Ukrainian Queen

Subject:
Ukrainian Queen
Dolya Art Studios 120mm

Review & model by:
Ian Dow
Pictures: R. Forys

January 2007
Model of the Month

[The figure is a 120mm resin kit produced by Dolya Art Studios out of Chicago.]

The subject matter for this piece is of a Ukrainian Queen by Dolya Art. The origin of the Dolya movement started in the Ukraine as a collection of artist who strove to present beauty and grace in an otherwise repressive communist society. The word Dolya is Ukrainian for fate. It fosters the belief that although the world around you may be bleak and repressive, there is still the spark inside individuals to create great art. With this in mind, many of the artists from the Dolya movement concentrated on landscapes, nudes and floral representations. Their work varied in style and form, but all were practicing an art form that varied drastically from the state sponsored propaganda art form that was found throughout much of the Soviet Union. Many of these Dolya artists had to flee the domination of the communist government to continue to create, but the movement helped open the eyes of many inside the country to the benefits of a free society.

[I found this one on the bargain table at my local hobby store.]

The figure is a 120mm resin kit produced by Dolya Art Studios out of Chicago. It is the only Dolya Art Studios piece that I have ever found available for sale. I have seen some listed on web sites, but none reviewed or for sale. I found this one on the bargain table at my local hobby store, and when I first looked at it I was very impressed with the clean casting and the high level of detail that was present. It was cast as one piece so there was very little filing or filling needed on the seams.

[I wanted the face to be fair, but not too washed out.]

I began by covering the entire piece with Mr. Surfacer 1000, then spraying a very light coat of Tamiya primer on the entire figure. I like to paint the faces first and get those done, and then concentrate on the clothing after that. I wanted the face to be fair, but not too washed out, and I wanted to add make-up without making it look too garish. This was not an easy task, as I do not know how to apply make-up and my wife does not know how to paint figures. I started by painting the face in acrylics and shading with oils. I then added the rouge to the cheeks and the slight color to the eyes. It turned out better than I expected, but not what I pictured in my mind. Life is a learning process.

[The jewels were painted with Tamiya red, blue and green clear.]

[I painted her robe, dress and blouse using Humbrol enamels. ]

I next painted her robe, dress and blouse using Humbrol enamels for the base colors, and Windsor Newton oils for the shading. I have been trying different techniques for the proper shading and coloring of clothing, and I feel that I did a good job bringing out the right contrast of light and shadow on most of her clothing. I finished with her crown painted in brass, and then darkened with a black oil wash. The jewels in the crown were painted with Tamiya red, blue and green clear. I have no fondness for the Tamiya colors except these transparent colors, which I think are the best for a tinted or glassy look. Frequently I will use many different paint mediums to achieve the right color balance, because basically no manufacturer has the best of all worlds when it comes to flats, metallics, gloss, or shading colors. Experimenting with the different paint mediums produces many different results.

[I use many different paint mediums to achieve the right color balance.]

[Windsor Newton oils were used for the shading.]

Now that the figure was complete she really needed a base, so I choose to make a simple dais for her to stand on. I took a simple wooden base and then painted the floor to look like tile. I then took two metal rods and attached plastic card stock to those, and cut them to the same size leaving about an inch of the metal rod below the bottom of the card stock. Then I took red ribbon and cut it to size and covered both front and back to make the piece look like a banner or wall hanging. I then took the plastic pieces from and old Chambord bottle and used this to add detail to the wall banner. Once those were completed, I drilled two holes into the base and inserted the banners. The Queen was then mounted on a blue glass tile, and that was mounted between the two banners.

[I took a simple wooden base and then painted the floor to look like tile.]

Overall the kit was a nice find and a unique piece that isn't often seen. I was also able to experiment with various techniques for creating colors, and found several new ways to give shadows and depth to a figure.