Experimenting with Space Marine Colour Schemes

[jaxom]

It's been about three years since I painted any Space Marines in numbers. The last time was a Veteran Tactical Squad, Dreadnought, and Praetor for Loyalty & Treachery '20. I have three main ideas for what marine type stuff I want to work on before Call to Chaos (hopefully) starts.

 

1) Ultramarines. I don't really like how my DIY chapter blue looks, nor the effort involved in making custom chapter markings. Ultramarine decals are easy to come by, the color scheme can pop nicely, and I like playing their rules.

 

2) HH Tall-scale Dark Angels. I don't mind using the time just to work on conversions and Crusade is coming. It's a slow burning passion project because of all the conversion work required. Sourcing decals will be an issue. I don't like the over-wrought icon FW has been using and prefer the bolder, more straightforward old version. The B&C has a file, but I'd need to work out where to print it - ditto for squad markings.

 

3) The utter heresy of fanfic. A "what if Angron landed on Olympia?" situation. It's totally an excuse to take the pre-Angron Hounds feel from Slave of Nuceria and mix it with the Greek and iron themes of Olympia. Oh, and then take it to the 41st millenium when the Primaris project kicks off because I only want HH era Dark Angels. Ultramarine kits have plenty Greco/Roman bits to use, though sourcing a simple decal for the legion/chapter symbol may be tricky.

 

Each has pros-and-cons. The Dark Angels are the lowest priority, but the lowest handing fruit to try out a new colour scheme. The method I used last time had a lot of washes. I decided to try out Adam Troke's black recipe.

 

Step 1: Dry brush 1:4 Caledor Sky:Eshin Grey over black base coat (I don't have Dark Reaper).

 

Step 2: Dry brush Fenrisian Grey with more of a focus on the edges.

 

Step 3: All over wash with Nuln Oil

 

Step 4: Bring down the grey as needed with a 50/50 Nuln Oil/Black Templar Contrast mix.

 

 

 

 

[jaxom]

Ultramarines - I was trying stuff as I went so didn't stop to take pictures of individual steps.

 

The foreground leg is based on ideas from a Midwinter Minis video. Zenithal highlight with rattlecans, two thin coats of Macragge Blue, one coat Ultramarine Contrast Paint, sponge apply Caledor Sky.

 

The rest of the mini received a coat of 50/50 mix of Contrast Medium and Ultramarine Contrast Paint (one area technically got a one coat of 70/20/10 Contrast Medium/Ultramarine Contrast/Nuln Oil then, but it didn't seem to make a noticeable difference). Then a(nother) coat of 50/50 mix of Contrast Medium and Ultramarine CP. Thinning the Ultramarine CP really helped prevent streaking.

 

I then tried out sponging Caledor Sky, followed by dry brushing everying thing with Alaitoc Blue.

 

At this point I'm out of zenithal test minis, but I'd like to try the above, except skip the sponging with Caledor Sky. It darkened the blue too much. I'll take step-by-step pics for that.

 

Oh, here's what the zenithal rattlecan looked like:

 

 

The 2e marine was hit with a straight coat of Ultramarine Blue to start with and the results were not pretty.

 

[Doghouse]

I quite like the black one although the blue looks good too. I think you are taking the best approach testing before commiting fully to a specific scheme.

[jaxom]

Thank you, and considering my thoughts on the blue it's a good thing too. I tried some more stuff and, while it looks okay, I'm not sure I'm happy with it.

 

Step 1: Thin coat of Macragge Blue over zenithal base coat.

This is about the tone I'd like to end with, but more saturated, as I'd like a more second edition blue.

 

Step 2: 50/50 Contrast Medium and Ultramarines CP.

 

Step 3: Dry brush Alaitoc Blue

 

Step 4: 67/33 Contrast Medium and Ultramarines CP

Forgot to take a picture.

 

Step 5: Light drybrush Alaitoc Blue

 

I can't tell if I'm not as excited about it because I've painted so much blue for my Guard or I can't quite think of a way to get it lighter with the paints and techniques I'm using.

Edited August 29, 2020 by jaxom

[jaxom]

I'll probably use the blue as a lighter version of my Lightbringer colour scheme should I continue on that path. However, it's not really grabbing me.

 

Third experiment: Olympian, but not Perturabo. Despite how much I like (and the ease of) metallics, I've not done a metal based scheme (I don't count the lacquer one). When I first thought up the idea, I figured a clean looking Iron Warrior style iron with a different legion/chapter symbol. Buuuuuuut, that didn't happen. I don't know. This happened:

 

 

Iron Breaker, Seraphim Sepia, Agrax Earthshade. Has a nice light bronze feel to it. It's a warm colour which is different than the cold blues and greys I've mostly worked with. What I'd like to try out next is if I can find a middle ground, a warm iron colour.

[Sandalphon]

I like this worn bronze look, once broken up by details it could be a winner and obviously works well if referencing a bronze-age Greek Olympian theme. Would also work as minotaurs who are in that same vein.. custom/ fanfic/successor DIYs are going to be harder work but always tend to be rewarding

[jaxom]

I've always liked the look of the Minotaurs, even if their lore didn't speak to me, so I tried darkening the colour a bit to make it more like theirs. Started with Wyldwood CP, but it was too dark:

 

 

If you ever want a metal-wood this is it. I don't so for the rest of the mini I cut the CP heavily with medium (4 parts medium to 1 part paint):

 

compared to the previous 

 

I also tried out what's basically Chris Peach's iron recipe.

 

Step 1: Gryph-charger Grey CP over Leadbelcher

 

Step 2: Dry brush Leadbelcher

 

Step 3: Dry brush Runefang Steel with emphasis on edges

 

Here's the two side-by-side.

 

[jaxom]

More experimenting with the color scheme as the whim takes me while I work on Nurgle. I think it was a painting video talking about contrasting colors for tinting rather than as part of the color scheme, but I've had to notion to have a green-black for the pauldrons to contrast the more yellow-orange of the armor.

 

   

 

 

Vallejo Green-Black (first time using their product) with Black Templar Contrast Paint applied like a glaze (painted down and away from the area where light would hit the pauldron). Feedback?

[BadgersinHills]

I like it! Would be really striking with some colours on the eye lenses. I can see this working for a whole host of different Chapters. 

[jaxom]

Thank you! I tried out red lenses:

 

  

 

http://i.imgur.com/B31BCsim.jpg

 

I used Averland Sunset for the front of the eye because it was right in front of me, but I definitely want to use Yriel Yellow in the future for more pop.

[jaxom]

I was waffling between red and white for shoulder markings. I threw some red paint on to get an idea of how squad and chapter markings might look:

 

 

 

I may pick up a sheet of red squad decals from Chapter Customizer....