Painting Plasma Weapon 'Coils'

[RebG]

Hi guys.

 

Has anyone got any experience painting the glowing style plasma weapon coils (the ribbed/ridged section of the top of the gun)? I've seen a few on here which I now can't find any pictures of of course but would love to know roughly how to for some upcoming minis.

 

Cheers :P

[thade]

I do something like this:

• Regal Blue undercoat.
  
• Splash of Enchanced Blue centered on it.
  
• Smaller splash of Sky Blue centered on it.
  
• Tiny touch of white centered on it.
  
• Ard Coat gloss varnish.
  

Lately I've fallen out of favor with the whole "transparent window" thing as I've seen more and more plasma guns with opaque paint on the coils (literally a dark shade of solid red) and I'm leaning more towards that.

[he_plays_guitar]

Well technically the coils "in theory" shouldn't glow at all...they are magnetic coils that propel the superheated plasma out of the weapon. Instead, the barrel and the cooling vents at the front of the weapon should be glowing to show the glowing superheated plasma gas. However, I love painting the plasma coils glowing just to add to the effect. For my Loyal marines, I paint them this way:

Enchanted blue basecoat

Ice blue highlights on each coil

pure white highlight on each coil

 

I like this method, even though it's tedious painting every separate coil, because it's very nice and glowing.

 

For my Traitor marines:

Scab red basecoat

blood red highlight on forward half of coils

orange highlight on forward quarter of coils

sunburst yellow highlight on forward eighth of coils

small white highlight on very forward part of coils

 

This method looks as though the coils are more heated up at front, like it's charging up ready to fire. I paint them glowing red because they're more evil :-)

[kolbywhite28]

Hi guys.

 

Has anyone got any experience painting the glowing style plasma weapon coils (the ribbed/ridged section of the top of the gun)? I've seen a few on here which I now can't find any pictures of of course but would love to know roughly how to for some upcoming minis.

 

Cheers :)

 

 

I have done it with mixing Citadel Midnight Blue and Skull White, then dry brushing gently to get the glow effect. ;)

[Brother Nihm]

Normally I just paint gradients through Necron Abyss -> Regal Blue - Enchanted Blue -> Icy Blue -> Icy blue mixed with Skull White.

It ends up looking like this:

[chromedog]

Well technically the coils "in theory" shouldn't glow at all...they are magnetic coils that propel the superheated plasma out of the weapon. Instead, the barrel and the cooling vents at the front of the weapon should be glowing to show the glowing superheated plasma gas.

 

This.

 

I paint them bronze highlighted with gold.

 

If they are glowing, then there is too much power going through it and it is probably this close (holds thumb and forefinger *that* far apart) to going Foom!.

 

Then again, my SM aren't psycho-indoctrinated holy warriors.

They are psycho-indoctrinated clone soldiers (explains why all the unhelmeted heads are the same).

[darth_giles]

I've always painted them in whatever my army's highlight color is- for example, in my Black Legion army, they were painted the same fiery yellow-orange that I used for impurity seals and hoses.

[RebG]

Thanks for the replies folks.

 

The magnetic coil thing being plain is a bit to strict to fluff technics for my liking so, although informative, I'm going with colour. Also, Chromedog, being this close *repeats finger-thumb gesture* to FOOM is pretty appropriate knowing my over heat rolls!

 

I like the highlight colour idea but I play Angels Sanguine so it'd get complicated/messy. So good ol' blue it is, I especially like the sound of he_plays-guitar's fade up idea for those Chaos, will give it a whirl!

[Warsmith Aznable]

If they are glowing, then there is too much power going through it and it is probably this close (holds thumb and forefinger *that* far apart) to going Foom!.

 

Yep. About a 1 in 6 chance, I'd say.

[Urauloth]

Normally I just paint gradients through Necron Abyss -> Regal Blue - Enchanted Blue -> Icy Blue -> Icy blue mixed with Skull White.

It ends up looking like this:

That looks amazing. painting the vents(?) on the muzzle makes them look like they do in the artwork.

[greendestiny]

thanks for writing about this I was just researching it myself!!