I have a desire to become an explorer. To wander through countries, traverse wild forests and fields, climb mountains, and meet new people. I aspire to live a life similar to that of the traveler in Minecraft, created by Jossieboy. Just take a look at his amazing backpack! Plus, there are animals around him, particularly a fox. What? You don’t want to join the animals? Goodness, how uncheerful you are.
Jossieboy, or Jos as his friends call him, began crafting this remarkable traveler by shaping the body using Voxelsniper. “It’s a sculpting tool that allows for the rapid creation of large objects, which can later be smoothed out,” Jossieboy explains.
Jossieboy has created many builds for Minecraft Bedrock, and over time he has accumulated enough experience and techniques to apply in new projects, including this one. In 2017, he built a zombie cowboy and shared some secrets about creating a “living” physique. In the case of the cowboy, adding realism involved depicting movement; he was slightly leaning back, as if a ricochet from a shot had pushed him back a bit.
For the new build featuring the traveler, Jossieboy employed the same technique. Take a closer look, and you’ll notice he’s slightly hunched under the weight of a backpack filled with various items. Moreover, the figure isn’t just standing still but is taking a step forward, causing him to lean ahead again. Hmm, perhaps the heroes in these builds have joint issues, which is why they appear bent…
“My favorite detail,” says Jossieboy, “is either a fish dangling from a fishing rod or a hat shaped like a bird’s nest with eggs inside it.” I believe that if you wander through the wilderness for an extended period, all of this will become an integral part of you.
He also shared with me a secret assembly detail that, according to him, hardly anyone has noticed. “I made a bet with a friend, and we decided to hide a duck in the traveler’s backpack, specifically between the backpack and the banjo (a stringed musical instrument). It’s very small and well concealed. We named it Mobi Duck.” How cool is that! Why hasn’t anyone created a version of Mobi Duck owned by a crazy sailor? Just imagine the potential storyline: this sailor is an ocean explorer who is obsessed with his rubber duck. But during a fierce storm, tragedy struck, and he lost it. He fell into a terrible panic and had seizures, after which he set out on a mission to find his dear friend no matter what. Wow, that sounds just like the plot of an action movie! Sorry, but I need to go pack for my trip to Hollywood.
Every rendering artist (the process of creating images from models using computer software) involved in the development of the Minecraft Bedrock assembly alongside Jossieboy contributed elements that are noticeable at different times of the day. For instance, our fearless adventurer can traverse under the blazing midday sun. However, his stride remains steady even during the dark hours of night and through fog, thanks to a lantern strapped to his back. Imagine him walking around the clock without needing to pause when darkness falls. Meanwhile, I struggle to muster the energy to revisit the previous paragraph and attempt to craft a joke that could surpass my earlier quip about the crazy sailor and his duck.
“I attached a lantern to his back just in case the rendering artist in Minecraft decided to create a nighttime version of the assembly. I thought it would be a great item to play with while working on the night scene,” explains Jossieboy. And he was right, as the rendering artist crafted an impressive nighttime variant where the only companions guiding the lonely traveler are two lanterns.
The creator shared that since his initial assembly, he has acquired numerous valuable techniques. “The most important thing is to construct a higher quality and more efficient assembly,” he states, “and I believe my sculptures have become more intricate in both assembly and details. I feel that the pieces I create now are much more vibrant.” Of course, this realization didn’t come overnight; it took time and many years of effort. “It’s actually challenging to pinpoint which assembly elements make it more appealing, but throughout the process, I understood that certain details were exactly what was needed!”
Nevertheless, achieving quality demands time and energy, requiring a more thoughtful approach to the sculpture’s details. “Currently, I spend more time on assembly, adding extra features by hand. In the past, I rushed through creations to share the results as quickly as possible. But now, I immerse myself in the details, striving to refine every piece so that my works align with my vision of their ideal form.”
