Science fiction feature show style Dark Eldar Archon

Yesterday I not only managed to catch up on the weekly episodes of the excellent The Great War series on YouTube, I also finished this classic Dark Eldar Archon. This model is from the 'let's teleport down to the planet and raid the adult store'-era of the Dark Eldar. I have to admit to not liking most of the models in this range (kudos to mr. Phil Kelly for reinventing the Dark Eldar). This model however is one of the exceptions to the rule. It has just the right amount of camp to really appreciate it (and to make me want to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show again).

You have got to appreciate the I'm here and I like camp attitude this model expresses. 

I tried three new techniques on the model (and failed at at least one old one). First off I tried painting an eye by going for black and dotting in white. Thanks to my brilliant photography (stop laughing in the back row!) it is hardly visible. I did however find my hand steady enough to go for a bit of an exaggerated goth look befitting this model. The second technique I tried was to apply makeup as a glaze. And even though the pink is quite pronounced on the picture it still works and it is a lot more subtle in real life. So that is a technique I will try again.

Not mentioned in the running text: the lazy OSL on the staff and pistol failed rather miserably. Reason: turned out I forgot to properly clean my airbrush after spraying the Wight King with varnish. 

The third technique I tried was shading red with blue. I should've known it would work (as it works for others, but I was still quite amazed and pleased at how well a bit of blue shades red. Now please stop giggling all you fancy color theory pro painters out there. On the other hand, please carry on, we all have to learn somewhere.

Blue works excellently as a shade for red. Everybody else probably knew this already, but now I do too.

The red started out as GW Khorne Red build up with Wazdakka Red and highlighted with Squig Orange. The shadows where created with a mix of Khorne Red and Vallejo Prussian Blue I thought it all looked a bit muted, then I found a forgotten bottle of P3 Red Ink among my paints. I though 'what the hell, why not'. Well...it took a bit of dabbing with a q-tip to tone down the first wave, but on drying no one can argue that this dress is not red!

Yeah the make-up works on this model. I'm a happy painter!

As an aside I first painted her hair blue (in keeping with one of the colors used on the model) but it looked awful so in the end I repainted it to blond. It is my private very humble opinion that all elves (both high and dark) should default to blond as befitting their ridiculous racial superiority complex. But I digress...All in all a fun model to paint, maybe once I get around to painting my Ynnari warband I'll actually field her on the table as well. Now what to do with the remaining lot of 'former adult store employees posing as Dark Eldar' on the leadpile? Ah well, let them rest for a bit longer....