Tuesday 28 October 2014

Setting the tone for my Mother of Dragons

In the Nocturna Models Enchantment figure, I finally found a miniature that could be effectively used as a proxy for Daenerys Targaryen, a major character in my Game of Thrones project. To ensure she retains the spirit of the Mother of Dragons, I am limiting colours I can use to those worn by actress Emilia Clarke when she played the character in the HBO TV series, from Seasons 1 to 4 so far. To further complicate matters, I am attempting to achieve a very light pastel colour scheme overall.

Nocturna Models Enchantment, early work-in-progress

Having previously struggled with very light pastel colours, I was particularly pleased with the subtle highlights and shadows that I managed to convey on her long loose sleeves and bustier. Shadows and highlights on her upper clothing saw some of the smoothest colour transitions I have managed to date. That might not be saying much but it's still a huge personal achievement for little old me.   

Light pastel turquoise with bright highlights and subtle shadows
Crevices in Enchantment's headgear await a yet-to-be-decided dark shadow colour

Meanwhile, the crevices in Enchantment's headger actually requires a further (and darker) shade of shadow. But I have yet to decide on the shadow's hue. At the moment, I am torn between dark turquoise and a greenish blue grey. I am leaving it unpainted for now as I should get a better sense of which shadow colour is more suitable once I have painted articles of clothing near the headgear. 

Colours used to mix the shadows, midtones and highlights; white (not shown) was added to the final highlight

To obtain the light pastel turquoise mid-tone, I used a mixture of Vallejo Model Color Sky Blue and Yellow Green while various amounts of Deep Sky Blue and/or Light Turquoise was added to the various layers of shadows. For the highlights, I added increasing amounts of white to the mid-tone.

Back view of the Nocturna Models Enchantment, early work-in-progress
Light pastel turquoise sets the tone for how this Daenerys wannabe will be painted in the future
Darker hues of turquoise gave the folds of the sleeves their shadow

This light pastel turquoise sets the tone for how I want to go about painting this Daenerys wannabe. Going through my head right now is the many other light pastel colours that will soon follow to give her a soothing colour scheme that is light and airy. I hope to eventually convey what I always sensed from watching the character on TV which is an interplay between fragility and strength. To me, Emilia Clarke best portrayed the character when dressed in soft colours as it belied the harshness inherent in a daughter of House Targaryen. Only thing left to do is to try and translate it to paint.

http://shireworks.blogspot.com/p/nocturna.html

26 comments:

  1. As soon as I've seen the pic, the colour has immediately caught my eye. I must say it is unbelievable, it is such a delightful colour (and such a delicate way of applying it) that I can hardly find words to express myself. Bravo, maestro!

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    1. You are much too kind Suber, thank you very much. :)
      I am doubly lucky because not only is Vallejo Model Color suited to my painting style but they also have such wonderful selection of colours available.

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  2. A beautiful color for a beautiful Mother...

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    1. Daenerys Targaryen is certainly an inspirational subject matter to paint.

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  3. Agree. Excellent color choice. It's giving the model energy and vibrance, and you've just started....

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    1. Thanks Greg. I am just glad I had the proper paints to even attempt this colour.

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  4. I'm pretty sure this figure wil look amazing when ready. The turquoise is striking.

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    1. I love turquoise but I am taking a risk in making it so light as it gets more difficult to convey contrast, for me at least.

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  5. Wow, that's a great start, lovely bending.

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    1. Thank you Michael, I just hope this is not a one-off super lucky attempt. But at least I am aware I could do it (sort of) so that gives me the confidence to try more subtle blending for light pastel colours.

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  6. good choice for the mini and great start with the colours!
    it will be very interesting to see the progress.
    bye

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    1. Thanks luca ... I am curious myself too as how she will turn out as I currently have no idea ... LoL ^_^

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  7. That is a lovely model. I have seen many a paint job. I am looking forward to your take on her.

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    1. Thanks Zab. There are indeed a lot of excellent work on the Nocturna Models Enchantment figure out on the blogosphere. I am currently in a 'paint light and soft pastel colours' mood so I am hoping this will give a unique spin on her.

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  8. This model is beautiful, I'm pretty willing to see the next steps :)

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    1. She is a very beautiful figure, I agree. I am still figuring our what the next colours should be based on the limited palette I have restricted myself to.

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  9. A great start. I do like the color and the transitions are superb.

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    1. Thanks Finch. I am glad you liked it. I have always liked painted miniatures with a subtle contrast though I am not too sure if that's the proper way to go about it in art.

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  10. Very nice model ! I am looking forward the evolution .
    Cheers .

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    1. Thanks Vincent, hopefully I can get the inspiration for what colours to use next.

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  11. Nice start. Great looking figure.

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    1. All other colours that follow have to look good next to the light turquoise so let's hope I haven't painted myself into a corner at the start. ;)

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  12. That's a really nice model! Looking forward to seeing your work on this one.

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    1. Thanks spunkybass, she is indeed a lovely figure. One of the most unique I have seen so far. :)

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  13. Great start and a really awesome color. I like the subtle shading a lot, can't wait to see what will you do next with this mini :)

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    1. Thank you very much Adam. Loved your work on her earlier and I am hoping I can do her justice with my attempt too.

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