Elven Prince on Lion

Greetings, fellow painters!

 

Finished some time ago for a generous patron, this piece holds a special place in my heart, and today, I'm thrilled to share the story behind it.

The journey began when the patron approached me with a desire for a miniature that could capture the magical essence of high elves. Intrigued and eager for a creative challenge, I accepted the task.

What made this project even more enchanting was the patron's willingness to grant me almost total freedom in the creative process. Collaborating with someone who not only trusted my skills but also allowed our visions to seamlessly blend was a breath of fresh air. The result? Well, judge for yourself as you continue reading.

Some of the Artwork sent by the client as a reference (Artist unknown)

When the proposed miniature turned out to be the Elven Prince on Lion by Last Sword Miniatures, my miniature-loving heart skipped a beat.

 

The resin print from Last Sword Miniatures was excellent

Now, let's address the tricky part of commission painting – a terrain familiar to many artists. While having someone invest in your artistic skills is undoubtedly validating, I've learned that not every commission sparks joy. In the early days, I found myself tackling every project that came my way, be it sci-fi warriors or a space marines. However, the thrill wasn't always there, and some miniatures felt as exciting as watching paint dry (pun intended).

 

And oh, the ubiquitous space marines – those identical, armoured souls. How many of them can one person paint before questioning their sanity? It was a question I grappled with until I decided that life's too short to be stuck painting something you're not passionate about.

 

Back to our high elf Prince and his White Lion. The Lion, with its humanoid-like arms , offered an easier interpretation of volumes.

You can see in the photo how the anatomy of the lion is slightly "Human"

Choosing the resin version from the Last Sword Miniatures shop turned out to be a brilliant decision. The quality exceeded expectations, and the customer service was nothing short of outstanding.

To capture the magical essence of the high elf Prince and his white lion, I decided to infuse the miniature with an ambiance reminiscent of snow, opting for a cold palette and a harmonious color scheme. 

The color palette waltzed with reds, yellows, blues, and whites, creating a desaturated yet harmonious scheme. Black took a backseat as I played with colours to conjure the darkest tones, resulting in a desaturated scheme with richly coloured greys.

In this Macro you can see some of the print layers

Close up of the elf's face and NMM

Until next time, may your brushes be steady, your dice be kind, and your victories be sweet.

 

Best regards.

TUTORIAL: How to paint yellow in 8 Easy Steps

Greetings! Today, I'm thrilled to share with you a quick tutorial on how to paint yellow. 

Now, before we dive into in, let me throw in a quick disclaimer – there are numerous ways to achieve a yellow hue, and what I'm about to reveal is just one of the many chromatic variations out there. But hey, if you're a fan of the yellow on my Warhammer Night Goblin Banner, then buckle up because here comes the methodology!

 

MATERIALS 

 

Let's start by gathering our artistic arsenal:

 

- Citadel Chaos Black primer

- Liquitex Titanium White acrylic ink

- Vallejo Bright Orange 70.851

- Vallejo Deep Yellow 70.915

- Vallejo Ice Yellow 70.858

- Vallejo Gold Brown 70.877

- Citadel Gore-Grunta Contrast

- Golden Artist Colours Titanium White

 

For the application process, you'll need some additional materials (check out my essential materials blog post for more info if you need to), assuming you've already got them handy.

 

8 EASY STEPS TO PAINTING YELLOW

 

Step 1: Begin by applying the Citadel Chaos Black primer to your miniature .

 

Step 2: Highlight the miniature with Liquitex Titanium White ink to create that zenithal lighting effect. This step is key as it sets the stage for the brilliance to show in the next steps.

 

Step 3:  Apply Vallejo Bright Orange to the areas covered with the previously applied white. The white base acts as a canvas, intensifying the saturation and brightness of the orange.

 

Step 4: Apply a 50% mix of Bright Orange and Deep Yellow.

 

Step 5: Apply Deep Yellow with precision, avoiding coverage of the layers from steps 3 and 4. We're building layers here, people!

 

Step 6: Mix 75% Deep Yellow with 25% Ice Yellow and apply in controlled areas where the light shines most brilliantly. Think that these areas are usually perpendicular to the light source.

 

Step 7: Utilize a mix of Bright Orange and Gore-Grunta Contrast in areas revealing the black primer, adding depth and contrast.

 

Step 8: Finishing touches:. Apply Golden Acrylics Titanium White to the highest points of light, such as the moon tips, nose, and selected areas in the eye wrinkles. For the pièce de résistance, simulate reflection rays in the maximum shadow areas using a desaturated yellow (Vallejo Gold Brown).

 

And there you have it – an easy way of painting yellow! 

 

Until next time, may your brushes be steady, your dice be kind, and your victories be sweet.

 

 

Best regards