"We'd Rather Stand Alone than Under Imperial Tyranny!"

Like last year, I have to be the first to post a brand new model to create the illusion of a prolific year ahead. Yesterday I put some time in to complete this model. My goal with the Empire is to paint them relatively fast, so I'm sacrificing some of the precision that I normally strive for. Originally there were a lot of inks used on this model when it was started 10 years ago. I actually went back with Scorched Brown and Mechanite Red to eliminate any of the old inks on the pants and coat. I don't know if I'll do that with all of the models I started for this army back then, but as he was one of only two Militia who had made it past the priming stage, I figured it was a good time to test out newer paints and techniques. The thing I'm most proud of on this model is his "5 o'clock shadow". This is something I've never tried on a model and though the rest of the model is just stock 3 color shading and highlighting, the scruff was something new and exciting for me to try. I mixed a little Codex Grey with Elf Flesh and water and built it up with a few thin coats, leaving his deeper facial lines untouched. I think it came out well for my first time. Hello 2011!