Painting the Ladies of the North: Midnight Blue, Wolf Fur and Frostlit Runes
Three figures give you a rare chance to build a display that feels united without making every model identical. The Ladies of the North set brings together Anlva, Astrid and Brynja as three 75mm-scale resin figures, with varied weapons, fur, leather and armour that reward a coordinated palette.
What the live listing includes
The current Maximum Minis listing describes a group of three models—Anlva, Astrid and Brynja—available in 75mm scale. They are printed on demand in grey standard resin, supplied unpainted, and may require assembly. The listing advises using cyanoacrylate-style glue, notes that supports are removed before shipping although small supports may remain, and gives a dispatch estimate of 5–7 days from order. The designs are sold under a commercial licence from AsymSculpts.
A shared winter palette with three individual personalities
Start with a cold, controlled family of colours: midnight blue and desaturated teal for cloth, russet brown for leather, cool grey for wolf fur, dark iron for weapons, aged bronze for ornaments, and pale skin warmed with restrained rose glazes. Keeping the shadows cool lets the leather and bronze provide small pockets of warmth.
To stop the trio feeling uniform, shift the balance rather than changing the palette. One figure can lean toward midnight blue, another toward blue-green teal, and the third toward charcoal and fur. Repeat the same leather recipe, metal highlights and turquoise rune colour across all three to reconnect them visually.
Midnight cloth and weathered leather
Prime black or very dark grey, then establish the cloth with a deep navy base. Build broad highlights with a muted blue-grey, concentrating them on raised folds and upward-facing areas. A thin glaze of the original navy over the transitions will restore saturation and smooth the blends. For teal panels, mix a small amount of desaturated green into the same highlight colour so the fabrics remain related.
Paint leather with a dark chocolate base, then use narrow russet highlights along straps, seams and worn edges. A final sparing line of warm tan should appear only on the sharpest points. This creates convincing wear while preserving the dark northern mood.
Wolf fur, skin and cold iron
For fur, begin with a charcoal-grey wash over a mid-grey base. Drybrush progressively lighter cool greys, changing the direction of the brush so the raised strands catch naturally. Reserve off-white for the tips nearest the face and shoulders; pure white everywhere would flatten the texture.
Keep skin pale but alive by glazing a diluted cold rose into cheeks, knuckles, elbows and knees. Re-establish highlights with an ivory-tinted skin tone. Weapons work best as near-black iron: layer dark metallic grey, shade recesses with black and brown, then apply clean silver edge highlights only where blades would catch light. Small aged-bronze fittings add contrast without turning the models overly bright.
Frostlit rune bases
Paint the stone bases in charcoal and slate, then stipple irregular blue-grey highlights to suggest chipped rock. Add thin frost with an off-white drybrush and place small amounts of snow in steps and crevices rather than covering the sculpted detail. Paint the runes in turquoise, add a brighter cyan line at their centres, and glaze a very restrained halo onto the surrounding stone. The glow should support the figures, not overpower them.
Painted interpretation: midnight blue and frostlit runes
The image below is a digitally painted interpretation for inspiration. It demonstrates the article’s midnight-blue cloth, russet leather, cool wolf fur, dark iron, aged bronze and turquoise-rune scheme. The physical product is supplied unpainted.
Preparation and finishing
Before priming, inspect recesses for any small support remnants and dry-fit the parts. Use cyanoacrylate-style glue for assembly, and fill visible joins before paint. A matte varnish will protect cloth, fur and stone; follow with selective satin varnish on leather and a small amount of brighter metallic paint on blade edges to restore material contrast.
Imaginative lore: The Oath at the White Cairn
The following is original, invented lore for painting and display inspiration, not factual product information.
At the first blue light of winter, Anlva, Astrid and Brynja climb the White Cairn and set their weapons upon its frozen stones. The runes beneath them awaken one by one, recording an oath older than the northern kingdoms: no raider crosses the pass, no restless dead leaves the valley, and no sister stands alone beneath the aurora. Their armour bears different scars, but every blade carries the same cold fire.
Display idea
Arrange the three bases in a shallow arc so their weapon silhouettes frame the centre figure. A dark wood plinth, sparse snow and a few pieces of frost-covered slate will make the turquoise runes the brightest colour in the scene while keeping attention on the miniatures.
Ready to plan your own northern trio?
View the Ladies of the North set on Maximum Minis:
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