24/04/2014

Botticelli with dragons

Damn! I totally forgot to take pics of the WIP!!

OK, I'll have to show a hundred pics all the same :S

This is a 54mm. mini by Dark Sword Miniatures, a company with a most interesting A Song of Ice and Fire range. Most of their range are 28 mm., but they also have beauties like this.
 
Told ya, Birth of Venus by Boticelli, just with dragons

Everything's cooler with dragons

The difficult part about this mini is that... it's only flesh all around! I tried to show her extreme paleness, but being covererd in the ashes of her clothes and hair, so the skin tones had to go from light pale flesh to greys with mixes of browns and reds, showing dirt in the shadows.
I am not satisfied at all with the results, I'm afraid. I tried a risky experiment and failed. This one will need a repaint in the future, but for the moment this is it.
 
You should be paying attention to the dragons, not staring at her ass
 
Next week I'll show you the 28 mm. range I have. I've already painted them, just need proper photos. This time I'll post some WIP pics, I promise!

8 comments:

  1. Very nice choice of colours to get just the right contrast, I think it is the most iportant thing on such a piece with only few colours. You managed it like a boss really, the skin is just pale enough an dthe dragons are just bright enough but not too much.
    Thumb up.

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    1. Wow, thank you! That's exactly what I tried, but I don't believe I have achieved what I really had in mind. I don't like how the original model is painted in their webpage. I mean, the girl is gorgeous and so is the brushwork, but she looks like springtime camping in the Alps, she looks so healthy and rosy! I tried just the opposite approach, ivory pale skin untouched by fire, irritated eyes, rests of ashes from the clothes and hair... She had to look kinda disgusting, as if you could smell the burnt clothes and fear all around.
      (Wow, now that sounds a little pretentious...)

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  2. Me gusta como has conseguido el efecto de las cenizas!

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    1. ¡Muchas gracias! Ha sido todo un gran experimento. Quería efectos nuevos, tanto en la piel en sí misma como en las sombras y cenizas. Creo que acabaré repintándola un día, pero he aprendido mucho pintándola.

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  3. Smell the fear? Daenerys Targaryen (which this miniature is) knows no fear. How dare you, sir, insult the future queen of Westeros ;)

    In all seriousness, well done. ^_^

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    1. Haha! I... I... I apologize! Ehrm... I meant fear in the air, the dreadful aura she instils :)
      Glad you like the mini, thank you!!

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  4. I think it looks good. The flesh colour is good.
    My suggestions if you repaint it are
    Have less contrast to the shaded areas; females tend to ; look better and more feminine with less muscle definition and smoother highlights.
    Have the deeper greys on the raised areas more like dirt that has caught the raised parts but not got into the crevices of her skin.

    Top effort though

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    1. Wow, thank you very much! Much appreciated, really :)
      Once you read your advice it all makes sense, I will for sure take it into practice when I get the resolution to repaint her. Thanks!!

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