Alternative Horus Heresy Dark Angels Colour Scheme

[FoxTrot.]

Hey guys, 

 

So I'm planning on starting a Dark Angels force sometime soon and have been really inspired by the cover for Fallen Angels. Obviously the artist took some creative liberties with the armour colour, so with only this reference I'm a bit lost on how to replicate this look over an entire army. Do you guys have any suggestions about what GW colours to use to translate this colour scheme? Also if you have any ideas for what sort of designs and colours I could use on shoulder pads, helmets, etc let me know, I'd love to hear them. 

 

 

Fallen Angels cover:

http://getwallpapers.com/wallpaper/full/4/0/9/1256734-free-download-dark-angel-space-marine-wallpaper-2560x1440-for-ipad-pro.jpg#.XhxMkXJ4i3Q.link

[Imren]

Judging by the picture the armour seems quite reflexive as metal surfaces. So I'd say it looks like unpainted silverish armour with some light bronze/brass tones here and there (especially the back pack top in the middle of the picture). The silver doesn't seem pure, and I'd choose a warmer tone toward beighe/khaki. perhaps spice it up with some tempered heat bloom effects but toned down and more subtle than the heat bloom effects of the FW IH paint scheme.

 

I'd probably go for something like this:

1. Prime black
2. Airbrush a base coat of Vallejo metal color gun metal
3. Airbrush a midtone with Vallejo metal color exhaust manifold
4. Airbrush highlights with a 1:1 mix of Vallejo metal color exhaust manifold and Vallejo metal color chrome.

 

After that you can go ahead and gloss varnish, do your decal work, paint details (eye lenses, wargear, soft joints etc) and give the models a oil paint pin ash with a dark brown (van Dyke or raw Umber) diluted in odourless artist's sprit.

 

This might look a bit like Iron warriors but the slight khaki/brownish tint of the exhaust manifold correspond to you picture better and differentiate them a bit from iron warriors, I-d paint details and such so that they really look like DA. Look into ordering superfine checkers decals to put on the shoulder pads like they have on the picture.

 

The helmets seem to have a greenish tone on the picture so you could do the heads with Scale 75 Peridot Alchemy as midtone instead to give that effect.

Edited January 13, 2020 by Imren

[Chaplain Raeven]

Looks to me like the Heresy colours, black armour but with white detailing instead of red. 

[lhg033]

you could have a play around with a metallic base and contrast paints over the top - google gw contrast paint over metallic and take a look at some of the images (at work so cant do too much 'research' now to provide examples)

[FoxTrot.]

Thanks for the replies. I'll definitely give the metallic base a try, seems like the way to go.

[Laughingman]

If you have access to a airbrush you could also simply use artist grade black ink instead of expensive contrast paint over a zenithal metallic basecoat

[Lucerne]

Vallejo also makes a paint called "metallic medium"