Background
Ithelia, the forgotten Daedric Prince, has finally been remembered. Known as the Mistress of the Untraveled Road, she commands the Threads of Fate, bending reality to her will. Once hidden as Hermaeus Mora's best-kept secret, her existence was erased even from the memories of the other Daedric Princes.
To bring her story back to life, Bethesda Gear Store created The Elder Scrolls Online Forgotten Daedric Prince Statue. Limited to just 3,300 pieces worldwide, this collectible recreates Ithelia with her intricate crystal wings, detailed costume, and the iconic Threads of Fate. The hand-painted polyresin statue also includes a Letter of Authenticity, making it a true collector's piece for fans of The Elder Scrolls Online.
Challenge
The main challenge was achieving a translucent crystal effect on the wings without making the material look like ordinary painted plastic. The design required a gradual transition from deeper blue and purple at the outer edges to lighter, more transparent tones toward the center, with small silver accents to enhance the reflective crystal appearance. However, applying too much paint or using an overly concentrated color would cover the natural transparency of the clear material and make the wings look opaque, flat, and visually heavy.
What I did
I worked with the factory to adjust the coloring process instead of relying on conventional full-surface painting. I separated the color areas and controlled the paint density layer by layer, keeping the central areas lighter to preserve transparency while gradually increasing the color toward the edges.
I also tested different color concentrations on crystal samples before moving to production, comparing the transparency and color transition under different lighting conditions. Based on the results, I adjusted the paint ratio and spraying coverage until the blue and purple tones could be seen without covering the crystal's natural depth and reflections.
This allowed us to achieve the layered crystal appearance shown in the final product while keeping the wings visually transparent rather than simply painted.
