Jacques J. D. Nau "l'Olonnaise" by King Derelict - Pegasso - 54 mm

[king derelict]

Just can't leave them alone. Another white metal miniature from Pergaso to provide some light relief if the Derfflinger gets too difficult.

I hadn't a clue who this chap was but I liked the outfit and the pose. It turns out he was a 17th century pirate and was a bad man!

Wikipedia has a full article

François l'Olonnais - Wikipedia

 

A few brief extracts

"According to Alexandre Exquemelin's 1684 account The History of the Buccaneers of America, l'Olonnais' was born in Les Sables-d'Olonne in the France. He first arrived in the Caribbean as an indentured servant during the 1650s. By 1660 his servitude was complete. He began to wander various islands before arriving in Saint-Domingue – in what is now Haiti – and becoming a buccaneer. He preyed upon shipping from the Spanish West Indies and the Spanish Main.

A year or two (dates regarding l'Olonnais are uncertain) into his piratical career, l'Olonnais was shipwrecked near Campeche in Mexico. A party of Spanish soldiers attacked l'Olonnais and his crew, killing almost the entire party. L'Olonnais survived by covering himself in the blood of others and hiding amongst the dead.

After the Spanish departed, l'Olonnais, with the assistance of some escaped slaves, made his way to the island of Tortuga. A short time later, he and his crew held a town hostage, demanding a ransom from its Spanish rulers. The governor of Cuba, Francisco Oregón y Gascón, sent a ship to kill l'Olonnais' party. l'Olonnais captured and beheaded the ship's entire crew save one, whom he spared so that a message could be delivered to Havana: "I shall never henceforward give quarter to any Spaniard whatsoever."

 

"L'Olonnais himself was an expert torturer, and his techniques included slicing portions of flesh off the victim with a sword, burning them alive, or tying knotted "woolding" (rope bound around a ship's mast to strengthen it) around the victim's head until their eyes were forced out."

 

"'He drew his cutlass, and with it cut open the breast of one of those poor Spanish, and pulling out his heart with his sacrilegious hands, began to bite and gnaw it with his teeth, like a ravenous wolf, saying to the rest: I will serve you all alike, if you show me not another way".

 

Not someone you would take home to meet the family.

 

The kit has quite a few parts for a white metal figure and the use of brass pins helps a lot in holding the main parts together while the glue sets. The white metal is quite soft and I broke a number of drill bits because they seemed to bind up in the part and sheer off (leaving the broken piece irretrievably stuck in the piece). I may need to fina a better source of bits for the metal figures.

The base seems to be a wooden deck although the lamp standard isn't immediately recognisable as a shipboard feature.

 

The main elements of the figure have been assembled and the fit is not perfect in a few places and may need to be filled, His upper left body has a gap that needs attention.

Thanks for looking in. 

 

Alan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Old Collingwood]

Im in Alan, another  classic  in the  makes.

 

OC.

[Canute]

I though you had found a Musketeer. 😁 Sounds like quite the pirate. Jacques Lafitte's great grandfather?

[king derelict]

On 12/29/2024 at 3:41 PM, Old Collingwood said:

Im in Alan, another  classic  in the  makes.

 

OC.

Thank you OC. The painting notes pretty much say “whatever colours you like “. I’ll probably stick with blacks and reds

Alan

[king derelict]

8 hours ago, Canute said:

I though you had found a Musketeer. 😁 Sounds like quite the pirate. Jacques Lafitte's great grandfather?

You know Ken, you are right. I think I would rather have D’Artagnan around than this guy. He did come to a suitably sticky end though.

Alan

[Jsk]

Yeah... not a pleasant man! I wonder if he's leaning against a gibbet? If not, I think that would be an appropirate mod.

[king derelict]

On 1/1/2025 at 12:55 PM, Jsk said:

Yeah... not a pleasant man! I wonder if he's leaning against a gibbet? If not, I think that would be an appropirate mod.

The box art shows it holding a lantern but it looks substantial enough for a pirate to dance a Tyburn jig.

[king derelict]

A small update to Jacques the Bad Man. I've been enjoying the Derfflinger build too much and this has only progressed slowly. I sprayed a coat of black primer and then added a directional coat of white. I have seen some figure work where the painter simulates the effect of a focussed light or a fire. I added the white with this in mind. The idea is to have the light on the scaffold (left side as we look at it) be the main light source. I'm not sure whether I can pull it off but I will give it a try. The white coat came out how I wanted it to be.

Thanks for looking in and the likes and comments.

 

Alan

 

[Landlubber Mike]

That looks really well done Alan.  I think the technique is referred to as zenithal highlighting.  Vince Venturella on YouTube is really good to watch for techniques on miniature painting:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-dQU-dSNa8

 

[king derelict]

On 1/19/2025 at 3:16 PM, Landlubber Mike said:

That looks really well done Alan.  I think the technique is referred to as zenithal highlighting.  Vince Venturella on YouTube is really good to watch for techniques on miniature painting:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-dQU-dSNa8

 

Thank you very much Mike. The link is really helpful. I think this is going to be a bit of a challenge but it’s a great figure for the effect if I can make it work 

alan

[king derelict]

Jack is back! Now that the Derfflinger is finished it’s time to get back to work on Jacques. The figure was only temporarily glued in place for the zenith Al air brush shading. He was removed and the wooden structure was painted. I used a couple of thin coats of burnt umber and then dry brushed cork brown to give the wood some grain.

I’m curious about what the base represents. There is a lamp to go onto the left hand arm but it seems to be a bit substantial for just a lamp. The ground / floor is also wooden so is part of a ship. Alternatively is it a gibberish at the end of a pier? Given l’Olonnaise behavior that doesn’t seem completely inappropriate.

Also, I’m trying to work out what is at the bottom of the post, some sort of cloth. And the rectangle at upper right?

The figure has been reattached to the base and I’ve started the basic washes on the figure and I’m trying to keep the unlit side of the figure subdued.

This is as relaxing as always. I completely forgot that I was supposed to be scrubbing the grout lines on the bathroom floor.

Thanks for looking in and for the likes and comments 

Alan

 

 

 

[king derelict]

I continued adding washes to the pants and tunic. I’m using a darker grey on the right side and light grey instead of ivory for the tunic slashes to try to maintain a darker cast to the unlit side.

 boots have been painted in saddle brown and then polished lightly to add some shine and also let some of the black primer through to show wear. I’m quite pleased with them.  The golden hemming and sash fringes are good painted on orange, it seems to look less metallic like that.

Hair is black and will get a light gloss added. The eyes have been touched with off white on the left and pale grey on the right. The face will be tomorrows challenge.

So far this is proving very nice to paint.

Some shine on the cloak will need to be addressed and I’m still not sure I like the grey for the tunic.

Thanks for looking in and for the likes

Alan

 

 

[king derelict]

I’ve been working on the face, trying to get a somewhat nasty cast to Jacques features. Unfortunately I think his hat will obscure quite a bit but I’m fairly happy with how it turned out.

I’ve added some gloss to his hair using a stiff bristle brush apply it on the high points of his curls. Matte varnish has been painted on his cloak and it looks considerably better. 
I've started painting the accessories which are going to be interesting. The lantern and the flask are going to require giving the illusion of glass and for the lantern also the illusion of light. New challenges.

I’ve started fiddling with whatever it is that’s lying at the base of the post. I used ivory for the cloth, sail or flag, or even curtains. The cylinder looks wooden so I’ll paint it in a similar way to the base.

Thanks for looking in and the likes.

alan

 

 

[Jsk]

l'Olonnaise is looking seriously moody, there. Just wondering what type of heinous act he's contemplating.

 

Looking good, though.

[Old Collingwood]

Excellent work Alan,   your range  of  shading and  colours  looks  Really nice mate.

 

OC.

[king derelict]

On 2/20/2025 at 3:27 PM, Jsk said:

l'Olonnaise is looking seriously moody, there. Just wondering what type of heinous act he's contemplating.

 

Looking good, though.

Thank you very much Jeff. Whatever he is planning I somehow doubt it’s the orphans summer picnic.

alan

[king derelict]

23 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

Excellent work Alan,   your range  of  shading and  colours  looks  Really nice mate.

 

OC.

Thank you very much OC. I’m still trying to darken the colors as they transition from the lighted side. I used off white for the left iris and pale grey for the right. I’m not sure if it’s all going to make a difference though.

alan

[king derelict]

Ive started adding bits and working on the accessories. The wine flask and the lamp have been given some basic coloring.

The trick now is to see if I can make it look like glass and lit in the case of the lamp. I’m hoping that yellow and white shading will work for the lamp and some lighter brown on the flask and then gloss finish on both.

Jacques now has forearms and hands. His left hand doesn’t want to match perfectly so a little putty will be needed, otherwise it assembled well. I decided that the white metal rapier needed to be replaced. It is too flat and wide and it also doesn’t hold the curve I want. So I cut and filed it off and I plan to use suitable brass rod in its place. I’m not really sure about the context of the rapier. I think I would have preferred something with an edge like a saber or cutlass but rapiers do seem a firm favorite for swashbuckling and it never slowed Zorro down. Making that Z with a saber would be messy too.

The hat make the the man as they say and he just looks more suspect.

Thanks for looking in, the likes and kind comments.

Alan

 

 

 

[Old Collingwood]

Excellent work Alan.

 

OC.