The women of Zelda are so beautifully designed, even those with scales! Princess Mipha of the Zora tribe exudes such regality and grace, though don’t let that fool you; she is just as much a fearsome warrior as she is a refined princess. Both sides of her are beautifully shown in PriscillaMachado’s artwork as Mipha prepares herself for battle.
PriscillaMachado uses primarily red in this piece, likely to emphasize Mipha’s original color palette while also adding a few hints of blues, most notably in her Champion sash. This decision to use less color allows much more appreciation for the shading, anatomy, and movement of the figure as Mipha lunges forward with her trident. It also allows for the impressive detail work to stand out — the closer you look, the more there is to find!
I can not stress enough how much the pose that the artist chose has just hit the nail on the head when it comes to Mipha’s personality. She is attacking, but she does so with such poise. The way a character moves reflects how they act and how they feel. The expression on Mipha’s face is firm, but not angry or intimidating. She has a job to do and she intends to do it well, the only thought on her mind being the peace it will bring once the battle has been won.
Sometimes animation is not needed for life to be given to characters such as those found in Zelda. The skill of artists who have a passion for the series never ceases to amaze me, being able to portray the very essence of a character with pencil and paper. This is but one of PriscillaMachado’s many pieces based on The Legend of Zelda, and more can be found by following the artist on Instagram or Tumblr.
To celebrate the recent launch of Age of Calamity, we are dedicating all of our regular columns this week to the mighty Champions! Check out our Champions Week 2020 page.
