The yamabushi were an ascetic group of Buddhist monks (with some elements of Tao and Shinto.) They would often be found wandering the mountains. To announce themselves, they would blow a conch horn (seen bound in brown netting). And when they needed to rest, they would simply find a rock and have a seat; the small animal hide worn behind served as a cushion. Yamabushi could be found in many of the armies during the Sengoku period, and also fought alongside the Ikko-Ikki.
This mini has a lot of different things going on, so it was a challenge to paint. But the patience pays off. The most difficult part was the area around the chest which has the little (green) poms, the conch horn strap, and some bows all vying for a little space. OK, those elements aren't THAT tightly packed but they were a challenge for me.
In the end, it's nice to have a figure that you just don't see in other ranges. If you get one, the bo staff is a separate piece; I replaced my bo with a length of brass rod. And it's difficult to see in these pics, but he is wearing wooden geta sandals.
Very nicely done mate, impressive brushwork!
ReplyDeleteGreat work, beauty painting!
ReplyDeleteThat is a very pretty figure. These new sculpts are coming out great!
ReplyDeleteOn a separate note: I don't know whether you've received one or not, nor will I be offended if you choose not to go through the whole process of posting about it, but I've nominated you for a Liebster Award. Here's the link: http://mdarrow.blogspot.com/2014/04/my-eleven-minutes-in-light.html
Cheers!