YouTube artist Ninjon on the long road to his first Golden Demon win

Jon “Ninjon” Ninas is a profitable YouTuber, well-known by each the algorithm and the pastime group as a superb and thrilling painter and presenter. As of final month, he’s additionally a Golden Demon winner, having taken dwelling the bronze award within the Unit or Warcry Warband class at AdeptiCon 2024. This was Ninas’ third time getting into the distinguished contest sponsored by Video games Workshop, however solely his first medal win up to now.

Polygon spoke with him from his dwelling studio in Minnesota to be taught extra about his work, his course of, and the jaw-dropping scene that he created for the competition. Our interview has been frivolously edited for readability and brevity.

Polygon: The final couple of years, I’ve visited AdeptiCon and spent numerous time there. I wasn’t in a position to make the journey this yr, however your piece jumped out at me. I’ve truly realized so much from watching you over the past couple of years — you and Scott “Miniac” Walter as effectively. However I believe, like numerous people, my very own journey began with presenters like Duncan Rhodes. You’re doing issues far more dynamically, and I believe that’s actually attention-grabbing. How did you get into this line of labor?

Jon Ninas: I had labored in well being care communications and advertising and marketing for over a decade. When COVID hit, you had all of the sudden had a bunch extra time at dwelling. I’d all the time considered doing a YouTube channel and I made a decision now was the time. Normally if I do a factor I’m completely invested. I attempt to do as finest I can. And that’s how I approached YouTube as effectively. That stated, perhaps you wouldn’t know that from watching my movies. I take it fairly lighthearted there. It’s as a lot about having enjoyable and simply goofing round with the factor that we do, which is paint little toy troopers and push ’em across the desk. So if we’re having enjoyable, then perhaps you’ll truly be taught a few issues.

If I can simply ease that on-ramp to get you to color one night time per week, or a few nights per week, or half-hour per week, after which to exit and see what excites you so perhaps you need to do it once more quickly, then I think about {that a} victory.

Photograph: Jon Ninas

I need to discuss particularly about your submission this yr. How did you conceive of this explicit scene?

That is virtually type of like a bizarre, old-timey household portrait the place it’s a bunch of type of come-together, ragtag defenders of a ruined metropolis wall defying these which are making an attempt to kill their households inside.

They’re there collectively of their military’s colours, however very vaguely. None of them seem like they have been a part of the identical regiment, and even have the identical talent set. I believe that’s what actually excited me, is to attempt to pull them collectively by means of extra delicate makes use of of colour and atmosphere of the scene, however nonetheless make every one of many figures a definite character. You have a look at them and you may see that they they every have their very own story, however collectively they’re making an attempt to mount a final protection.

Photograph: Jon Ninas

While you sat right down to design this scene, have been you working simply from a boxed set of miniatures? Have been you working with pen and paper? Have been you mocking issues up in Photoshop? What did you do earlier than you began placing all of it collectively?

Once I was slightly child, after I wished to develop up I wished to be a comic book ebook artist. I spent a lot of my time from in regards to the third or fourth grade drawing in school as an alternative of paying consideration. I received fairly good at Wolverine, [but for] a big part of my life — principally by means of most of my 20s and into my 30s — I had gotten away from artwork. Getting again into miniature portray actually type of scratched this itch of creativity for me.

Once I approached this piece, I knew it needed to be a powerful scene even earlier than I put paint on the miniatures. The vital step that I took — and this was type of a giant portion of studying for me over competing over time — is basically composing a sound scene forward of time, and type of repositioning the figures all through. However it began with sketches.

Photograph: Jon Ninas

I might sketch out whereabouts every determine could be, how they might create this good silhouette. In the event you have been to show all of the lights off and simply backlight it, might you see all their silhouettes?

My muse for the piece was the Cavalier-Marshal. He’s the gentleman within the again on the horse, and he has this very distinct look. His horse is type of coming downhill, and he’s wanting off into the space. I might simply envision him type of main a troop into some grim scenario. His face isn’t excited. It’s not screaming for battle. It’s simply the seriousness of what’s in entrance of them. He was the beginning.

Simply the portray was roughly 250 hours. Then there was in all probability one other 20 to 30 hours of constructing and sculpting the bottom and the entire scene. Then there’s hours earlier than for the entire idea and design section.

Photograph: Jon Ninas

It’s a bit scary since you are placing out to the world, That is pretty much as good as I’m, and that may be a very type of daunting realization. As a result of you aren’t simply exhibiting everybody that is pretty much as good as I’m, however you’re additionally type of exhibiting your self.

Oftentimes after I paint miniatures, I want to color a bunch of those these fashions for my D&D sport, or I want to color these so I can play the sport with a totally painted military. Pace and getting issues completed shortly is part of the pastime, so we frequently don’t paint as finest as we will. So while you do this, you’re type of placing your self on the market.

As an artist, how do you see your self in dialog with the mental property holder, and in dialog with all the opposite people within the pastime with this piece?

There are some actually pivotal items that individuals say elicit an emotional response in them, and to me that’s a key a part of what diagnoses one thing as artwork. To me, it’s actually vital that you just’re in a position to inform your story to somebody that has by no means heard the time period “Warhammer” earlier than, or to somebody who has by no means seen the fashions earlier than.

I view the miniatures themselves as technique of inspiration, issues that excite you, an amazing place to begin. However they’re additionally type of a software, identical to good paints are a software, your paintbrushes. For a conventional artist, the canvas is a software. However the producer of the canvas, when you have been to purchase it and never stretch it your self, is pivotal within the work. However you continue to must make it your personal, and you continue to must create off of it.

Photograph: Jon Ninas

I believe it’s actually vital which you could inform a narrative for somebody that has no background information of the sport itself. However you are also leaning into an homage to that world, to the lore, to the corporate that has invested a lot in not solely the know-how to create the sculpting that’s completed, [but also for the other] artists [who work at] making the little plastic troopers that we paint. That is an homage to all that work, and all that historical past. On the identical time, those who do find out about all that lore and do perceive it, they will acknowledge that, as an example, my scene depicts the Order of Home Aqsha, and that their colours are uniform, and that they’ve sure symbolism, and sure markings on their shields, or on their armor. They’ll get that, however you don’t must know that to nonetheless respect it.

The place do you go to fill the cup? What are you utilizing on the market within the wider world to present you inspiration?

I really like different wonderful miniature painters. I look as much as them. I additionally am impressed by a few of the movies that different folks on this realm do. I additionally love going again to comedian books, in addition to different fantasy artists like Frank Frazetta, and Boris Vallejo, and Brom, and Jim Lee. I’m a giant Jim Lee nerd from after I was a child and comedian books.

Different types of artwork can encourage me, or make me take into consideration some actually attention-grabbing method that they do texture, or they do colour, or they do to create the texture of an atmosphere. How might I attempt to try this in miniature? That’s actually thrilling to consider.

One other factor that I actually get pleasure from doing is I really like the outside and I really like nature. I’ll go wander to the woods. I’ll go take my canine for a stroll, or my daughter and I’ll go mountain climbing. There’s so much to essentially get impressed from within the pure atmosphere round you. How does moss develop on bushes? What vibrant greens does it have that you just don’t consider while you’re not fascinated by making an attempt to recreate it your self? Little issues on the earth round us are fairly superior to type of soak up when your mind is all the time type of fascinated by recreating that in a tiny little house the dimensions of 1 / 4.

I made some extent to attempt to doc the method this yr over a collection of movies to indicate a few of the struggles, a few of the type of the stress that goes into it, the burden that you just placed on your self, the sheer period of time that you just spend and the way that may grind on you. But in addition, the small moments of pleasure and small successes alongside the course of a mission, and the significance of taking these for your self.

To me, the success of successful a trophy on the finish is efficacious. However what’s far more vital to me was that for the primary time, we now have a documented technique of anyone engaged on one thing and never understanding what the result was going to be. Simply going again and seeing the entire course of begin to end, that I believe I’m equally or extra happy with.

Photograph: Video games Workshop

What are just a few massive suggestions you’d need to share with starting painters?

It doesn’t matter the place you’re at in your portray journey, or what mannequin you’re portray, or how exhausting you’re making an attempt. Each single mannequin you paint will make you a greater painter, and by the point you’re completed, the following one that you just paint shall be higher since you’ve completed the final one.

An important factor is discovering a option to make portray fulfilling for you so while you end a determine you’re excited to start out the following one. You’re not dreading beginning the following one. And that’s a private expertise that’s totally different for all of us. However take heed to what brings you happiness, and lean into that. In the event you do this, you may be shocked how a lot you’ll develop, as a result of something in life that we get pleasure from doing we naturally get higher at it sooner.

When it comes to particular methods or particular merchandise, we might have a complete separate article simply on that, however I’ll say that an costly sable-hair brush with a razor-sharp tip sooner or later in your miniature portray journey shall be needed. As a result of this stuff are tiny, and also you want a brush that’s dependable.

I’m not saying it feels good to spend $20 to $25 on a single tiny paintbrush. When you get the hold of portray, and also you get your legs underneath you, and also you’ve labored with low cost brushes that you just get on the artwork provide retailer or the craft retailer — you need to completely use these. However while you get that actually high quality high quality software, that can take you the place you should go.