One of the larger figures finished off this week. Jiemba is one that I have dying to paint up as I just love the model. Obviously not a native to the UK the Platypus Hunter is one of the 'Rare' species in Burrows and Badgers meaning you can only have one of his type in a warband.
I am told that there will be an new profile for him out at some point. The Hunter will feature as a Freelancer. A sort of hired mercenary in the game but this will be once they are updated from the first edition of the game.
This is Jiemba or 'Laughing Star' as it translates in Wiradjuri. Armed with his trusty Bargan and Birrung (Boomerang and club) he stalks and tracks many creatures down in Northymbra before bringing them down with his trusty but simple weapons.
The Platypus hunter comes across as very tribal and natural looking so didn't want to use any bright colours. I had a look at various Platypus skin colours and went for a mid brown for the main fur so that the other items might stand out a bit more. I looked up loads of Australian Aboriginal body paints, weapons and such for ideas seeing as it is the Platypus's native country. It quite surprised me how irregular in shape the boomerangs used by the Aboriginal people were the one modelled on the figure is one used for hunting and is more an L shape. Rather just painting the Birang a flat wood colour I had a look at some traditional Aboriginal weapons on google and spotted a nice orange and red feather type patter which I tried to duplicate.
I added a bit of face paint to add a spot of colour to his bill . Just some simple dots to tie him in that little bit more with the theme. Jiemba's Fur skin cloak (Possum skin apparently) I decorated on the inside with some primitive looking animals rather than leaving it just areas's of flat colour this was more mimicking the studio paint job that was done on him