MV Challenge 2020: Winners!

by Roman aka jar

 Hey Jungle,

finally it is time to reveal the winners of the MV Challenge 2020.
It is about time. Thank you all for your patience.

Judging the last 10 entries who made the second cut was a hard, almost impossible task
for the MV Team.

All of these entries are great in aspects of creativity, execution, storytelling and by their idea. All of these 10 do deserve a medal, unfortanetely we only can give aways three: Bronze, Silver, Gold. When we started this challenge we did not expect 271 entries dropping in. Again we want to thank you all for making this Challenge an awesome success for everyone involved.

Applause and congratulations to the winners!!
Please contact Roman with your postal adress to see your prizes delivered to you in the next couple of weeks via jarhead(at)massivevoodoo(dot)com



_____________________________________________________________________

Gold Medal:
Alexey Kazakov


Alexey managed to fascinate the judges with this idea, that was unique in all of the challenge entries. Creating a full negative world in setup and color that you can actually put into negative and it still works. We are speechless.


Using a reverse color photo filter on this project makes this magic happen:






_____________________________________________________________________

Silver Medal:
Andreu Inigo Marti


Andreu convinced the judges with this scene that has so much visual impact, clarity and composition. Technicly so well done it presents the tiny traveller in endless space adventure, while you can actually feel the burning stars falling down.






_____________________________________________________________________

Bronze Medal:
Andreas Peetz


Andreas convinced the judges with a topic that was often seen in the challenge: A kid dreaming about space. This was in our eyes the best execution in terms of detail, technical aspects and beauty.













_____________________________________________________________________

Applause and congratulations to the winners!!
Please contact Roman with your postal adress to see your prizes delivered to you in the next couple of weeks via jarhead(at)massivevoodoo(dot)com

Again,
we want to thank everyone who was part of this challenge. You made it absolutely beautiful to browse the gallery and see the tiny astronauts travel beyond everyone's imagination. All of you are winners as we all together presented the what the heart about this hobby is: Joy, fun and creativity!

Do not forget to share the full gallery all over the places:

Full gallery!

  

_____________________________________________________________________________
You want to support Massive Voodoo? 
If you like to support or say thanks the monkeys of Massive Voodoo in what they do, please feel invited to drop a jungle donation in their direction via paypal or check their miniatures they got on sale here.
_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Daniele interviews Patrick Masson

by Daniele "Found" Trovato

Interviews of the Sculptors Legend #6

Daniele Found interviews

Patrick Masson

Our sites:

Found Miniatures (Daniele Trovato)
Artik Toys (Patrick Masson)



I'm super happy to make this interview.
Firstly because Patrick is a super talented artist and man, but especially because his experience is very useful for all artists and sculptors.

We can learn a lot from him, from his thouths, his words, and also some very interesting and unique technical answers

A very unique interview with a very and unique person and artist.

Enjoy :-)

Daniele



Good times with (from left) Claudio Casini, Patrick Masson, Me, Stephane Camosseto, Valentin Zak


ps. sorry for the echo effect voice of Patrick, 

some technical problems while I'm recording it






The interview

DANIELE
PATRICK




I started this interview series to help the community, because compared to traditional sculpture, miniatures sculpture is a small niche, and you don't always find the information to do everything.
When I try to explain it to people it's hard to explain what your job is.
How do you explain it to people "what is your job"?

I start by saying that I am a sculptor and then I simply explain that I sculpt "small sculptures" (laughs)

Last year in Monte San Savino, I discovered that you've 3 children. Right?

Yes exactly.

Ok it's an embarrassing time. How old are you?? (laughs)
You are 25 right?

(Laughs) 25 would be fine
I am 44 years old now.

ok, tell us what is your secret?Sculpting?

(laughs) I don't know!
I think it's something in my family, in genetics.

A genetic thing?

Yes, my mother, my father, are the same.

Ok let's start. What did you study before becoming a sculptor?

I studied Mechanical Engineering.

Like Roman (Van Den Bogaert see interview here) who left the university after his university career.Many artists have done the same thing.

I worked 10 years as a mechanical engineer

When did you think, "I want my job to be sculpting something"?


Well, I started playing with polymer clay when I was 15. And I had fun, and I started making gifts for my family and friends.

How many years ago?

Well about 29 years ago. While I was in college, I played with some modeling clay. The play doh.

But was it a hobby?

Yes sureBut when I discovered the polymer clay it was much easier because you can work it, and then you put it in the oven.
Yes, while I was studying, I sculpted as a hobby, but when I started working I didn't have much time to sculpt.

 What year did you graduate?

I believe in 1998

And did you start sculpting after college?

No, I started working as an engineer, nothing else in Paris.
I've done some small commissions for a small company

How did you manage to get commissions, since you didn't sculpt during college?

I was in Paris at that time and went to a big gaming exhibition and convention and other stuff, (Fenryll) And I brought some sculptures that I had made from pictures or other things that I liked. And they asked me if I could sculpt something for them and then I sculpted the first 32mm miniature
I think it was bad, but it was enough at that time. Then I made 3 little dragons.

So you were an engineer by day and a sculptor by afternoon?

No, in the night I was a sculptor :-)
Yes, but I only made 3 pieces in a year.

But it wasn't your job at the time.
But it wasn't an action you were doing for the money, right? It was passion

No, I did it because I liked it
Then I moved to Belgium, again as an engineer. And I continued in my free time to sculpt things from pictures and photos that I liked.Then for personal reasons, I quit my job, for other reasons.
It was a bit of a weird time in my life.

Was there any problem with your job as an engineer?

No, it was the distance. I drove 4 hours every day to work. 2 on the way out and 2 on the way back. I was completely crazy.


Oh, it wasn't just a good life

Yes exactly! So I started looking for work as an engineer and also as a sculptor, because those were the two things I knew how to do.Unfortunately, I was not yet ready as a sculptor and went back to being an engineer.

And then you had a family!

Yes, indeed!

It was the safest way.

Sure, it was.

I went back to being an engineer and I did it for another 8 years.


At that time I stopped sculpting

Didn't you miss sculpting?

Yes, but I was very busy with my work so I didn't think about it.
I had other priorities at the time.
After a few years the work as an engineer did not go very well, and a lot of things went wrong.I was very frustrated, and going to work became a nightmare.§
I marked each day on the calendar to go to work.
And it was around that time that I resumed sculpting something.
I was not very aware. I wanted to sculpt for fun.
And that's how I discovered other artists doing what I did, going to competitions and shows.
Then I went to my first sculpture competition and brought my sculpture (show it in the video).
This sculpture I made for the competition, to try.
Actually it wasn't the first, the first was the rabbit (show the sculpture in the video), very different and in cartoon style.

When did you decide to permanently quit your job as an engineer?

2011 but first I started working as a "seriously" sculptor. After the competition, I had a big impact on the community and so I started to make myself known. And I got a lot of important feedback.

Then I started taking commissions while I was an engineer and tried to find time to be an engineer and a sculptor.

But at some point I was tight, I couldn't do both things correctly

But at some point I was tight, I couldn't do both. I had to deviate. 
"Fortunately" the company wanted to reduce staff and so I took advantage of that.


Are you sorry for the decision?

No, it was good for me and my family

Do you think it is difficult to work as a sculptor today?

It's a tough question. Everyone told me I was crazy when I made that decision. Everyone went against me.
then I took my first commission for Cool Mini or Not (they had another name at the time) and I work with them as well.
I've always worked with them.

You got on the ship at the correct time.

Yes, it seems so.


Even today you work a lot for them (CMON)

Yes sure.

Have you ever thought of stopping taking commissions and dedicating yourself only to your brand?

No. Maybe because I don't think I'm very good as a concept designer and ideas. I sculpt other people's things, but I'm not a character designer. Plus the pieces I sell don't sell much. And I didn't get much money out of that.

You feel safer working with commissions.

Yes, I feel safer. It's a question of money.
It is logical, I look for the best solution for money and to earn.

How many pieces have you sculpted?

I think about 200.

Are you totally self-taught?

Yes, totally.

Have you never studied art?

No. I have done several courses and workshops with Philippe Faraut.

I love him he is a great teacher. Any advice from him?

The advice is to use the same modeling clay to make something, then destroy, and do it all over again.

why?



Because if you sculpt a face 30 times, the thirtieth is always the best. The more you do it, the better you get.
Practice makes perfect.

But if you spend 1 hour doing something and then destroy it, it looks like you have lost 1 hour.

The more you practice, the better you become.

Do you have a daily routine to work?
Is there anything you do every day?

Not really, because I have a lot of commissions and it is difficult to make a routine.

Do you always work on one project or do you work on different projects at the same time?

I normally work each sculpture 1 to 1.
The only pieces I do in parallel are my own sculptures. I never mix commissions with personal work.



How long does it usually take to complete a sculpture?

Difficult to answer, it depends on the complexity of the piece. Time for sculpting a piece is more 20-30 hours for a 35mm scale.  54mm normally more.

Do you count the working hours for each sculpture?

Yes
Because it's a job and I have to be pragmatic. So I have to count how much time I need to do a job.
It's a good thing if you work with this.
At the time, counting hours was a way to be efficient and compare my work with that of an engineer.

Yes, I got it, When you have a concept or a drawing, you analyze it and imagine how many hours of work you could need to sculpt it.
What is your hourly rate?

It is around € 35-45. 14-15 was the rate I tried to reach when I started.

Most are between € 15-20

Yes, normally yes.

How many hours do you work a day?

Usually 5-6 hours of "actual" sculpture. But I spend 10 hours at my desk working on everything else, promotions, marketing, customers, etc ...

Do you prefer to work in the morning or in the afternoon?

Afternoon. I'm much more awake in the afternoon.

I would like to change and work in the morning but I'm trying.

Do you have a hobby outside of work?

Not particularly. I like to play sports when I can.
Sculpture is not a hobby. It's a job, and this is why it makes it difficult for me to work on personal projects.

Question: Do you happen to wake up in the morning and say to yourself "I don't want to sculpt today"

Yes sure! But it's the job and I have to meet deadlines. This is how it works.
Sometimes you are in a bad mood, but it's your job, it's not a game. You understand that I don't want to.

Tell me 3 sculptors you admire.

Yeah, the first is Bernini. When I saw some pieces in Rome I felt like crying. He was from another world. Incredible shapes.
The second is Remy Tremblay, he is a great sculptor. One of the best. The third, I would like to say Jacques Alexandre Gillois (Jag).

I have nothing to say about JAG. Is the best.
Whenever I ask someone who is the best miniature sculptor in the world, everyone replies Jag, I don't understand why.

Because it's the best (laughs).

Each piece of Jag seems to be sculpted in 3D.

Everything in his pieces has a motive; nothing is put by chance.
He is the only one who asks you "how did he do it?".

He uses the same material, which is FIMO + MixQuick, if I remember correctly.

Yes exactly.

Do you only use FIMO?

Yes, only. Sometimes the Magic Sculpt.

I saw you did something in 3D. Are you planning to completely move your work to 3d?

No

Do you prefer to use your hands?

Maybe for work it would be better to change, but I feel better using my hands.

Do you think all companies will move to 3d or will there always be room for traditional sculpture?

Difficult to answer. I wonder too.

The problem is that many sculptors started working with Zbrush without ever touching traditional sculpture.


Yes exactly.

It's weird because it's like you learn to draw with photoshop but you've never used a pencil. It's weird.
When I see one of your pieces, I immediately notice that you have a sense of "matter" in your head. Your experience.
You only change the medium, but you remain a sculptor.
Many look like digital artists, but they are not sculptors.

Exactly. It is sure that if you are a good traditional sculptor you will also be digital, not the other way around.
It is not a quick process. It can be done, but it's not fast.

I prefer the traditional because I feel safer.



In 3D you have "UNDO". and you can go back whenever you want.

Exact! In traditional there is not. You have to destroy and redo.
I honestly don't want to do miniatures in digital

Do you have any advice for those who want to start?

Practice practical practice. Is the most important thing. The only thing you can do is practice. The more you practice the more you learn, there is no secret formula.



Thank you very much to Patrick to his time. So fun with him. 
Daniele

 Link and resources:



_____________________________________________________________________________


Massive Voodoo is FREE for you!
But WE work A LOT to create valuable contents 
Support NOW Massive Voodoo!

If you like to support or say thanks the monkeys of Massive Voodoo in what they do, please feel invited to drop a jungle donation in their direction via paypal or check their miniatures they got on sale here.
_____________________________________________________________________________

MV Challenge 2020 - The final round!

by Roman aka jar

 Hey everyone!

You might have seen that we are now in the final round of judging the MV Challenge 2020.

Last Friday the MV Team meet up for the final judging via Skype and we did find the winners. We will show them to you in the next couple of days, but before we would like to celebrate all entries again and espcially the ones who made the final cut - The following entries made the second cut and all of them do deserve a medal. It was a hard task to find the ones who will recieve them:













Make sure to stay tuned as the winners will be revealed at the end of this week!

MV Challenge 2020 Post: Second Cut
MV Challenge 2020 Post: First Cut, Fan Award, Random Prize Pool

Read you soon!

_______________________________________________________________________________
You want to support Massive Voodoo? 
If you like to support or say thanks the monkeys of Massive Voodoo in what they do, please feel invited to drop a jungle donation in their direction via paypal or check their miniatures they got on sale here.
_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Welcome 2021!

by Roman aka jar

 Aloa Jungle!

Welcome to 2021! A fresh new year!
We hope you arrived safe and sound in the new year and we thank you for your patience on us.


The jungle has been quiet for some days now.
Several reasons: The silence and calm of Christmas, the switch into the new year, a pandemic that keeps its grip thight, I (Roman) was moving flats during this lockdown with not even a handful of friends due the lockdown rules and to be honest I am just starting to look out of my rabbit hole today. I am exhausted and settle in and arrive at the flat slowly.

We hope you are all healthy and take good care of you, your loved ones and on everybody else during this pandemic. Of course we all wished for that we could have left the Covid-19 in 2020 and were all surprised that it is still there, even with more aggressive mutations and so on. We all hoped for being back at normal in our lifes with this fresh start in 2021, but it is what it is, right? 

I will return back to normal email work and all soon, but also got the next months covered with building up a new studio place at home whilst the old studio remains until this is done to be able to coach my students. And yes I am already exhausted :D

WORKSHOPS, PRIVATE COACHING, EVENTS
Again this year it seems all plans rely on the pandemic and its restrictions. Right now I got several private coachings lined up. No large group workshops are planned at all as I still got to announce those which were postponed last year. Without further relief from pandemic restrictions it does not make sense to speak nor plan them at the moment.


MV CHALLENGE 2020
I will soon play the jungle drums to call all the MV-Team together for finally judging the final winners of the challenge. Thank you all for your patience on this.

We will keep you informed!

Keep on happy painting!
Roman

_______________________________________________________________________________
You want to support Massive Voodoo? 
If you like to support or say thanks the monkeys of Massive Voodoo in what they do, please feel invited to drop a jungle donation in their direction via paypal or check their miniatures they got on sale here.
_______________________________________________________________________________