Okay, so I got this wild idea a while back, you know? I was thinking, “I gotta make a Malenia statue.” Just popped into my head. I’m a huge fan, and honestly, I just wanted to see if I could even pull it off. Sounds simple, but boy, was I in for a ride.
Getting Started – The “Easy” Part
First things first, I needed a plan. Or, well, something like a plan. I spent a good few days just scrounging the internet for pictures of Malenia. Screenshots from the game, concept art, even what other folks had made. You wouldn’t believe how many different angles you need to really get a feel for a character like her. Her pose, the armor details, that crazy helmet – everything had to be just right, or what’s the point?
I figured I’d use polymer clay. Seemed like the go-to for this kind of thing, at least from what I saw. Went out and bought a bunch, probably too much, but better safe than sorry, right? Also got some basic sculpting tools, nothing fancy, just a few pointy things and some loop tools.
The Sculpting Saga
Then the real work began. Man, sculpting is hard. Seriously. I started with a basic wire armature, just to give her some structure so she wouldn’t flop over. Getting the proportions right was a nightmare. One leg would be too long, then the other too short. Her torso felt off. I must have redone her basic form like, five times. No joke.
And then came the details. Her armor, with all those intricate patterns. I was there, hunched over, trying to carve these tiny little lines. My eyes were killing me by the end of each session.
- The helmet was a beast of its own. Getting those wing-like things on the sides to look decent and not like droopy ears took forever.
- Her prosthetic arm and leg needed to look distinct but still part of her. That was tricky.
- And the cape! Or whatever that flowing fabric is. Making clay look like it’s flowing gracefully? Yeah, not easy.
There was this one point, I was working on her sword hand, and the whole arm just snapped off at the elbow. I just stared at it. I was so frustrated, I almost chucked the whole thing in the bin. Seriously. But then I took a break, came back, and superglued it. Had to re-sculpt around the join, but it held. Thank goodness.
Paint, Pain, and Perseverance
After what felt like an eternity, the sculpting was done. Or, done enough. I baked it, and thankfully, it didn’t explode or crack too badly. Then came painting. Oh boy, painting. I’m no artist, let me tell you.
Getting the right metallic sheen on her armor, the sickly pale of her skin, the rot bits – it was a lot of trial and error. Mixing colors, applying thin layers, messing it up, painting over it. The tiny details on her helmet again drove me nuts with a tiny brush. My hands were so shaky.
I remember trying to get the color for her hair just right, that reddish-gold. Mixed up a batch, painted it on, and it looked completely wrong. Had to let it dry, then paint over it with a new mix. This happened with a few different parts. It was slow going.
The Finish Line… Kinda
So, after all that fuss, all those hours, is it perfect? Nah, not even close. If you look real hard, you’ll see all the little mistakes, the bits that aren’t quite symmetrical, the paint that’s a bit splotchy in places. It’s definitely homemade, you can tell.
But you know what? I don’t even care. I look at that statue now, sitting on my shelf, and I’m like, “I made that.” I actually took a lump of clay and a bunch of paint and turned it into Malenia, Blade of Miquella. It was a challenge, a massive pain in the butt sometimes, but I stuck with it. And for me, that’s pretty cool. It’s my own little trophy, I guess. Definitely learned a lot. Maybe I’ll even try making another character someday. Maybe. After a long break.
