Nightbells

Terry Lyons 08:06 Miniatures , Painting No comments

Nightbells, by Mindwork Studios. I found this piece difficult to finish, mostly because I started it before a long break from painting, so lost all my momentum on it. I’m happy to have finished it, and the sculpt’s distinctive silhouette stands out on my shelf.

I wanted to paint this figure black, but not a cold grey-black, so I drew inspiration from Paul Kidby's illustrations of Discworld’s Death. The black is highlighted with purples and blues, and lit from below with browns and oranges. Since his whole outfit is the same colour, I stippled the highlights on his trousers to differentiate the materials. The orange source lights are reflected in the metal accents around his neck, the sword and dagger hilt, and the all-important bells hanging from the weathervane.

I’m really pleased with the copper of the weathervane, I think it’s the best non-metallic metal I’ve painted so far. The non-metallic of the sword has an extra pop of magical blue light added to it.

I’m also really happy with the skin, it’s quite different in tones to the recent figures I’ve painted, using khakis and desert yellows and creams. His arms have translucent blue veins to give the skin extra detail (though this may be difficult to see in the pictures).

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