Getting down with the lingo y'all!

Why, hello there Internet, it's good to see you again. Me? I'm Josh...from before? You know me! I spent hella' (a lot of) time on you in my teenage years, editing and re-editing my Myspace page, logging in and out of my MSN account to get that one person to notice I was there and downloading music via Limewire. It was like a completely different world.

This thought occurred to me the other day as I was getting the skinny (getting to know) on my fellow History freshers. They are all 18 or 19 years old, which I expected as that is, after all, the normal age to attend university. What I did not anticipate, however, was the fact that I am not "with it" anymore. I don't recognise any of the bands being discussed, I have less than 100 photos on Instagram, I'm not up to date on conspiracy theories (apparently they are all the rage now, or 'on trend' as the cool kids say) or political views and I don't understand a lot of the language.

Now, don't get me wrong. This isn't an "Oh, I'm old and feel sorry for myself" post. It's just that I have always thought I was still quite up to date with the kids of today (Jesus, did I really use that phrase?). With me starting university in less than 4 weeks, it did get me a little nervous, as it can be quite hard to blend in when you aren't sure if your classmates are talking about a new band or an unfortunate viral infection (also equally likely to be a band name to be honest). I was worried that I would be sussed out and identified as the fraud I am. University is a daunting prospect no matter what age you are, so the added worry of the age difference has had me, well, worrying.

But then I thought to myself...is it important? I mean, yes, I am 7 or 8 years older than the rest of my classmates, and there will be a generation difference. That said, it's just one more problem that can be overcome. I am still pretty witty and, thinking about it, I'm not actually that old. Sure, I might not have any SWAG's to speak of, and my use of modern lingo might be a little whack, but I'm sure I'll get by. It's just something else to learn over the next few years, right?

So, here's my message to all the 18 and 19 year olds who are getting ready for what comes next, be it university, work or anything else. It will always be scary, it will always be daunting and you will always doubt yourself and consider backing out. My advice? Stick with it. If everything in life was easy, nothing would have meaning. The things that seem hardest are usually the things that shape you as a person and prepare you for the rest of your life.

So, tie those High Tops, wear that cap Ash Ketchum style and strike your best 'start of an epic adventure' pose, because it most certainly will be.

See you on the other side!

Geronimo!!!

Since I've been gone

Hello dearest Internet. You're right, it has been a while since I last walked your dark and questionable depths. I bet you have been driving yourself crazy, guessing at what could possibly have kept me away for so long. What? You didn't even notice I was gone? Oh...well I've already put together a report e planning what I've been up to, and I'll be dammed if a little thing like zero interest is going to stop me from posting it on the Internet! So sit down, shut up and read.

Since finishing college, I've been enjoying plenty of quality time with Alfie. This has comprised of countless walks in the park, endless hours on swings, plentiful time playing football and many hours more than anyone ever need be subjected to CBeebies. It has, in short, been fantastic. The one downside, if you can cal it that, is that I have had very little time for anything else. 

The time I have had spare has been spent digging up the back garden. With the decking all but completed, my sole mission now is to finish the digging and get the nice new turf down to finish it off. Once this has been done, it's goodbye spade and hello BBQ utensils. 

As if this wasn't good enough reason for my lack of posts, I'm also currently on holiday. Myself, Donna and Alfie, along with the In-Laws, have just spent the weekend in Devon and have now travelled down to Cornwall (Newquay to be precise) for the remainder of the week. The weather has been great and, among everything else, me and Alfie have spent plenty of time soaking up the sun in the pool. 

All this means that I have done hardly any painting recently. When I say hardly any, I mean it's so minute an amount that, to the naked eye, it looks as though I haven't done any. In fact, there are some who would say that I HAVEN'T done any, and to these people I say...shhh, don't tell anyone. Once I'm back home, however, I shall be back at the paint table. I am quite looking forward to painting my 11th Doctors, Ice Warriors and Amy Pond.

Until then, keep it real guys!

Catch you on the flip side!

J-Fuzz out!

2nd Doctor Paint Report

Hi guys,

So, I finally got around to painting my 2nd Doctor figure (that's the Patrick Troughton one, if you were wondering). I have to say, I am rather satisfied with the end result, especially when taking into consideration that I haven't painted for around 2 years. So, below is a step by step walkthrough of the painting process, showing the model at various stages and the colours I used to paint it.

A little bit of info on supplies

The model in question today was purchased from Black Tree Design. Go visit them for a range of great figures, or click here to go straight to this figure. Great value for money and the model quality is excellent.

Paint wise, I generally use Citadel paints. I always post pics and the names of paints I've used, and if it's not Citadel, I'll mention where it's from.

Step 1: Undercoat

 

The first thing I did when getting ready to paint the figure was to undercoat it using Chaos Black spray. The picture above shows both my Troughton figure and a Time Lord president figure, a future project that I decided to undercoat at the same time. Make sure to get a nice even layer, don't spray for too long in one place or you will lose detail on your figure.

Step 2: Skin

Once the undercoat had dried, I decided to paint the fleshy areas on the model (the face and hands). I haven't had to paint flesh in a long long time, so I was a little nervous. I opted to use a mix of Tallarn Flesh and Ceramic White, going with about half and half for the tone I wanted. Once I had got the areas needed, I touched the edges back up with Chaos Black so I could see where I was easier.

Step 3: The Shirt

Next, I decided to paint the shirt, as it was in an awkward position and would be easier to paint before the stuff in the way was done. Once again, I used a mix to get the right colour, this time of Ice Blue and Ceramic White. Fairly straight forward again, just neatening up edges once I had finished the shirt. At this stage, I also painted the bowtie, using Mechrite Red.

Step 4: The Hair

For the hair, I didn't want to go too light, as Troughton had very dark brown hair when playing The Doctor. I went with a mix of Calthan Brown' and Chaos Black at first, mixing it very dark. Once that had gone on, I mixed a slightly lighter shade and gave his mop a quick dry brush to add a bit of accent. After it had dried, I used a quick wash of Ogryn Flesh just to darken it back down a little. The picture doesn't show it very well here, but it looks good in person.

Step 5: The Jacket

With the jacket, I had a choice to make. Do I leave it black and go 'early' Troughton, or go for a dark blue and go 'end of era' Troughton? I decided to go end of era, as the shirt I had given him and the bowtie are both more towards the end of his run. I mixed up a lovely dark blue, using Midnight Blue and Chaos Black, mixing it so that it was nearly a hint of blue. It was at this stage that I also realised that I had not painted the shirt cuffs earlier, mistaking them for part of the jacket. I painted these too, using the same mix as earlier. I also painted the recorder and pocket handkerchief too, finishing off everything for the top half. For the recorder, I used Ceramic White and for the handkerchief I used Mechrite Red. I added the blue stripes to the recorder later, using Enchanted Blue.

Step 6: The Trousers

This was the section I was most worried about, due to the detail present in the trousers for this Doctors costume. However, it ended up being fairly straight forward in the end. First, I mixed a medium grey up from Chaos Black and Ceramic White. I used this to paint the whole of the trousers, giving them a solid grey foundation. I then mixed the grey a little darker, adding more black to knock it down a few shades. I used this to paint the vertical stripes down the trousers. I then mixed it even darker (nearly plain black by this point) and used that to paint the horizontal stripes. Once this was done, I mixed the grey back up to the original base coat, and gave the trousers a very very VERY light dry brush, just to blend it a little better. Don't go too heavy with this part, or you will lose the detail you just painted on, and will have to do it all again.

Step 7: Finishing Touches

By this point, I was pretty much done. I used Calthan Brown to paint the shoes, and then just checked over the model for any erroneous paint, touching up odd bits here and there until I was happy.

Step 8: Washing

The last thing I like to do is to wash the model. Some people aren't fans of washes, but I personally quite like them and think they add a nice finish, when used correctly. I applied a wash of Guilliman Blue to the jacket and shirt, Ogryn Flesh to the hands and face and, once those two had dried, a light wash over the entire model using Badab Black.

Once I had let the washes dry, I just added a few highlights to certain areas, just to sharpen it back up a little. I added a little bit of Ice Blue around the cuffs and shirt collar, and some Tallarn Flesh to the raised areas on the face and along the fingers. Doing this gives the shadows created from washing a bit of a better contrast.

Now that the model was finished, I was done. I've added sand to my base, awaiting a decision as to how I'm painting it. I will probably go with a grey, maybe add some road markings in too.

So, there you have it. One finished 2nd Doctor figure. I hope you found this walkthrough useful and have fun with your own painting. If you have any questions or comments or even suggestions for me, feel free to comment below.

Thanks guys,

J-Fuzz out

The End is Here!!

I'm finished! It's done, it's over, it's ended.

I'm talking about college, of course. That's right guys, today I finished my final exam and that concludes my time at Rotherham College. It has been a fantastic year, and I have learnt a lot of things, both about the subjects I've been studying and about myself. If nothing else, it has shown me, after years of doubt, that I am capable of persuing education further. 

I have met some...interesting people in my short time here (I can't believe it's only been 9 months!) and I will stay in contact with some now that we've finished! At the start of the year I was out of my comfort zone as I, generally, try to avoid contact with people. However, as the year has gone on, I have become better at feigning interest and displaying the correct emotion. That's a win in my book!

I have achieved, so far, a near perfect run of top grades, with the final few assignments awaiting grading now. Hopefully, I should find out the results within the next week or so. I have developed a good study habit and feel I am well prepared for the future. Until then though, it's time to relax, do some recreational reading, catch up on some painting and watch some Doctor Who.

What about after the Summer though, I hear you asking with barely contained interest? Well, it's off to uni for me (The University of Sheffield, to be specific) to study history. I'm a little nervous, but am confident that I will continue to grow and improve both as a student and a person.

It's a bit of a bland post, I know, but it's a big deal for me. Today marks the end of this stage in my life. Here's to the future!

Keep it real guys,

J-Fuzz out!

The Quiet Before the (Painting) Storm

So, I mentioned previously that I was going to be participating in a bit of a painting project with a couple of friends, now that I've finished college and have loads more free time in the week. Well, today I got my old paint box out of the attic to check on supplies. I wanna' make sure I've got everything I will need before I start, to avoid unnecessary delay.

I think, for Troughton, I have everything I will need. I have the yellow for his trousers, and I have both black and a dark blue ready for his jacket, depending on what I decide to go with.

I'll be posting a complete 'from start to finish' step by step guide on here once it's done. If you can't wait that long and want to keep up to date with pictures during the painting process, check out my Instagram/Twitter feeds, as I'm sure to be posting them on there.

Painting should (fingers crossed) start next Tuesday. Until then, keep it real guys!

J-Fuzz out!

- Want to see the other work that's going into 'The Tale of Three Whovians'? Below are links to Mike's and Steve's pages, along with one to the dedicated page. Go visit them, follow them, leave comments...you know, nice stuff :)

http://3whovians.tumblr.com/

http://mikesbrushwork.tumblr.com/

http://steelcyberiad.blogspot.com/

First year attempting to garden

So, this year I decided I wanted to try my hand at gardening. I'm only learning, so some things haven't worked, but overall I think I'm doing ok. I've got the garden tidied up (the front one that is, the back is under construction) and sorted the borders weeded and dug over, ready to turn them into colourful metropolises.

As it's the first year I've tried doing this, the borders do look a bit sparse, but that's only because I haven't got any returning plants in them yet, only 1 time bloomers. This time next year, however, should see them looking a lot fuller and more healthy.

As well as growing flowers out front, I've got a couple of pots round the back which I'm growing tomatoes in. These seem to be coming along nicely, and I'm just about ready to tie them up so they can carry on growing.

Overall, I'd say that I'm not too bad at gardening. Sure, it's hard work (never bloody ending) but when I come home from college or work, and see my handy work on a sunny day, it does fill me with a strange sense of pride. I would highly recommend trying it if you neve have before. It's all a learning curve, but it's fun and rewarding.

My year in review

Hello Internet, my dear friend. It has been quite a while, I know. Yes yes, I’ve been eating. No, I’m fine honestly. In fact, I’m better than fine. This year has been incredible for me, and I’m about to tell you why in a lengthy, over the top post. Internet, prepare thyself!!

So, what have I been doing? Everything, and nothing, I guess. In September 2014, I started my course at Rotherham College, studying humanities (History, English and Sociology to be exact) in an effort to gain the points I needed to attend university this coming September (that’s September 2015, do try and keep up). Needless to say, I have excelled in my assignments, achieving 30 distinctions and 3 merits so far (the other 12 points are yet to be graded, but I'm expecting another 12 Distinctions) meaning that I am all but guaranteed to get what I need for uni.

To me, this means a lot more than just “Oh, I’ll be at uni for 3 years, nice.” No, to me, this has proven that I am capable of success on an academic level. After dropping out of 6th form way back in 2007 (yes, it’s been that long) I had doubted myself and my abilities. However, this year has shown me that I am more than capable of not only passing this course, but getting nearly a clear run of the highest grade possible. This has given me a huge boost in confidence and can only mean good things for me in the future.
So, you ask me with barely contained interest and excitement, what’s the plan now? Well, I have an exam in just over a week (it’s on Othello if you’re wondering) and then I’m done with college. I’ll carry on working at the weekend through the summer, but I’ll mainly be spending my time with Alfie. 

That has been the hardest part of this year. With college 9-5 all week, and then working all day on a Saturday, Sundays have been the only day I have been spending with Donna and Alfie. I’ve had the various holidays too, but it’s still been hard not seeing him as much as I’d like. I’m not complaining though as, in the end, it will all be worth it. Only another 4 or 5 years to go.
Outside of college, there’s not a great deal to mention, or at least not of any great importance anyway. I’ve recently started gardening. Not like a young Allan Titchmarsh, but I’ve been dipping a (green) thumb in and growing some nice flowers in the border in the front garden. I’m particularly impressed with my sunflowers, which are shooting up nicely. I’m even growing some tomatoes round the back!

Speaking of the back garden, I have brought ‘operation decking’ out of its long slumber. Hopefully, I will have it finished within the next few weeks, meaning that this year there will be a BBQ every week in our back garden. Alfie will also have somewhere to play while I’m lounging around, being the whimsical, care free guy I am.
The only other things I have been doing really are watching a hell of a lot of classic Doctor Who and playing a hell of a lot of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. The prior is part of my ongoing quest to own every (available) story of Doctor Who. I’m working my way through the DVD collection, buying them, watching them, lending them to a friend, then placing them on a shelf and looking at them with glee as my collection grows. I have just (last week it was) watched ‘Spearhead from Space’ after a rather tearful goodbye to Troughton (I was chopping onions, I swear). The first episode of classic Who to be done in colour did not disappoint and, I have to say, I really, really liked Pertwee as The Doctor. I’ll more than likely do a separate blog post at some point, focusing solely on Doctor Who.

The 2nd thing I mentioned (MH4U for all you slackers) has slowly taken over my life. I have played a couple of earlier games in the series (Tri and then 3U) though they were essentially the same game. This, however, is all brand new and boy, does it show. If you're new to Monster Hunter, just try to imagine a game made up purely of the most intense, over the top boss battles against some truly huge monsters. Got it envisioned in your head? Ok, now forget that, because I guarantee that Monster hunter 4 Ultimate will be better. How good can it possibly be? Well, I bought it at launch (13th February 2015, just over 3 months ago) and so far, I have put around 260 hours into it. Just to put that into perspective, I also bought ‘Animal Crossing: New leaf’ when that launched (first date I played it was 14/06/2013, nearly 2 years ago!) and so far on that I have played 220 hours! I’ll just let that sink in for a minute…oh you’re back. Good. So, yes, I have a slight problem. The game is just so damn good! If there is anyone out there that is on the fence about getting this game, I can do nothing but sing its praises. The best thing about it? I’ve not finished it yet! (although, you don’t really ‘finish’ Monster Hunter).

That’s all that’s been going on for me pretty much. Alfie has continues to grow and learn and do everything that little boys do. He is now in his big boy bed, can more or less eat with cutlery and can successfully tell you what sound dinosaurs, dogs, cats and ducks make. He loves playing outside with his football, but he also enjoys watching Doctor Who with me. The best thing about being a dad? That would be when I get in after being at college all day, and Alfie sees me, stops what he is doing and runs to me for a love and a hug. That feeling is the best thing in the world and nothing will ever compete.
That, my friends, is about all that’s happened this year. Now that I’ve finished with my assignments, I should be able to post more regularly. I should also be starting a new painting project alongside 2 friends soon. They have already begun, but I have had to postpone my contribution due to college commitments. Starting next week, however, I will buying, building and painting some Doctor Who miniatures. My first piece will be a 28mm model of Patrick Troughton’s Doctor (my favourite, in case you were wondering). I’ll be posting pictures and a diary up here of how I am getting on, so keep ‘em peeled. 
Righto, that’s me done for this week. Keep it real.

J-Fuzz out!

Dad

Stood here with my Son in hand,
as I’m sure we used to stand.
I can’t help feel both pride and sorrow,
as I think of missed tomorrows.

Times we missed, joys never shared,
advice to ensure I was prepared,
for life without you there with me,
to be the dad I need to be.

But then I think of what I’ve learnt,
Not what was taught but what was earned.
The way to act, and all the rest,
But then, I did learn from the best.

So when I’m sad, I think of you,
When I’m not sure what I should do.
I remember all the times we shared,
Remember just how much you cared.

And then I’m set, and with a smile,
I’ll carry on just for a while.
And even though you have gone,
I will remember you, always, John.

 - Joshua Matkin, 2015

-

New things coming this week!

Hi guys,

So, this week heralds the start of another chapter in my road to becoming a teacher. I've just finished a bunch of essay papers for college and on Wednesday, I've got my open day at the University of Sheffield. I'm really looking forward to getting a good look around the campus and facilities and getting to chat to the lecturers and find out about the course.

In other news, I start my placement at Aston Academy on Friday. I will be working as a teaching assistant in the history department. Aston Academy was where I studied for my GCSE's (well, it was Aston Comprehensive back then, but hey) so it will be a blast from the past to walk those halls again.

Im finishing off a few papers now as I head into the final stages of this course. I'm also starting to think about if I will continue working when I'm at Uni, or if I will drop a shift or maybe stop working altogether. Something to think about eh?

So, that's me for this week. I'll leave you with a fantastic poem I found the other day while reading for my latest English essay. It is a WWI poem and I really like the simplicity of it, yet the darker undertones it gives off are nice as it adds a complexity to it. Make of it what you will. If you want to give your own opinions, comment below.



Elegy In A Country Churchyard

The men that worked for England
They have their graves at home:
And bees and birds of England
About the cross can roam.

But they that fought for England,
Following a falling star,
Alas, alas for England
They have their graves afar.

And they that rule in England,
In stately conclave met,
Alas, alas for England
They have no graves as yet.

 - G.K. Chesterton




J-Fuzz out!

New beginnings!

Hello Internet. It’s been a while hasn’t it? Quite a lot has happened over the last few months. I’ll give you the run down of what’s been happening recently. You can decide if it’s interesting or not.

So, I started college in September last year, which is a big deal for me. i lost my dad when I was 16, about a month before i was due to sit my AS levels. I ended up flunking all of them. I tried re-sitting them the following year, but got similar results, and thus ended my academic career. Or so I thought. After years of wanting to be a teacher, I finally decided to take the plunge, get a part time job rather than full time, and enrol in an access course in humanities, with a view to go to university the following year. I can say now, with utter certainty, that this has been the best decision I have ever made. I am finally moving past things that I have, for so long, almost used as an excuse for my poor career choices. I am moving forward to bigger and better things.

So, it’s March now. I have completed 2 essays for each subject so far (History, English and Sociology) and have attained a total of 15 distinctions and 3 Merits. I’ve just handed in another essay for each subject, but I’m waiting on results. Fingers crossed eh? I’ve also had my offers back from uni and I’ve selected my first and second choices, University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam respectively. I need 30 distinctions and 15 Merits minimum to get into UOS, so I need to keep up the pace I’ve already set. 

I am so excited to be going to Uni next year, as it is something I have never done before. Ok, so I never did college before either, but I did 6th form, which is similar. University, however, is a completely new experience. I’m excited and a little scared, but the thought that, in 4 or 5 years time, I’ll be a history teacher. Yes, I decided to go with teaching history. 

What makes this part of my life even better is that I’m not doing it alone. My best friend is also studying at college, although not on the same course, and is going to the same uni as me next year, also to become a teacher, though it will be of science, not history. Walking this path side by side has made the experience so far even more exciting for me. 

I’m also fully aware that I need to mention a couple of other special people. The most special people  (the specialist people?) I’m talking, of course, about my wife and son, Donna and Alfie. Without their support I may very well have given up on myself early on, or even before I started the course. 

Other than college, there hasn’t really been any change. I still play video games, I still watch classic Doctor Who and I still read comic books. The “Spider-Verse” event has just finished in Amazing Spider-Man, which I have mixed feelings about. I will probably write another entry entirely devoted to this to be honest, as there is too much to put in here. 

I got a ‘New Nintendo 3DS’ too. I went to the midnight launch at Game in Meadowhall and got ‘Monster hunter 4 Ultimate’ (of which I have played around 40 hours so far) and ‘Majoras Mask’ (of which I have played around 1 hour so far). Again, I’ll post a separate entry to discuss my feelings on this at a later date.

So, that’s the catch up done with. I’ll be trying to keep these updates and entries fairly regular, if not every week, then hopefully every other week. Not that I suppose anyone will read this. It’s mainly for my own documentation but I thought i’d post it on the off chance that someone in this big old world would like to hear my thoughts.

J-Fuzz out!