Bought for first models yesterday!

[binxyprime]

I bought my first models yesterday a brood of gargoyles! I havent been this excited about a new hobby in a very long time.

My original color scheme idea was going to be something like a grey ashe with lava and heat effects but in the end I decided that wasn't really going to be a vibrant enough color scheme to work on small models, I think it would look really cool on a Trygon (what wouldnt! am I right) but I dont think it was going to do smaller figures justice.  So I've turned a 180 and am now doing a kind of a water theme with some gold.

I'll post some image URLs to examples, I'm basically going to straight up steal one guys color scheme for wings and skin and a different guys for carapace.

Wings

 

//So what I like about these wings is the deep blue and the design, I probably will alter the pattern slightly but the idea is really solid to me and I think its something I could actually replicate so I'm once again, VERY excited.

Carapace

 

//I'm very impressed with the way this guy blends his golds am I'm extremely worried I wont be able to replicate it, but this is a learning experience for me so I am just going to keep trying until I get it

Also I'm going to do some tropical water bases, I didn't actually notice it until I started posting these pictures but I want to do something kind of similar to the base on the blue winged model but not quite that.

I want to do something similar to this swamp base tutorial but with a brighter water color and some coral stuff.


Fellow Tyranids I just want to know what colors of paint I should buy to replicate these effects and what types of tools you guys recommend for a first time buyer,  I know I should get like 10 brushes in a ton of sizes and I am relatively sure I know what brands of paint I'll end up buying, and I know the general color I want, but if you guys can suggest specific colors, recommend shades or inks, links to tutorials for tropical water bases you might have saved that I couldnt find, things like that I would really appreciate it.  Also if you guys know what you would use as a base coat and what type of blending technique you would use to replicate these effects it would be really helpful, no need to go into a ton of depth I can google tutorials and stuff unless you guys want to be super cool and link them.

Also if you guys have any good ideas for a skin/flesh color for my gargoyles that would work well with gold and shades of blue I would love to hear it.

Thanks in advance and happy hobbying,

Binxy

[binxyprime]

My models are supposed to come tomorrow, I'm also going to go to a GW shop and talk to some people i'll probably bring a tablet with me to show this thread and get clarification on people's ideas.

[vespa]

Welcome to the Tyranid Hive!

Both those schemes look great, I especially like the second one (except for that HUGE gap in the carapace on the far left one!)
I'd be cautious about the pattern on the wings on the first picture. If you are going to be painting a lot of these that is going to take a ton of time!

The best advice I ever had for choosing a scheme is to sacrifice a few models to try a few options out. The last thing you want is to spend a whole lot of time painting lots of models only to change your mind on the scheme and have to start all over again. You can always strip and repaint the test models you decide against.

Good luck!

[binxyprime]

I think what I'll end up doing is painting 1 model extremely carefully until I have it at a point that I would consider far beyond my ability to do in a timely fashion that looks good. Im gonna do the gold carapace with the blue wings, but then I'm just not sure what a good color for the rest of the model would be, im not sure what skin colors and what eye color I want things like that. Right now im leaning towards a purple or pink tongue and maybe some sort of glowing green eyes or maybe I can do some kind of pale yellow, just not sure.

But as for the skin I just cant think of a good unifying color for blue and gold, the best I've been able to come up with is to do a pale yellow but that just isn't sitting well with me when the rest of the model is so colorful, but at the same time I dont want to add a third vibrant color because it will make the model look way too busy. I also dont want to use grey like in the second model because I feel like its kind of boring.

Bah! choices.

[binxyprime]

I wonder if a green-blue like this water would look good for the skin on my flyers it would be able to tie the carapace and the wings together while still being distinguishable.  Then for things that dont have wins I was thinking I would just use the blue in the wings as the skin with the yellow carapace, maybe I could do it where some are the blue and some are the green to give different squads a slightly different flavor?
 

[binxyprime]

Mar 25, 2014 18:22:18 GMT vespa said:

Welcome to the Tyranid Hive!

Both those schemes look great, I especially like the second one (except for that HUGE gap in the carapace on the far left one!)
I'd be cautious about the pattern on the wings on the first picture. If you are going to be painting a lot of these that is going to take a ton of time!

The best advice I ever had for choosing a scheme is to sacrifice a few models to try a few options out. The last thing you want is to spend a whole lot of time painting lots of models only to change your mind on the scheme and have to start all over again. You can always strip and repaint the test models you decide against.

Good luck!

Thank you for the advice, I'm guessing I'll end up doing about 60 gargoyles by the time my army is 100% completed but it might not be that many all depends.  I think the standard in my area is 1500 so I'll prolly do skylblight with 3 flyrants 2 harpy 1 crone, 2 groups of 10 gaunts just to have the minimum troops and like 45 gargs or so and 1 venomthrope.  

I'm sure it will take me much longer to paint all that than I am imagining but I'll have a better idea after I finish this first group of gargs, I wish there was an easier way to see what head bits would look good on them for some minor conversions though =D

[tripwire]

my only advice for anyone starting out painting a swarm army is to KEEP YOUR PAINT SCHEME SIMPLE.

Painting the same model over, and over, and over, and over again is torturous and mind numbing. If you make the mistake of creating a complicated or intricate color scheme, it will take you FOREVER to complete your army. I made the mistake of painting patterns and mottling dots and different colors on the weapons and two color feathering on the carapaces... and it has been INSANELY time consuming to paint my gaunts.

Save the fancy stuff with tons of detail for your HQs and monstrous creatures. Trust me.

-trip

[binxyprime]

when you bring your army to the table and people are wowed though isnt it worth it?  I mean I dont want to just disagree with you but I'm excited, I guess after enough models I might regret it but I'm prolly gonna have to learn it the hard way.

[vespa]

Mar 26, 2014 0:19:47 GMT binxyprime said:

when you bring your army to the table and people are wowed though isnt it worth it?  I mean I dont want to just disagree with you but I'm excited, I guess after enough models I might regret it but I'm prolly gonna have to learn it the hard way.

The thing with a swarm army is just that. It should look good as a swarm. Sure you want the individual models to look good, but what you really want is a mass of varous critters to look awesome as a group.

I often wish that a went with a scheme that is simpler to paint, but at the end of the day I love how my army looks, and that is what is important. But I have found ways to simplify the painting process, so that I can get more painted, without compromising the look of the army. My chief time saver has been switching to Army Painter colour primers, so I suggest you look at the range of colours they have available and see if you can use one of these as your base colour.

Have fun!

[binxyprime]

Thanks I'll look into that