Hive Fleet Valkyr color scheme C&C

[calbanite]

I'm starting to get enough Tyranid models to field an army. I've got a color scheme idea floating around in my head and some basing ideas.

I've always wanted Starship Trooper Arachnid looking nids, so I used their colors as a starting point.



I used the Tyranid painter posted here.





Charcoal grey carapace. Darker grey/black chitin plates with burnt orange highlighting. Normal bone color for weapons/claws/hooves/teeth/etc. Rusty brown for any fleshy bits.

To contrast with the colors of the main body I liked the idea of having electric blue eyes. Originally I wanted the non-synapse dumb bugs to have boring glossy black doll eyes. Synapse/aware bugs would have the blue eyes with a glow to help differentiate them.

For basing I need something that contrasts and doesn't take away from the model. I think a dusty, barren Martian like landscape would be good. Not sure on the color though. At first I wanted just a dull red with extra chunks of plastic/resin carved up into gemstone-like protrusions everywhere.

What do you all think about the color scheme? Any basing ideas or general color advice? I haven't painted Tyranids since the 90's nor have I ever based a model.

[Jbizzy]

Looks good. I personally would have the fleshy bits a brighter color for contrast. Even if you just have it a lighter pink.

[25below]

There are two things that I've found or figured out about painting nids. First, for me nids look better in an "organic" scheme. SST bugs definitely have that. It doesn't mean that you can't have bright colors, just that there needs to be an organic feel to it. At least that's what works for me. The second, which is far more important, the scheme needs to be easily repeatable en mass! If it's too complicated it will take too long to paint and you will tire of it and never finish your army. I call it the "nooby scheme" because new players usually pick an elaborate paint scheme and never paint more than a few minis before they are tired of painting. Just my thoughts.

[calbanite]

The fleshy bits on the Hive Tyrant don't really show up compared to the Carnifex. Dunno why the tube to the Vencom Cannon didn't get shaded in with that color.

For ease of painting i was gonna use Army Painters gunmetal grey primer for the base coat and just paint the chitin paints a darker black. Throw on a wash over the primed grey carapace and call it a day.

I was thinking of brightening up the orange on them to make it pop more. Like a bug saying "don't eat me because I'll mess you up".

[25below]

Sept 23, 2017 19:53:01 GMT calbanite said:

For ease of painting i was gonna use Army Painters gunmetal grey primer for the base coat and just paint the chitin paints a darker black. Throw on a wash over the primed grey carapace and call it a day.

I was thinking of brightening up the orange on them to make it pop more. Like a bug saying "don't eat me because I'll mess you up".

This is very similar to what I did. Prime, pick out details, wash, highlight, done. Easy, repeatable, and looks good on the table.  Bright colors are great, look at nature. Most of the really deadly arachnids out there have a small spot of bright color like red somewhere on their body.

one last suggestion, I learned this the hard way. Keep a notebook and list every color of paint you use. For everything! Highlights, bases, everything!  In a couple of years you will be really really glad you did. Just trust me on this one. Thank you, wife.

[hive fleet cicaida]

id upgrade the grey to a blue ish grey, like Fenrisian grey for the skin, compliment the orange better.

[topknot87]

My only concern is that if the two grays are not different enough there's no disconnect between their skin and armor. I second @monstaar in that maybe a colored gray would benefit this scheme.

I also think if you did these guys on a "Mars" red desert-scape would be really cool and make them stand out.

[25below]

Yea, these guys are going to be dark so a light base will be needed to make them really pop.

[hive fleet cicaida]

if youre really hell bent on the gray you could reverse the colors on the carapace aswell.

[topknot87]

Sept 28, 2017 6:08:04 GMT hive fleet cicaida said:

if youre really hell bent on the gray you could reverse the colors on the carapace aswell.

I concur, with similar colors like that it would look a lot better "on top"

[locust]

Neat

[calbanite]

So I finally painted a test model to see how the color works IRL. I haven't really painted anything since I was a kid, so my brushwork is pretty bad.

What to do with the basing? The green leaves look pretty good I think, so maybe a brown/earthen kitty litter base with some plastic ferns?

[hivefleetkerrigan]

Sounds like a jungle base?

I use the following for my jungle bases:
1. Paint a dark brown
2. stirland mud
3. dry brush some light brown
4. Add green flocking
5. Add static grass/moss/ferns/rocks as needed

It comes out really well.