck On, Bby!

Very nice bust! And great beginning!!! Also the wooden base fit very well with the bust!!!

After some advice from my fellow club members, I'm taking a different approach to the lacing on the bicorne, so I'll be posting updates on that in a few days.
In the meantime I've made a start on the face.

After building up the flesh basecoat. I applied some under painting with Vallejo burnt red.
I've got some of the basic detail in place, and I'm trying not to overdo the shadows and highlights.
apologies for the photos as they show the highlights to be quite prominent.
Hopefully when my new lamp arrives, the photography will improve.
At think point, I'm thinking a little more contrast and some tidying up is in order.



please click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

Malc

The face is looking really good Malc, looking forward to it's next phase and the alternate lace method.

Cheers Simon

Great work on the face, contrasts actually look spot on to me.
Your comment about the prominent highlights is right, they are not too strong but they are too clearly edged. You could stipple or glaze that out without problem. To me the face looks very "chalky" and needs some warm filters to bring colour and shine back to the skin.
He is looking really good.

Thanks Rob, you've given me an idea.

Malc