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So I have a week off work after a stupid amount of overtime and plan to bang out a fair few Guardsmen (and maybe a tank or 2). I am now happy with my camo scheme but can't decide on gun colours. I don't really want to do a simple black/drybrush job as I have done that on almost all my other armies. The question is, should I go for a grey to provide some colour other than green or should I use a green base to match the camo a bit?

Test model below:

Probably the grey to break it up a bit, unless you can manage to make it look good with camo. I don't think just green will really work. I guess it already looks alright the way it is.

Go with grey and maybe darken it up with a wash of badab.

How about a non-camo color on the gun casing to break things up, like red? I really liked the way it looked on some of the old 2nd edition IG minis...

Hmm.. I think the grey has it. Different enough from the gren to be noticeable, and yet not too outstanding. If I was to do green then it would also have to be given some kind of camo scheme and I can't be arsed

@Molotov - I did think about using an ultra-contrast colour, but I am trying to go for a very lurky army this time round.

Bright weapon colours a a thing for Marines and similar troops that don't actually mind being shot at. I think Guard are too squishy for that kind of approach

I think the black is more like real guns but those bluish gray ones above this are pretty nice looking too.

That is one fine looking soldier.

What was your aproach to painting on the camo pattern if I may ask?

SilverMK2 wrote:That is one fine looking soldier.

What was your aproach to painting on the camo pattern if I may ask?

Thanks It took long enough to get the pattern down... In the end I just copied my shorts (UK woodland pattern camo)

Base coat of Catachan Green with a light drybrush of Goblin Green. Cover 25-50% of the base coat with graveyard earth in blobs as irregular as you like (might take a couple of coats to get a good colour over the green). Next layer is Scorched brown. Get it slightly fluid and just on the tip of a detail brush (the stiffer the tip the better) and then jitter the tip around on the model, trying to break up the GE and CG colour blocks. Thankfully SB is a strong enough colour that it shouldn't need a second coat. Finish up by doing the same jitter job with Chaos Black.

I am currently preparing to repeat this ad nauseum

Cappy wrote:I think the black is more like real guns but those bluish gray ones above this are pretty nice looking too.

real world would be grey II

Gaming table and painting-defintiely grey I, although it would drive me insane if you're trying to paint 120 of those.

I think we are splitting hairs here, all the guns I have seen that are military issue are a black color. I am willing to concede they are a blackish-gray color if you are.

@Frazzled... I'm not quite sure what you're alluding to... Thankfully I don't have that many infantry models in my army

(only 60 or so)

@Cappy - most guns are indeed black from the factory, however you often see coloured portions, either where the user has totally cammed it up, or where the plastic furniture (stock, cheekplate, grip, etc) comes in some other colour. For instance both the Steyr AUG and the SA-80 come with green plastic furniture. Makes it look a bit more interesting than just black. As the rest of the model is pretty green I felt that more green might make me feel ill, hence the grey

Flinty wrote:@Frazzled... I'm not quite sure what you're alluding to... Thankfully I don't have that many infantry models in my army

(only 60 or so)

@Cappy - most guns are indeed black from the factory, however you often see coloured portions, either where the user has totally cammed it up, or where the plastic furniture (stock, cheekplate, grip, etc) comes in some other colour. For instance both the Steyr AUG and the SA-80 come with green plastic furniture. Makes it look a bit more interesting than just black. As the rest of the model is pretty green I felt that more green might make me feel ill, hence the grey

I believe grey one would be the best of the two choices. I actually preferred Test One, but Grey One works best for the greys for miniatures. Its a nice contraast without being "marinish."

Frazzled wrote:

Flinty wrote:@Frazzled... I'm not quite sure what you're alluding to... Thankfully I don't have that many infantry models in my army

(only 60 or so)

@Cappy - most guns are indeed black from the factory, however you often see coloured portions, either where the user has totally cammed it up, or where the plastic furniture (stock, cheekplate, grip, etc) comes in some other colour. For instance both the Steyr AUG and the SA-80 come with green plastic furniture. Makes it look a bit more interesting than just black. As the rest of the model is pretty green I felt that more green might make me feel ill, hence the grey

I believe grey one would be the best of the two choices. I actually preferred Test One, but Grey One works best for the greys for miniatures. Its a nice contraast without being "marinish."

AAAAaaaahhhhhh... referring to the picture names! Sorry about that... total brain failure

The models I'm doing just now are a mortar crew and therefore a bit different to the rest of my models. I think I will stick with the grey on these guys and then maybe stick with a drybrushed black on the troops with weapon swaps. Actually, that fits quite nicely with my background blurb... (wanders off to ponder and hit things with sticks)

Caution stripes. Doesn't matter that it would invalidate his camouflage, it would just look wonderful.

Flinty wrote:
AAAAaaaahhhhhh... referring to the picture names! Sorry about that... total brain failure

The models I'm doing just now are a mortar crew and therefore a bit different to the rest of my models. I think I will stick with the grey on these guys and then maybe stick with a drybrushed black on the troops with weapon swaps. Actually, that fits quite nicely with my background blurb... (wanders off to ponder and hit things with sticks)

Yea I just picked up on that one too.....my bad its been a long day. I also didn't notice the butt of the gun in the first picture being grey, now that I have noticed it I think the second set of pictures looks better.

I like my lasguns.... they're dark grey, almost black, with lighter grey camouflage (12 layers) mottled on top

It's looking good with the grey

lemon detective wrote:I like my lasguns.... they're dark grey, almost black, with lighter grey camouflage (12 layers) mottled on top

I like the sound of those! Do you have any pictures to show off, by chance?

DoW

You can't go wrong with Charadon Granite from Citadel Foundation paint range. It is one of my favourite colours at the moment. Highlight Charadon granite with Adeptus Battlegrey or Codex grey and wash with Badab black for all your black needs. I almost never use Chaos black anymore.

Although I'm painting my IG guns disturbingly red - because I can.

You all make me seem like such a lazy bugger... I just paint mine boltgun metal, give them some chainmail on the aquila, then wash.... Makes me hate coming to the paint section