Spring Cleaning Military Orders
Operation Midpoint.
So this week has been difficult. I actually realised I have never “tarted up” a model. Sure, I have done tweaks and repairs but never a full make over. This was difficult in two ways. I didn’t think the model looked “bad” so it wasn’t clear on what I should be changing. Sure, there were glairing mistakes, but nothing that spoiled the model especially from photos.
I started on the white of the Seraphs. It wasn’t white on the model before it was a very light yellow, almost white but not quite. I think when I started to paint this originally, I started to paint this a white yellow and brown tabard and then changed to greys. This was pointless as soon as I finished making everything white, I then done freehand over the top. This is still my weakness and so I made a massive mess then needed to repaint it a 3rd time after the freehand was in place and looking passible.
I corrected some of the blues. I even went to looked at Angel’s one. I don’t like the amount of brightness on the chest. I calmed this down with glazes of blue. I completely blacked out all the black parts of the model. For some reason I had done grey over everything it actually looked like I glazed grey on from afar this looked ok but I took another shot at it and painted each twist in the mail which gives it a lot more contrast.
At the end of this process, I feel like I should have just stripped the model. I probably spent the same amount of time on it now, as I did back then, and I could paint this faster and better from scratch. The lighting is a bit off, but it really does look great from some angles none of which are good for a photo. Is it “bad?” Hell no (in my opinion). Is it great? Hell no. Now for the important question… Is it better than before? That’s subjective but in my opinion, no. Will I be more likely to field it with the new models that will hopefully arrive next week? Yes. And that’s the point of this. It’s to give it an Army to fit into. I may have chosen to play Joan in a game with standard Pano but I don’t think I would have chosen to play the Seraphs. I am always a style over substance player and it wouldn’t have made it onto the table for the basing alone.
So all I wanted to do all week was crack open Defiance. Problem is that means I have another whole project waiting or delayed. That cant happen. Doing something you don’t “want” to do is never a good idea. I put on the Top Gun soundtrack and pressed ahead.
This is the result. Looks underdone in some places overdone in others. Not 100% happy but it’s finished. One thing I am somewhat happy with is the freehand. And the correction of the white. 
This shows off the freehand better. This is the main point why I wanted to repaint the model to add this. I wish I started to do freehand as a Kid. The losest I got was flames on the trim of my Redemptionist’s then I don’t think I done any for 20+ years. I would even prefer to sculpt detail on and paint that than freehand. Imagine how good I could have been if I painted like a 2-year-old on my models and gotten better over the years. 
I changed the way I highlighted the black. It’s just more contrast. I normally use these exact same colours. I decided to put a mid-tone in blue in. I like the effect more in person than in the pictures.
I do like this from the back. Best view is the arse of an Angel. Glad this will be the way I will be viewing the model for the most part. Here you can see the highlighting of the black at it’s best.
viewing the model for the most part. Here you can see the highlighting of the black at it’s best. This model was a pain to do. The volumes are very alien, it’s white on top, it has black freehand on it, the freehand is over a highly shaped section and it’s geometric shapes in a 4mm circumference. All in hard. This again was a tart up the same as the other. The same things apply. In terms f how I feel about it. 
The only things I didn’t paint over was the rusty bits on those black panels. Still no idea what they are supposed to be. Also I think this may have been hand sculpted the model looks symmetrical but it’s not. This fooled me into making painting mistakes along the way.
This will be the final image of Joan still much happier with this model than the other 2. 
Again, you can see from this more armoured section they should fit in well with this much better than before.So that’s it done for this week. There has been some fun like doing the black cable armour sections. Mostly just questioning my decisions. The result is what I wanted, to play with the models but I had hoped just working on the models would make them greater. This didn’t happen and that was a surprise.
Learning is never a wasted endeavour. If I had a time machine and an infinite lifespan, would I go back and strip them… Yes.
More to come next week where hopefully the new models will arrive and I can get building, painting, and enjoying things more. They do look extra pretty.
As ever, great to see your work.