Mad Donna (or D’Onne Astride Ge’Sylnaus of the House Ulanti) was the twelfth daughter of Sylvanus, Patriarch of the House Ulanti.
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But you don’t care about any of that. I didn’t when I was a kid. Imagine, a 12-year-old reverently flicking through the newly released Outlanders supplement. Muties, Remeptionists, Zombies and…this mad lass. Wreathed in leopard print and fizzy hair, I didn’t understand that she was a Cyber Punk version of Madonna. My first frame of reference was Harlequinn – and thus the genesis of a paint job 20+ years in the making.
Updating the Mad Donna Ulanti paint job for modern tastes comes with issues. I’m anchored in Games Workshop’s IP for what only feels like nostalgia at this point, but I can’t do ‘Old Hammer’ style painting. When I get down on my painting, I have a hard reset. I paint a mini using a Citadel Guide from the 90’s to remind myself why I love painting.
But it’s a trap.
What trends have we seen emerge over the past 20 – 30 years in miniature painting? Nonmetallic metal, object source lighting, plasma glow effects, weathering, corrosion – all have been at the apex of the wheel. However, more recently, artists are playing with ideas used in the illustration. That’s what I wanted to bring in here.
How best to view this miniature? I’m not strictly adhering to a zenithal (light from above) principle, but instead building light sources to silhouette the miniature.
Old meets new.
The green under glow from the base frames the entire piece. Every colour choice stems from that – from her hair colour bands to the banding of her chain sword. Balance is important with colour choice, saturation and value. Hell, if you are bored enough, try and pair off the choices I’ve made on the miniature. One to get you started: the hair and the rust on the base are the same value.
Give it a shot. I hope to do more of these in the future, but I’d love to see what Old Hammer miniatures you have painted with a modern twist. If you were interested in learning more about the intricacies of miniature painting then I warmly invite you to the Patreon Courses. Click the banner below and sign up for $15 to get access to the entirety of the vault.
